Shadowing Practice: Coldplay - The Scientist (Official 4K Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Coldplay - The Scientist”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Nobody, apart, science. This video has 15 sentences and 181 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:02. The speaker talks slowly, about 60 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
11 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tail noun | /ˈteɪ̯l/ | An object or part of an object resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails; a strand of material hanging from something. |
| rush verb | /ɹʌʃ/ | To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully. |
| puzzle noun | /ˈpʌzəl/ | The state of feeling confused or mystified because one cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.; bewilderment, confusion; (countable) often in… |
| haunt verb | /hɔnt/ | To inhabit or to visit frequently (most often used in reference to ghosts). |
| circle noun | /ˈsɜɹkəl/ | A two-dimensional geometric figure, a line, consisting of the set of all those points in a plane that are equally distant from a given point (center). |
| shame noun | /ˈʃeɪ̯m/ | An uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of one's own impropriety or dishonor, or something being exposed that should have been… |
| loud adjective | /ˈlaʊ̯d/ | Of great intensity. |
| apart | /əˈpɑɹt/ | Excluded from consideration. |
| secret noun | /ˈsiː.kɹɪt/ | A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden. |
| progress noun | /ˈpɹɑ.ɡɹɛs/ | Movement or advancement through a series of events, or points in time; development through time. |
| lovely adjective | /ˈlʌv.li/ | Delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. |
| come up to verb | To approach. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: rush /ɹʌʃ/, shame /ˈʃeɪ̯m/
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 tail, rush, puzzle.
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.