Shadowing Practice: 10 best European Parliament bust-ups - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “10 best European Parliament bust-ups”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: ein, Merkel, signora. This video has 33 sentences and 342 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:23. The speaker talks at a steady 144 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mandate noun | /ˈmændeɪ̯t/ | An official or authoritative command; an order or injunction; a commission; a judicial precept; an authorization. |
| meanwhile adverb | /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ | During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place. |
| communist noun | /ˈkɑ.mjə.nɪst/ | An advocate of a society based on the common ownership of property; a proponent of communism. |
| diversity noun | /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/ | The quality of being diverse or different; a difference or unlikeness. |
| nasty adjective | /ˈnæs.ti/ | Dirty, filthy. |
| goodness noun | /ˈɡʊdnəs/ | The state or characteristic of being good. |
| behave verb | /bɪˈheɪv/ | To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way; to conform. |
| clerk noun | /klɝk/ | One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker. |
| referendum noun | /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ | A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment. |
| hostage noun | /ˈhɑs.tɪd͡ʒ/ | A person given as a pledge or security for the performance of the conditions of a treaty or similar agreement, such as to ensure the status of a vassal. |
| yourselves | /jəˈsɛlvz/ | You (plural), used to intensify the subject as the group addressed. |
| mafia noun | /ˈmɑfi.ə/ | A hierarchically structured secret organisation engaged in illegal activities like distribution of narcotics, gambling and extortion. |
| fascist noun | /ˈfæʃɪst/ | A proponent of fascism. |
| illustrate verb | /ˈɪl.əˌstɹeɪt/ | To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison. |
| damp adjective | /ˈdæmp/ | In a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| turn out verb | To end up; to result. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You won't be elections and you won't be referendum.
- All I can say is, thank goodness, we're leaving.
- You're behaving like the mafia.
- You think we're a hostage.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, won't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: fascist /ˈfæʃɪst/, unification /ˌjunəfəˈkeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: diversity /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/, referendum /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/, unification /ˌjunəfəˈkeɪʃən/
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 mandate, meanwhile, communist.
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.