Shadowing Practice: On the Street - English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video

Excuse me.

Yes, can I help you?

Do you know where a bus station is?

Yes, there is one a few minutes away.

Just go straight down this road, and when you get to the end, turn right.

It's on the opposite side of the street.

Great, thank you.

No problem.

I'm going in the same direction.

Are you a visitor?

Yes, I'm from Portland.

So, is this your first time here?

Yes, it's my first trip.

I have a lot of friends here.

What do you think of Los Angeles?

Well, it's an incredible place.

There are so many great restaurants, tons of live theaters, beautiful beaches, and the weather is perfect.

But it lacks a good public transportation system, doesn't it?

It does, unfortunately.

But you can also rent a bike for short distances.

It costs just $1.75 for 30 minutes.

Or you can buy a day pass for $5.

That's good to know.

Thanks.

Have you been to the new Beverly Cinema here?

Oh, yeah.

It's the one on Beverly Boulevard.

When I went there, I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade.

That's a great theater.

I love it there.

I've also visited Santa Monica and thought it was really nice.

The promenade was pretty cool.

Oh yeah, Santa Monica is fantastic.

Everyone wants to live there.

Los Angeles has lots of cool places to visit.

That's right.

Disneyland is also on my bucket list.

Hopefully I can make it there soon.

I've been to Disneyland a ton of times.

You can always have such a good time there, no matter how old you are.

I couldn't agree more.

This is such a big city with lots of things to do.

I guess it's much bigger than Portland, right?

Yes, it's much bigger.

I've never been there.

What's the city like?

Portland is a fantastic place.

It has a lot of green spaces and incredible scenery.

It has a casual and laid-back vibe.

I work in an office and wear jeans most of the times, and so does my boss.

He will very seldom see someone in a suit on our city streets.

It sounds like an interesting city.

I hope to get a chance to visit it someday.

Well, it was a pleasure talking to you.

I need to go to the bakery now.

Have a wonderful stay in L.A.

Thanks again for your help.

You were very kind.

Don't mention it.

I'm sorry to bother you, but do you know where I can buy a bus ticket here?

Oh, you need to buy a tap card.

It's available from that vending machine over there.

How much is the fare?

The regular base fare is $1.75 for boarding, or $7 for a day pass with unlimited rides.

Okay, thanks a lot.

You're welcome.

Excuse me, how does this machine work?

It's easy.

Press any button to start.

Now, would you like a one-way trip or a pass?

I'd like two trips.

Okay, buying a TAP card costs a dollar.

Then you add the amount you want to put on it.

That is $3.50 for two trips.

So the total is $4.50.

They accept cash or credit card.

I'll pay by card.

You can insert the card in that slot and pick the tap card from here.

Wonderful.

Thank you very much for your help.

No problem.

Where would you like to go?

To the mall.

You need to catch the 264.

Oh, good.

And when does it come?

It runs in the half hour.

I see.

Is the bus ride long?

It only takes 10 minutes.

That's all?

Yes, it's a pretty short trip.

Are there always a lot of people on that bus?

Only during rush hour.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

No problem.

Have a good trip.

Thanks.

100

Excuse me, is this seat taken?

101

No, it isn't.

102

Do sit down.

103

This is the first time I've gotten to sit down all day.

104

My back is killing me.

105

Where are you going, if you don't mind?

106

Bracken Street.

107

How about you?

108

I need to get to the Sweet Street Mall.

109

Do you know where I should get off the bus?

110

Oh, that's four stops away.

111

Make sure to keep your eyes on that digital screen.

112

And when you see your stop coming up next, press on that red stop button.

113

They're not always going to stop at all the stations if there's no one getting off or on.

114

I see.

115

Thanks.

116

I'm going to battle the crowds at the big blowout sale.

117

You've got more energy than I have.

118

I'm going straight home into bed.

119

Oh, that sounds nice.

120

I've got to get a birthday present for a friend, though.

121

Well, here's my stop. Have a good day.

122

You too.

123

Good luck shopping.

124

Wow, what do you think about this weather?

125

Oh, it's beautiful.

126

We Angelenos are blessed with the best weather in the country.

127

No doubt about it.

128

Does it ever snow in LA?

129

No, it never ever snows here.

130

In winter, it is sunny during the day.

131

But as night falls, you must wear a warm jacket.

132

It is freezing near the beach.

133

You must have heat in your house, or have wool blankets.

134

I am not kidding.

135

It gets cold at night.

136

Spring is delightful.

137

It's sunny and warm, or sunny and breezy.

138

Summer is usually very hot.

139

Are you from out of town?

140

Yes.

141

Oh, where are you from?

142

Portland.

143

Portland.

144

Wow, you're far from home.

145

What's the weather like there?

146

In the spring, we get lots of rain showers, and the greenery begins sprouting in mid to late March.

147

Around the first of July it stops raining.

148

In Portland we typically have very low humidity during the summer.

149

The summer in Portland is beautiful, very nice and awesome.

150

And almost the only time of year when you can enjoy the great outdoors you're surrounded by.

151

Summer is very mild though.

152

The falls are very rainy.

153

What are the winters like in Portland?

154

Wet.

155

Sometimes cold, but mainly wet.

156

Snow happens, but isn't a given, and varies year to year.

157

Please let me help you carry those bags, ma'am.

158

They must be pretty heavy.

159

Oh, thank you so much.

160

I guess you can carry them if you want to.

161

That's very kind of you.

162

You are a real gentleman.

163

There aren't too many young men like you nowadays.

164

My parents taught me that a man should carry groceries and open the door for ladies.

165

Well, what a treat.

166

Your parents raised you very well.

167

Hats off.

168

My apartment is next to the post office, on the second floor.

169

That's fine.

170

So, are you in school?

171

I'm studying to be a lawyer, ma'am.

172

I'm in my first year.

173

Some people who get into trouble are actually innocent, and I want to protect them.

174

Well, you're a very kind and caring boy.

175

I'm sure you'll make a fine lawyer someday.

176

Your parents must be very proud of you.

177

Hello.

178

Is there something wrong with your car?

179

Can I help?

180

Hello.

181

Well, yes, I was traveling from my workplace to my home.

182

When the car suddenly stalled and wouldn't start.

183

I think the engine stopped due to some internal failure.

184

I'm not sure.

185

There are no garages around for miles.

186

Let me have a look.

187

Maybe I can fix it.

188

I used to be a mechanic a few years ago.

189

Oh, really?

190

That's great to hear.

191

It would be wonderful if you could fix it.

192

I think I fixed your car.

193

It should be working now.

194

You can try starting the engine.

195

Really?

196

How did you get it done so fast?

197

Well, it was just a minor problem.

198

Wow, the car started.

199

You're a lifesaver.

200

I really appreciate your help.

201

How much do I owe you?

202

Oh, there's no charge.

203

It took me just a few minutes, and it was my pleasure to help you.

204

How can I ever repay you for your kindness?

205

I did nothing unusual.

206

Anyone would have done the same thing in my place.

207

A good deed is its own reward.

208

Are you ready for another driving lesson, Mark?

209

Yes, I am Mr. Fisher Okay,

210

let's get in the car Check your mirrors and signal left before you move off Release the handbrake

211

Watch out for buses and bikes So, which way do I go?

212

First, go down to the very end of this road and turn right Okay,

213

turn right at the end of the road Now we're going to go to the stop sign and make a left turn.

214

Make sure you use your turn signal.

215

Okay. Be careful.

216

Go slow in the school zone and watch for the pedestrian crossing.

217

Slow down and stop.

218

Good.

219

Now you can go again.

220

Look at the bikers.

221

Be careful as this is a shared lane.

222

Let's see if he is turning right at the intersection.

223

Oh yes, he is.

224

Great.

225

You can speed up now. Which way now?

226

Pass the roundabout and take the first exit.

227

Which lane should I be in?

228

Change into the right lane when it's safe.

229

And then turn right at the lights.

230

Turn right at the supermarket. at the supermarket.

231

Go straight down one block, then turn left.

232

Okay, I think that's enough for today.

233

You see where the man took the dog in the distance?

234

There are a few parking spaces around there.

235

Secure the car.

236

Put the handbrake on and the gearbox in neutral.

237

Switch off the signal.

238

Very good parking.

239

Hey, Stacy.

240

Long time no see.

241

How are you?

242

Jessica!

243

Well, well, I haven't seen you in a while.

244

You look different.

245

Have you changed your hair?

246

Yeah, it's shorter.

247

And I wear contacts now.

248

Oh, and I've lost weight.

249

Well, you look fantastic!

250

Thanks, so do you!

251

So, what have you been up to?

252

Well, I've been working very hard.

253

Got a new apartment, and I'm making better money now.

254

Things have been going really good.

255

What about you, Stacy?

256

What have you been doing?

257

Same old stuff, you know.

258

I'm working in the same bank and still going out with Anthony.

259

I've also been busy fixing up my place.

260

Really?

261

So how's your house coming along?

262

It's almost done.

263

My brother's helping me to keep the price down.

264

How about you?

265

Do you work at the same company?

266

Yes, but I've been promoted to a managerial position.

267

I'm very thrilled about this.

268

That's amazing!

269

Congratulations!

270

Thanks.

271

Are you still seeing Liam?

272

No, we broke up last year.

273

I'm seeing somebody else now.

274

His name is Eric and we got engaged.

275

That's great news!

276

Congratulations for this too.

277

Do you live in the area?

278

Yes, I live around the corner.

279

And if you want to come by, my penthouse is over on 1600 Park Avenue, 13th floor, suite 1320A.

280

Feel free to come by anytime.

281

I would love to do some catching up.

282

Penthouse, huh?

283

Well, alright, I will.

284

Well, I need to get to work.

285

Feel free to stop by anytime after 7pm, okay?

286

Take care, Stacy.

287

You too, bye!

288

Hey, miss!

289

Watch where you're going!

290

You might hurt someone.

291

What a rude and unpleasant man.

292

Well, what did you expect?

293

You walked into him.

294

I think you're the one who's being rude.

295

You should have apologized.

296

You've got to stop texting when you're walking along the road.

297

Oh, please.

298

I can text wherever I want to.

299

Stop taking his side.

300

Texting while walking is a bad idea because you can get distracted and trip, fall, or run into something or someone.

301

You put yourself at risk of getting into an accident, or you can hurt someone else.

302

You can't walk along like that with your head down, expecting everyone else to walk around you.

303

Stop overreacting.

304

You're making a mountain out of a molehill.

305

No, I think you are the one who takes things too lightly.

306

If you must text while you're out, you should stop somewhere and get out of everyone's way.

307

Oh, come on.

308

You can't stop every time you want to look at your phone.

309

Then at least keep checking ahead of you to make sure you're not going to walk into someone.

310

Fine.

311

You've gotten your point across.

312

I'll be more careful from now on.

313

Hello, officer.

314

Is there something wrong?

315

Ma'am, you parked in front of a hydrant.

316

Your ticket is almost completed.

317

What?

318

You're giving me a ticket?

319

Yes, ma'am.

320

But I only went in the bakery to get some bread.

321

It's very dangerous what you did.

322

It's a safety violation.

323

Look, I know I shouldn't have parked here, but I was only gone two minutes.

324

Anybody would park here if the spot were empty without realizing the block was there.

325

I've already written the ticket.

326

I can't take it back.

327

Surely you could cancel it if you wanted.

328

It was literally one minute.

329

One minute, two minutes.

330

You can't park here.

331

It's as simple as that.

332

You even blocked the handicap ramp.

333

But I just had to dash into the bakery to buy bread.

334

Supposing you cancel it just this once?

335

I don't care what you were doing.

336

I can't cancel a ticket.

337

It's more than my job's worth.

338

You've got two weeks to pay.

339

Okay, fine.

340

How much do I need to pay?

341

Fifty-one dollars.

342

Fifty-one dollars?

343

Oh my goodness!

344

Thank you.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 344 sentences and 2229 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:09. The speaker talks at a steady 116 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% 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
cancel verb	/ˈkæn.sl̩/	To cross out something with lines etc.
sunny adjective	/ˈsʌni/	Featuring a lot of sunshine.
bakery noun	/ˈbeɪ.kə.ɹi/	A place in which bread (and often other baked goods such as cakes) is baked and/or sold.
congratulations	/kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/	Expressing praise and approval, expressing approbation.
theater noun	/ˈθi(ə)tɚ/	A place or building, consisting of a stage and seating, in which an audience gathers to watch plays, musical performances, public ceremonies, and so on.
fifty noun	/ˈfɪfti/	A banknote or coin with a denomination of 50.
mall noun	/mɔːl/	A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct.
rude adjective	/ɹuːd/	Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous.
anytime adverb		At any time.
someday adverb		Sometime; at some unspecified time in the future.
fare noun	/ˈfɛə/	Money paid for a transport ticket.
supermarket noun	/ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/	A large self-service store that sells groceries and, usually, medications, household goods, and/or clothing.
rush verb	/ɹʌʃ/	To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully.
lesson noun	/ˈlɛs.ən/	A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
mirror noun	/ˈmiɹɚ/	A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
get off verb	To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it.
sit down verb	To assume a sitting position from a standing position.
break up verb	To break or separate into pieces.
catch up verb	To pick up suddenly.
come along verb	To accompany.
come up verb	To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.
fix up verb	To provide (someone) with something; to furnish.
get out of verb	To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	I've been working · have been going
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've also visited · I've been · I've never been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	are blessed · I've been promoted
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	people who get · one who takes

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 61 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: theater /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, thrill /θɹɪl/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, garage /ɡəˈɹɑʒ/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/
Long words — get the stress right: congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, supermarket /ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, violation /ˌvaɪ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/

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 cancel, sunny, bakery.

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 →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?