Shadowing Practice: #95 Under the stars (Med) | SBS Learn English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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134 sentences
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Learning English helps me share what I see in the night sky.
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SPS acknowledges the traditional custodians of country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia.
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You know that feeling.
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There's nothing better than sitting out on a warm night under the stars.
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Maybe you're on the beach, in the bush or even in your own backyard.
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I'm Josipa and for me spending a night under the stars is about slowing down, looking up
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and feeling a bit of magic in the air isn't it
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you might have heard the phrase under the stars it simply
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means being outside at night with the sky stretching above you
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imagine this last month you went on a stargazing tour a lovely auntie that's the respectful way to address
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or talk about an older Aboriginal woman.
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Well, she shared some incredible stories.
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In her culture, the stars were like a map.
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People used them to find their way and for hunting.
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Fascinating, isn't it?
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So, you think, I want to share this.
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You invite your friends to go stargazing with you.
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And just so we are clear, stargazing is really just looking at the stars for fun.
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You can lie on the grass in your backyard or if you want to get fancy, go to an observatory.
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That's a special building where people study the sky with giant telescopes
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and all sorts of gear that help you see things way, way up there.
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There you are, heading out to the mountains with your friends.
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Alan's packed the picnic, Claire's got a massive thermos of tea and you've thrown in the blankets,
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plus your notebook, because you know you're about to pick up some new phrases for talking about the night sky.
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Wow, that view of the Milky Way is out of this world.
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Yeah, you can see the Southern Cross clear as day.
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Well, no. Oi, quick, catch that shooting star.
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Did you make a wish?
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Too slow, it's gone.
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What did you wish for?
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Actually, nah, don't tell me or it won't come true.
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Not saying.
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But it starts with winning and ends with lotto?
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Shooting for the moon, huh?
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Classic Claire.
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Do you ever try out a new English phrase with your friends
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or at work and feel really happy and proud of yourself?
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That feeling of being so happy?
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Well, you could describe it by saying you are over the moon.
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Claire was over the moon when she realized that she could actually see the galaxy we live in.
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A galaxy is a huge collection of billions of stars, dust and gas.
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She said, Wow, that view of the Milky Way is out of this world.
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The Milky Way is the galaxy we live in.
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You can see it on a clear night when there are no clouds, especially in the outback.
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Way better than in the city because there is less light from buildings.
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Claire said that the view of the Milky Way was out of this world.
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If something is out of this world, it is amazing or impressive.
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For example, the blueberry cake Alan brought in his picnic basket was out of this world too.
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Then Alan said...
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Yeah, you can see the Southern Cross clear as day.
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Well, night.
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The Southern Cross is a small group of stars shaped like a cross.
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You can only see it from this part of the world, the Southern Hemisphere, and it's even on the Australian flag,
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so it has a special place in our hearts.
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The next time you are out at night, take a look up and see if you can find it.
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Alan said he can see the Southern Cross clear as day.
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When something is clear as day, it is very easy to see, understand or notice.
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It's so obvious that you can't miss it.
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You can use this expression in all sorts of situations.
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For example, can you think of times when you've noticed a friend was upset, even though they didn't say anything?
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It was probably clear as day that they weren't happy.
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Claire then said, Oi, quick, catch that shooting star.
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Did you make a wish?
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When Claire shouts, Catch that shooting star.
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She doesn't mean grab it because, well, that's impossible.
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A shooting star is actually a tiny space rock called a meteor
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that burns up and so looks very bright as it falls through the sky.
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To catch a shooting star means to try to see the star before it disappears.
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Have you ever tried stargazing during a meteor shower?
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It's like a fireworks show but in space.
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A meteor shower is when lots of shooting stars appear in the sky together for a short period of time.
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Claire also asked Alan if he made a wish when a shooting star passed across the sky.
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And he replied...
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Too slow.
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It's gone.
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What did you wish for?
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Actually, nah, don't tell me or it won't come true.
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People from many cultures believe that seeing a shooting star can bring luck.
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That's a superstition, of course.
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A superstition is a belief that something can bring good or bad luck, even though there is no real proof for it.
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Some people also believe that any wish that you make on a shooting star, you should keep a secret.
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They think that if you say your wish out loud, it will lose its magic and so it won't happen.
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That's another superstition.
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You may not believe in superstitions, but you can still make a wish when you see a shooting star, like I do every time.
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At the end of the dialogue, Alan said, Shooting for the moon, huh?
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Classic Claire.
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Here Alan is teasing Claire a little.
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You can say that someone is shooting for the moon
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when they are aiming really high or trying to achieve something that is very big even when it seems impossible.
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It's a fun way to say that someone is dreaming big.
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I'm shooting for the moon every time when I try to explain the difference between astrology and astronomy.
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I know the words, but I always mix them up.
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Maybe, maybe if I explain them to you, I'll remember it forever.
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Here I go, shooting for the moon once again.
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But let me try.
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Astronomy is a science.
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It's about studying space, stars, planets, galaxies, and everything in the universe.
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Scientists use telescopes and all sorts of equipment to understand how the universe works.
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So that's astronomy.
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On the other hand, astrology is not science.
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It's the idea that the position of stars and planets can influence your personality or future.
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People who believe in astrology make or read horoscopes.
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A horoscope is a forecast of a person's future based on the position of the stars and planets when they were born.
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You might enjoy reading horoscopes, even if you don't really believe them.
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Now, let's see if I can memorize the difference between astrology and astronomy while you listen to the dialogue one more time.
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Wow, that view of the Milky Way is out of this world.
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Yeah, you can see the Southern Cross clear as day.
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Well, no. Oi, quick, catch that shooting star.
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Did you make a wish?
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Too slow, it's gone.
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What did you wish for?
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Actually, nah, don't tell me or it won't come true.
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Not saying.
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But it starts with winning and ends with lotto?
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Shooting for the moon, huh?
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Classic, Claire.
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It's time to practice.
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See if you remember the meaning before hearing the answer.
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What is astronomy?
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Astronomy is a science.
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It's about studying space, stars, planets, galaxies and everything in the universe.
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Scientists use telescopes and all sorts of equipment to understand how the universe works.
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What? is astrology.
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Astrology is not science.
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It's the idea that the position of stars and planets can influence your personality or future, like reading horoscopes.
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Now let's practice speaking by repeating after Alan and Claire.
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Wow, that view of the Milky Way is out of this world!
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I can see the Southern Cross clear as day.
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Oi, quick!
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Catch that shooting star!
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I enjoy stargazing during a meteor shower.
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on our website sbs .com .au learn english
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and on our socials facebook instagram and youtube you'll find more tips
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and learning resources just search for sbs learn english i'm joseph and thank you for learning english with me today
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 134 sentences and 1406 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:15. The speaker talks at a steady 125 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| astronomy noun | /əˈstɹɑ.nə.mi/ | The study of the physical universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere, including the process of mapping locations and properties of the matter and radiation in the… |
| galaxy noun | /ˈɡæl.ək.si/ | Any of the collections of many millions or billions of stars, galactic dust, black holes, etc. existing as independent and coherent systems, of which there are… |
| meteor noun | /ˈmiːtiɚ/ | An atmospheric or meteorological phenomenon. These were sometimes classified as aerial or airy meteors (winds), aqueous or watery meteors (hydrometeors… |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| telescope noun | /ˈtɛl.əˌskoʊp/ | A monocular optical instrument that magnifies distant objects, especially in astronomy. |
| dialogue noun | /ˈdaɪəˌlɑɡ/ | A conversation or other form of discourse between two or more individuals. |
| scientist noun | /ˈsaɪəntəst/ | One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research… |
| backyard noun | /bækˈjɑːd/ | A yard to the rear of a house or similar residence. |
| picnic noun | /ˈpɪknɪk/ | An informal social gathering, usually in a natural outdoor setting, to which the participants bring their own food and drink. |
| impressive adjective | /ɪmˈpɹɛsɪv/ | Making, or tending to make, a positive impression; having power to impress. |
| belief noun | /bɪˈliːf/ | Mental acceptance of a claim as true. |
| cloud noun | /ˈklaʊ̯d/ | A visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air. |
| gear noun | /ɡɪɚ/ | Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor. |
| dust noun | /dʌst/ | Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, fiber… |
| resource noun | /ɹɪˈzɔːs/ | Something that one uses to achieve an objective, e.g. raw materials or personnel. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| look up verb | /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ | To have better prospects. |
| burn up verb | To catch fire and burn until destroyed. | |
| fall through verb | To be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed. | |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. | |
| slow down verb | To decelerate. | |
| try out verb | To test (something) to see how it works or whether it is suitable. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 23 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, won't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: astronomy /əˈstɹɑ.nə.mi/, continuous /kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/, observatory /əbˈzɜːvət(ə)ɹi/, astrology /əˈstɹɒlədʒi/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like astronomy, galaxy, meteor.
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 I explain them to you, I'll remember |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've thrown · you've noticed · Have you ever tried |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might have · may not believe · might enjoy |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | enjoy reading · practice speaking · enjoy stargazing |
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.