Shadowing Practice: 27 Facts That Will Make You Question Your Existence - Learn English Speaking with Video

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This is Earth.
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This is where you live.
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And this is where you live in your neighborhood.
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The solar system.
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Here's the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
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Doesn't look too far, does it?
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Think again.
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At their farthest point, the Earth and the Moon are 252,088 miles away.
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Inside that distance, you can fit every planet in our entire solar system.
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But let's talk about planets.
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The great red spot on Jupiter, that's about two times as big as Earth.
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And Saturn is about nine times wider than Earth.
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Saturn's rings are so large that a few of the fragments within them are as large as mountains.
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But that's nothing compared to our sun.
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Just remember, this is Earth.
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And this is Earth from the Moon.
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This is Earth from Mars.
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Here's Earth from just behind Saturn's rings.
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And here's Earth from just beyond Neptune, four billion miles away.
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But a billion's a big number, so let's put that in perspective.
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One million seconds equals about 11 and a half days, whereas one billion seconds equals over 31 years.
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Let's step back a bit.
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Here's the size of Earth compared with the size of our sun.
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Terrifying, right?
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And here's that exact same sun from the surface of Mars.
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As Carl Sagan once mused, The total number of stars in the universe is larger than
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all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the planet Earth.
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And there are some stars out there that are much, much bigger than our little wimpy sun.
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The biggest star we know of, V.Y.
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Canis Majoris, is about 2,000 times the diameter of our sun.
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But none of those compares to the size of a galaxy.
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In fact, if you shrink the size of our solar system down to the size of a quarter, and shrink the Milky Way galaxy down using the same scale,
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the diameter of the Milky Way will be roughly the size of the United States.
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That's because the Milky Way galaxy is huge.
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Its diameter is about 100,000 light years wide, which, when converted to miles, is about 621 quadrillion, 371 trillion,
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192 billion, 237 million, 333,890 miles.
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Inside of all of that is you.
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You live in this tiny, tiny portion of the Milky Way.
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But even still, our galaxy is a little runt compared with some others.
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NGC 6744, a spiral galaxy similar to our own, is twice as wide as the Milky Way,
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stretching over 200,000 light years across.
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It is massive. But let's think bigger.
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In this picture alone, taken by the Hubble telescope, there are thousands and thousands of galaxies,
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each containing millions or billions of stars with their own planets.
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Some of the objects seen here may have formed as many as 11 billion years ago, just 3 billion years after the Big Bang.
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This period of time is considered one of the busiest star-forming periods.
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And just keep this in mind, that's a picture of a very small, small part of the universe.
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So if you're ever feeling upset about your favorite show being cancelled, or the fact that they play Christmas music way too early, just remember, this is your home.
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Earth.
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Speaking Goals for This Clip

Practice explaining complex ideas simply—perfect for IELTS speaking practice or everyday conversations. This video’s mix of awe-inspiring facts and relatable comparisons helps you build fluency in describing size, scale, and perspective. You’ll learn to connect abstract concepts (like "billion miles") to real-life examples, a key skill for clear communication.

Phrase Bank

  • "Think again" – Use to challenge a listener’s initial assumption.
  • "Put that in perspective" – Help others grasp big numbers or ideas.
  • "Compared with" – Draw contrasts between two things (e.g., "Our sun is tiny compared with V.Y. Canis Majoris").
  • "Just remember" – Emphasize a key point (great for structuring speeches or stories).
  • "That’s nothing compared to" – Downplay one fact to highlight a more impressive one.

Fix Your Weak Spots

This clip is ideal for mastering rhythm and pacing when speaking about technical topics. The narrator pauses after big numbers (e.g., "621 quadrillion, 371 trillion…") to let ideas sink in—copy this to avoid rushing. Try the shadowing technique: play a short segment, pause, and repeat it aloud, matching the tone and speed. Use a shadowing app or shadowing site to record yourself and compare. You’ll also practice pronouncing long numbers clearly, a common challenge for learners. Whether you’re using this for learn English with videos or prepping for an exam, focusing on these details will make your speech sound more natural and confident.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →