Shadowing Practice: Empower A2. Documentary Video. Unit 1. People. - Learn English Speaking with Video

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This is Sindhutai Sapkhal.
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She's Indian, and she lives in Pune, a city in the west of India.
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People call her Mai.
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Mai means mother in her language, Marathi.
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They call her Mai because she has 1 ,400 children.
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they're not really my sons
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and daughters my helps poor children with no parents she gives them food
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and a home the children all have my family name they can stay with her until they get a job
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or get married like a real family my is well known for her kind work
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Many people want to know about her life and her children.
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She speaks in India and many other countries around the world.
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Mai also has a lot of awards for her work.
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People give Mai money to help her children.
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Mai uses the money to give the children a safe home and a good education.
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Some of Mai's children are now doctors and lawyers, others work at universities.
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Many of the children help Mai with her work.
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Mai's family say she is very warm and kind.
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She now has four homes for people in need.
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More than 400 children and 150 women live there.
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Mai has helped thousands of people.
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She says her children will help more people in the future.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Empower A2. Documentary Video. Unit 1. People." using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →