Практика Shadowing: Easy English Podcast for English Conversations | Asking for Directions - Изучайте разговорный английский с YouTube
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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Everyday English Academy, where we make English simple and enjoyable.
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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Everyday English Academy, where we make English simple and enjoyable.
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I'm Sarah.
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And I'm Mike.
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Hello to all of our wonderful listeners wherever you are in the world right now.
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It is so great to be with you today.
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Mike, why do you look so tired today?
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Oh, Sarah, I had the worst experience yesterday afternoon.
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What happened?
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Well, I wanted to buy some fresh bread from this bakery my friend told me about.
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You know, the one with the amazing sourdough?
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Oh, yes, I know that place.
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Did you find it?
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Eventually, but it was a disaster.
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A disaster?
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It's just a bakery, Mike.
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How bad could it be?
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My phone died.
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Oh, no. Yes, the battery just gone.
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And I was in a neighborhood I don't know very well.
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Wait, so you had no map, no GPS, nothing?
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Nothing.
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Just me and my terrible sense of direction.
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Oh, this is going to be good.
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What did you do?
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I had to ask people for directions, like the old-fashioned way.
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You mean actually talking to strangers?
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Yes.
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Can you believe it?
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And here's the funny part.
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I asked three different people, and they all gave me completely different answers.
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No way.
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I'm serious.
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The first person told me to go straight for five minutes.
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The second person said, turn right immediately.
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And the third person, she looked at me like I was crazy and said the bakery was in the opposite direction.
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So where did you end up?
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I walked in circles for 20 minutes.
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I was so lost.
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Did you finally find it?
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Yes, but only because I saw the sign by accident.
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Pure luck.
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Mike, this is exactly why we need today's topic.
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What topic?
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How to ask for directions in English, and more importantly, how to understand what people tell you and not get lost like Mike.
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Hey, I eventually found it.
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After 20 minutes of walking in circles.
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Okay, okay, you're right.
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I need this lesson too.
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We all do.
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And before we start, we want to remind you, if you're enjoying Everyday English Academy,
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please hit that subscribe button.
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Yes, please.
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And give us a like.
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It really helps us reach more English learners around the world.
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Share this episode with your friends who are learning English.
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Learning together is more fun.
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Alright, Sarah.
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Let's help people avoid my embarrassing situation.
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Where do we start?
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Let's start with the basics.
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How do you actually ask for directions?
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Mike, when you stopped the first person yesterday, what did you say?
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Well, I tried to be polite.
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I said, excuse me.
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Good.
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That's the perfect start.
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Excuse me is how we politely get someone's attention in English.
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Right.
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And then I said, how do I get to the bakery on Main Street?
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Perfect.
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How do I get to is one of the most common and natural ways to ask for directions.
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It sounds simple, right?
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It is simple, and that's the beauty of it.
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You don't need complicated English.
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Just, excuse me, how do I get to the train station?
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Or, excuse me, how do I get to the museum?
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What if you want to sound a bit more formal?
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Great question.
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You can say, could you tell me the way to?
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This sounds a little more polite, a little more formal.
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Could you tell me the way to the library?
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Exactly.
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Both phrases work perfectly.
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Use whichever feels more comfortable for you.
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Now, here's something important I learned yesterday.
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You should also ask if the place is far.
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Yes, because sometimes people give you directions to a place that's 30 minutes away on foot.
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Exactly.
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So after you ask, how do I get to the bakery, you can add, is it far from here?
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That's so useful.
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Is it far from here?
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This tells you if you should walk or maybe take a bus or taxi.
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The first person I asked yesterday said, oh, it's not far, just five minutes.
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And was it five minutes?
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It was not five minutes, more like 15.
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Yes, people have very different ideas about time and distance. So true.
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Some people say five minutes when they mean 15.
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Some people say close when they mean far.
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That's why it's good to ask follow-up questions.
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You can say, how many minutes roughly?
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Ooh, roughly, that's a good word.
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What does that mean exactly?
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Roughly means approximately, about, not exactly, but close to the real number.
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So if someone says it takes roughly 10 minutes,
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they mean it might be 9 minutes or 11 minutes or 12 minutes, somewhere around 10.
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Exactly.
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It's not precise, it's an estimate.
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I love that word.
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How long does it take roughly?
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Yes, or how far is it, roughly?
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Very natural, very useful.
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Okay, so now we know how to ask for directions.
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But Sarah, the hard part is understanding the answer.
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Yes, this is where it gets tricky.
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When that first person started giving me directions yesterday, she spoke so fast.
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She said something like, go straight ahead, then turn left at the big tree,
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then go past the coffee shop, then… Wait, wait, wait.
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Too much information.
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Exactly.
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I was so confused.
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I just smiled and said thank you, but I had no idea what she said.
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This happens to everyone, Mike.
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Even native speakers sometimes can't follow fast directions.
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Really?
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Really!
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So let's break down the most common words people use when giving directions.
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First, straight ahead.
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Straight ahead.
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That means continue in the same direction, right?
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Yes.
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If someone says, go straight ahead, it means don't turn left,
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don't turn right, just keep walking forward in the same direction.
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Walk straight ahead for two blocks.
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Perfect.
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Now, what's a block?
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A block is the distance between two streets?
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Exactly.
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In cities, a block is the space between one street and the next street.
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So, two blocks means you pass two streets.
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Okay, that makes sense.
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What other words do we need to know?
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Around the corner.
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This is super common.
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Around the corner.
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So it means very close?
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Yes.
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It means the place is just past the next turn.
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Very near.
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Very close.
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The post office is just around the corner.
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Exactly.
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It's so close.
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You just need to turn once and you'll see it.
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That's helpful.
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What about when people say things like, It's next to the bank.
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Or, It's across from the school.
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Ah, yes.
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These are location words.
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Next to means beside, right beside something.
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The pharmacy is next to the supermarket.
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Yes.
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And across from means on the opposite side of the street.
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So, if I'm standing in front of the supermarket and the pharmacy is across from it, I need to cross the street?
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Exactly.
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You need to go to the other side.
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Got it.
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These words are really practical.
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They are.
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Now, here's another word you'll hear a lot.
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Go past.
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Go past?
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Yes.
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Go past means you continue walking beyond a place without stopping there.
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Oh, so if someone says, go past the coffee shop, it means I walk past it, I don't stop, I keep going.
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Exactly.
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Go past the park, go past the school, and then turn right.
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That makes sense.
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So I'm using that place as a reference point, but I'm not stopping there.
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Right.
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And speaking of reference points, do you know the word landmark?
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Landmark.
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Is that like a famous building?
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Yes.
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A landmark is a well-known place or building that people use to give directions,
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like, turn left at the big church, or it's near the old theater.
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So landmarks help people explain where something is.
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Exactly.
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And if you're in a new city, it's good to learn the main landmarks so you can understand directions better.
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That's smart.
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Okay, Sarah, here's my question.
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What if someone gives you directions and you just don't understand?
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This is so important, Mike.
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You need to speak up.
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But I feel embarrassed.
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Don't be embarrassed.
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It's totally normal.
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You can say, I'm sorry, could you repeat that, please?
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Could you repeat that, please?
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Yes.
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Or you can say, I didn't catch that.
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Catch means understand in this context.
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I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.
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Could you say it again?
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Perfect.
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People will understand, and they'll usually explain slower or more simply.
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What if they use a word I don't know?
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Just ask.
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Say, what does that mean?
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Or where is that exactly?
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It's better to ask than to walk in the wrong direction for 20 minutes.
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Exactly.
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Learn from your mistakes, Mike.
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I definitely did.
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Oh, and here's another thing that happened to me.
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The second person who gave me directions said, Go down this street until you hit a dead end.
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Ooh, dead end.
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Yes.
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I had no idea what that meant.
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A dead end is a street that doesn't continue.
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It just ends.
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There's no way to keep going forward.
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So it's like a wall or a fence at the end?
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Exactly.
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The street stops.
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You can't keep going.
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So you have to turn around or turn left or right.
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If you hit a dead end, you've gone too far.
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Yes, that's a very common sentence.
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If you reach a dead end, turn around.
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That's such a useful phrase.
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I wish I knew it yesterday.
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Well, now you know.
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Okay, Mike, let's talk about something else.
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What if you need to give directions to someone?
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Me?
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Give directions?
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Yes, maybe a tourist stops you on the street and asks for help.
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Oh, that happens sometimes.
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I always feel nervous because I want to help, but I'm not sure how to explain clearly.
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The key is to keep it simple.
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Don't give too much information at once.
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What do you mean?
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Well, imagine someone asks you, how do I get to the library?
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Don't say, go straight ahead for three blocks, then turn left at the green building, then go past two coffee shops and a bakery,
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then turn right at the traffic light, then walk for another five minutes.
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That's way too much.
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Exactly.
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Instead, break it into small steps.
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Say, go straight ahead for three blocks.
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Then, turn left.
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You'll see a green building.
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The library is next to it.
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Ah, so give them one or two steps at a time?
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Yes, and use landmarks.
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Don't say, turn left at Winston Street.
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Most people don't remember street names.
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Say, turn left at the big supermarket.
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That's much easier to remember.
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Also, if the place is really close, you can say, it's just around the corner, or it's across from here.
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And if it's far? Be honest.
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Say, it's quite far, maybe 20 minutes on foot.
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You might want to take a bus.
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That's really helpful.
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I don't want to send someone walking for an hour when there's a bus.
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Exactly.
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And if you're not sure about the directions yourself, it's okay to say, I'm sorry, I'm not sure.
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Maybe ask someone else.
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Better than giving wrong directions.
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Absolutely.
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Honesty is always best.
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You know what I find interesting?
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Different countries give directions in different ways.
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Oh, yes, this is so true.
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Like in some countries, people use compass directions.
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They say, go north or go east.
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Right, but in many English-speaking countries, people don't use north, south,
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east, west very much for everyday directions.
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What do they use instead?
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They use landmarks and left-right directions turn left at the bank or go past the park.
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That makes sense.
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It's more visual.
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Yes.
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And in some countries, people use time instead of distance.
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They say it's five minutes away instead of saying it's one kilometer away.
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I've noticed that.
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In English, people almost always say minutes, not kilometers.
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Exactly.
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It's a 10-minute walk is much more common than it's 800 meters away.
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And what about pointing?
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Is it polite to point when giving directions?
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It's usually okay if you're pointing at a building or a street.
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Like, see that tall building?
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Go that way.
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But don't point at people.
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Good advice.
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Alright, Mike, let's practice a bit.
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I'll ask you for directions and you give them to me.
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Ready?
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Ready.
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Excuse me, how do I get to the nearest coffee shop?
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Oh, sure.
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Go straight ahead for roughly two blocks, then turn right.
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The coffee shop is on your left, across from a bookstore.
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Is it far from here?
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No, not at all.
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It's just around the corner, maybe three minutes on foot.
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Perfect.
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Thank you so much.
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You're welcome.
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How was that?
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That was excellent.
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Clear, simple, and friendly.
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Thank you.
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I feel more confident now.
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Good.
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Now let me give you directions.
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Ask me something.
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Okay.
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Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the train station? Of course.
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Walk straight ahead until you see a big church.
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Go past the church and keep going for about five more minutes.
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When you reach the traffic light, turn left.
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The train station is right there.
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You can't miss it.
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Wait, I didn't catch the part after the church.
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Could you repeat that?
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Sure.
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After you go past the church, keep walking straight for five minutes.
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Then turn left at the traffic light.
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Got it.
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Thank you.
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No problem.
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See?
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If you don't understand, just ask.
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It's totally fine.
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This is really useful, Sarah.
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I think our listeners are ready to ask for directions now.
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I think so too.
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Just remember, be polite, speak clearly, and don't be afraid to ask someone to repeat if you don't understand.
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And when you're giving directions, keep it simple and use landmarks.
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Exactly.
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All right, everyone, that brings us to the end of today's episode.
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Before we go, we have a question for all of you.
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Yes.
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Tell us in the comments.
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Have you ever gotten lost in a new city?
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What happened?
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Did you ask someone for directions?
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Was it easy or difficult to understand them?
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Share your story with us.
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We love reading your comments.
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And remember, if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Everyday English Academy me.
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Click that subscribe button, give us a like, and share this with your friends who are learning English.
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Thank you so much for listening today.
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You're doing an amazing job with your English.
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Keep practicing, keep asking questions, and don't be afraid to talk to people in English.
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Next time you need directions, you'll be ready.
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Take care everyone!
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See you in the next episode.
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Goodbye!
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you
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Об этом уроке
В этом уроке вы научитесь правильно задавать вопросы о направлении на английском языке, а также разбираться в ответах, которые вам дают. Мы обсудим, как общаться с незнакомцами и какие выражения можно использовать для получения нужной информации. После этого урока вы будете более уверенно ориентироваться в незнакомых местах и не потеряетесь, как наш друг Майк.
Ключевая лексика и фразы
- Ask for directions - спрашивать дорогу
- Go straight - идти прямо
- Turn right/left - повернуть направо/налево
- In the opposite direction - в противоположном направлении
- Neighborhood - район
- Bakery - пекарня
- Lost - потеряться
- Sign - знак/указатель
Советы по практике
Чтобы улучшить ваше произношение английского и уверенность в разговоре, попробуйте использовать shadowspeak во время практики. Слушайте фразы из урока и повторяйте их, стараясь подражать интонации и скорости говорящих. Так как скорость разговора в видео была достаточно умеренной, вы можете использовать shadow speech в парах с учащимися, чтобы совместно прорабатывать диалоги. Не стесняйтесь делать паузы, чтобы успеть повторить за спикерами. Также, если вы чувствуете, что не можете полностью повторить, просто начните с ключевых слов и основных фраз.
Видео будет отличным практическим ресурсом на вашем shadowing site. Оно поможет вам распознать разные акценты и стили общения, что принесет пользу новичкам в изучении языка. Используйте эти советы в своей повседневной практике и вы заметите, как улучшается ваша способность общения на английском языке.
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Shadowing — это научно обоснованная техника изучения языка, изначально разработанная для подготовки профессиональных переводчиков и популяризированная полиглотом доктором Александром Аргуэльесом. Метод прост, но эффективен: вы слушаете аудио на английском от носителей языка и немедленно повторяете вслух — как тень, следующая за говорящим с задержкой в 1–2 секунды. В отличие от пассивного прослушивания или грамматических упражнений, Shadowing заставляет мозг и мышцы рта одновременно обрабатывать и воспроизводить реальные речевые паттерны. Исследования показывают, что это значительно улучшает точность произношения, интонацию, ритм, связную речь, понимание на слух и беглость речи — что делает его одним из самых эффективных методов для подготовки к IELTS Speaking и реального общения на английском.
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