Shadowing Practice: Emma Watson Speech about Gender Equality at UN 2014 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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I started questioning gender-based assumptions a long time ago.
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When I was eight, I was confused by being called bossy
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because I wanted to direct the plays that we would put on for our parents.
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But the boys were not.
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When at 14, I started to be sexualized by certain elements of the media.
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When at 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of their beloved sports teams because they didn't want to appear muscly.
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When at 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings.
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I decided that I was a feminist, and this seemed uncomplicated to me.
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But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 9 sentences and 111 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:53. The speaker talks at a steady 126 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| confused adjective | /kənˈfjuːzd/ | unable to think clearly or understand |
| element noun | /ˈɛləmənt/ | One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based. |
| beloved adjective | /bɪˈlʌvd/ | Much loved, dearly loved. |
| feminist noun | /ˈfɛmənɪst/ | An advocate of feminism; a person who believes in bringing about the equality of the sexes (of women and men) in all aspects of public and private life. |
| assumption noun | /əˈsʌm(p).ʃ(ə)n/ | The act of assuming, or taking to or upon oneself; the act of taking up or adopting. |
| feminism noun | /ˈfɛmɪnɪz(ə)m/ | A social theory or political movement which argues that legal and social restrictions on women must be removed in order to bring about equality of the sexes in… |
| unpopular adjective | Lacking popularity. | |
| bossy adjective | /ˈbɔsi/ | Tending to give orders to others, especially when unwarranted; domineering. |
| muscly adjective | thewy, muscled | |
| sexualize verb | /ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz/ | To distinguish as belonging to separate sexes. |
| uncomplicated adjective | Simple; not complicated; basic. | |
| express verb | /ɪkˈspɹɛs/ | To convey or communicate; to make known or explicit. |
| girlfriend noun | /ˈɡɝlfɹɛnd/ | A female partner in an unmarried romantic relationship. |
| unable adjective | /ʌnˈeɪbl̩/ | Not able; lacking a certain ability. |
| gender noun | /ˈd͡ʒɛndɚ/ | Identification as a man, a woman, or something else, and association with a (social) role or set of behavioral and cultural traits, clothing, etc; a category… |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being called · be sexualized |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has shown |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: assumption /əˈsʌm(p).ʃ(ə)n/, sexualize /ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz/
- Long words — get the stress right: feminism /ˈfɛmɪnɪz(ə)m/, sexualize /ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz/
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 confused, element, beloved.
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.