Shadowing Practice: Talking about roommates - Learn English Speaking with Video

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1
So, Michael, what's your new roommate like?
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Well, if you have all day, I'll describe him for you.
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He's quite the character.
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I don't have all day, dude.
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But basically, do you get along with him?
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Actually, yeah.
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But that's only because we hardly ever see each other.
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The guy sleeps all day.
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Sometimes he gets up just to go to his classes, and then he comes back to the room and goes back to bed.
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Then he'll get up at midnight and study all night.
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Really?
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You don't eat together then?
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The truth is, I don't even know when he eats or where.
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Then at least he doesn't leave a mess in the kitchen.
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No!
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The guy is incredibly neat.
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He actually leaves the bathroom clean every day.
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And he doesn't seem to have dirty clothes.
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He's like a ghost.
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Man, I think you have the perfect roommate.
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What about yours?
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What's she like?
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Well, she's the exact opposite of yours.
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We're a lot alike, and we're together a lot.
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I mean, we have two classes together, and we're in the same student club, so we're really good friends.
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Sounds to me like you have the ideal roommate.
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Well, yes and no. Mine is a disaster in the house.
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In the first place, she always leaves a mess in the kitchen.
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She doesn't wash the dishes or take out the trash.
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Plus, she throws her clothes all over the place.
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Not to mention how she leaves the bathroom.
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Come on, Eric.
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She sounds a lot like you.
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No wonder you get along so well.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Talking about roommates" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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 →