Shadowing Practice: If You Can Understand Him, Your English Is Perfect - Learn English Speaking with Video

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180 sentences

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If you can understand this story then your English listening skills are incredible

and that's because I'm going to be speaking at a very natural native pace

and I'm not going to be including any subtitles either

so I'm just going to be speaking to you as

if you were one of my friends

and I'm also outside as you can probably tell by now

so that means there is going to be a bit of background noise

so in general it's going to be a very realistic test of your English listening abilities

okay and this is a true story as well and something

that happened right here in Korea about two years ago

so yeah I'm just in Korea right now walking through some random markets why not

so it's about the time that I almost joined a Korean cult

that we put the storytelling sunglasses on

so this happened in November 2022 in Seoul the capital

and it took place in an area called Hongdae in particular

and Hongdae is quite a lively area lots of shops

and bars and people and stuff like that

so it happened on a Saturday at about 12 p.m

so the middle of the day now I did go out the night before not last night

but the night before this story took place and that's somewhat relevant

because it means that I was feeling slightly tired a bit hungover

but that's important because basically I had one goal for this.

Legends.

Anyway, I had one goal for this day and that was to buy some boots.

Okay, I'm not talking about football boots.

I'm talking about black suede Chelsea boots and I knew the exact type that I wanted.

So that was my goal and I was walking through all of these shops

and I was going in there and I was showing photos and we came close but we didn't quite

find the exact pair that I wanted.

So a couple of hours had passed, it was about two o'clock now, and I found myself standing outside this 7-Eleven shop, and that's when things got crazy,

because that's when two people came up to me.

Two seemingly nice, friendly, innocent people, right?

Although I did have my suspicions towards the end of the story, but you'll see what I mean.

And they came up to me and said, hi, where are you from?

I said, oh, I'm English, nice to meet Oh, what's your name?

Dylan, blah, blah, blah, blah.

So what are you doing here?

I'm on holiday.

No, what are you doing here today?

Oh, no, sorry.

I'm looking for some boots.

They were like, oh, really?

Maybe we can help you.

So I showed them a photo and they said, oh, yeah, yeah, we can help you.

I think I know where we can find these.

So basically we were staying in the area

and we went from shop to shop and they were just going into all of these shops and helping me say, oh, excuse me, do you have these shoes?

Do you have these shoes?

And we found this few pairs that are somewhat similar to the ones I wanted, but nothing perfect.

So a couple of hours had passed, genuinely.

We were looking for these shoes for like two more hours.

And afterwards I was like, you know what guys, I really appreciate your help, but I don't think it's going to happen today.

I think we're going to have to cut our losses and just accept defeat, try and find them another day.

Thank you so much though.

They were like, oh yeah, no worries, no worries.

So what are you doing now?

And I said, nothing.

Why?

And that was the first mistake that I made that day.

I was like, oh, because we're going to go to an event.

Perhaps you'd like to come.

I was like, what sort of event?

they said oh they were quite shady with the details which is probably a red flag looking back

but they said it was something to do with the importance of unity

and family and that i should go there i was like okay

that sounds a bit suspicious they're like no no it's fine

it's fine uh it's on the other side of seoul though

so we need to get a train it'll take about half an hour is

that okay i was like half an hour um

and i was still i was umming

and ahhing about whether ago I was literally just stood outside this 7-eleven

because I'm pretty I'm a pretty indecisive person as it is

and it was a Saturday but I was in this sort of hungover giddy mood

and I was like oh should I just do it should I just should I do this thing

and after a while I decided to do it for one reason

and for one reason only and that's

because I wanted something to talk about in my Tuesday newsletter yeah

so I put my life on the line for a story

for an email I didn't even bother sending in the end i didn't even include

that anyway we're getting a video out of it it's all good

so i said yes

but i said listen guys i can't really be bothered to

get a train i'm feeling lazy let's just get a taxi

okay i was like okay fine let's get a taxi

so the taxi was 20 minutes that's how long it was supposed to take

but because it was a saturday

and it was about 4 5 p.m at this point the traffic was just insane seriously

so we got into the taxi after five We were driving for five minutes, then we were just stationary.

We were at a standstill.

So just picture this.

There's me, two random Korean people who I don't know, nice people but strangers, and the sun is starting to go down, it's starting to get dark,

I'm starting to feel a hangover from last night, and my social battery has just gone, it's depleted, it's over with.

And these two people, bless them, just would not stop speaking to me, they just kept asking me all of these questions,

and I'm quite introverted, so I was just not really in the mood to answer them, and as every minute went by,

I was less and less in the mood to answer these questions.

So, and they were quite invasive as well, some of these questions.

And also they just kept looking at my phone as well, which was quite weird.

So I think there was a football match happening at the time.

If I was checking the score on my phone or if I was just texting someone, they kept looking over and they weren't really being that discreet about it either.

100

Anyway, at this point I decided I'd had enough.

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I'm going home.

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So we, as a group, we decided just to get out of the taxi because the traffic was insane, to walk to the station and then get the train to this place.

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I'd already mentally decided that when we get to the train station I was just gonna make an excuse and go home, but they didn't know that.

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So we got out, the taxi driver let us out.

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It was a somewhat inconvenient location, so we had to walk for 10-15 minutes to get to the station.

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And by the way, during this time they were just taking photos of me, which was another red flag.

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And because in Korea you can't turn the sound effect off when you take a photo of something on your phone, so I could just hear like and I'd turn around

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and they were just taking photos of me right

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so I didn't even question them though I was just like

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okay at this point I was pretty done let's just see

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what happens let's wait for this car to go by

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so we finally arrive at the station

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and they say okay we need to get on this train

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and this train and this train

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and I said yeah I'm not going they're like what I'm sorry guys I'm

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so tired I feel like we've already tried to make this journey happen

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but we got stuck in traffic maybe that's a sign I'm

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not going they were like what do you mean you're not

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going I said I'm just not really feeling it bye guys

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they're like no you can't leave everyone is expecting you

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that was the biggest red flag they were just adamant they

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would not let me leave I said guys I don't even really know you like respectfully you seem nice

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but I'm sorry I'm just really tired

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and they're like no no no you have to come you

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have to come they would not take no for an answer

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so we were basically on this platform in this random train

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station debating for like 10 minutes I was like I'm going

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I'm going I'm going they're like no no you can't you

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can't you can't they were asking for all of these reasons

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and then trying to come up with counter arguments for every single reason I gave.

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Then after a while, I was like, guys, I'm sorry.

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I'm just, this is it.

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Goodbye.

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Goodbye.

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And they looked so sad and somewhat angry at me as well.

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They were like, oh, but everyone's expecting you.

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Everyone's expecting you.

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Huge red flag once again.

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So eventually I leave and I was feeling a bit resentful at this point.

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I was kind of annoyed that they had just completely ruined my vibe because as I say, I had my music on.

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It was a sunny Saturday.

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I was going to buy some boots.

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I was in great mood

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and then all of a sudden I was just in the

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middle of nowhere trying to like almost arguing with these strangers

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as to why I didn't want to go with them on this suspicious sounding journey anyway after

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that they finally let me go they finally took no for an answer

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and I continued on my search for the boots

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so I found a Zara nearby I walked there found the exact pair they were on a mannequin though

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so I had to ask the guy to please take the mannequin apart it It was so awkward.

151

He had to unscrew the top, unscrew the trousers, and then just rip these Chelsea boots off this mannequin's feet.

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Tried them on.

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They were almost perfect.

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They're just a tiny bit too big.

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There was another mannequin next to that original mannequin.

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So I had to say to him, hey man, would you mind please just, I want to try those ones on.

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Is that okay?

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He was like, for God's sake, really?

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Anyway, he did it.

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I ended up buying those boots.

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And then I ended up going out later that night

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because it was my friend's last day in Korea

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and had some beers and I ended up scuffing those boots that I risked my life and my freedom to get.

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So yeah, quite a sad story, but it's all good.

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I found some marker thing, covered it.

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Anyway, that's it.

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But it was only in hindsight that I realized how suspicious that was and how potentially dangerous it could be.

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Because during the time, I didn't think I was in any sort of danger.

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I didn't realize that it could have been a cult.

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I thought it was just some religious thing, to be honest, but I thought it was innocent enough it was only in hindsight i was like oh is

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that what happened is that damn oh okay then

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so i may have dodged a bullet there

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so yeah that's it that's the time i almost joined a cult in korea crazy

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so that's the story guys please let me know how much of it you were able to understand

175

because as mentioned i was speaking at a very native pace there i was not slowing down at all

176

and yeah i'll I'll see you all very soon.

177

I hope you stay safe from those Korean cults.

178

All right.

179

Cheers, guys.

180

Adios.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “If You Can Understand Him, Your English Is Perfect”. This video has 180 sentences and 2058 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:33. The speaker talks fast, about 216 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
boot noun	/but/	A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg.
taxi noun	/ˈtæksi/	A vehicle that may be hired for single journeys by members of the public, particularly one with an automated meter to calculate the fare.
mannequin noun	/ˈman.ɪ.kɪn/	A dummy, or life-size model of the human body, used for martial arts training or the fitting or displaying of clothes.
suspicious adjective	/səˈspɪʃ.əs/	Arousing suspicion.
hindsight noun	/ˈhaɪn(d)saɪt/	Realization or understanding of the significance and nature of events after they have occurred.
hungover adjective	/hʌŋˈoʊvɚ/	Suffering from a hangover.
unscrew verb		To loosen a screw or thing by turning it.
eleven noun	/əˈlɛv.ən/	A cricket team of eleven players. Hence first eleven - the team of best cricket players (at a school), second eleven - the "B" team, etc.
adamant adjective	/ˈæd.ə.mənt/	Firm; unshakeable; unyielding; determined.
deplete verb	/dɪˈplit/	To reduce the amount of; to remove (a substance from something)
discreet adjective	/dɪˈskɹiːt/	Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.
inconvenient adjective	/ˌɪn.kənˈviːni.ənt/	not convenient
indecisive adjective	/ˌɪndɪˈsaɪsɪv/	Of a person, not decisive, not marked by promptness or decision.
introverted adjective	/ˈɪn.tɹəˌvɜːɹ.təd/	Thinking about internal or spiritual matters.
resentful adjective	/ɹɪˈzɛntfəl/	Inclined to resent, who tends to harbor resentment, when wronged.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
end up verb	To bring to a conclusion.
come up to verb	To approach.
go out verb	To leave, especially a building.
walk through verb	To explain (something) to (someone), step by step.
come up with verb	To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
get out verb	To leave or escape.
get out of verb	To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.
go down verb	To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

No, what are you doing here today?
I'm looking for some boots.
Do you have these shoes?
Perhaps you'd like to come.
I was like, what sort of event?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	details which is · people who I · well, which was
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has just gone · we've already tried

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 66 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, didn't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: suspicious /səˈspɪʃ.əs/, stationary /ˈsteɪʃəˌnɛɹi/, shady /ˈʃeɪdi/, suspicion /səˈspɪʃ.ən/
Long words — get the stress right: inconvenient /ˌɪn.kənˈviːni.ənt/, indecisive /ˌɪndɪˈsaɪsɪv/, introverted /ˈɪn.tɹəˌvɜːɹ.təd/, respectfully /ɹɪˈspɛkt.fə.li/, hangover /ˈhæŋoʊ̯vɚ/ ~ /ˈhæŋɔʊ̯vɚ/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like boot, taxi, mannequin.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: If You Can Understand Him, Your English Is Perfect - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?