Shadowing Practice: Asking for and Giving Directions | English for Beginners | Daily English Conversations - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hi, Mark.
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How are you today?
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Hi, Anna.
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I'm good, thanks.
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I went out this morning and got lost for a few minutes.
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Oh, no. Did you have trouble finding your way?
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Yes.
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I couldn't find the coffee shop I wanted.
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I had to ask someone for directions.
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Well, that's perfect for today's topic, asking for directions.
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Really?
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What good timing.
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Exactly.
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Today we'll learn how to ask where a place is, how to understand directions, and how to give simple answers.
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Let's start with some key words you'll need.
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Left, right, straight, near, far,
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next to, behind, in front of, opposite.
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Okay, let me repeat.
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Left, right, straight, near, far,
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next to, behind, in front of, opposite.
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Got it.
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Perfect.
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These are very common when you ask for directions.
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Can we practice how to ask for directions politely? Of course.
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You can say, excuse me, where is the bank?
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Or, excuse me, how can I get to the train station.
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Ah, okay.
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So, excuse me is important to sound polite.
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Yes, always start with excuse me.
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It makes you sound friendly and respectful.
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Alright, let's try.
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Excuse me, where is the supermarket?
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Perfect!
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And I can answer, it's near the post office, or go straight and turn left.
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Got it.
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So if someone tells me go straight, it means walk forward.
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Exactly.
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And turn left means go to your left side, turn right means go to your right side.
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Okay, that's easy to remember.
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Let's practice a small conversation.
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I'll be the tourist and you'll give me directions.
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Alright, let's do it.
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Excuse me, where is the bus station?
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It's not far.
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Go straight for two blocks, then turn right.
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It's next to the park.
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Great job!
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That's clear and simple.
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Thanks!
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I've learned from my own experience getting lost.
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That's the best way to learn.
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Now let's switch roles.
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You're the tourist this time.
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Okay.
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Excuse me, how can I get to the train station?
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Go straight, then turn left at the traffic lights.
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The train station is opposite the shopping mall.
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Oh, that's clear.
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So opposite means across from, right?
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Yes.
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Opposite and across from mean the same thing.
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Got it.
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Let's practice a longer dialogue, like in real life.
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Alright.
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Excuse me, can you help me, please?
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Sure.
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What are you looking for?
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I'm looking for the library.
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Oh, it's near here.
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Go straight for about five minutes.
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You'll see a cafe on the left.
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The library is next to the cafe.
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Okay, so I go straight, then the library is next to the cafe, right?
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Yes, that's right.
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Thank you very much.
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You're welcome. That was great.
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Very natural.
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You sound like a local giving directions.
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Thank you.
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But sometimes I forget words like next to or behind.
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That's normal.
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Let's review some of those words.
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Okay.
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Next to means very close, side by side.
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Behind means at the back.
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In front of means before or facing something.
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Across from or opposite means on the other side of the street.
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Got it.
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For example, the bank is next to the post office, the car is in front of the house, the park is behind the supermarket,
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the bus stop is across from the school.
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Excellent examples.
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What if I don't understand the directions someone gives me?
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You can say, I'm sorry, can you say that again please?
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Or, can you speak more slowly please?
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That's useful.
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Sometimes people speak too fast.
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Yes, it happens a lot.
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Don't be shy to ask them to repeat.
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Most people are happy to help.
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Good to know.
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Now, let's imagine we're in a new city together.
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Okay.
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You want to go to the museum, and I'm a local person.
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Ask me how to get there.
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Excuse me, how can I get to the museum?
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Go straight down the street.
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When you see the traffic lights, turn right.
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The museum is next to the big hotel.
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Turn right at the lights next to the big hotel.
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Got it.
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Thank you.
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You're welcome.
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Have fun at the museum.
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Ana, what if I want to say how far something is?
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Good question.
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You can say, it's near or it's far.
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You can also say, it's about five minutes from here.
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Okay.
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So if someone asks me, is the park far, I can say, no, it's near, just five minutes from here.
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Exactly.
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That's perfect English.
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I like this topic.
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It's very useful when traveling.
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Yes, it's one of the most practical things to learn.
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Now I know what to do if I get lost again.
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That's great.
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And remember, don't panic.
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Just ask politely.
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Excuse me, can you help me, please?
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Exactly.
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Thank you, Anna.
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I learned many new words today, like straight, opposite, and turn left.
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I'm glad to hear that.
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You did great today.
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Thanks.
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What are we learning in the next episode?
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Next time, we'll talk about hobbies and free time, how to talk about what you like doing.
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That sounds fun.
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It will be.
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See you next time, Mark.
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See you, Anna.
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Bye.
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Bye-bye.
About This Lesson
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.