Shadowing Practice: СПИДРАН НА ВСЮ ФИЛОСОФИЮ ЗА 45 МИНУТ - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 626 sentences and 8162 words to shadow. The speech runs for 45:08. The speaker talks fast, about 181 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 87% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| philosopher noun | /fəˈlɑsəfɚ/ | A lover of wisdom. |
| ideal adjective | /aɪˈdi(ə)l/ | Pertaining to ideas, or to a given idea. |
| consciousness noun | /ˈkɑnʃəsnəs/ | The state of being conscious or aware; awareness. |
| substance noun | /ˈsʌbstəns/ | Physical matter; material. |
| creator noun | /kɹiːˈeɪ̯təː/ | Something or someone which creates or makes something. |
| mathematics noun | /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/ | An abstract representational system studying numbers, shapes, structures, quantitative change and relationships between them. |
| cosmos noun | /ˈkɑzməs/ | The universe regarded as a system with harmony and order. |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
| moral adjective | /ˈmoɹəl/ | Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially conforming to principles of rectitude. |
| wisdom noun | /ˈwɪzdəm/ | An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise. |
| infinite adjective | /ˈɪnfɪnɪt/ | Indefinably large, countlessly great; immense. |
| divide verb | /dɪˈvaɪd/ | To split or separate (something) into two or more parts. |
| rational adjective | /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəl/ | Capable of reasoning. |
| capitalism noun | /ˈkæp.ə.təlˌɪzm̩/ | A socio-economic system based on private ownership of resources, and capital and their exploitation for profit. |
| characteristic noun | /ˌkæɹ(ə)ktəˈɹɪstɪk/ | A distinguishing feature of a person or thing, a part of mental or physical behavior. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| break down verb | To stop functioning. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| live through verb | To survive a difficult period or event |
| make out of verb | To construct from; to create (something) using (a material or substance). |
| spread out verb | Become further apart. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 24 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, thesis /ˈθisɪs/, theoretical /ˌθi.əˈɹɛt.ɪ.kəl/, synthesis /ˈsɪnθəsɪs/, theater /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: consciousness /ˈkɑnʃəsnəs/, rational /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəl/, conclusion /kənˈkluːʒən/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/, transition /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/
- Long words — get the stress right: philosopher /fəˈlɑsəfɚ/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, capitalism /ˈkæp.ə.təlˌɪzm̩/, characteristic /ˌkæɹ(ə)ktəˈɹɪstɪk/, philosophical /ˌfɪl.əˈsɑ.fɪ.kl̩/
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 philosopher, ideal, consciousness.
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 don't understand, I'll explain · if it's going to move, it will start · if one worker will collect |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was born · was involved · were made |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | teachings, which was · Apeiron, which is · matter, which is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have invested · has been · has removed |
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.












