Shadowing Practice: Do you usually set goals for yourself? - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Do you usually set goals for yourself?”. This video has 4 sentences and 69 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:26.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 8 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| flexible adjective | /ˈflɛk.sɪ.bəl/ | Capable of being flexed or bent without breaking; able to be turned or twisted without breaking. |
| adapt verb | /əˈdæpt/ | To make suitable; to make to correspond; to fit or suit. |
| overwhelm verb | /ˌoʊ.vɚˈwɛlm/ | To engulf, surge over and submerge. |
| weekly adverb | /ˈwiːk.li/ | Once every week. |
| focus noun | /ˈfoʊ̯.kəs/ | A point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge. |
| direction noun | /dɪˈɹɛk.ʃən/ | A theoretical line (physically or mentally) followed from a point of origin or towards a destination. May be relative (e.g. up, left, outbound, dorsal)… |
| mostly adverb | /ˈmoʊstli/ | Mainly or chiefly; for the most part; usually, generally, on the whole. |
| target noun | /ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/ | A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile. |
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 flexible, adapt, overwhelm.
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.






























