Shadowing Practice: 01 English Vocabulary in Use Advanced Unit 1-4 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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A. Study and exams.

Before an exam, some students cram for it.

Even if you're a genius, you'll have to do some revision.

If the exam happens every year, you can revise by looking at past papers.

Some things can be memorised or learnt off by heart.

But rote learning is not sufficient for most subjects.

It is also possible to use mnemonics.

However, all things considered, the best idea is to bury yourself in your books

and to study intensively until you know the subject inside out.

B. Academic writing.

Composition.

Could be just 50 to 100 words, often used for schoolwork.

Essay.

Longer than a composition, more serious, hundreds or thousands of words.

Assignment – a long essay, often part of a course, usually thousands of words.

Project – like an assignment, but emphasis on students' own material and topic.

Portfolio – a collection of individual pieces of work may include drawings and other examples of creative work, as well as writing.

dissertation a long research-based work perhaps 10 to 15,000 words for a degree or diploma

thesis a very long original research-based work perhaps 80 to 100,000 words for a higher degree

for example a PhD it's a good idea to start with a mind map when preparing an essay

Always write a first draft before writing up the final version.

Your essay should be all your own work.

Plagiarism is a very serious offence in colleges and universities.

It is an increasing problem because it is so easy to cut and paste from materials available on the internet,

and students have to sign a plagiarism form to say that the work they are handing in is all their own, and that they acknowledge any sources they have used.

There is usually a deadline.

After the essay is submitted, it will be assessed and usually you can get feedback.

C. Aspects of higher academic study.

University academics carry out research and are expected to read academic journals, which publish papers or articles on specialised subjects.

If a library does not have a copy of a book or journal, you may be able to access it online, or you can usually get it through an interlibrary loan.

Open educational resources are particularly convenient for many students.

Academic study can be very demanding, and some students drop out,

but the majority survive till finals and become well-qualified members of their future professions.

A. Opportunity and equality.

All education systems may ultimately be judged in terms of equality of opportunity.

This is often referred to in the debates over selective versus comprehensive schooling.

The main issue is whether everyone has the same opportunities for educational achievement

or whether elitism of one sort or another is inherent in the system.

League tables for schools and colleges may actually help unintentionally to perpetuate inequalities while claiming to promote the raising of standards.

Inevitably, league tables divide educational institutions into good and bad,

success and failure, resulting in a two-tier system or at least that is how the public perceives it.

The ability of better-off parents and well-endowed schools to push children towards the institutions at the top of the league may,

in the long term, have the effect of depressing opportunity for the less well-off

or for children from home environments that do not provide the push and motivation to excel.

Financial support of different kinds can help to make educational opportunity more equal.

There are, for example, scholarships or bursaries that make it possible for less privileged youngsters to afford tertiary education.

Student loans allow undergraduates to pay for their tuition fees and living expenses while they are studying.

But few would claim that real equality of opportunity has been achieved.

B. Other debates and issues.

Some people think we should return to an emphasis on the three R's, the traditional basic skills.

Literacy and numeracy are skills no one can afford to be without.

Curriculum reform is often done for political reasons rather than for good educational ones.

Nowadays, lifelong or continuing education is an issue, and creating opportunities for mature students is important.

Special needs education is expensive because class sizes need to be small or one-to-one.

Children are unhappy at school if there is a lot of bullying.

Some headteachers complain

that getting to grips with constant new government guidelines on what

schools should be doing is a distraction from what they ought to be focusing on.

A. A job ad.

FDR Bank Careers.

Customer service assistant.

Do you have excellent communication skills and a genuine passion for customer service?

Are you looking for a challenging role within a fast-paced working environment?

FDR Bank has several new openings for customer service assistants.

Reporting to the customer service manager, you will be responsible for dealing with customer inquiries on the phone and via email.

No previous experience is necessary, as full training will be given.

The post offers excellent career prospects to candidates who demonstrate leadership qualities, as we are keen to promote and develop talent within the company.

We offer a competitive salary and an attractive benefits package, including pension, healthcare plan and subsidised meals.

If this sounds like the job for you, then click here to fill in the online application form, including details of your salary expectations.

B. A cover letter.

You want your application to stand out, so you should include a clear, well-written cover letter which highlights key points from your CV.

Here is a letter sent with the application for the job in A above.

Dear Sir or Madam, Please find attached my CV in support of my application for the position of Customer Service Assistant.

I have just completed my degree in business studies and am keen to gain hands-on experience in this area.

During my course, I chose to study several modules on banking and finance, as I have always been interested in working in this field.

In addition, I have worked as a part-time sales assistant in a large department store for the last two years.

This has given me valuable customer-facing experience, as well as developing good communication skills, both with customers and the rest of the team.

I am a team player, and I am keen to develop my career and gain managerial experience in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this application, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully, Rebecca White Be sure to specify the job you are applying for at the beginning of the letter.

Mention any studies or training courses you have done which are relevant to the role.

It is important to mention any relevant experience you have to show your suitability for the role.

If you can, provide examples of specific projects you have carried out.

If you have previous managerial experience, you can say, in my previous role as sales manager,

I led a team of four people.

A. Preparing for interviews.

When companies are recruiting, they often have a set of criteria, example three years of experience in the field

or a degree in a relevant area

which they use to find the most suitable candidates

if you are shortlisted for an interview make sure you do

your homework first find out as much as you can about the company its products markets competitors etc

if you can ask a friend to do a trial run

with you this will help boost your confidence the The interview may be conducted by a panel, a group of people, probably including your future line manager.

Don't forget to make eye contact with all the interviewers while you are talking.

As you arrive for the interview, body language is important.

Give a firm handshake and speak up.

This will help to create a good first impression.

b During an interview These are examples of things that might be said at a job interview.

So, can you talk us through your CV?

100

Well, I studied engineering and then took a job as a trainee at F3 Telecom.

101

I'd like to ask about opportunities for professional development.

102

We have a very good in-house training programme for new recruits.

103

Can you give us an example of how you've worked well under pressure?

104

How would your colleagues describe you?

105

How would your supervisor describe you?

106

I'm keen to take on more responsibility.

107

We're looking to fill the post fairly quickly.

108

If you are successful, how soon could you start?

109

The notice period on my present job is just two weeks, so I could start very soon.

110

C – a job offer.

111

Dear Mr Moulton, thank you for attending the interview last week.

112

We very much enjoyed meeting you.

113

We are delighted to offer you the position of trainee programmer.

114

We believe your qualifications and experience will be an ideal fit for the job.

115

Please review the attached document outlining your salary, benefits, including paid leave, and reporting structure, and sign where indicated.

116

Return the document within five business days.

117

Once we have received the paperwork, we will contact you to arrange your start date.

118

We look forward to welcoming you as part of our team.

119

Kind regards, Melanie Stevens.

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128 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “01 English Vocabulary in Use Advanced Unit 1-4”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: customer, experience, interview, student, example. This video has 119 sentences and 1534 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:21. The speaker talks at a steady 135 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
plagiarism noun	/ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm/	Copying of another person's ideas, text, or other creative work, and presenting it as one's own, especially without permission; plagiarizing.
trainee noun	/tɹeɪˈni/	Someone who is still in the process of being formally trained in a workplace.
managerial adjective	/ˌmænɪˈd͡ʒɪəɹi.əl/	Of or relating to a manager or management; involving management-like duties.
attach verb	/əˈtæt͡ʃ/	To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively).
recruit verb	/ɹɪˈkɹut/	To enroll or enlist new members or potential employees on behalf of an employer, organization, sports team, the military, etc.
bursary noun	/ˈbɝsɚi/	A monetary award to university students that allows them to continue their studies.
criterion noun	/kɹaɪˈtɪɹ.i.ən/	A standard, test, or requirement by which individual things or people may be compared and judged; a gauge.
elitism noun	/ɪˈliːtɪzəm/	The belief that a society or system should be run by an elite.
faithfully adverb	/ˈfeɪθfəli/	In a faithful manner.
guideline noun	/ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn/	A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour.
handshake noun	/ˈhæn(d)ˌʃeɪk/	The grasping of hands by two people when greeting, leave-taking, or making an agreement.
headteacher noun		The most senior teacher in a school who is responsible for its management and administration.
intensively adverb		In an intensive way.
interlibrary adjective		Between libraries.
mnemonic noun	/nəˈmɑnɪk/	Something (especially a series of ideas, letters, words, etc.) used to help in remembering a thing; a memory aid.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
carry out verb	/ˈkæ.ɹi aʊt/	To hold while moving it out.
look forward to verb		To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.
drop out verb		To leave (school, a race, etc.) prematurely and voluntarily.
find out verb		To discover, as by asking or investigating.
speak up verb	/ˌspik ˈʌp/	To talk more loudly or clearly.
stand out verb		To jut out, protrude (from a surface etc.).
write up verb	/ˈɹaɪ̯t ˌʌp/	To produce by writing.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

I'd like to ask about opportunities for professional development.
How would your colleagues describe you?
How would your supervisor describe you?
I'm keen to take on more responsibility.
If you are successful, how soon could you start?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have used · has been achieved · have just completed
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	can be memorised · is submitted · are expected

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'd, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: faithfully /ˈfeɪθfəli/, thesis /ˈθisɪs/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: handshake /ˈhæn(d)ˌʃeɪk/, tertiary /ˈtɜː.ʃi.ə.ɹiː/, dissertation /ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃən/, distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/, revision /ɹəˈvɪʒ.ən/
Long words — get the stress right: plagiarism /ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm/, managerial /ˌmænɪˈd͡ʒɪəɹi.əl/, criterion /kɹaɪˈtɪɹ.i.ən/, elitism /ɪˈliːtɪzəm/, numeracy /ˈnjuːməɹəsi/

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 plagiarism, trainee, managerial.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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