Shadowing Practice: Devil's Advocate - Al Pacino's speech - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Devil's Advocate - Al Pacino's speech”. This video has 45 sentences and 273 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:51. The speaker talks at a steady 147 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 9 of its 45 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| boot noun | /but/ | A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. |
| weakness noun | /ˈwik.nɪs/ | The condition of being weak. |
| skirt noun | /skɚt/ | A separate article of clothing, usually worn by women and girls, that hangs from the waist and covers the lower torso and part of the legs. |
| underestimate verb | /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/ | To estimate too low; to perceive (someone or something) as having a lower value, quantity, worth, etc., than what he/she/it actually has. |
| cocky adjective | /ˈkɑki/ | Overly confident; arrogant and boastful. |
| gaffe noun | /ɡæf/ | A foolish and embarrassing error, especially one made in public; a social blunder; a breach of etiquette. |
| innocuous adjective | /ɪˈnɑkjuəs/ | Harmless; producing no ill effect. |
| leper noun | /ˈlɛpɚ/ | A person who has leprosy, a person suffering from Hansen's disease. |
| subterranean adjective | /ˌsʌbtəˈɹeɪniən/ | Below ground, under the earth, underground. |
| surfer noun | /ˈsɜː(ɹ)fə(ɹ)/ | A person who rides a surfboard. |
| dollar noun | /ˈdɑ.lɚ/ | Official designation for currency in some parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and elsewhere… |
| universe noun | /ˈjunəˌvɝs/ | The sum of everything that exists in the cosmos. |
| excuse verb | /ɪksˈkjuz/ | To forgive; to pardon; to overlook. |
| bathroom noun | /ˈbæθˌɹum/ | A room containing a shower or bathtub, and (typically but not necessarily) a toilet. |
| immediate adjective | /ɪˈmiː.dɪət/ | Happening right away, instantly, with no delay. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What do you think he's paying us in, goat's blood?
- Don't ever let them see you coming.
- That's the gaffe, my friend.
- Did I leave my boots under your bed?
- Yeah, but you know what you're missing?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 16 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: underestimate /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/, subterranean /ˌsʌbtəˈɹeɪniən/
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 boot, weakness, skirt.
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.