Shadowing Practice: My First Month Living Abroad - Learn English Speaking with Video
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25 sentences
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1
Hi, everyone.
2
I've been living in Lisbon for exactly one month now.
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So today, I want to share what I've learned so far.
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Honestly, the first week was much harder than I expected.
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I didn't know anyone, and I couldn't understand the language.
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On my second day, I got completely lost on the way home.
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My phone had died, so I couldn't check the map.
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I had to ask three different people for directions.
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In the end, a kind old lady walked me to my street.
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Shopping has also been a bit of an adventure.
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Last week I bought salt instead of sugar by mistake.
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My coffee tasted terrible the next morning.
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Now I always check the pictures on the packaging twice.
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The best decision I've made so far is joining a language class.
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I've met people from all over the world there.
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We often go for coffee after class and practice together.
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If I hadn't signed up, I'd probably still be eating alone.
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Of course, I miss my family a lot.
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We video call every Sunday evening, which really helps.
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My mom always asks if I'm eating enough.
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I tell her yes, even when dinner is just toast.
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What surprised me most is how quickly things get easier.
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A month ago, ordering a coffee made me nervous.
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Now I can chat with the barista about the weather.
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Small winds like that make a huge difference.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 29 sentences and 284 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:46. The speaker talks at a natural 161 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| adventure noun | /ədˈvɛn.t͡ʃə/ | A feeling of desire for new and exciting things. |
| package noun | /ˈpæk.ɪd͡ʒ/ | Something which is packed, a parcel, a box, an envelope. |
| abroad adverb | /əˈbɹɔːd/ | Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries. |
| settle verb | /ˈsɛtəl/ | To determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc). |
| invitation noun | /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/ | The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company. |
| toast noun | /toʊst/ | Bread that has been toasted (cooked lightly by browning). |
| barista noun | /bəˈɹis.tə/ | A person who prepares coffee in a coffee shop for customers. |
| sugar noun | /ˈʃʊɡə/ | A food consisting of small, sweet crystals, principally of sucrose, obtained from sugar cane or sugar beet and used as sweetener and preservative. |
| mistake noun | /mɪˈsteɪk/ | An error. |
| salt noun | /sɒlt/ | A common substance, chemically consisting mainly of sodium chloride (NaCl), used extensively as a food ingredient, seasoning, condiment, and preservative. |
| chat verb | /ˈt͡ʃæt/ | To be engaged in informal conversation. |
| coffee noun | /ˈkɑfi/ | A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water. |
| completely adverb | /kəmˈpliːtli/ | In a complete manner; thoroughly. |
| join verb | /ˈd͡ʒɔɪn/ | To connect or combine into one; to put together. |
| quickly adverb | /ˈkwɪk.li/ | Rapidly; with speed; fast; with expedition. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sign up verb | To add a name to the list of people who are participating in something. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, couldn't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/, direction /dɪˈɹɛk.ʃən/, shop /ʃɑp/, patient /ˈpeɪ̯ʃənt/
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 adventure, package, abroad.
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.