Shadowing Practice: Break the Bank - Learn English Speaking with Video

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16 sentences

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Welcome to English in a Minute.

Have you ever been shopping and heard someone say, I don't want to break the bank.

This is a simple phrase that you can easily add to your American English vocabulary.

Let's hear it in a conversation.

I wanted to buy a new car.

I saw one at the dealership yesterday, but it was so expensive.

How expensive?

Very expensive.

Way too much for me.

I can't afford it and I don't want to break the bank.

This phrase means to use up all of your money.

And it comes from...

Gambling.

If a gambler wins more money than the casino has on hand, it's called breaking the bank.

And when someone has no money, you can say he is broke.

And that's English in a Minute.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Break the Bank”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: expensive, bank, English. This video has 16 sentences and 133 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:56. The speaker talks at a steady 143 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
phrase noun	/ˈfɹeɪ̯z/	A short written or spoken expression.
casino noun	/kəˈsiːnəʊ/	A public building or room for gambling.
gambling noun	/ˈɡæm.bl̩.ɪŋ/	An activity characterized by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance, usually with money wagered on the outcome.
vocabulary noun	/vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/	A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
dealership noun	/ˈdiːləʃɪp/	A place that sells items, especially cars.
gambler noun		One who plays at a game of chance, who gambles.
afford verb	/əˈfoɹd/	To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious; (usually after an expression of ability, as…
expensive adjective	/ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/	Having a high price or cost.
welcome	/ˈwɛl.kəm/	Greeting given upon someone's arrival.
easily adverb	/ˈi.zɪ.li/	Comfortably, without discomfort or anxiety.
yesterday noun	/ˈjɛstɹdeɪ/	The day immediately before today; one day ago.
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.
conversation noun	/ˌkɑn.vəɹˈseɪ.ʃən/	Expression and exchange of individual ideas through talking with other people; also, a set instance or occasion of such talking.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
use up verb	To consume, deplete, expend, or exhaust.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things	more money than

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: dealership /ˈdiːləʃɪp/, shop /ʃɑp/, conversation /ˌkɑn.vəɹˈseɪ.ʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, conversation /ˌkɑn.vəɹˈseɪ.ʃən/

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 phrase, casino, gambling.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: Break the Bank - Learn English Speaking with Video

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