Shadowing Practice: A VERY NORMAL ROBLOX CAMPING STORY!! - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 752 sentences and 3465 words to shadow. The speech runs for 17:57. The speaker talks fast, about 193 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- heck /hɛk/ — Hell.
- gosh /ɡɑːʃ/ — A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.
- killer /ˈkɪlɚ/ (noun) — One who or that which kills.
- scare /skɛɚ/ (verb) — To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
- cave /keɪv/ (noun) — A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside.
- cabin /ˈkæbɪn/ (noun) — A small dwelling characteristic of the frontier, especially when built from logs with simple tools and not constructed by professional builders, but by those…
- stab /stæb/ (verb) — To pierce or to wound (somebody) with a (usually pointed) tool or weapon, especially a knife or dagger.
- sandwich /ˈsæn(d).wɪd͡ʒ/ (noun) — A dish or foodstuff where at least one piece, but typically two or more pieces, of bread serves as the wrapper or container of some other food.
- scary /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ (adjective) — Causing fear or anxiety
- goodness /ˈɡʊdnəs/ (noun) — The state or characteristic of being good.
- whoa /woʊ/ — Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.
- spooky /ˈspuːki/ (adjective) — Eerie, or suggestive of ghosts or the supernatural.
- dodge /dɑd͡ʒ/ (verb) — To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way.
- establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/ (noun) — The act or process of establishing; a ratifying or ordaining; settlement; confirmation.
- congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/ — Expressing praise and approval, expressing approbation.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
- come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
- go on /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/ (verb) — To continue in extent.
- go in (verb) — To become obscured by clouds.
- jump in /d͡ʒʌmp ˈɪn/ (verb) — To enter something quickly, usually a mode of transport.
- watch out — Used to warn someone of an imminent danger.
- come in /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/ (verb) — To enter.
- get in (verb) — To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 196 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, selfish /ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/, exclamation /ˌɛkskləˈmeɪʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, elevator /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/, automobile /ˈɔː.tə.məˌbil/
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 heck, gosh, killer.
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 | are poisoned · were attacked · were done |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have played · I've never played |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keeps saying · Keep running · stopped rising |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was kidding · was talking · was coming |
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.





























