Shadowing Practice: Listen and Repeat -Dangerous Mistake at the Bank English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Last week I went to a bank in the United States.
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I needed to take money from my account Simple, right?
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But when I spoke to the cashier, I said, Give me all the money from my account.
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The cashier stopped.
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The people behind me stopped. And suddenly...
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Everything felt very serious.
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I smiled.
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But inside, I was thinking, Did I say something wrong?
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In this lesson, you will learn real bank English people use every day
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and how one sentence can sound very dangerous if you say it the wrong way.
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Now repeat this sentence with me.
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I think I misunderstood.
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Good.
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Let me tell you what happened that day at the bank.
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Last week I needed some cash because I had to pay back a friend.
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She paid for lunch the day before, and I promised her, I'll pay you back tomorrow.
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It was not a lot of money.
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But I wanted to keep my promise.
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Repeat I'll pay you back tomorrow.
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Good.
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The next morning, I went to an ATM near my apartment.
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I felt calm because I did not need to speak to anyone.
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I only had to use the machine: card in, pin number, money out, Simple. At least...
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That is what I thought.
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I put my card into the ATM and chose English on the screen.
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I saw several options.
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balance, deposit, transfer, and cash.
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I knew one of them was for taking money out, but I did not stop to remember the exact word.
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I just followed the screen.
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Then the machine made a sound I waited for the cache, but a message appeared on the screen.
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No cash available.
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I blinked.
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No cash?
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In an ATM, Then I understood.
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The ATM ran out of cash.
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Repeat.
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The ATM ran out of cash.
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Excellent!
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"Run out of" means there is no more left.
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The ATM had no more cash inside, and now I had to make a decision.
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There was a bank branch right next to the ATM.
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The machine was easy, but inside the bank I had to speak to a real person in English.
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I looked through the glass doors.
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There was a teller at the counter, and there were people waiting in line.
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Suddenly, I felt nervous.
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I asked myself, What is the correct way to say this in English?
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I knew "give me money" sounded strange.
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I knew "take money" sounded too direct.
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But the correct word disappeared from my mind.
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repeat The word disappeared from my mind.
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Good.
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I took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked inside the bank.
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I did not know it yet.
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But the ATM was not the real problem.
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I walked inside the bank and joined the line.
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There were only three people in front of me, but somehow the line felt very long.
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I looked at the teller behind the counter, She was smiling and helping another customer.
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But I still felt nervous.
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Speaking to a machine was easy.
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Speaking to a real person was different.
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I looked at my phone and opened my banking app.
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Yes, I had money in my account.
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Not a lot, but enough to pay back my friend.
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Repeat.
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I have enough money in my account.
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Good.
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Then, I practiced quietly in my mind.
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I need money from my account.
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No. That sounded strange.
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I want to take money.
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"'No, that sounded too direct.' I want to remove money.
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"No, definitely not.
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The line moved forward.
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Now there was only one person in front of me, My heart started beating faster.
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The man behind me sighed loudly.
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Maybe he was in a hurry.
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Maybe he was just tired.
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But now I felt even more pressure.
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Finally, the teller looked at me and said, Next please I stepped forward and smiled.
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"Hi," she said kindly.
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How can I help you today?
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This was my moment.
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I opened my mouth.
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And the correct word disappeared again.
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So I smiled with full confidence and said,
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"I need you to give me all the money from my account." The teller stopped moving.
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Her smile disappeared for one second.
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The man behind me stopped sighing.
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The bank suddenly felt very quiet.
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Repeat.
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Give me all the money from my account.
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Good.
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But be careful!
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That sentence sounds too strong!
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The teller looked at me carefully and said, I'm sorry.
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What do you mean?
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I felt my face getting warm.
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I tried to explain.
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No. No, I mean, it is my money.
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The teller blinked.
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Yes, I understand.
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That did not help.
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I pointed to my debit card.
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I have money here.
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I said, And I want to take it!
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The man behind me whispered, Do not hold up the line.
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Hold up the line.
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That means to delay everyone behind you Repeat.
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Sorry for holding up the line.
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Very good.
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Now I was embarrassed.
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I was not trying to rob the bank.
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I was just trying to get $20.
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But somehow, my English made the situation sound very serious.
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The teller looked at me kindly and said, Do you mean you would like to withdraw some money?
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withdraw there it was The word I needed.
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I nodded quickly.
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Yes.
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Yes, exactly.
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I would like to withdraw some money.
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"Repeat, I would like to withdraw some money." Excellent!
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The teller smiled again.
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No problem.
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She said.
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We can help you with that.
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I smiled, too, but inside I was thinking...
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Please, let this moment end quickly.
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But of course, It did not end there.
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The teller smiled and pulled a small form from under the counter.
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"Okay," she said.
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You just need to fill out this form Fill out.
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That means to complete a form with your information.
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repeat I need to fill out this form.
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Good.
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She handed me the paper and a pen.
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I looked at the form.
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Name account number, Amount signature, Simple.
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But after what I had just said, even a simple form felt difficult.
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I looked at the line that said, amount.
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The teller asked, How much would you like to withdraw?
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withdraw.
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Now I knew the word.
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I smiled carefully and said, $20, please.
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She looked at me.
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Just $20?
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I nodded.
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Yes.
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Just $20!
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The man behind me made a small sound.
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Not a laugh.
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Not exactly.
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But.. close I felt my face getting warm again.
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Repeat.
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Just $20.
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Good.
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The teller smiled kindly.
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"That is perfectly fine," she said.
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I looked at the form again and wrote: $20.
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Then I signed my name.
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The teller looked at my ID.
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She checked the account.
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Then she asked, Is this for anything special?
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I wanted to explain quickly.
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"My friend paid for lunch yesterday," I said.
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"I need to pay her back." "Pay back?" That means to return money you owe someone.
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Repeat, I need to pay her back.
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Excellent!
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The teller nodded.
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That is nice of you.
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I smiled.
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"'Yes, I promised her.' Then I added, I am almost broke, but I keep my promises.
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The teller laughed softly.
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broke.
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That means you have very little money.
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Repeat.
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I am almost broke.
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Good.
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The man behind me laughed too.
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This time, it did not feel bad.
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The tension was finally disappearing.
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The teller finished typing on her computer and said,
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"Okay, I can make the withdrawal for you." Make a withdrawal.
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That is another way to say take money out of your account.
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repeat I would like to make a withdrawal.
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Very good.
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I felt proud.
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Now I had three better phrases.
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withdraw money Take out money.
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Make a withdrawal.
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"Much better, then.
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Give me all the money." I almost laughed at myself.
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Then the teller counted the cash.
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One $10 bill, two $5 bills, $20!
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She placed the money on the counter and said, "Here you go." I smiled with relief.
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Thank you so much.
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For one second, I thought the hard part was over.
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But then she looked at me and said, Do you need anything else today?
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and suddenly, My brain had one more bad idea.
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The teller looked at me and asked, Do you need anything else today?
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For one second, I felt confident.
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too confident.
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I thought...
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"Okay, I survived." I can ask one more question.
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So I looked at her and said, Yes.
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I want to buy a used car soon, but I do not want to spend all my money.
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The teller nodded.
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"That makes sense," she said.
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Then she smiled and said, You do not want to break the bank.
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I froze.
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Break the bank?
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Break?
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The bank?
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I looked around slowly.
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The walls looked fine.
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The windows looked fine.
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The counter looked fine.
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Nothing was broken.
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Repeat.
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Break the bank.
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Good, but be careful.
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This phrase does not mean to break a real bank.
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The teller saw my face and laughed softly.
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Oh!
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She said, It means you do not want to spend too much money.
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I blinked.
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Oh!
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Now I understood.
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To break the bank means to spend too much money or to use too much of your savings.
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Repeat.
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I do not want to break the bank.
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Excellent!
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I nodded quickly.
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Yes, exactly.
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I do not want to break the bank.
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The teller smiled.
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That is a good plan.
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I felt relieved.
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Then I looked at the man behind me.
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He was still waiting.
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I suddenly remembered the line.
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"Oh, I am sorry." I said, I did not mean to hold up the line.
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"'Repeat.
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I did not mean to hold up the line.' Very good.
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The man smiled a little.
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"'No worries,' he said.
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No worries.
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That means it is okay.
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Do not worry.
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Repeat.
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No worries.
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Good.
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I thanked the teller again and picked up my twenty dollars.
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My hands were still a little nervous, but my mind felt calmer.
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I walked away from the counter thinking about all the words I had learned.
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withdraw, Fill out.
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Pay back broke Hold up the line!
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Break the bank.
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One small visit to the bank had become a full English lesson.
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And honestly, that lesson was worth more than $20!
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Language takeaway.
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Now, let us look at some useful phrases and expressions from today's story.
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These are real English expressions people use at the bank, at the ATM, and in everyday money situations.
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Listen carefully and repeat after me.
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Let us review what happened.
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I wanted to take money from my account, but I said...
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Give me all the money from my account.
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That sounded too strong, almost dangerous.
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One sentence.
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different feeling Repeat.
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One sentence, different feeling.
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Good.
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If this is helping you improve your listening, give a like to this video so I can create more lessons like this.
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Now let us review the key vocabulary from this lesson.
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Bank vocabulary and AMP Money Expressions I would like to withdraw some money.
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This means you want to take money out of your bank account.
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It sounds polite.
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clear and natural.
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Repeat, I would like to withdraw some money.
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excellent Take out money.
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This also means to remove money from your account.
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It is more casual than withdraw.
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Repeat.
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I need to take out some money.
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Very good.
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Make a withdrawal.
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This is another common phrase at the bank.
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A withdrawal is money you take out of your account.
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Repeat.
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I would like to make a withdrawal.
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Excellent!
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Fill out a form.
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This means to complete a form with your information, At the bank, you may need to fill out paperwork.
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Repeat.
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I need to fill out this form.
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Good.
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Pay back!
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This means to return money to someone, If your friend pays for lunch, you can pay them back later.
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Repeat.
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I need to pay my friend back.
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Very natural The ATM ran out of cash.
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This means the ATM had no more cash left.
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"Run out of" means something is finished or there is no more.
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Repeat.
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The ATM ran out of cash.
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Very good.
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Hold up the line.
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This means to delay the people waiting behind you.
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If you take too long, you might hold up the line.
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Repeat.
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I am sorry for holding up the line.
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Excellent! to be broke.
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This means to have very little money.
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It is casual and very common.
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Repeat.
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I am almost broke.
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Good.
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Break the bank!
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This does not mean to break a real bank, It means to spend too much money.
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Repeat.
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I do not want to break the bank.
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Very good!
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No worries.
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This means do not worry.
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It is okay.
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You can use it when someone apologizes.
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Repeat.
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No worries.
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Very natural.
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Real life English reminder Did you notice something?
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At the bank, one sentence can sound very different depending on the words you choose.
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If you say, "Give me all the money." It can sound too strong.
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But if you say, I would like to withdraw some money.
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It sounds polite and natural.
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That is why real English is not only vocabulary, It is also tone.
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It is also context.
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It is also knowing which phrase sounds right, Repeat.
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Real English is about context.
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Very good.
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And remember something important: It is okay to say,
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"I think I misunderstood." That sentence can help you at...
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The bank.
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the supermarket, the airport, The doctor.
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Anywhere!
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Confidence is not perfect English.
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Confidence is staying calm and correcting yourself.
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Repeat.
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Confidence is staying calm.
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Excellent!
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Today you practiced bank English, money vocabulary, Phrasal verbs real -life expressions,
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polite communication, listening awareness, And that is how fluency grows.
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Not only grammar, But.. real -life language one situation at a time.
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Remember, you can also practice this story on my website,
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fluentenglish10 .com Go to interactive English practice with stories and practice listening,
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reading, speaking, and shadowing step by step.
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Keep practicing real English grows one story at a time.
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If this lesson helped you, share it with someone who is learning English.
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and subscribe for more real -life English practice.
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See you next time!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Listen and Repeat -Dangerous Mistake at the Bank English”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: repeat, bank, teller, looked, English. This video has 358 sentences and 2321 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:28. The speaker talks at a steady 113 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| teller noun | /ˈtɛləɹ/ | A person who tells stories. |
| withdraw verb | /wɪðˈdɹɔ/ | To draw or pull (something) away or back from its original position or situation. |
| withdrawal noun | /wɪðˈdɹɔ(ə)l/ | Receiving from someone's care what one has earlier entrusted to them. Usually refers to money. |
| nod verb | /nɑd/ | To incline the head up and down, as to indicate agreement. |
| disappear verb | /dɪsəˈpɪɹ/ | To vanish. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| blink verb | /ˈblɪŋk/ | To close and reopen both eyes quickly. |
| polite adjective | /pəˈlaɪt/ | Well-mannered, civilized. |
| kindly adverb | /ˈkaɪn(d)li/ | In a kind manner, out of kindness. |
| misunderstand verb | /mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/ | To understand incorrectly, while believing one has understood correctly. |
| cashier noun | /kaˈʃɪə/ | One who works at a till or receives payments. |
| softly adverb | /ˈsɔftli/ | In a soft manner; gently. |
| sigh verb | /saɪ/ | To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary… |
| casual adjective | /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ | Happening by chance. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hold up verb | To wait or delay. | |
| fill out verb | /fɪl ˈaʊt/ | To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information. |
| pay back verb | /peɪ bæk/ | To pay (a debt or the lender) so as to provide the entire amount of money owed. |
| take out verb | To remove. | |
| look around verb | To inspect a building or area. | |
| look through verb | To take a view of the contents of; search in, either with the eyes or by hand. | |
| move forward verb | To cause to make progress. | |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Repeat I'll pay you back tomorrow.
- How can I help you today?
- What do you mean?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was thinking · was smiling · was not trying |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | started beating · stopped moving · stopped sighing |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may need · might hold |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | needed to take · had to pay · need to speak |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: withdraw /wɪðˈdɹɔ/, withdrawal /wɪðˈdɹɔ(ə)l/, breathe /bɹiːð/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: cashier /kaˈʃɪə/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, cache /kæʃ/, tension /ˈtɛnʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, misunderstand /mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/, supermarket /ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/, interactive /ˌɪn.tɚˈæk.tɪv/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/
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 teller, withdraw, withdrawal.
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.