Shadowing Practice: 1-Star Hotel in Miami⭐🇺🇸 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “1-Star Hotel in Miami⭐🇺🇸”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: nine, perfect, selso, dollars, clean. This video has 67 sentences and 472 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:58. The speaker talks at a natural 159 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 89% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 19 of its 67 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 14 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| soap noun | /soʊp/ | A metallic salt derived from a fatty acid, commonly used in cleaning products. |
| bedside noun | /ˈbɛdˌsaɪd/ | A position at the side of one's bed. |
| fundable adjective | Able to be funded; deserving of funds. | |
| refundable adjective | Able to be refunded in case of customer dissatisfaction, loss, breakage etc. | |
| amenities noun | /əˈmɛn.ə.tiːz/ | Synonym of pleasantries. |
| vacancy noun | /ˈveɪkənsi/ | An unoccupied position or job. |
| towel noun | /ˈtaʊ̯əl/ | A cloth used for wiping, especially one used for drying anything wet, such as a person after a bath. |
| bargain noun | /ˈbɑːɹɡən/ | An agreement between parties concerning the sale of property; or a contract by which one party binds themself to transfer the right to some property for a… |
| pillow noun | /ˈpɪl.oʊ/ [ˈpʰɪɫ.ö̞] | A soft cushion used to support the head in bed. |
| unhappy adjective | /ʌnˈhæpi/ | Not happy; sad. |
| swim verb | /swɪm/ | To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means. |
| sink verb | /ˈsɪŋk/ | To descend or submerge (or to cause to do so) into a liquid or similar substance. |
| deposit noun | /dɪˈpɑ.zɪt/ | Sediment or rock that is not native to its present location or is different from the surrounding material. Sometimes refers to ore or gems. |
| toilet verb | /ˈtɔɪ.lət/ | To assist another (a child, etc.) in using a toilet. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Hi, how are you?
- Do you have any vacancies for tonight?
- How come you've had bad reviews?
- Do you own the hotel or just work here?
- How many rooms do you have here?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 10 contractions and reduced forms, such as we've, gonna, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like soap, bedside, fundable.
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.