Shadowing Practice: Electricity Production – Burning Fossil Fuels - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 9 sentences and 119 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:29. The speaker talks slowly, about 81 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 74% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/ (noun) — Originally, a property of amber and certain other nonconducting substances to attract lightweight material when rubbed, or the cause of this property; now…
• electrical /ɪˈlɛktɹɪkəl/ (adjective) — Related to electricity (or electronics)
• convert /kənˈvɝt/ (verb) — To transform or change (something) into another form, substance, state, or product.
• fossil /ˈfɑsl̩/ (noun) — The mineralized remains of an animal or plant.
• generator /ˈdʒɛnəɹeɪtə(ɹ)/ (noun) — An apparatus in which vapour or gas is formed from a liquid or solid by means of heat or chemical process, as a steam boiler, gas retort etc.
• atmosphere /ˈætməsˌfɪɹ/ (noun) — The gases surrounding the Earth or any astronomical body.
• commonly /ˈkɑmənli/ (adverb) — As a rule; frequently; usually.
• connect /kəˈnɛkt/ (verb) — To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
• spin /spɪn/ (verb) — To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.
• generate /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ə.ɹeɪt/ (verb) — To bring into being; give rise to.
• pollution /pəˈluʃən/ (noun) — Physical contamination, now especially the contamination of the environment by harmful substances, or by disruptive levels of noise, light etc.
• grid /ɡɹɪd/ (noun) — A rectangular array of squares or rectangles of equal size, such as in a crossword puzzle.
• transform /tɹænsˈfɔɹm/ (verb) — To change greatly the appearance or form of.
• subscribe /səbˈskɹaɪb/ (verb) — To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name).
• harmful /ˈhɑɹmfl̩/ (adjective) — Causing or likely to cause harm or damage; injurious.

Pronunciation to watch

• Long words — get the stress right: electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/, electrical /ɪˈlɛktɹɪkəl/, generator /ˈdʒɛnəɹeɪtə(ɹ)/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like electricity, electrical, convert.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: