Shadowing Practice: 99 Nights But I Can Buy OWNER CLASSES! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 666 sentences and 3935 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:22. The speaker talks fast, about 193 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 82% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| boom verb | /bum/ | To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound. |
| heck | /hɛk/ | Hell. |
| buddy | /ˈbʌdi/ | A person far removed from the conversation. |
| equip verb | /ɪˈkwɪp/ | To supply with something necessary in order to carry out a specific action or task; to provide with (e.g. weapons, provisions, munitions, rigging). |
| deer noun | /dɪɹ/ | A ruminant mammal with hooves and often antlers, of the family Cervidae, or one of several similar animals from related families of the order Artiodactyla… |
| bun noun | /bʌn/ | A small bread roll that is sweetened or spiced. |
| carrot noun | /ˈkæɹət/ | A vegetable with a nutritious, juicy, sweet root that is often orange in colour, Daucus carota, family Apiaceae, especially the subspecies sativus. |
| dragon noun | /ˈdɹæɡən/ | In European mythologies, a gigantic beast, typically reptilian with leathery bat-like wings, lion-like claws, scaly skin and a lizard-like body, often a… |
| transform verb | /tɹænsˈfɔɹm/ | To change greatly the appearance or form of. |
| trash noun | /tɹæʃ/ | Useless physical things to be discarded; rubbish; refuse. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| exit noun | /ˈɛɡzət/ | An act of going out or going away, or leaving; a departure. |
| genius noun | /ˈd͡ʒin.jəs/ | Someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill; especially somebody who has demonstrated this by a creative or original work in science, music, art… |
| explosion noun | /ɛkˈsploʊ.ʒən/ | A violent release of energy (sometimes mechanical, nuclear, or chemical); an act or instance of exploding. |
| correctly adverb | /kəˈɹɛk(t).li/ | In a correct manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| try out verb | To test (something) to see how it works or whether it is suitable. |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| back up verb | To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so. |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 109 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, gotta. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thin /ˈθɪn/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, mammoth /ˈmæməθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: trash /tɹæʃ/, explosion /ɛkˈsploʊ.ʒən/, transformation /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, ventilation /ˌvɛntɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/, shekel /ˈʃɛkəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: developer /dɪˈvɛləpɚ/, transformation /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, ventilation /ˌvɛntɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/
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 boom, heck, buddy.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is finished · are cooked · is busted |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't tried · haven't been · have I done |
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.












