This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “American English Shadowing Chunk - 20 Specific Chunks”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: supposed, tend, planning, forward, eat. This video has 66 sentences and 423 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:22. The speaker talks at a steady 126 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
pizza noun	/ˈpi.tsə/	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.
solve verb	/sɒlv/	To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out.
vacation noun	/veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/	An extended trip or journey away from home for rest or pleasure.
arrive verb	/əˈɹaɪv/	To reach; to get to a certain place.
presentation noun	/ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/	The act of presenting, or something presented.
mathematics noun	/mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/	An abstract representational system studying numbers, shapes, structures, quantitative change and relationships between them.
hamburger noun	/ˈhæmˌbɜɹ.ɡɚ/	A hot sandwich consisting of a patty of cooked ground beef or a meat substitute, in a sliced bun, usually also containing salad vegetables, condiments, or both.
fluently adverb		In a fluent manner, as expressing oneself easily, especially in a foreign language.
healthily adverb		In a healthy manner.
overthink verb		To think or analyze too much.
reschedule verb	/ɹiˈskɛd͡ʒʊl/	To schedule again or at a different time.
suppose verb	/səˈpoʊz/	To take for granted; to conclude, with less than absolute supporting data; to believe.
tend verb	/ˈtɛnd/	To look after (e.g. an ill person.)
laugh verb	/læf/	To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and…
lunch noun	/lʌnt͡ʃ/	A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
look forward to verb		To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.
end up verb		To bring to a conclusion.
go out verb		To leave, especially a building.
wake up verb	/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/	To stop sleeping; to awake.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

I'm working on a new project.
I'm good at solving problems.
I'm trying to speak more fluently.
Do you want coffee or tea?
Am I supposed to do this?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to live · used to be
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should we eat · should wait · should probably go
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now	I'm working · I'm trying · I'm planning
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	will arrive · will be

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 43 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: vacation /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/

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 pizza, solve, vacation.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson