Shadowing Practice: PREPARE 2 - UNIT 6-What a great job! (Page 40-43) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Track 45.
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F. Dentist G.
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Sports coach H.
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Artist I.
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Engineer J.
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Farmer K.
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Shop assistant L.
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Mechanic.
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M. Manager.
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N. Nurse.
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O. Pilot.
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P. Model.
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Track 46.
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Afternoon.
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assistant difficult engineer expensive interesting
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manager mechanic understand Track 47
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50 weeks, 50 states, 50 different jobs When Daniel Siddiqui was 26,
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he travelled around the USA for a year.
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He visited all 50 states and worked for a week in each one.
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He didn't use buses or planes.
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He traveled by car from job to job.
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He earned money for every job he did, but hotels were too expensive for him.
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He usually stayed in his boss's home or with one of the other workers.
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People were very good to me, says Daniel.
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They looked after me really well.
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But why did Daniel do this, and did he enjoy it?
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Yes, I did.
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I wanted to travel and learn about my country, he says, and I wanted to try lots of different jobs.
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Things weren't always easy for Daniel.
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In week seven, he worked as a farmer in Nebraska.
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The days were long and I got really dirty, he says.
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In week 38, he was a cook in a fish restaurant in Maryland.
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That was really hard.
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Often I didn't even have time to get a drink of water.
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Other jobs were fun.
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He worked in a theme park in Florida and as a model in North Carolina.
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He was a football coach in Alabama.
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In Alaska, he was a photographer.
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That was great.
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Alaska is a very beautiful place, says Daniel.
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Track 48 Students at Work Nina and Julia are fourteen years old and go to school in London.
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But they weren't at school last week.
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They were doing work experience.
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This is when young people spend a few days doing a job.
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They don't earn money, but they work hard and learn about the world of work.
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Anna's job was in a cafe, and Julia worked for a TV company.
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We asked them to tell us all about it.
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I was really happy about working in a cafe because I'd like to be a cook one day.
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But I didn't do any cooking at all.
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Instead, I served food and drinks to the customers, cleaned the tables and washed the floor.
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The cafe opened at 7am and closed at 6pm,
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but my working hours were 6am to 2pm.
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The staff were friendly, but we didn't have much time for talking.
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We were all really busy.
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I worked in the office of a TV company.
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At first I was upset about that.
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My plan was to work in a TV studio, not in an office.
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But the staff were all very nice to me, and I learned a lot about the business.
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I started at 10am and finished at 6pm.
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In the morning I opened all the letters.
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Then I helped my boss with different jobs.
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Sometimes I answered the phone.
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Other times he asked me to use the computer to look for information he needed.
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I was often so busy that I only had ten minutes for lunch.
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Track 49 Hi Joe!
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How was your job last week?
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It was great.
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I loved it.
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Where did you work?
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I worked in the museum.
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Oh no!
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That sounds boring.
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It wasn't boring.
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It was fun.
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Really?
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What did you do all day?
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I worked in the museum shop.
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I talked to the customers.
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I helped them find things to buy and I answered their questions.
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What time did you start?
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I started at eight o'clock in the morning.
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The shop didn't open until nine, but we needed to get things ready.
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How did you travel to work every day?
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Did you go by bus?
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No, I didn't.
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I walked.
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The museum is quite close to my house.
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Oh, I didn't know that.
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And how did you get the job?
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Did the school find it for you?
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No. I called the museum and asked for a job.
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At first they said no, but I tried again and they said yes.
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Wow!
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Well done, Joe.
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That's brilliant.
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Track 50.
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That's brilliant.
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Congratulations.
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Wow!
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Oh no, that sounds boring.
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Really?

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

This video is a goldmine for english speaking practice, blending real-life job stories with everyday conversations. It offers relatable contexts—from Daniel’s 50-state job adventure to teens’ work experience—so you can practice discussing careers, challenges, and daily tasks. Using a shadowing app with this content helps you mimic natural speech patterns, build fluency, and learn to express opinions about work. Whether you’re preparing for job interviews or casual chats, the video’s diverse scenarios make it easy to apply what you learn.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video uses practical structures perfect for learn english with videos practice. First, past continuous for ongoing actions: “I was working as a farmer” shows actions in progress. Second, “instead” to contrast expectations: “I didn’t cook; instead, I served customers” helps clarify differences. Third, “That was + adjective” for quick evaluations: “That was hard,” “That was great” are simple yet powerful for sharing opinions. Finally, “used to” (implied in Daniel’s travel) for past habits: “He traveled by car” teaches past routine. These phrases are essential for describing experiences clearly.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Improving pronunciation? Watch for tricky words. “Mechanic” (mek-AN-ik) often gets misstressed on the first syllable—focus on the second. “Expensive” (ik-SPEN-siv) can trip up learners; avoid overemphasizing the “ex.” Daniel’s casual speech includes reduced forms: “looked after me” becomes “lookt af-tuh me,” so practice linking words. Using shadowspeak techniques—repeating phrases immediately after the speaker—helps master these nuances. Also, “Nebraska” (nuh-BRAS-kuh) and “Maryland” (MAIR-uh-luhnd) have regional accents; listen closely to vowel sounds to improve english pronunciation.

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 →