Shadowing Practice: INTERCHANGE 2 (3. The right apartment) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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I'm sorry.

Listen, you guys, I know we're close friends, but this is ridiculous.

We have to move.

We've looked at three apartments so far.

It's time to make a decision.

Okay, let's review each apartment.

I know it isn't much bigger than this place, but I like the apartment on Hudson Street.

The location is great.

We can walk to school.

Yeah, there are three bedrooms, but I wish it was bigger.

But it's so convenient.

We can walk to the library to study, and that saves money, too.

But if we have a bigger apartment, we don't need to study at the library.

We could study at home.

The apartment on Hudson Street is too close to school.

It's like living in a dormitory.

Yeah, that's true, but it isn't as noisy as this place, and I can't study when it's noisy.

Yes, it's quieter, but it's also darker.

The kitchen is dingy, and the bathroom only has one tiny window.

Who needs a bathroom with a view?

The Lakeview apartment is much bigger and brighter.

It has plenty of windows.

Yeah, but Lakeview Drive isn't as convenient as Hudson Street.

It's in the suburbs.

It'll take us at least an hour to get to school.

But it has much more space.

There are three bedrooms, a living room, and a big kitchen.

It's also $700 a month.

That's much more expensive than the other apartments.

It's only $150 more than we pay now.

Between the three of us?

That's not much.

Yeah, I guess.

I just wish it was a little cheaper.

The kitchen is nice.

I'd like to be able to cook once in a while.

We can't make a real meal in this apartment.

Yes, and cooking at home saves money.

Which is your favorite apartment, Molly?

I like the apartment on 3rd Avenue.

It's nice and not as expensive as the others.

Only $500 a month.

It's also downtown, so there's plenty of public transportation.

Okay, the location is pretty good and the rent isn't as high as this place, but is it safe?

Isn't it dangerous downtown at night?

It's just as safe as any other neighborhood.

We should be cautious no matter where we live, but maybe a little extra cautious downtown.

What about space?

Two people have to share a bedroom, or one person has to use the living room as a bedroom.

That's not going to be me.

There wouldn't be any privacy.

Oh, we can work that out.

Look, the appliances are brand new, and the bathroom is bright.

It's the nicest apartment.

Okay, let's take a vote.

Write down the apartment you think we should take.

We have a winner!

Let's call the landlord and tell him we'll take it.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “INTERCHANGE 2”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: apartment, bedroom, bigger, study, Hudson. This video has 59 sentences and 461 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:56. The speaker talks at a steady 117 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 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

13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
bedroom noun	/ˈbɛdˌɹum/	A room in a house, apartment, hotel, or other dwelling where a bed is kept for sleeping.
downtown noun	/ˈdaʊ̯nˌtaʊ̯n/	The main business part of a city or town, usually located at or near its center.
convenient adjective	/kənˈviː.niənt/	Serving to reduce a difficulty, or accessible with minimum difficulty; expedient.
cautious adjective	/ˈkɔːʃəs/	Using or exercising caution; careful; tentative
noisy adjective	/ˈnɔɪzi/	Making a noise, especially a loud unpleasant sound
meal noun	/ˈmiːl/	Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity.
ridiculous adjective	/ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/	Deserving of ridicule; foolish, absurd.
privacy noun	/ˈpɹaɪ.və.si/	The state of being secluded from the presence, sight, or knowledge of others.
suburbs noun	/ˈsʌbɝbz/	The populated area surrounding a city.
landlord noun	/ˈlæn(d).lɔɹd/	A person that leases real property; a lessor.
appliance noun	/əˈplaɪ.əns/	An implement, an instrument or apparatus designed (or at least used) as a means to a specific end, especially
dinghy noun	/ˈdɪŋ.(ɡ)i/	A small open boat, propelled by oars or paddles, carried as a tender, lifeboat, or pleasure craft on a ship.
dormitory noun	/ˈdɔɹ.mɪˌtɔɹ.i/	A room containing a number of beds (and often some other furniture and/or utilities) for sleeping, often applied to student and backpacker accommodation of…

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
write down verb	To produce or set (something) down in writing; to record something.

Sentences worth repeating

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

We've looked at three apartments so far.
Between the three of us?
We can't make a real meal in this apartment.
Isn't it dangerous downtown at night?
That's not going to be me.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should be · should take
Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things	bigger than · more expensive than
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary	have to move · need to study · have to share
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	It'll take · we'll take

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 15 contractions and reduced forms, such as isn't, can't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

Long words — get the stress right: ridiculous /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/, dormitory /ˈdɔɹ.mɪˌtɔɹ.i/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like bedroom, downtown, convenient.

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: INTERCHANGE 2 (3. The right apartment) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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