Shadowing Practice: Is Renting Better Than Buying In The U.S.? - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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For generations, owning a home has been a cornerstone of the American dream.
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But rising home prices, borrowing costs, and home expenses have made buying a home increasingly difficult for many Americans.
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45 % of Americans who did not own a home said homeownership felt completely out of reach, according to a 2026 survey.
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As a result, more Americans are embracing renting as an attractive long -term housing option, rather than simply an alternative to homeownership.
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A growing share of Americans say their reason for renting is
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because it's more convenient less financially risky and cheaper than owning a home.
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Even millionaire renters with enough money to buy a home outright have been on the rise.
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I bought my first house when I was 23 years old.
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I have bought and sold houses throughout my entire life, but always because I thought that that's what I was supposed to do.
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I never really thought I had a choice.
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When I reached 40, finally, I realized that I could stop and ask myself, Is this what I want?
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Renting made so much more sense.
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It was stress -free, it was peaceful, and that's what we decided to do.
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In May 2026, the national median asking rent was 1 .5 % lower than a year earlier, extending a 34 -month streak of year -over -year rent declines.
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The current home that we live at, our townhouse, costs about $2 ,900 a month.
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To own a townhouse like ours here in Swampscott will probably cost anywhere between $500 ,000 to $700 ,000, depending on where you're looking,
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which probably come around, I don't know, $3 ,500 a month.
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And then if you're looking at something like this closer into the Boston area, a townhouse like this close to a million dollars for sure.
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At the same time, owning a home costs more than just the mortgage.
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Consider the cost of repairs.
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From 2022 to 2024, structural repair costs rose more than 14 percent, while some repairs, such as plumbing work,
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became nearly 24 % more expensive.
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Homeowner's insurance has also soared in recent years, jumping by an average of $648 or 24 % per year between 2021 and 2024.
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I've owned four different homes before
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and always there's that intense stress and pressure of what could happen and can we handle what is going to happen.
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Renting, way more predictable if anything breaks, I just call someone and it's not my responsibility.
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It's theirs.
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It makes managing our finances way more manageable.
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As costs of buying and owning a home continue to rise, some experts say the financial advantages that once made homeownership an obvious path to wealth are behind us.
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Meanwhile, renting can provide flexibility that homeownership often lacks.
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In a recent survey, 38 % of renters cited the freedom to move or change plans as a key benefit of renting.
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That flexibility resonates even more with younger generations, with 47 percent of Gen Z saying flexible lease options make renting worthwhile long term.
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Years and years from now, once my daughter finishes high school and we're ready for the next phase in our life, maybe owning will make sense.
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But I kind of like the idea of being bi -coastal
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and renting a place in the East Coast
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and renting a place in the West Coast and just bouncing around whenever we feel like it.
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So I don't know.
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We'll see.
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That doesn't mean Americans have entirely given up on homeownership.
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Surveys consistently show that most Americans still hope to own a home one day, but with more rental options than ever, from luxury urban apartments to single -family homes with backyards,
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some Americans no longer see renting as a temporary stop on the path to homeownership.
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Instead, they're embracing it as a long -term lifestyle choice that reflects a broader shift in the American dream,
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one where flexibility, mobility, and financial freedom matter as much as owning a home.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 44 sentences and 630 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:50. The speaker talks at a natural 165 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| repair verb | /ˈɹiːpɛɚ/ | To restore to good working order, fix, or improve damaged condition; to mend; to remedy. |
| flexibility noun | /ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/ | The quality of being flexible, whether physically or metaphorically. |
| embrace verb | /ɛmˈbɹes/ | To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug. |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
| meanwhile adverb | /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ | During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place. |
| temporary adjective | /ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/ | Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time. |
| decline verb | /dɪˈklaɪn/ | To move downwards, to fall, to drop. |
| intense adjective | /ɪnˈtɛns/ | Of a characteristic: extreme or very high or strong in degree; severe; also, excessive, towering. |
| mortgage noun | /ˈmoɹ.ɡɪd͡ʒ/ | A legal agreement in which a borrower pledges real property as collateral for a loan used to purchase or refinance that property. |
| reflect verb | /ɹɪˈflɛkt/ | To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface. |
| increasingly adverb | Increasing in amount or intensity. | |
| luxury noun | /ˈlʌk.ʃə.ɹi/ | Very wealthy and comfortable surroundings; the state of being that they create. |
| extend verb | /ɛkˈstɛnd/ | To increase in extent. |
| lifestyle noun | /ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl/ | A style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group. |
| consistently adverb | /kənˈsɪstəntli/ | In a consistent manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bounce around verb | To discuss or brainstorm (ideas) on a topic. | |
| come around verb | /kʌ.məˈɹaʊnd/ | To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, doesn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: theirs /ðɛɚz/, worthwhile /ˌwɜː(ɹ)θˈwaɪl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: luxury /ˈlʌk.ʃə.ɹi/, structural /ˈstɹʌk(t͡)ʃəɹəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: flexibility /ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/, temporary /ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/, consistently /kənˈsɪstəntli/, mobility /mə(ʊ)ˈbɪlɪti/, predictable /pɹəˈdɪktəbləl/
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 repair, flexibility, embrace.
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.