Shadowing Practice: Emma Watson about anti-bullying and harassment - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
Same Channel
Recommend Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 6 sentences and 629 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:01. The speaker talks at a natural 157 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| principle noun | /ˈpɹɪn.sɪ.pəl/ | A fundamental assumption, fundamental law or guiding belief. |
| harassment noun | /həˈɹæsmənt/ | Persistent attacks and criticism causing worry and distress. |
| worker noun | /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ | One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor. |
| diversity noun | /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/ | The quality of being diverse or different; a difference or unlikeness. |
| embrace verb | /ɛmˈbɹes/ | To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug. |
| protocol noun | /ˈpɹoʊtəˌkɑl/ | An amendment to an official treaty. |
| survivor noun | /sɚˈvaɪvɚ/ | One who survives, especially one who survives a traumatic experience. |
| bullying noun | /ˈbʊ.li.ɪŋ/ | An act of intimidating a person to do something, especially such repeated coercion. |
| partnership noun | /ˈpɑɹtnɚʃɪp/ | The state of being associated with a partner. |
| shock noun | /ʃɔk/ | A sudden, heavy impact. |
| awareness noun | /əˈwɛɹ.nəs/ | The state or level of consciousness where sense data can be confirmed by an observer. |
| associate noun | /əˈsoʊʃi.ət/ | A person united with another or others in an act, enterprise, or business; a partner or employee. |
| representation noun | /ˌɹɛp.ɹə.zɛnˈteɪ.ʃən/ | That which represents something else. |
| guidance noun | /ˈɡaɪdəns/ | The act or process of guiding. |
| ongoing adjective | /ɒnˈɡəʊ.ɪŋ/ | Continuing, permanent, lasting. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| follow up verb | To take further actions remaining after an event; to continue, revisit, or persist; especially, to maintain communication or verify. | |
| put together verb | To assemble, construct, build, or formulate. | |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've asked · have come · haven't been heard |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | been heard · are associated |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | onwards Which will |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, they're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: partnership /ˈpɑɹtnɚʃɪp/, shock /ʃɔk/, associate /əˈsoʊʃi.ət/, representation /ˌɹɛp.ɹə.zɛnˈteɪ.ʃən/, enshrine /ɪnˈʃɹaɪn/
- Long words — get the stress right: diversity /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/, associate /əˈsoʊʃi.ət/, representation /ˌɹɛp.ɹə.zɛnˈteɪ.ʃən/, disability /dɪsəˈbɪlɪti/, accessible /əkˈsɛs.ɪ.bəl/
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 principle, harassment, worker.
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.
















