Shadowing Practice: My Daily Commute - Learn English Speaking with Video

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5 sentences
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1
I take the local train to work five days every week.
2
As the train moves forward, I watch the city wake up through the window and listen to an interesting podcast.
3
It is easy to feel frustrated by crowded carriages, but I choose to use this travel time productively.
4
Travel into learning makes the long ride pass quickly and pleasantly.
5
How do you usually keep yourself entertained while traveling?

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “My Daily Commute”. This video has 5 sentences and 69 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:34.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
podcast noun/ˈpɑdˌkæst/A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on…
entertain verb/ˌɛntəˈteɪn/To amuse (someone); to engage the attention of agreeably.
frustrate verb/ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired.
pleasantly adverb/ˈplɛzəntli/In a pleasant manner; so as to achieve a pleasant result.
productively adverbIn a productive manner.
travel verb/ˈtɹævəl/To be on a journey, often for pleasure or business and with luggage; to go from one place to another.
train noun/ˈtɹeɪn/The elongated back portion of a dress or skirt (or an ornamental piece of material added to similar effect), which drags along the ground.
quickly adverb/ˈkwɪk.li/Rapidly; with speed; fast; with expedition.
choose verb/t͡ʃuːz/To pick; to make the choice of; to select.
ride verb/ɹaɪd/To transport oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, later also a bicycle etc.
window noun/ˈwɪndoʊ/An opening, usually covered by one or more panes of clear glass, to allow light and air from outside to enter a building or vehicle.
wake verb/ˈweɪ̯k/(often followed by up) To stop sleeping.
crowd noun/ˈkɹaʊ̯d/A group of people congregated or collected into a close body without order.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordPronunciationMeaning
move forward verbTo cause to make progress.
wake up verb/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/To stop sleeping; to awake.

How to practise with this video

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

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 →