Shadowing Practice: Choosing a Birthday Present - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 16 sentences and 94 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:38. The speaker talks at a steady 148 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing.
Key vocabulary in this video
8 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| headphones noun | /ˈhɛdfoʊnz/ | A pair of cushioned speakers worn over or in the ears so only the wearer can hear the sound. |
| coffee noun | /ˈkɑfi/ | A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water. |
| choose verb | /t͡ʃuːz/ | To pick; to make the choice of; to select. |
| machine noun | /məˈʃiːn/ | A device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect. |
| birthday noun | /ˈbɜːθ.deɪ/ | The anniversary of the day on which someone is born. |
| cheap adjective | /ˈt͡ʃiːp/ | Low or reduced in price. |
| expensive adjective | /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/ | Having a high price or cost. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | He's going to love |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll buy |
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 bore, headphones, coffee.
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.









