Shadowing Practice: Alexander Rybak - Fairytale - multilingual subtitles, HD - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Alexander Rybak - Fairytale - multilingual subtitles, HD”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: fairy, tale, hurts, lose. This video has 12 sentences and 150 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:30. The speaker talks slowly, about 60 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 75% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 8 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tale noun | /ˈteɪl/ | A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story. |
| curse noun | /kɝs/ | A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane. |
| sweetheart noun | /ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/ | A person who is always very kind. |
| lift noun | /lɪft/ | An act of lifting or raising. |
| hurt verb | /hɝt/ | To cause (a person or animal) physical pain and/or injury. |
| sad adjective | /ˈsæd/ | Feeling sorrow; sorrowful, mournful. |
| brand noun | /ˈbɹænd/ | A mark or scar made by burning with a hot iron, especially to mark cattle or to classify the contents of a cask. |
| apart | /əˈpɑɹt/ | Excluded from consideration. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| fall apart verb | To disintegrate, to break into pieces. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was doing |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | started fighting |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | we'll get |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, kinda. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 tale, curse, sweetheart.
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.