Shadowing Practice: Spend a Day in the Most Beautiful English Village 🇬🇧 (Real British English) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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If you can understand the whole of this video,
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your English is very strong.
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Today, I am going to take you to one of the most beautiful and the most famous Cotswold villages.
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Like before, there will be no script and no deliberate slow speaking,
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just you and me spending the day together.
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Are you ready?
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Let's go.
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I am taking you to a gem in the Cotswolds called Borton on the Water
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and it is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds so you'll have to see what you think of it.
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It's not quite as nice a day as I would have wanted,
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it's not sunny but maybe that makes for a more authentic British experience
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because as I have mentioned before we do get a lot of grey.
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hopefully it won't rain fingers crossed
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and I thought you might want to see some more of
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the typical British countryside in springtime it's currently mid-April although this might come out in a few weeks time
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so you can see that luminous green I was talking about more bluebells
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and the typical narrow lanes of the countryside and we are approaching Borton on the water oh pretty cottage
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and here we are the Venice of the Cotswolds as they call it exciting I can't wait to show you
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here we are in Borton on the water as I said it's known as the Venice of the Cotswolds
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and I called it a gem you can't really call it a hidden gem anymore
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because it has been put on the map as we say in
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that it has been discovered and especially in summer it gets packed
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and on a nice day it is absolutely heaving with tourists that's a good british expression to be absolutely heaving
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but you can understand why
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when you come here obviously it's called the venice of the cotswolds
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because of the beautiful river running through it
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and the lovely quaint bridges another A very good word to describe it is picturesque.
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It's the sort of place you would see on a postcard
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so we might call it postcard pretty but picturesque would be a really good adjective to describe this village.
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And it is lovely.
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I have to say you can find many other beautiful Cotswold villages
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that haven't been discovered yet so maybe one day I will take you to those two
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and show you those secrets first let me take you for a walk through the village
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and of course grab a coffee one thing that is very distinctive
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and born on the water that I love is
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that it has a lot of willow trees those are these trees here hanging over the water
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and it makes it really atmospheric it's a very atmospheric place It's better when it's sunny,
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but the other thing, the Cotswolds stone is really famous here.
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It has a warm hue,
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that kind of honey-colored stone.
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That's a very distinctive feature of the Cotswolds.
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In this village, there are so many lovely little shops and cafes.
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I've used that word picturesque because it really is.
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It's one of probably the most picturesque villages you can find here,
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and it's just so quintessentially English nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds.
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I hope you enjoy this glimpse into this lovely village.
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It's a shame they have some sort of green netting up,
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so it's not quite as picturesque as normal.
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And there's a war memorial,
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like they have in many villages,
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to commemorate the First World War.
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As I said, lots of tourists.
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Actually, there are fewer today.
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Normally, there are a lot more.
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And Borton is distinctive for these low stone bridges.
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There are about five or six of them that you have probably seen already and noticed.
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Lots of Cotswold themed shops.
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A Cotswold candle makers there, love it.
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And a Cotswold perfumery.
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Another good word to describe this village is idyllic.
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It's a very idyllic village.
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The river is called the River Windrush, and it's very popular.
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Dogs wanting to swim in it.
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Lots of ducks always in it as well,
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very popular with the animals.
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In summer people also just dip their feet in or do some paddling,
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that's a good verb.
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Yes and there's another one of the Lowstone bridges I mentioned, lots of those.
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There's a pub up over here at Kingsbridge Inn.
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Speaking of which though, I'm starting to get a bit Peckish.
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I'm starting to get a bit peckish,
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which means I'm a bit hungry.
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So I think it might be time to grab a bite to eat and this restaurant looks lovely, doesn't it?
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Come inside with me now and see me order.
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Please could I get the poached eggs and then to drink the sparkling elder pappies?
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Thank you.
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Sorry, I forgot to actually show you my meal, but it was delicious.
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As I said, it's not quite as crowded as it normally is.
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I suppose it's quite a windy and grey day,
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but I used to come a lot here when I was a child,
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and it was a lot less crowded back then.
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And one of the main attractions is this little model village,
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which is very sweet and quaint,
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and I will take you to see it now.
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Isn't it sweet?
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Isn't it sweet?
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Tell me, have you got anything like this near you?
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I would love to know.
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And I shouldn't have been worried because the sun has come out just for you.
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There we go.
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Just so that you can see this lovely little model village.
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And the model is surprisingly accurate.
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The river Windrush, the low stone bridges, the motor museum.
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It's all true to life.
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This brings back lots of memories of childhood and makes me very nostalgic.
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That's a good word, nostalgic.
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Because it reminds me of when I used to come here when I was little and I used to love it.
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I suppose there's something about miniature things isn't there?
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Mini things.
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That's why children love dolls' houses and that's why this is just quite special.
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Lots of little bridges and trees.
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It's just exciting.
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Beautiful model village of a beautiful Cotswold town.
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Come and show you the inside.
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As I said, we used to come here a lot
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when I was a child
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and it was the first time I really started understand the concept of infinity
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because you have a model village within a model village
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and then there's a model village in there
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so i remember thinking as a child first grappling with the concept of infinity
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because you have the infinite regression of a model village within a model village within a model village
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and then i just thought but when does it end
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if every model village has a model village in it
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when does it stop it's funny to remember how your mind works as a child.
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You've got the model village and the model village in the model village.
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And I love the details right down to the music playing,
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to the shop fronts, you can see all the mini shops there.
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You've got a post office and the Victorian Christmas shop.
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I'll show you the real life one of that.
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What do you think?
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Does this make you want to come and visit Boughton on the Water?
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and this is fun this is a periscope so it's got angled mirrors
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so that you can see it at street level come
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and have a look with me
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and we can pretend we are small enough to fit in the model village
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and you can see the real size of people there okay
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and now i am back in the car
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and on my way home i hope you enjoyed that and that it made you feel more comfortable with your english
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because if you understood most of it,
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then as I said, well done because this is real everyday English.
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We are lucky because I don't know if you can hear that,
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but it is now raining.
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So we had perfect timing with the weather and the rain.
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Let me know if you enjoyed this because I would love to do it again.
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Maybe take you to a smaller Cotswold village,
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a hidden gem next time.
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Take care.
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Thank you for joining me and I'll see you in the next one.
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Bye.
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Thank you.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Engaging with this video about the charming village of Borton on the Water offers an immersive experience that can significantly enhance your English speaking skills. By practicing shadow speech, you can replicate the speaker's natural rhythm and intonation, which is crucial for achieving fluency. The context of the video—navigating through one of England's most picturesque locations—provides rich vocabulary and cultural references that make learning enjoyable and engaging.
As you follow along, pay attention to how the speaker describes the environment, using both straightforward language and more descriptive terms. This method not only helps with your vocabulary but also prepares you for IELTS speaking practice by familiarizing you with topics like travel, culture, and everyday experiences.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the video, several key structures and expressions are evident that can enhance your speaking skills:
- "It's called..." - This expression introduces names or titles, which is useful for presenting information clearly. For instance, "It’s called the Venice of the Cotswolds."
- "You can't really call it..." - This structure is excellent for making nuanced assertions, useful for discussions or debates.
- "It has a lot of..." - A simple yet effective way to discuss quantity and features, such as "It has a lot of willow trees."
- "Quintessentially English" - An advanced phrase indicating something that perfectly represents English culture. This expression can elevate your language use in descriptions.
- "It’s very atmospheric" - This adjective expands the descriptive language, helping you convey feelings or moods effectively.
Common Pronunciation Traps
When practicing with the video, be mindful of certain words and phrases that may present pronunciation challenges:
- Picturesque - This word often trips up learners due to its unique rhythm and vowel sounds. Practice saying it slowly and focusing on each syllable.
- Cotswolds - The name of this region requires attention to the distinct 'wolds' ending. It’s pronounced as "Cots-wolds," making it easy to mispronounce if overlooked.
- Absolutely heaving - This colloquial expression can be challenging due to the connected sounds. Ensure to practice the flow to sound more natural.
Utilizing a shadowing app can aid in honing your pronunciation, allowing you to repeat after the speaker, making it easier to grasp these tricky words. By implementing the shadowing technique, you not only improve your pronunciation but also your listening skills, making you a more effective communicator.
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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