Shadowing Practice: Can you spot a fake smile? - 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 “Can you spot a fake smile?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: smile, fake, photograph. This video has 13 sentences and 135 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:51. The speaker talks at a natural 157 words per minute, close to everyday conversation.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| photograph noun | /ˈfoʊ.təˌɡɹæf/ | A picture created by projecting an image onto a photosensitive surface such as a chemically treated plate or film, CCD receptor, etc. |
| genuine adjective | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.juˌɪn/ | Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native. |
| crinkle verb | /ˈkɹɪŋkəl/ | To fold, crease, crumple, or wad. |
| smile verb | /ˈsmaɪl/ | To have (a smile) on one's face. |
| fake adjective | /feɪ̯k/ | Not real; false, fraudulent. |
| tiny adjective | /ˈtaɪni/ | Very small. |
| expression noun | /əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/ | The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc. |
| spot noun | /spɑt/ | A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape. |
| score noun | /skoɹ/ | The total number of goals, points, runs, etc. earned by a participant in a game. |
| secret noun | /ˈsiː.kɹɪt/ | A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden. |
| choose verb | /t͡ʃuːz/ | To pick; to make the choice of; to select. |
| appear verb | /əˈpɪɹ/ | To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible. |
| correct adjective | /kəˈɹɛkt/ | Free from error; true; accurate. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might want |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are missing |
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 photograph, genuine, crinkle.
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.