Shadowing Practice: 2 English Teachers Answer Your Questions About Learning English! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 313 sentences and 3562 words to shadow. The speech runs for 25:05. The speaker talks at a steady 142 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| input noun | /ˈɪnpʊt/ | The act or process of putting in; infusion. |
| sponge noun | /spʌnd͡ʒ/ | Any of various marine invertebrates of the phylum Porifera, that have a porous skeleton often of silica. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| uncomfortable adjective | /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/ | Not comfortable; causing discomfort. |
| acquire verb | /əˈkwaɪɚ/ | To get. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| translation noun | /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/ | The conversion of text from one language to another. |
| wolf noun | /wʊlf/ | Canis lupus; the largest wild member of the canine subfamily. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| collaboration noun | /kəˌlæbəˈɹeɪʃən/ | The act of collaborating. |
| scare verb | /skɛɚ/ | To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way. |
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| translate verb | /tɹænzˈleɪt/ | To change spoken words or written text (of a book, document, movie, etc.) from one language to another. |
| snack noun | /snæk/ | A light meal. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| walk through verb | To explain (something) to (someone), step by step. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| lay out verb | /ˌleɪ ˈaʊt/ | To expend or contribute money to an expense or purchase. |
| look through verb | To take a view of the contents of; search in, either with the eyes or by hand. | |
| run over verb | To exceed the allotted time. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If you didn't teach English, what would you |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have sent · has left · has asked |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | them, which is · spanish which was · people who make |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can be found · been recognized |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 89 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: translation /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/, collaboration /kəˌlæbəˈɹeɪʃən/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, occasion /əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, collaboration /kəˌlæbəˈɹeɪʃən/, disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/
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 input, sponge, vocabulary.
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.
































