Shadowing Practice: 0 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Good morning.
2
Welcome to our exhibition, Future Cities.
3
Here you can see models of our cities of the future.
4
Please take a look around and feel free to ask me any questions.
5
This model looks very interesting.
6
Can you tell me more about it, Ms. Smith?
7
Yes, this is a green city designed to reduce its negative impact on the environment.
8
As you can see, more than 50% of it is made up of green areas.
9
I don't see any private vehicles on the roads.
10
Most people will use public transport such as trams and electric buses.
11
There will be fewer traffic jams and less pollution.
12
So city dwellers will stop using their cars in urban areas.
13
That's the idea.
14
I like it.
15
It seems a good solution to many environmental problems.
16
Let's look at the city over there.
17
I can see robots and lots of cameras in the streets.
18
What's special about this city?
19
It's called a smart city.
20
AI technologies such as cameras and smart sensors will be installed to help the city operate more efficiently.
21
The modern infrastructure of the city looks beautiful.
22
I'm really impressed with the high-rise buildings.
23
Tall buildings can actually limit the carbon footprint of the built environment and help solve housing problems in big cities.
24
Hmm, I'm thinking of living in a smart city in the future.
25
Good morning.
26
Welcome to our exhibition, Future Cities.
27
Here you can see models of our cities of the future.
28
Please take a look around and feel free to ask me any questions.
29
This model looks very interesting.
30
Can you tell me more about it, Ms Smith?
31
Yes, this is a green city designed to reduce its negative impact on the environment.
32
As you can see, more than 50% of it is made up of green areas.
33
I don't see any private vehicles on the roads.
34
Most people will use public transport such as trams and electric buses.
35
There will be fewer traffic jams and less pollution.
36
So city dwellers will stop using their cars in urban areas.
37
That's the idea.
38
I like it.
39
It seems a good solution to many environmental problems.
40
Let's look at the city over there.
41
I can see robots and lots of cameras in the streets.
42
What's special about this city?
43
It's called a smart city.
44
AI technologies such as cameras and smart sensors will be installed to help the city operate more efficiently.
45
The modern infrastructure of the city looks beautiful.
46
I'm really impressed with the high-rise buildings.
47
Tall buildings can actually limit the carbon footprint of the built environment and help solve housing problems in big cities.
48
Hmm, I'm thinking of living in a smart city in the future.
49
Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 49 sentences and 452 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:19. The speaker talks at a steady 136 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
14 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| infrastructure noun | /ˈɪnfɹəˌstɹʌkt͡ʃə/ | An underlying base or foundation for a building, organization, or system. |
| solve verb | /sɒlv/ | To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out. |
| installed verb | /ɪnˈstɔːld/ | readied for use |
| exhibition noun | /ɛksɪˈbɪʃən/ | An instance of exhibiting, or something exhibited. |
| fewer | /ˈfjuː.ɚ/ | Less; a smaller amount of something non-integral commonly expressed as an integer |
| robot noun | /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ | An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal. |
| pollution noun | /pəˈluʃən/ | Physical contamination, now especially the contamination of the environment by harmful substances, or by disruptive levels of noise, light etc. |
| jam noun | /ˈd͡ʒæm/ | A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts |
| impress verb | /ɪmˈpɹɛs/ | To affect (someone) strongly and often favourably. |
| sensor noun | /ˈsɛn.sɚ/ | A device or organ that detects certain external stimuli and responds in a distinctive manner. |
| efficiently adverb | In an efficient manner. | |
| footprint noun | /ˈfʊtpɹɪnt/ | The impression of the foot in a soft substance such as sand or snow. |
| dweller noun | /ˈdwɛlɚ/ | An inhabitant of a specific place; an inhabitant or denizen. |
| tram noun | /tɹæm/ | A passenger vehicle for public use that runs on tracks in the road (called a streetcar or trolley in North America). |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| look around verb | To inspect a building or area. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: exhibition /ɛksɪˈbɪʃən/, pollution /pəˈluʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: infrastructure /ˈɪnfɹəˌstɹʌkt͡ʃə/, exhibition /ɛksɪˈbɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like infrastructure, solve, installed.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is made · will be installed |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will use · will be · will stop |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm thinking |
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.