Shadowing Practice: Talking about visiting places πŸ–οΈπŸŒ³βœˆοΈ Real Easy English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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1
Hello and welcome to Real Easy English.
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In this podcast we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn.
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I'm Georgie.
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And I'm Beth.
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You can find a video of this podcast and a worksheet to help you practice what you've learnt on our website bbclearningenglish.com.
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How are you today Beth?
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I'm very well, thank you.
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How are you?
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Yes, I'm pretty good, thank you.
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Good.
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So what are we talking about today?
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Well, Beth, today we are talking about places.
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We'll talk about the city and the countryside and which we prefer.
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Very nice.
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Okay, let's start then.
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So, Georgie, if you were going to visit somewhere, for example, would you prefer to visit the city or the countryside?
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Are we talking about the UK or going abroad?
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Let's start with the UK.
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Okay, if I visit somewhere in the UK, I would usually want to go to the countryside.
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That's because I live in a city, I live in London, but I'm from the countryside.
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So sometimes I crave going out into a more rural area where I can see more green space.
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There's more wildlife.
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It's almost like you need to escape the busy hustle and bustle of the city.
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Yeah, you know, I completely agree with you.
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Cities in the UK are great.
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There are some great cities, but I have visited quite a lot of them.
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And after a while, the cities are all similar.
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Whereas the countryside, you can do different activities.
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It's really nice to see new places.
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I am a few years ago I went to Kent and I had never been to Kent before because I'm from the north of England and Kent is in the south and it was amazing they had different kinds of buildings and like architecture on the farms we don't have those same kind of roofs in the farms in the in the north yeah I also went to Kent last year I did but I went to the seaside because Kent also has a bit of coastline.
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And yeah, I really enjoyed visiting Kent and the villages are so like cute and picturesque we could say what about when you go abroad do you do you also visit the countryside in other countries I have done but to be honest I would normally go to a city if I go abroad maybe the capital city or maybe a smaller city but one of the reasons for that I think is the transport it's so much easier to get a train or a bus when you're in a city and you'd have to hire a car I think to visit a village or something like that it's very true usually if you go abroad you fly to an airport and the airports are usually closer to the city and if you only have a few days in a place it's easier to just stay in the city It's also, I guess, easier to do lots of activities in the city when you visit and try out lots of the local restaurants.
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Everything is closer together so you can do more things.
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Well, I'm just thinking if you're in the city, you can search on your phone for really good restaurants really easily.
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But if I'm in Italy, for example, and I don't speak Italian, it would be really difficult, I think, for me to find a good restaurant because I wouldn't know where to go.
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Sometimes it's the locals in the countryside that are able to tell you this.
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It might not even be on the internet.
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Yep.
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That's very true.
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Let's recap the language we used in this conversation, starting with countryside, land outside of towns and cities where there are not many buildings.
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We can also describe this with the adjective rural.
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And hustle and bustle, the busyness and noise that you find in the city.
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We had picturesque, which means pretty or beautiful.
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We often use this to describe a place.
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and visits to go somewhere for a short time.
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That's it for this episode of Real Easy English.
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Go to our website to find a worksheet to test what you've learned.
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bbclearningenglish.com See you then.
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48
Goodbye.
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About This Lesson

In this lesson from the "Real Easy English" podcast, hosts Georgie and Beth engage in a lively conversation about their preferences for visiting places, specifically cities versus the countryside. Learners will practice vocabulary related to travel and exploration, as well as common English phrases used in everyday conversations. This session focuses on understanding the different contexts and experiences associated with urban and rural visits, providing English speaking practice that can be applied to everyday scenarios and the IELTS speaking test. Students will also enhance their pronunciation practice as they hear natural dialogues in an accessible format.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Countryside: Refers to land outside of towns and cities, often characterized by open spaces and fewer buildings. This term is crucial for discussing rural areas.
  • Hustle and bustle: A phrase that describes the busy and noisy atmosphere typically found in city life.
  • Picturesque: An adjective used to describe places that are visually attractive, often in a charming or scenic way.
  • Visit: A verb that means to go somewhere for a short time, which is essential when discussing travel plans.
  • Transport: Refers to the various means of getting around, particularly relevant when discussing travel logistics between cities and rural areas.
  • Activities: Refers to the various things one can do while visiting a city or countryside, such as dining, exploring, or sightseeing.

Practice Tips for This Video

To maximize your learning from this podcast, consider using the shadowing technique. This involves listening to the dialogue and repeating what you hear, which can significantly enhance your English fluency. Here are some specific tips:

  • Speaking Speed: Georgie and Beth speak at a moderate pace, making it easier to follow along. Don’t hesitate to pause the video to repeat phrases if needed.
  • Accent: The hosts use British accents, which will help you familiarize yourself with various pronunciations. Pay special attention to how they articulate words and phrases.
  • Topic Difficulty: Engage with the content by reflecting on your own travel experiences. This can help you relate personally to the vocabulary used, reinforcing your understanding.
  • Pronunciation Practice: Focus on challenging words like β€œpicturesque” and β€œcountryside.” Repeat them multiple times to improve your accuracy.
  • Use of Context: Try to incorporate the vocabulary and phrases into your own conversations about traveling, which is especially useful for IELTS speaking preparation.

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 β€” 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 β€” making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

How to Practice Effectively on ShadowingEnglish

  1. Choose your video: Pick a YouTube video with clear, natural English speech. TED Talks, BBC News, movie scenes, podcasts, or IELTS sample answers all work great. Paste the URL into the search bar. Start with shorter videos (under 5 minutes) and content you find genuinely interesting β€” motivation matters.
  2. Listen first, understand the context: On your first pass, keep the speed at 1x and just listen. Don't try to repeat yet. Focus on understanding the meaning, picking up new vocabulary, and noticing how the speaker stresses words, links sounds, and uses pauses.
  3. Set up Shadowing mode:
    • Wait Mode: Choose +3s or +5s β€” after each sentence plays, the video pauses automatically so you have time to repeat it out loud. Choose Manual if you want full control and press Next yourself after each repetition.
    • Sub Sync: YouTube subtitles sometimes appear slightly ahead or behind the audio. Use Β±100ms to align them perfectly so you can follow along accurately.
  4. Shadow out loud (the core practice): This is where the real work happens. As soon as a sentence plays β€” or during the pause β€” repeat it out loud, clearly and confidently. Don't just mouth the words: mirror the speaker's exact rhythm, stress, pitch, and connected speech. Aim to sound like a shadow of the speaker, not just a word-by-word recitation. Use the Repeat feature to drill the same sentence multiple times until it feels natural.
  5. Scale up the challenge: Once a passage feels comfortable, push your limits. Increase speed to <code>1.25x</code> or even <code>1.5x</code> to train high-speed language reflexes. Or set Wait Mode to <code>Off</code> for continuous shadowing β€” the most advanced and rewarding mode. Consistent daily practice of 15–30 minutes will produce noticeable results within weeks.

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