Shadowing Practice: Comprehensible Input English Conversation — B1 B2 C1 Sofia Bulgaria - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Comprehensible Input English Conversation — B1 B2 C1 Sofia Bulgaria”. This video has 366 sentences and 3222 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:10. The speaker talks at a natural 168 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| complicated adjective | /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/ | Difficult or convoluted. |
| compete verb | /kəmˈpiːt/ | To be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend. |
| cuisine noun | /kwɪˈziːn/ | A characteristic manner or style of preparing food, often associated with a place of origin. |
| divorce noun | /dɪˈvɔːs/ | The legal dissolution of a marriage. |
| mature adjective | /məˈt͡ʃʊ(ə)ɹ/ | Fully developed; grown up in terms of physical appearance, behaviour or thinking; ripe. |
| sunny adjective | /ˈsʌni/ | Featuring a lot of sunshine. |
| ugly adjective | /ˈʌɡli/ | Displeasing to the eye; aesthetically unpleasing. |
| regret verb | /ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/ | To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead. |
| statue noun | /ˈstæt͡ʃu/ | A three-dimensional work of art, usually representing a person or animal, usually created by sculpting, carving, molding, or casting. |
| buck noun | /ˈbʌk/ | A male deer, antelope, sheep, goat, rabbit, hare, and sometimes the male of other animals such as the hamster, ferret, salmonid, shad, skunk and kangaroo. |
| tear verb | /tɛɹ/ | To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate. |
| versus | /ˈvɝsəs/ | Against; in opposition to. |
| dealer noun | /ˈdiːlə(ɹ)/ | One who deals in goods, especially automobiles; a middleman. |
| athletic adjective | /æθˈlɛt.ɪk/ | Having to do with athletes. |
| likewise adverb | /ˈlaɪkˌwaɪz/ | In a similar manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| tear off verb | /teɹ ɑf/ | To rip away from; to pull a piece from forcibly. |
| walk through verb | To explain (something) to (someone), step by step. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You're a dude, dude, you're a big boy.
- Can you take your glasses off?
- You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would you?
- How did you become an actor and a model?
- Are you following summer throughout your life?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been living · I've been traveling |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to talk · used to get |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | jealousy, which is · person who left · people who are |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | i've created · have already built · have not done |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 85 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: athletic /æθˈlɛt.ɪk/, thumb /ˈθʌm/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, partially /ˈpɑɹʃəli/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, citizenship /ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/
- Long words — get the stress right: complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, psychological /ˌsaɪ.kəˈlɑː.d͡ʒɪ.kl̩/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/
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 complicated, compete, cuisine.
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.



























