Shadowing Practice: challenging myself to speak on a random topic for 1 minute! #communicationskills - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
Recommend Video
B2LET'S DO A YAP CHALLENGE!
B2I really need to stop taking life so seriously
B2DAY 10 Albrecht Fund speaking challenge level A
B1I still use this one all. the. time.
B2🔥 Your Brain Is Making You Lazy — Rewire It for UNBREAKABLE Discipline
B2The Fastest Way to Improve Your Communication
B23-minute fluency practice
B2If You Run Out Of Things To Say, Play This Simple Game
B2"Give me 13 Minutes, and I'll Improve Your Communication Skills by 88%..." - Jim Rohn
B2How to improve your articulation FAST
B2I Can Understand English, But I Can't Speak: Learn English with Podcasts | SpeakPowerDaily
B1The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Students (Part 6) 💯
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 13 sentences and 179 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:01. The speaker talks at a natural 175 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- tune /tjuːn/ (noun) — A melody.
- silence /ˈsaɪ̯ləns/ (noun) — The absence of any sound.
- compete /kəmˈpiːt/ (verb) — To be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend.
- controversial /ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl/ (adjective) — Arousing or likely to arouse controversy.
- spill /spɪl/ (verb) — To drop something so that it spreads out or makes a mess; to accidentally pour.
- distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/ (noun) — Something that distracts.
- refresh /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ/ (verb) — To renew or revitalize.
- meltdown /ˈmɛltˌdaʊn/ (noun) — An act or process of melting.
- archery /ˈɑɹt͡ʃəɹiː/ (noun) — The practice or sport of shooting arrows with a bow.
- noisemaker (noun) — A person or device that produces a great deal of noise, especially one used in a celebration or sporting event.
- exercise /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/ (noun) — Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
- noise /ˈnoɪ̯z/ (noun) — Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant.
- flow /ˈfloʊ̯/ (verb) — To move as a fluid from one position to another.
- joke /ˈd͡ʒoʊ̯k/ (noun) — An amusing story.
- ourselves /aʊɚˈsɛlvz/ — Us; the group including the speaker as the object of a verb or preposition when that group also is the subject.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- tune out (verb) — To stop paying attention to; to ignore; to zone out.
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: controversial /ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl/, distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/, refresh /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ/
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 tune, silence, compete.
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.