Shadowing Practice: Celebrity Sessions with Deborah Meaden - How Deborah Became A Dragon - 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 “Celebrity Sessions with Deborah Meaden - How Deborah Became A Dragon”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: screen, test, loved. This video has 23 sentences and 214 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:56. The speaker talks fast, about 228 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 6 of its 23 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 |
|---|---|---|
| dragon noun | /ˈdɹæɡən/ | In European mythologies, a gigantic beast, typically reptilian with leathery bat-like wings, lion-like claws, scaly skin and a lizard-like body, often a… |
| telephone noun | /ˈtɛləˌfoʊn/ | A telecommunication device which converts data or sounds (usually speech) into electrical signals which are then transmitted to enable two or more people to… |
| strip verb | /ˈstɹɪp/ | To remove or take away, often in strips or stripes. |
| entrepreneur noun | /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/ | A person who sets up a business; generally, a person who owns and manages a business and assumes its financial risks. |
| probe noun | /pɹoʊb/ | Any of various medical instruments used to explore wounds, organs, etc. |
| screen noun | /ˈskɹiːn/ | A physical divider intended to block an area from view, or provide shelter from something dangerous. |
| female noun | /ˈfiː.meɪl/ | An animal of the sex that produces eggs. |
| absolutely adverb | /ˌæb.səˈlut.li/ | In an absolute or unconditional manner; utterly, positively, wholly. |
| sister noun | /ˈsɪs.tɚ/ | A daughter of the same parents as another person; a female sibling. |
| camera noun | /ˈkæməɹə/ | A device for taking still or moving pictures or photographs. |
| appear verb | /əˈpɪɹ/ | To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible. |
| smart adjective | /smɑɹt/ | Exhibiting social ability or cleverness. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come in for verb | To be subjected to. |
| go in for verb | To enter a competition. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 8 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, didn't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: entrepreneur /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/, absolutely /ˌæb.səˈlut.li/
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 dragon, telephone, strip.
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.