Shadowing Practice: 10 Steps to Achieving Work-Life Balance - 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 “10 Steps to Achieving Work-Life Balance”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: objectives, lifestyle, balance. This video has 28 sentences and 298 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:00. The speaker talks at a steady 149 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| lifestyle noun | /ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl/ | A style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group. |
| workday noun | Any of the days of a week on which work is done; any day in a workweek. | |
| concentrate verb | /ˈkɑn.sən.tɹeɪt/ | To bring to, or direct toward, a common center; to unite more closely; to gather into one body, mass, or force. |
| emulate verb | /ˈɛm.jʊ.leɪt/ | To copy or imitate, especially a person. |
| overwhelm verb | /ˌoʊ.vɚˈwɛlm/ | To engulf, surge over and submerge. |
| prioritize verb | /pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/ | To value, do, or choose something first, or before other things. |
| reschedule verb | /ɹiˈskɛd͡ʒʊl/ | To schedule again or at a different time. |
| amend verb | /əˈmɛnd/ | To make better; improve. |
| interrupt verb | /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/ | To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking. |
| maximize verb | /ˈmæksəmaɪz/ | To make as large as possible. |
| align verb | /əˈlaɪn/ | To form a line; to fall into line. |
| delegate noun | /ˈdɛlɪɡət/ | A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy. |
| relieve verb | /ɹɪˈliːv/ | To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of. |
| mentor noun | /ˈmɛn.tɔː/ | A wise and trusted counselor or teacher. |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| turn off verb | To power down, to switch off, to put out of operation, to deactivate (an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Ask yourself, where do you spend most of your time?
- Do you know someone you admire?
- Someone with a career or lifestyle you want to emulate?
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 | be accomplished · has been shown |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will allow · You'll need |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/, suggestion /səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/, concentration /ˌkɑn.sənˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: prioritize /pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/, eliminate /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/, concentration /ˌkɑn.sənˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/
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 lifestyle, workday, concentrate.
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.