Shadowing Practice: David Bowie on why you should never play to the gallery - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 14 sentences and 176 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:00. The speaker talks at a natural 175 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 93% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| expectation noun | /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ | The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen. |
| terribly adverb | /ˈtɛɹ.ɪ.bli/ | Very; extremely. |
| manifest noun | /ˈmæn.ɪ.fɛst/ | A list or invoice of the passengers or goods being carried by a commercial vehicle or ship. |
| fulfil verb | /fʊlˈfɪl/ | UK standard spelling of fulfill. |
| coexist verb | /ˌkoʊ.ɪɡˈzɪst/ | To exist contemporaneously or in the same area. |
| excite verb | /ɪkˈsaɪt/ | To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement. |
| capable adjective | /ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl/ | Able and efficient; having the ability needed for a specific task; having the disposition to do something; permitting or being susceptible to something. |
| depth noun | /dɛpθ/ | the vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep |
| gallery noun | /ˈɡæləɹi/ | An institution, building, or room for the exhibition and conservation of important objects, especially works of art. |
| initially adverb | /ɪˈnɪʃəli/ | At the beginning. |
| generally adverb | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ɹə.li/ | Popularly or widely. |
| touch verb | /tʌt͡ʃ/ | To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with. |
| foot noun | /fʊt/ | A biological structure found in many animals that is used for locomotion and that is frequently a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg. |
| bottom noun | /ˈbɑ.təm/ | The lowest part of anything. |
| artist noun | /ˈɑɹ.tɪst/ | A person who creates art. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, initially /ɪˈnɪʃəli/, dangerous /ˈdeɪn.ʒ(ə.)ɹəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, initially /ɪˈnɪʃəli/
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 expectation, terribly, manifest.
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.