Shadowing Practice: Birmingham won me over very quickly - Learn English Speaking with Video
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36 sentences
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1
What's your name, my love?
2
Michael.
3
Oh, yes it is.
4
Michael, what do you do other than please me greatly?
5
Well, I run a pottery painting coffee shop.
6
It's called Spotty Pots.
7
Follow us on Instagram.
8
Apparently Birmingham loves a capitalist.
9
I didn't realize that was a real job.
10
I thought that was something that only men did in like rom-coms.
11
Do you have to suddenly save the business by marrying someone?
12
If anyone wants to marry me, then yes.
13
I feel like there may be some takers, Michael.
14
Uh-oh.
15
Michael, my love, how'd you get into that kind of work? By accident.
16
You just fell into a pottery studio and you went, Oh no, I own it!
17
Pretty much.
18
Jesus Christ, it's easy for white men.
19
How did you end up in this business?
20
I found out I was going to get made redundant from my last job, and I left and went into this one.
21
Awesome.
22
Capitalism at its finest.
23
It's a really inspiring story.
24
That means anyone can have a second chance.
25
Anyone!
26
Meaning, maybe you just gotta look like Michael, but other than that, that's wonderful, my love.
27
And who's this person sitting next to you?
28
This is Amy.
29
Hi, Amy.
30
How do you know Michael?
31
He's my best friend.
32
Aw, best friend.
33
Prove it.
34
Ahhhh...
35
Gay!
36
Now I understand.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 36 sentences and 226 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:52. The speaker talks at a steady 121 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| marry verb | /ˈmæɹi/ | To enter into the conjugal or connubial state; to take a husband or a wife. |
| pottery noun | /ˈpɑtəɹi/ | Fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed. |
| greatly adverb | /ˈɡɹeɪ̯t.li/ | To a great extent or degree. |
| inspire verb | /ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ | To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by… |
| capitalism noun | /ˈkæp.ə.təlˌɪzm̩/ | A socio-economic system based on private ownership of resources, and capital and their exploitation for profit. |
| capitalist noun | /ˈkæp.ɪ.tə.lɪst/ | The owner of a considerable amount of capital; a wealthy person. |
| redundant adjective | /ɹɪˈdʌn.dənt/ | Superfluous; exceeding what is necessary, no longer needed. |
| taker noun | /ˈteɪkɚ/ | One who takes something. |
| suddenly adverb | /ˈsʌd.ən.li/ | Happening quickly and with little or no warning; in a sudden manner. |
| studio noun | /ˈstudi.oʊ/ | An artist’s or photographer’s workshop or the room in which an artist works. |
| paint verb | /peɪnt/ | To apply paint to. |
| awesome adjective | /ˈɔːsəm/ | Causing awe or terror; inspiring wonder or excitement. |
| sit verb | /sɪt/ | To move oneself into such a position. |
| shop noun | /ʃɑp/ | An establishment that sells goods or services to the public; originally only a physical location, but now a virtual establishment as well. |
| coffee noun | /ˈkɑfi/ | A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, gotta, how'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: capitalism /ˈkæp.ə.təlˌɪzm̩/, capitalist /ˈkæp.ɪ.tə.lɪst/, apparently /əˈpæɹəntli/
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 marry, pottery, greatly.
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.