Shadowing Practice: A Tour of My House! (ESL) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 52 sentences and 254 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:05. The speaker talks slowly, about 82 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

• swim /swɪm/ (verb) — To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means.
• backyard /bækˈjɑːd/ (noun) — A yard to the rear of a house or similar residence.
• swan /swɑn/ (noun) — Any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus (bird family: Anatidae), most of which have white plumage.
• pizza /ˈpi.tsə/ (noun) — A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables.
• seed /siːd/ (noun) — Any propagative portion of a plant which may be sown, such as true seeds, seed-like fruits, tubers, or bulbs.
• relax /ɹɪˈlæks/ (verb) — To make something loose.
• shoe /ˈʃu/ (noun) — A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom part composed of thick leather or plastic sole and often a thicker heel, and a softer upper part made of…
• climb /ˈklaɪ̯m/ (verb) — To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending).
• southeast /sawˈθɪjst/ (noun) — The intercardinal compass point halfway between east and south; specifically at a bearing of 135°.
• nap /næp/ (noun) — A short period of sleep, especially one during the day.
• dine /daɪn/ (verb) — To eat; to eat dinner or supper.
• patio /ˈpæt.i.əʊ/ (noun) — A paved outside area, adjoining a house, used for dining or recreation.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• book on (verb) — To register (for duty).
• dry off (verb) — To make dry.
• hand in (verb) — To give something to a responsible person.
• live in (verb) — To reside on the premises of one's employer (used especially of domestic staff such as nannies, cooks, maids, etc.)
• take off (verb) — To remove.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like swim, backyard, swan.