Shadowing Practice: 500 Hunters vs 1 Speedrunner - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “500 Hunters vs 1 Speedrunner”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Evbo, Karl, Speedsilver, Hunter, Avoma. This video has 562 sentences and 4845 words to shadow. The speech runs for 24:44. The speaker talks fast, about 196 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 73% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pearl noun | /pɝl/ | A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain… |
| gosh | /ɡɑːʃ/ | A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm. |
| armor noun | /ˈɑːɹ.mɚ/ | A protective layer over a body, vehicle, or other object intended to deflect or diffuse damaging forces. |
| ping verb | /pɪŋ/ | To make a high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound. |
| trap noun | /tɹæp/ | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body. |
| lava noun | /ˈlɑvə/ | The molten rock ejected by a volcano from a vent such as a crater or fissure; magma that has breached the surface of the earth. |
| compass noun | /ˈkʌmpəs/ | A magnetic or electronic device used to determine the cardinal directions (usually magnetic or true north). |
| blast noun | /blæst/ | A violent gust of wind (in windy weather) or apparent wind (around a moving vehicle). |
| bastion noun | /ˈbæsti.ən/ | A projecting part of a rampart or other fortification. |
| outbid verb | /aʊtˈbɪd/ | To bid more than (somebody else) in an auction. |
| helmet noun | /ˈhɛlmɪt/ | A hard, protective head covering, typically part of armour. |
| chill verb | /tʃɪl/ | To lower the temperature of something; to cool. |
| boot noun | /but/ | A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. |
| cave noun | /keɪv/ | A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside. |
| crit noun | /kɹɪt/ | Criticism. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. | |
| go up verb | To move upwards. | |
| get away verb | To move away (from). | |
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. | |
| knock down verb | To hit or knock (something or someone), intentionally or accidentally, so that it falls. | |
| call out verb | To specify, especially in detail. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Do you guys realize how insane that is?
- You want to chill out?
- How are we gonna handle this here?
- What are you gonna do now?
- Do you guys have arrows?
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 do, you'll win · If I can get more diamonds, it'll be · If he's smart, he will |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've never done · hasn't found · I've never seen |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are limited · might be cooked |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might want · might need · may got |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 183 contractions and reduced forms, such as gonna, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, shield /ˈʃild/, shipwreck /ˈʃɪpɹɛk/, fraction /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/, perfection /pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: obsidian /əbˈsɪd.i.ən/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, execution /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/
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 pearl, gosh, armor.
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.












