Shadowing Practice: Why don't you remember being a baby? - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 30 sentences and 442 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:19. The speaker talks fast, about 190 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• mouse /maʊs/ (noun) — Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail.
• decline /dɪˈklaɪn/ (verb) — To move downwards, to fall, to drop.
• recall /ɹɪˈkɔl/ (verb) — To withdraw, retract (one's words etc.); to revoke (an order).
• discover /dɪˈskʌvə/ (verb) — To find or learn something for the first time.
• experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/ (noun) — A test under controlled conditions made to either demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of…
• flood /flʌd/ (noun) — An overflow of a large amount of water (usually disastrous) from a lake or other body of water due to excessive rainfall or other input of water.
• gravity /ˈɡɹævɪti/ (noun) — Of an activity such as a ceremony, a person's conduct, etc.: the quality of being deeply serious and solemn, especially in a dignified manner; seriousness…
• scientist /ˈsaɪəntəst/ (noun) — One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research…
• sadly /ˈsædli/ (adverb) — In a sad manner; sorrowfully.
• fiber /ˈfaɪ.bɚ/ (noun) — A single elongated piece of a given material, roughly round in cross-section, often twisted with other fibers to form thread.
• infant /ˈɪn.fənt/ (noun) — A very young human being, from birth to somewhere between six months and two years of age after birth, needing almost constant care and attention.
• reconstruction /ˌɹiːkənˈstɹʌkʃən/ (noun) — The action of reconstructing something, not necessarily to the earlier state.
• researcher /ˈɹiˌsɝ.t͡ʃɚ/ (noun) — One who researches.
• recruit /ɹɪˈkɹut/ (verb) — To enroll or enlist new members or potential employees on behalf of an employer, organization, sports team, the military, etc.
• psychologist /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/ (noun) — An expert in the field of psychology.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• come back (verb) — To return to a place.
• figure out (verb) — To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
• go on /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/ (verb) — To continue in extent.
• light up (verb) — To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 8 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, can't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: reconstruction /ˌɹiːkənˈstɹʌkʃən/, shove /ʃʌv/, shuffle /ˈʃʌfəl/
• Long words — get the stress right: experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/, reconstruction /ˌɹiːkənˈstɹʌkʃən/, psychologist /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/, hippocampus /ˌhɪpə(ʊ)ˈkæm.pəs/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like mouse, decline, recall.

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