Shadowing Practice: 20 WOMEN VS DRAKE | 20 V 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “20 WOMEN VS DRAKE”. This video has 1138 sentences and 6568 words to shadow. The speech runs for 36:55. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 179 of its 1138 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bestie noun | /ˈbɛsti/ | A best friend. |
| coney noun | The Jamaican coney (Geocapromys brownii), a hutia endemic to Jamaica. | |
| drake noun | /ˈdɹeɪ̯k/ | A male duck (animal). |
| slot noun | /slɑt/ | A narrow depression, perforation, or aperture; especially, one for the reception of a piece fitting or sliding into it. |
| pipe noun | /ˈpaɪp/ | A wind instrument consisting of a tube, often lined with holes to allow for adjustment in pitch, sounded by blowing into the tube. |
| grandma noun | /ˈɡɹænmɑː/ | Grandmother. |
| vibe noun | /vaɪb/ | An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing. |
| chick noun | /t͡ʃɪk/ | A young bird. |
| cheers | /t͡ʃɪəz/ | A common toast used when drinking in company. |
| balcony noun | /ˈbælkəni/ | An accessible structure extending from a building, especially outside a window. |
| vodka noun | /ˈvɑdkə/ | A clear distilled alcoholic liquor made from grain mash. |
| compliment noun | /ˈkɑmpləmənt/ | An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect. |
| halfway adverb | /ˌhæfˈweɪ/ | Half of the way between two points. |
| invite verb | /ɪnˈvaɪt/ | To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something. |
| yummy adjective | /ˈjʌm.i/ | Delicious. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. | |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. | |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| bring out verb | To elicit, evoke, or emphasize (a particular quality). | |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. | |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. | |
| drop off verb | To fall asleep. | |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You can't pressure her, you know what I mean?
- Anyways, well, why don't you go right this way?
- What is, what's your name?
- I'm good, how are you?
- I'm okay, what's going on?
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 had no money, where would you · if you say do it I would okay |
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | it's been lingering · You've been waiting · I've been waiting |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | You've been · I've been · I've said |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be reminded · is done · been cheated |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 276 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, hypothetical /ˌhaɪpəˈθɛtɪkəl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, dish /dɪʃ/, shoe /ˈʃu/, affirmation /æfɝˈmeɪʃn/, aspirational /ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃənəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: sensitivity /ˌsɛn.səˈtɪv.ə.ti/, alligator /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/, aspirational /ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃənəl/, categorize /ˈkætɪɡəˌɹaɪz/, companionship /kəmˈpænjənʃɪp/
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 bestie, coney, drake.
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.












