Shadowing Practice: My First Trip to Paris: What Could Go Wrong? | English Shadowing Practice #shadow #shadowing - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hello and welcome.
264 sentences
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Hello and welcome.
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The goal of this video is to help you practice your English listening.
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And if you want, you can also practice shadowing.
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That means you listen and then repeat along with me.
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You can pause the video after each sentence and try to copy my voice.
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Today's story is about Maria,
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a brave woman who decides to take her very first international trip to Paris.
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She has been dreaming about this moment for years,
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but when the day finally arrives,
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she feels both excited and nervous.
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What challenges will she face at the airport?
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Will everything go according to plan,
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or will there be unexpected surprises waiting for her?
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And most importantly, what will she discover about herself during this incredible adventure?
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If you want to know what happened,
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just listen to this story.
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Are you ready?
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Let's go.
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My name is Maria, and today I want to share with you the most exciting day of my life.
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I am standing in my bedroom, looking at my suitcase.
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Tomorrow morning, I will fly to Paris, France.
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This is the City of Lights,
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the City of Love, the city I have dreamed about since I was a little girl.
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I have been planning this trip for two years.
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I saved money every month,
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I studied French phrases, and I read guidebooks about Paris.
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But now that the day is almost here,
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I feel nervous and excited at the same time.
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My hands are shaking as I fold my clothes and put them in my suitcase case.
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I wake up early the next morning.
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The sun is not up yet,
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but I cannot sleep anymore.
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I take a shower, eat a light breakfast,
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and call a taxi to take me to the airport.
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My heart is beating fast as I sit in the taxi,
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watching my city disappear behind me.
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At the airport, everything looks huge and busy.
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People are walking everywhere with their luggage.
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I hear announcements in different languages.
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I feel small and a little scared, but also very excited.
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I find the check-in counter for my airline and stand in line.
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When it's my turn, the lady at the counter smiles at me.
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Good morning!
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Where are you traveling today?
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She asks.
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Paris, I answer, trying to sound confident.
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First time?
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She asks with a kind smile.
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Yes, my very first time, I admit.
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She hands me my boarding pass and says,
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you're going to love it.
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Have a wonderful trip.
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I look at my boarding pass.
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Gate 15, seat 22F.
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I have never seen an airport this big before.
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I follow the signs to security,
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and the line is very long.
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I wait patiently, watching other travelers.
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Some look calm and experienced,
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others look as nervous as I feel.
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After security, I walk through the duty-free shops.
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Everything is so expensive.
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I buy a small bottle of water and find gate 15.
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There are many people waiting there, talking in different languages.
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I sit down and watch the big airplane outside the window.
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In a few hours, that plane will take me to Paris.
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The announcement comes.
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Flight 442 to Paris is now boarding.
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My heart jumps.
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This is really happening.
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I get in line with my boarding pass and passport ready.
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The flight attendant scans my ticket and says, Welcome aboard, Miss Maria.
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Enjoy your flight.
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I walk down the narrow aisle of the airplane, looking for seat 22F.
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When I find it, I'm happy to see it's a window seat.
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I put my small bag under the seat in front of me and sit down.
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A friendly older man sits next to me.
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Going to Paris? he asks.
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Yes, my first time, I tell him.
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Ah, you're in for a treat,
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he says with a smile.
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The airplane starts moving and I look out the window.
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We're going faster and faster and suddenly we're in the air.
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I can see my country getting smaller and smaller below us.
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I feel tears in my eyes,
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but they are happy tears.
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I'm really doing this.
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During the flight, I try to sleep, but I'm too excited.
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I look out the window at the clouds and think about all the things I want to see in Paris.
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The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum,
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the beautiful streets I've seen in movies.
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The man next to me tells me about his favorite restaurants in Paris and gives me some helpful advice.
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After what feels like forever,
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the pilot announces, Ladies and gentlemen,
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we are now beginning our descent into Paris.
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Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts.
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I look out the window and see the lights of Paris below us.
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It's more beautiful than I ever imagined.
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The airplane lands smoothly and everyone starts clapping.
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I'm in Paris.
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I actually made it to Paris.
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I follow the other passengers off the plane and through the airport.
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Everything has signs in French,
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and I try to read them with my basic French knowledge.
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At passport control, the officer looks at my passport and stamps it.
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Welcome to France, he says in English.
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I walk to the baggage claim area and wait for my suitcase case.
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When I see it coming on the conveyor belt,
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I grab it quickly and head toward the exit.
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As I walk out of the airport,
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I see a big sign that says Bienvenue à Paris,
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which means Welcome to Paris.
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I take a deep breath of French air and smile.
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I did it.
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I traveled to another country by myself, and I survived.
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I feel proud, brave, and ready for adventure.
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I take a taxi to my hotel,
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and as we drive through the streets of Paris,
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I see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
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It's even more magnificent than in the pictures.
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The taxi driver sees me staring and says,
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In broken English, beautiful, no?
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Yes, I whisper, very beautiful.
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When I arrive at my hotel,
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the receptionist greets me in French,
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then switches to English when she sees my confused face.
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Welcome to Paris.
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Do you need help with your bags?
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She asks kindly.
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Thank you, I say.
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I'm so excited to be here.
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She smiles and says, First time in Paris?
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When I nod, she gives me a map of the city and marks all the best places to visit.
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In my hotel room, I sit on the bed and look out the window at the Paris streets below.
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I can't believe I'm really here.
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Just this morning, I was in my own country,
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feeling nervous about this trip.
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Now I'm in Paris, the city of my dreams.
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I feel different somehow, stronger and more confident.
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I unpack my clothes and think about everything that happened today.
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The kind lady at check-in.
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The helpful man on the plane.
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The friendly hotel receptionist.
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Everyone was so nice to me,
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even though my English isn't perfect,
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and I don't speak French very well.
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It makes me realize that people are generally good and helpful when you travel.
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As the sun sets over Paris,
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I decide to take a short walk around my hotel.
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The streets are full of people enjoying their evening.
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I hear French conversations everywhere,
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and I try to understand a few words.
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The smell of fresh bread and coffee fills the air.
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Everything feels magical and new.
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I find a small cafe and decide to be brave.
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I go inside and try to order a coffee in French.
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The waiter doesn't understand my pronunciation,
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so I switch to English.
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One coffee, please, I say with a smile.
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He nods and brings me the most delicious coffee I've ever tasted.
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I sit there, watching people walk by,
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feeling proud of myself for being brave enough to try.
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Back in my hotel room,
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I call my family to tell them I arrived safely.
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They are so excited to hear about my adventure.
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I tell them about the airplane,
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the airport, and my first coffee in Paris.
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My mother says she's proud of me for being so brave.
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My father says he can't wait to hear about all my adventures.
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Before I go to sleep,
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I write in my travel journal.
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Today I learned that I am braver than I thought.
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I also learned that traveling alone isn't as scary as I imagined.
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Yes, I felt nervous, but I didn't let that stop me.
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I spoke to strangers, I found my way around a big airport,
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and I even ordered coffee in a foreign country.
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Tomorrow I will visit the Eiffel Tower,
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but tonight I'm just happy to be here.
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Maria's story teaches us several important things.
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First, it's normal to feel nervous when we try something new,
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especially something as big as traveling to another country alone.
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But being nervous doesn't mean we should give up on our dreams.
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Maria felt scared, but she didn't let that stop her from achieving her goal.
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Second, preparation is very important.
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Maria didn't just decide to go to Paris one day and buy a ticket.
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She planned for two years,
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saved money, and studied French.
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When we prepare well, we feel more confident and ready for challenges.
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Third, people are often kind and helpful when we travel.
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the lady at check-in, the man on the plane,
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the hotel receptionist, and even the cafe waiter all showed Maria kindness.
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When we're open and friendly,
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others usually respond the same way.
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Most importantly, Maria's story shows us that we can do more than we think we can.
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Before this trip, Maria probably never imagined she could travel to Paris by herself.
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But she did it, and now she knows she's brave and capable of great adventures.
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Sometimes we surprise ourselves with what we can achieve.
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Now let me share some important words and phrases from Maria's story that you can use when you travel.
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These vocabulary words will help you feel more confident at airports and during your own adventures.
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First, let's talk about airport vocabulary.
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Check-in counter is the place where you get your boarding pass.
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Boarding pass is your ticket to get on the airplane.
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Security is where airport staff check your bags and identification location.
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Gate is where you wait to board your flight.
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Duty-free shop refers to stores in airports where you don't pay tax on items you buy.
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Next, here are some useful flight phrases.
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Where are you traveling today is a common question from check-in staff.
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Have a wonderful trip is a kind wish for travelers.
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Welcome aboard is the greeting when you enter the airplane.
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Please return to your seats and fasten your seat belts as a safety instruction you'll hear on every flight.
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Here are some polite travel expressions that will help you communicate better.
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First time is a way of asking if this is someone's first visit to a place.
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You're in for a treat means you will really enjoy something.
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Welcome to France or welcome to any country is a friendly greeting you might hear when you arrive somewhere new.
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Let's practice these phrases together.
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Repeat after me.
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Where are you traveling today?
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Have a wonderful trip.
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Welcome aboard.
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Please fasten your seatbelts.
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Excellent!
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These phrases will be very helpful on your own travel adventures.
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Now I want you to think about Maria's journey and ask yourself some questions.
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Have you ever traveled to another country?
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If yes, how did you feel during your first international trip?
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If no, where would you like to go for your first international adventure.
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What do you think Maria will do tomorrow in Paris?
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Will she visit the Eiffel Tower first,
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or will she explore the local neighborhoods?
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What would you do first if you were in Paris for the first time?
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Would you visit famous monuments,
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try local food, or just walk around and enjoy the atmosphere?
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These are all great choices,
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and there's no wrong answer.
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Remember, learning English is like taking a journey,
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just like Maria's trip to Paris.
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Sometimes you feel confident, sometimes you feel nervous,
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but every step takes you closer to your goal.
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Just like Maria prepared for her trip by studying French and saving money,
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you can prepare for your English-speaking future by practicing every day.
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Every time you listen to a story like this one,
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every time you practice shadowing,
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every time you try to speak English with someone, you're getting better.
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Don't worry if you make mistakes.
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Even Maria felt nervous about her English,
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but she still managed to communicate with everyone she met.
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Thank you for joining Maria on her adventure today.
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I hope her story inspired you and helped you learn some useful English vocabulary and phrases.
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You can watch this video as many times as you want.
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Each time you practice shadowing,
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you'll improve your pronunciation and speaking skills.
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If this video helped you learn something new,
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please give it a thumbs up and share it with other English learners.
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Don't forget to subscribe for more stories and English practice videos.
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Before we finish, remember this important message.
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Every expert was once a beginner.
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Maria was nervous about her first international trip,
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but she became a confident traveler by the end of her first day.
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You might feel nervous about speaking English now,
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but with practice and patience, you'll become confident too.
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Keep practicing, stay curious, and remember that your English learning journey is an adventure too.
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Every mistake is a step forward,
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every conversation is progress, and every day you practice brings you closer to your goals.
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See you in the next video, and happy learning!
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About This Lesson
Welcome to this engaging lesson where we help you enhance your English listening skills through shadowing practice. In today's story, "My First Trip to Paris," we follow Maria, a brave woman embarking on her very first international adventure. As you listen to her experiences, you will not only practice your comprehension but also your speaking skills by repeating what you hear. This lesson is designed to assist you with English speaking practice, specifically focusing on travel-related vocabulary and expressions. By participating in this shadowing exercise, you’ll gain confidence and improve your pronunciation, making it easier to express yourself in English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Excited - Feeling thrilled or eager about something.
- Nervous - Feeling apprehensive or anxious.
- Boarding pass - A document provided by an airline during check-in, giving a passenger permission to enter the restricted area of an airport and to enter the airplane.
- Check-in counter - The place at the airport where passengers register for their flights and receive their boarding passes.
- First time - An expression indicating an experience that someone is doing for the very first occasion.
- Light breakfast - A small meal eaten in the morning.
- Taxi - A car hired to drive passengers to their destination.
- City of Lights - A nickname for Paris, symbolizing its vibrant culture and illuminated streets.
Practice Tips
To make the most of this shadowing exercise, follow these tips:
- Listen Carefully: Before you begin shadowing, listen to the entire transcript once to grasp the overall story and context.
- Pause and Repeat: After each sentence, pause the video, and try to repeat what you heard. This technique helps with learn English with YouTube as it gives you the opportunity to practice your intonation and rhythm.
- Focus on Pronunciation: Pay attention to the sounds of the words, mimicking not just what is said but how it is said. Use a shadowing app if needed to help you track the sounds accurately.
- Practice Regularly: Integrating this type of IELTS speaking practice into your daily routine will significantly improve your speaking capabilities over time.
- Record Yourself: Consider recording your voice while shadowing. Listening back can help identify areas that need improvement or adjustment.
By engaging in this shadowing practice, you will not only familiarize yourself with practical travel phrases but also enhance your overall English proficiency in a fun and dynamic manner!
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.
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