Shadowing Practice: Abdulah - Learn English Speaking with Video
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47 sentences
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1
Can the war in Iran come to an end
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if the Strait of Hormuz isn't fully open and if Iran has the ability to produce a nuclear weapon?
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You have 60 seconds.
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I might be old fashioned but I believe in diplomacy. In fact, diplomacy is what the Obama administration had used to negotiate a
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scenario in Iran where we did not have proliferation- Oh my god, bow tie, bow tie to the JCPOA.
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We were at a steady state, except for Donald Trump just doesn't like anything that
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President Obama has done.
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We literally taught the Iranian regime that they had a choke on the Strait Hormuz and now we're living in that reality.
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But that's what happens
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when you've got a ridiculous leader like Donald Trump who does not know what he's doing
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and jumped into this war for God knows what reason.
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Tie it back to Rogers.
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Rogers wanted him for 20 years.
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Say, Roger wanted him for 20 years.
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Are you winning?
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Are we winning?
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Is anyone actually winning?
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That's the kind of policy
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you're going to get from a guy who wants to be a sock puppet for the Trump administration.
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No thinking, no thought.
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Whatever Donald Trump says, jump.
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He says, how high?
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Once again, the question, can you have an end of the war 60 seconds?
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Well, this is why I've called it to an end of the war.
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Militarily, they have set back the nuclear program at least 20 years.
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They've decimated their Army, Navy, their Air Force.
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Ooh, in defense of Trump's actions?
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Ooh, not good.
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They still have some limited capability to inflict harm on their neighbors.
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So this would be the time to wrap it up.
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That was the stated intent.
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Can the war be ended if the straits are not open and if Iran can produce a nuclear weapon?
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Well, no, it can't if they have a nuclear weapon.
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But all of the information is they do not have that capability any longer.
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So, I mean, you're asking a question of a hypothetical.
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The information that is available says that they have been set back 20 years.
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Abdul could have just been like, hey, if we set it back 20 years, how is that possible?
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You've been saying alongside Israel that Iran is moments away of a nuclear weapon for the past 30.
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Here we are fighting this stupid war because people like him have been pushing for it for 20 years.
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When you've got an international problem, he's got a war for that.
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That's his approach every single situation.
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Iraq, Iran, and what other awards is he going to cheerlead?
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That is dangerous.
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We cannot have that.
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Woohoo!
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This is important.
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God, I'm just a fucking nerd, but also good. So good.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Iran, nuclear, weapon, Trump, Strait. This video has 47 sentences and 456 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:00. The speaker talks fast, about 228 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 10 of its 47 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| capability noun | /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ | The power or ability to generate an outcome. |
| diplomacy noun | /dɪˈpləʊməsi/ | The art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states… |
| harm noun | /hɑːm/ | Physical injury; hurt; damage. |
| ridiculous adjective | /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/ | Deserving of ridicule; foolish, absurd. |
| alongside | /əˌlɔŋˈsaɪd/ | Side by side with. |
| steady adjective | /ˈstɪdi/ | Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm. |
| regime noun | /ɹəˈʒiːm/ | Mode of rule or management. |
| intent noun | /ɪnˈtɛnt/ | Something that is intended. |
| wrap verb | /ɹæp/ | To enclose (an object) completely in any flexible, thin material such as fabric or paper. |
| scenario noun | /sɪˈnɛəɹioʊ/ | An outline or model of an expected or supposed sequence of events. |
| negotiate verb | /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/ | To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement. |
| puppet noun | /ˈpʌpɪt/ | Any small model of a person or animal able to be moved by strings or rods, or in the form of a glove. |
| choke verb | /t͡ʃoʊk/ | To be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe (for instance food or other objects that go down the wrong way, or fumes or particles in the air… |
| hypothetical adjective | /ˌhaɪpəˈθɛtɪkəl/ | Based upon a hypothesis; conjectural. |
| proliferation noun | /pɹəˌlɪf.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The process by which an organism produces others of its kind; breeding, propagation, procreation, reproduction. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| set back verb | To delay or obstruct. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | You've been saying · have been pushing |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has done · I've called · have set |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be ended · have been set |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as you've, you're, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: regime /ɹəˈʒiːm/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, proliferation /pɹəˌlɪf.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: capability /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, diplomacy /dɪˈpləʊməsi/, ridiculous /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, hypothetical /ˌhaɪpəˈθɛtɪkəl/
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 capability, diplomacy, harm.
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.