Shadowing Practice: Cillian Murphy & Margot Robbie | Actors on Actors - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Cillian Murphy & Margot Robbie”. This video has 828 sentences and 9588 words to shadow. The speech runs for 48:01. The speaker talks fast, about 200 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| barbie noun | /bɑː(ɹ)bi/ | A barbecue (apparatus for grilling). |
| script noun | /skɹɪpt/ | A writing; a written document. |
| meme noun | /miːm/ | Any unit of (originally cultural) information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a… |
| producer noun | /pɹəˈdjuːsə/ | An individual or organization that creates goods and services. |
| bobby noun | /ˈbɑbi/ | Cocaine. |
| cinema noun | /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/ | A movie theatre, a movie house. |
| accent noun | /ækˈsɛnt/ | A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to… |
| costume noun | /ˈkɑsˌt(j)um/ | A style of dress, including garments, accessories and hairstyle, especially as characteristic of a particular country, period or people. |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| prep noun | /pɹɛp/ | Preparation. |
| muscle noun | /ˈmʌs.əl/ | A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement. |
| evolution noun | /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ | A manoeuvre of troops or ships. |
| extraordinary adjective | /ɪksˈtɹɔːrdɪn(ə)ɹi/ | Out of the ordinary; exceptional; unusual. |
| sequence noun | /ˈsiː.kwəns/ | A set of things next to each other in a set order; a series. |
| vibe noun | /vaɪb/ | An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| dress up verb | To put on special or fancy clothes. | |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. | |
| look out verb | To be vigilant and aware often as an imperative to alert a person to danger. | |
| walk around verb | To walk with no planned destination; to meander. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Can I come to your house tonight?
- Wasn't there some great ones?
- What's your prep process like?
- How long did you shoot for?
- Can I ask something off topic?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you look you'd be |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't made · have watched · you've done |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was set · was covered · could be assuaged |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | woman who doesn · people who are · people who haven |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 294 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: theater /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/, rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/, algorithm /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/, clothing /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/, thin /ˈθɪn/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shout /ʃaʊt/, evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, conscious /ˈkɑn.ʃəs/, impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/, extraordinary /ɪksˈtɹɔːrdɪn(ə)ɹi/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, diversity /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/
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 barbie, script, meme.
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.



























