Shadowing Practice: Characteristics of Organisms - Learn English Speaking with Video
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All of the living things around us like microscopic protists,
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fungi, plants and animals are called organisms.
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We can tell if something is an organism by looking at its needs and characteristics.
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All organisms need the same things to live and survive in their environment.
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Animals need water, food and nutrients and a place to live.
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They also need the gas, oxygen.
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Plants are organisms that produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis.
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To do this, plants need sunlight and a gas called carbon dioxide.
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Fungi are decomposers.
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They don't eat other organisms and they can't photosynthesise.
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They obtain energy by breaking down the remains of organisms and absorb organic compounds from the broken down remains.
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In doing so, fungi play an important role in nutrient cycling in ecosystems.
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From microscopic amoebas to giant blue whales,
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all organisms are made up of cells.
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Cells are the smallest units within an organism that can carry out life processes.
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They are often referred to as the building blocks of life.
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All organisms grow as they get older.
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When organisms grow they usually get taller and heavier.
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As organisms get older they develop to look a lot more like their parents.
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All organisms can reproduce.
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This means they are able to produce young of the same kind.
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An oak tree will produce seeds from which an oak sapling will emerge.
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A female zebra will give birth to a baby zebra
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that will grow and go on to reproduce new young of its own.
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Organisms also respond to changes around them.
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When an animal senses danger, it may respond by running away.
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Some plants open and close their leaves or flowers in response to the change from day to night.
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Many plants grow or bend in the direction of sunlight.
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to changes around them helps all organisms to meet their needs and survive in their environment.
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See ya!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 30 sentences and 316 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:02. The speaker talks slowly, about 104 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| organism noun | /ˈɔɹ.ɡəˌnɪz.əm/ | A discrete and complete living thing, such as animal, plant, fungus or microorganism. |
| sunlight noun | /ˈsʌnˌlaɪt/ | All the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun; especially, that in the visible spectrum and that bathes the Earth. |
| reproduce verb | /ˌɹi.pɹəˈdus/ | To produce an image or copy of. |
| nutrient noun | /ˈnuː.tɹi.ənt/ | A source of nourishment, such as food, that can be metabolized by an organism to give energy and build tissue. |
| refer verb | /ɹɪˈfɜː/ | To direct the attention of (someone toward something). |
| flower noun | /ˈfloʊɚ/ | A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens… |
| obtain verb | /əbˈteɪn/ | To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way. |
| organic adjective | /ɔːˈɡænɪk/ | Pertaining to or derived from living organisms. |
| seed noun | /siːd/ | Any propagative portion of a plant which may be sown, such as true seeds, seed-like fruits, tubers, or bulbs. |
| oxygen noun | /ˈɑksɪd͡ʒən/ | The chemical element (symbol O) with an atomic number of 8 and relative atomic mass of 15.9994. It is a colorless and odorless gas. Sometimes called elemental… |
| leaf noun | /lif/ | The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants. |
| compound noun | /ˈkɑmpaʊnd/ | Anything made by combining several things. |
| bend verb | /bɛnd/ | To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means. |
| whale noun | /ˈweɪl/ | Any large cetacean, usually with the exclusion of dolphins and porpoises. |
| characteristic noun | /ˌkæɹ(ə)ktəˈɹɪstɪk/ | A distinguishing feature of a person or thing, a part of mental or physical behavior. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| break down verb | To stop functioning. | |
| carry out verb | /ˈkæ.ɹi aʊt/ | To hold while moving it out. |
| run away verb | To flee by running. |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: organism /ˈɔɹ.ɡəˌnɪz.əm/, characteristic /ˌkæɹ(ə)ktəˈɹɪstɪk/, ecosystem /ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm/, microscopic /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɑ.pɪk/, decomposer /diːkəmˈpəʊzə(ɹ)/
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 organism, sunlight, reproduce.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are called · are made · are often referred |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will produce · will give · will grow |
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.