Shadowing Practice: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Audrey Hepburn interview 1961 - 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 “'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Audrey Hepburn interview 1961”. This video has 27 sentences and 225 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:16. The speaker talks at a natural 177 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 9 of its 27 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| rush verb | /ɹʌʃ/ | To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully. |
| charity noun | /ˈtʃæɹɪti/ | An organization, the objective of which is to carry out a charitable purpose. |
| crack noun | /kɹæk/ | A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material. |
| nurse noun | /nɝs/ | Anyone performing this role, regardless of training or profession. |
| spell noun | /spɛl/ | Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers. |
| dawn noun | /dɔːn/ | The morning twilight period immediately before sunrise. |
| muscular adjective | /ˈmʌs.kjʊl.ə/ | Of, relating to, or connected with muscles. |
| dizzy adjective | /ˈdɪzi/ | Experiencing a sensation of whirling and of being giddy, unbalanced, or lightheaded. |
| dystrophy noun | /ˈdɪstɹəfi/ | A wasting of body tissues, of either genetic origin or due to inadequate or defective nutrition. |
| kook noun | /kuːk/ | A boardsport participant who lacks style or skill; a newbie who acts as if they are better at the sport than they are. |
| breakfast noun | /ˈbɹeɪkˌfæst/ | The first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning. |
| lift noun | /lɪft/ | An act of lifting or raising. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| walk down verb | To continually advance (on an opponent) and punch (the opponent) in order to control the fight and dominate the opponent, while shrugging off the opponent's… |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'm not quite that way, no.
- How long are you staying here?
- What about your future plans?
- I'm afraid I have none at the moment.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, we'll. 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.
- 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 rush, charity, crack.
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.