Shadowing Practice: Real Life English Conversation (A2–B1) | Roommate Problems! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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75 sentences
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1
I had a pretty uncomfortable conversation with my roommate yesterday.
2
I honestly thought it might turn into an argument.
3
Oh no. What happened?
4
Did you two have another problem with the apartment?
5
Not exactly.
6
My roommate invited a friend to stay over.
7
At first, I didn't mind, because I thought it was just for one night.
8
Let me guess.
9
One night turned into two?
10
Two, then three.
11
And nobody even asked me if I was okay with it.
12
Wait.
13
Three nights?
14
So you basically had a third roommate.
15
Where was this person sleeping?
16
On the couch, in our living room.
17
And every time I came home from work, they were there watching TV or using the kitchen.
18
That sounds annoying.
19
Couldn't you just relax in your bedroom?
20
I could, but that's not the point.
21
I pay rent to share an apartment with one person, not two.
22
I felt like I had no privacy.
23
Did your roommate at least tell you how long the guest was planning to stay?
24
Nope.
25
And yesterday I came home, saw their clothes and bags all over the living room, and thought, okay, I really need to say something.
26
I would have said something on the second night.
27
So how did you bring it up?
28
I waited until we were alone and said, hey, can we talk about something?
29
My roommate said, sure, what's up?
30
That opening always makes people nervous.
31
What did you say next?
32
I said, it's about your guest.
33
I thought they were only staying for one night, but they've been here for three nights now.
34
And what was your roommate's reaction?
35
My roommate said, yeah, they're staying a few extra days.
36
They're a close friend of mine.
37
Is that a problem?
38
Oh, that sounds a little defensive.
39
Did you tell your roommate how you felt?
40
Yeah.
41
I said, I don't mind having guests over sometimes, but this is getting uncomfortable.
42
I wish you'd asked me first.
43
And let me guess, your roommate didn't think it was a big deal.
44
Exactly!
45
My roommate said, it's just a few nights.
46
What's the big deal? are you saying I can't have friends over?
47
Oh, I hate when people turn a simple request into something completely different.
48
What did you say?
49
I said, that's not what I'm saying.
50
Of course you can have guests, but we share this apartment and I didn't agree to having someone stay here for several nights.
51
That's fair.
52
You're not trying to control anything.
53
You just want to feel comfortable at home.
54
Exactly.
55
I added, I'm not trying to be difficult.
56
I just want some privacy.
57
Can we agree to talk about overnight guests in advance.
58
Okay, that's a reasonable request.
59
Did your roommate finally understand?
60
After a moment, yeah.
61
My roommate said, okay, I guess I should have asked you first.
62
My friend is leaving tomorrow anyway.
63
Well, that's a relief.
64
But did you agree on what happens next time?
65
We did.
66
I said, can you give me a heads up next time, especially if someone wants to stay more than one night.
67
My roommate agreed and apologized.
68
Good so things didn't get too awkward afterward?
69
A little, but I'm glad I spoke up.
70
I don't mind visitors.
71
I just don't want to come home wondering how many people are living in my apartment.
72
Fair enough.
73
You agreed to split the rent with one roommate, not open a free hotel for all their friends.
74
One cup of English.
75
Real English for real life.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Real Life English Conversation”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: roommate, guest, apartment, agree, exactly. This video has 75 sentences and 583 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:16. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 20 of its 75 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| roommate noun | /ˈɹu(m)ˌmeɪt/ | A person with whom one shares a room, as in a dormitory, barracks, rooming house, or apartment. |
| privacy noun | /ˈpɹaɪ.və.si/ | The state of being secluded from the presence, sight, or knowledge of others. |
| uncomfortable adjective | /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/ | Not comfortable; causing discomfort. |
| bedroom noun | /ˈbɛdˌɹum/ | A room in a house, apartment, hotel, or other dwelling where a bed is kept for sleeping. |
| afterwards adverb | /ˈæf.tɚ.wɚdz/ | At a later or succeeding time; after that; |
| defensive adjective | /dɪˈfɛn.sɪv/ | Intended for defence; protective. |
| invite verb | /ɪnˈvaɪt/ | To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something. |
| awkward adjective | /ˈɔk.wɚd/ | Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| nope | /noʊp/ | No. |
| overnight adverb | /əʊvə(ɹ)ˈnaɪt/ | During or throughout the night, especially during the evening or night just past. |
| couch noun | /ˈkaʊ̯t͡ʃ/ | An item of furniture, often upholstered, for the comfortable seating of more than one person; a sofa. |
| apologize verb | /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/ | To make an apology or excuse; to acknowledge some fault or offense, with expression of regret for it, by way of amends |
| cloth noun | /klɒθ/ | A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. Sometimes… |
| visitor noun | /ˈvɪzɪtɚ/ | Someone who visits someone else; someone staying as a guest. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| speak up verb | /ˌspik ˈʌp/ | To talk more loudly or clearly. |
| stay over verb | To stay overnight in a place other than one's home; to sleep over. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Did you two have another problem with the apartment?
- Couldn't you just relax in your bedroom?
- My roommate said, sure, what's up?
- What did you say next?
- Did you tell your roommate how you felt?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was planning · were only staying |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | they're staying · is getting · I'm saying |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 17 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/
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 roommate, privacy, uncomfortable.
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.