Shadowing Practice: Living alone is way harder than people admit - Learn English Speaking with Video
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So I have this problem where I don't want to be alone
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But I also want to be alone when I'm with other people I
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long for my alone time and getting back home into my space.
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But then when I'm alone,
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I long to be with other people and to be social and to not be by myself.
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Thank you.
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you And this is...
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a little bit of a new phenomenon For me, historically I've enjoyed my alone time more.
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Now I feel like I'm in this place in my life where I just crave human connection more than I normally do.
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Valder!
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Hi Valder!
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I wonder if it's the child or?
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Amen.
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the box I did it ball - What?
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By the way, I'm getting ready now to go for breakfast with a couple friends because the sun is shining.
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And the sun is almost never shining.
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But I thought about this this week and so I just wanted to share some thoughts.
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I've sort of experienced many of the different living arrangements.
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But I have been living alone for a while now.
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I'm just realizing that it's kind of getting harder and harder.
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But also, the thought of living with another person is also getting harder and harder.
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So I'm like, Where does that Leave me My feet is clean!
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You know, one of the obvious pros of living alone is that it's not just this aesthetically beautiful situation.
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It is truly very calming.
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You get to do everything uninterrupted.
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You make your morning coffee.
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You sit in peace read your book think, look outside the window, no one to be loud,
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or no one to lose stuff or misplace things, or there's just no one to blame.
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For anything, no one to get on your nerves, no one to buy the wrong thing or to make a mess,
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whatever the situation might be.
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It's just you and yourself, and you get to decide what you want to watch,
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what you want what you want to listen to at what volume When you want to go to bed, when you want to wake up, you don't have to.
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account for anyone else's life or schedule.
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But also just like with everything. in life.
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It's not.
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a perfect situation.
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There are some obvious downsides of the situation.
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a lot of small things, but it's also some bigger things.
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Some of the small things are things like someone interrupting you, in a pleasant way.
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What could that be?
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It could be someone sharing something that they saw or heard
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that day and suddenly you are talking about something that's quite interesting
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or maybe you are learning something or maybe they can recommend you something that they read or something that they
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noticed on that day, or even a little background noise by another person.
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To an extent, if it's someone you like,
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a lot can be quite nice just like hearing their little chores and whatever they are up to you,
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that an eruption can be quite pleasant,
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or maybe they can suggest what you guys can eat.
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where you guys can watch
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"What you guys are going to do this weekend?" or "They can give you an ID" and something and it...
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creates for a fuller life in a way.
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And then obviously the conveniences.
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Like if I want a glass of water, no one is gonna bring me a glass of water.
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If I'm really craving something, I have to go buy it myself.
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If I have a bit of an errand, but I have a cold,
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I'm not feeling well, no one's gonna do that errand for me.
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So I got two.
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four -size towels.
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I've got a glass food container.
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I have a few of these but I needed one in this big size.
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This one for Cooking.
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Good night.
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I want to turn things, flip things around.
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Some microfiber wipes, which is the key for cleaning mirrors
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or screens without getting all the dry water that makes it look Even dirtier.
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than it was before you started cleaning.
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This is what I do my dishes with.
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And here we have even more food containers.
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Let's open her up.
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So I got three more in this size, which again I already have these, but I just needed some more.
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These are really good to store food.
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And then you can heat up the food in the oven without the lid, because the glass is oven -sized.
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And then finally I got this box that I want to store things in.
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Let's see.
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I believe it's untreated wood.
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Oh no!
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I have to assemble it.
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I hate assembling.
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Anything.
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Okay, let's see here.
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This one is called "Klagli".
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So it's going to be a box like this where I can just store Things like this. And this.
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Thank you.
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Don't step on it. so I'm already confused.
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Oh, it's because this one is missing.
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Step one.
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I don't know why my brain just...
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malfunctions whenever it comes to assembling I think I'm just so deeply uninterested in anything that has to do with
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Stuff like this.
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Like I see parts like this and there is No part of me that gets excited.
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So this is ridiculous.
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We can definitely do this.
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Hold on.
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Like that.
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Obviously.
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Right?
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No, this has to be the inside.
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There's only one of this.
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This has to be the bottom.
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Thank you.
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you Yeah.
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Okay, so this has to be.
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You know what?
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I'm just gonna save this for later.
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Okay?
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Maybe I have someone stopping by.
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Maybe when they stop by...
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I can...
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Actually, they get so excited about stuff like this.
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They're gonna see this on the table and they're gonna be like, Can I help you do that?
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Thank you.
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So technically I'm being a good friend.
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And also, The bills you You're on your own.
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It's expensive.
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The thought of someone sharing the monthly expenses to me right now is wild.
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I look at people who live with someone, and they share
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the costs
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and i'm like do you know how much money you are
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saving self -reliance i think is such an important life skill because you cannot You cannot.
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Count on.
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always having someone with you in your life, someone taking care of you, someone being there for you.
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You never know what strange and unpredictable turns life could get.
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And I'm so grateful.
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that I have had the experiences, and that I know that I can be independent, I can take care of myself.
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I can do everything by myself.
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I'm already confused.
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Well, to an extent, we are of course relying on the people around us and our loved ones.
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Obviously, their presence is very, very, very meaningful.
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even if we don't live with them, but I know that I can handle things on my own.
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And maybe I have someone stopping by.
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And now here is where we run into.
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a serious problem.
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I don't want constant company, but I also don't want to be completely on my own.
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What type of situation are we looking at, Lana?
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Like, what is...
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I'm also trying not to overthink this, because...
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realistically, Thank you.
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It's not really something that I could change anyway.
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It's just sort of going to happen the way that it's going to happen.
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Just before I go, I want to show you what I'm currently reading.
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Well, one of the things I'm currently reading.
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I've had this book, Virginia Woolf, the Rubber One Zone.
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for so many years now.
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I don't think I ever read through it.
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It's a very short book. But...
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I remember having a hard time with her writing style.
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So, I wanted to give it another go because I was going through all of my old books, so many books that I don't even really know what to do with.
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I've found some ones that I want to reread.
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One of them.
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Alright, heading out.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, learners will explore the complexities of living alone as shared in a personal narrative. We will focus on the speaker's reflections about the balance between solitude and the desire for companionship. This discussion provides context for English speaking practice and allows learners to engage in meaningful conversation about personal experiences and emotions. By the end of this exercise, you will enhance your vocabulary, improve your listening skills, and refine your ability to express thoughts clearly in English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Alone time - the time spent by oneself, often used for reflection or relaxation.
- Human connection - the relationships and interactions we have with other people.
- Living arrangements - the way in which individuals choose to live, either alone or with others.
- Calming - creating a sense of peace or relaxation.
- Interrupted - when someone or something stops an ongoing activity or thought.
- Aesthetically beautiful - visually pleasing or attractive.
- Background noise - sounds that are present in the environment that may or may not be distracting.
- Recommend - to suggest something as being suitable or beneficial.
Practice Tips
To make the most of this “shadow speak” exercise, follow these tips while practicing with the video:
- Listen and Repeat: Pay attention to the speaker’s tone and pace. Repeat phrases immediately after hearing them to enhance your pronunciation and intonation.
- Slow Down: If the speaker’s pace is too quick, consider using a shadowing site that allows you to adjust the playback speed. Start at a slower speed, then gradually increase as you become more comfortable.
- Focus on Emotion: Notice the emotional undertones in the speaker's voice. Try to recreate this emotional expression in your practice to add depth to your speaking.
- Record Yourself: After practicing, record your own voice. Listening to your recordings can help you identify areas for improvement in clarity and fluency.
- Engage with the Material: After shadowing, take a moment to summarize the main ideas verbally in your own words. This reinforces your learning and helps with retention.
By integrating these techniques into your English speaking practice, you will not only improve your fluency but also develop a deeper understanding of conversational dynamics. Enjoy your learning journey!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've enjoyed · have had · I've had |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | wipes, which is · people who live |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | started cleaning · hate assembling |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm getting · I'm just realizing · is also getting |
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.