Shadowing Practice: BEST STORY EVER: Alice Cooper - 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 “BEST STORY EVER: Alice Cooper”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Elvis, Presley, shoot. This video has 20 sentences and 264 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:17. The speaker talks fast, about 207 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 73% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| angel noun | /ˈeɪ̯n.d͡ʒəl/ | An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes. |
| devil noun | /ˈdɛvəl/ | An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. |
| throat noun | /ˈθɹoʊt/ | The front part of the neck. |
| snake noun | /sneɪk/ | Any of the suborder Serpentes of legless reptiles with long, thin bodies and fork-shaped tongues. |
| boot noun | /but/ | A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. |
| invitation noun | /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/ | The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company. |
| elevator noun | /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/ | Anything that raises or uplifts. |
| drawer noun | /dɹɔɹ/ | An open-topped box that can be slid in and out of the cabinet that contains it, used for storing clothing or other articles. |
| snub verb | /snʌb/ | To slight, ignore or behave coldly toward someone. |
| nose noun | [nəʊ̯z] | A protuberance on the face housing the nostrils, which are used to breathe or smell. |
| kitchen noun | /ˈkɪt͡ʃ(ə)n/ | A room or area for preparing food. |
| load noun | /loʊd/ | A burden; a weight to be carried. |
| shoulder noun | /ˈʃoʊldɚ/ | The part of the human torso forming a relatively horizontal surface running away from the neck. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
| open up verb | To open. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 14 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, ain't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, shoulder /ˈʃoʊldɚ/
- Long words — get the stress right: invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, elevator /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/
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 angel, devil, throat.
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.