Shadowing Practice: Design Systems vs. Style Guides - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Design system, style guides, pattern libraries, component libraries.
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There are a lot of terminology that seems similar in our field, but it's slightly different.
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Let's do a quick comparison.
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What are the differences and how are they related?
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A design system is a complete set of standards intended to manage design at scale.
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A design system includes reusable components and patterns.
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There are two important factors to a design system.
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One, the repository, and two, the people managing the repository.
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The repository can take many forms, but are often made up of a style guide, a component library, and a pattern library.
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Design systems require continuous maintenance and oversight to ensure they don't become outdated.
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That's why a team is needed to manage it.
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A design system at its core is about managing design at scale, reducing redundancy, while creating a shared language.
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Now, a style guide is one of the items that makes up a design system.
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They contain specific implementation guidelines, visual references, and design principles for creating interfaces or other design deliverables.
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They can be brands, so think colors, typography, logos, or content -specific, such as tone of voice and language recommendations.
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I like to think about the relationship between these two things as a parent and child.
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Design systems are the overarching concept and thus parent.
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Under that larger umbrella fall smaller items, or children, which includes style guides, pattern libraries, and component libraries.
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2 ,000 articles.
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You can also register for one of our UX courses that offer live hands -on UX training.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Design Systems vs. Style Guides”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: design, libraries, component, pattern, guide. This video has 20 sentences and 256 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:01. The speaker talks at a steady 127 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| repository noun | /ɹɪˈpɒz.ɪ.t(ə.)ɹɪ/ | A location for storage, often for safety or preservation. |
| deliverable noun | /dɪˈlɪvɹəbəɫ/ | The tangible end product; that which will be delivered. |
| guideline noun | /ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn/ | A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour. |
| overarching adjective | /ˌoʊvəɹˈɑɹt͡ʃɪŋ/ | Arching over; that forms an arch overhead. |
| redundancy noun | /ɹɪˈdʌndən(t)si/ | The state of being redundant. |
| reusable adjective | Able to be used again; especially after salvaging or special treatment or processing | |
| typography noun | /taɪˈpɑɡɹəfi/ | The art or practice of setting and arranging type; typesetting. |
| outdated adjective | /aʊtˈdeɪtɪd/ | Out of date, old-fashioned, antiquated. |
| terminology noun | /ˌtɝ.məˈnɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/ | A treatise on terms, especially those used in a specialised field. |
| oversight noun | /ˈəʊvəˌsaɪt/ | An omission; something that is left out, missed, or forgotten. |
| umbrella noun | /ʌmˈbɹɛl.ə/ | A cloth-covered frame used for protection against rain or sun. |
| recommendation noun | /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/ | An act of recommending. |
| intend verb | /ɪnˈtɛnd/ | To fix the mind upon (something, or something to be accomplished); be intent upon |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: repository /ɹɪˈpɒz.ɪ.t(ə.)ɹɪ/, deliverable /dɪˈlɪvɹəbəɫ/, overarching /ˌoʊvəɹˈɑɹt͡ʃɪŋ/, redundancy /ɹɪˈdʌndən(t)si/, typography /taɪˈpɑɡɹəfi/
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 repository, deliverable, guideline.
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.