Shadowing Practice: 5 Common British English Expressions (Episode 3) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 37 sentences and 407 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:29. The speaker talks at a natural 164 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.

Key vocabulary in this video

13 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The act of examining.
• connect /kəˈnɛkt/ (verb) — To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
• funeral /ˈfju.nəɹ.əl/ (noun) — A ceremony to honor and remember a deceased person, often distinguished from a memorial service by the presence of the body of the deceased.
• cruel /ˈkɹuːəl/ (adjective) — Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless.
• lemon /ˈlɛmən/ (noun) — A yellowish citrus fruit.
• fabulous /ˈfæbjʊləs/ (adjective) — Of or relating to fable, myth or legend.
• equation /ɪˈkweɪ.ʒən/ (noun) — The act or process of equating two or more things, or the state of those things being equal (that is, identical).
• subscribe /səbˈskɹaɪb/ (verb) — To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name).
• follower /ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/ (noun) — One who follows, comes after another.
• clog /klɑɡ/ (noun) — A type of shoe with an inflexible, often wooden sole sometimes with an open heel.
• affectionately /əˈfɛkʃənətli/ (adverb) — In an affectionate manner.
• peasy (adjective) — Resembling or characteristic of peas.
• squeezy (adjective) — flexible and easy to squeeze

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, I'm, we've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, equation /ɪˈkweɪ.ʒən/, affectionately /əˈfɛkʃənətli/
• Long words — get the stress right: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, affectionately /əˈfɛkʃənətli/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like examination, connect, funeral.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: