Shadowing Practice: English for Nurses: Talking about Arthritis (US version) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Hello Mrs. Shipley.
2
Thanks for coming into the arthritis clinic today.
3
I have your notes here, but it would be good to hear about your arthritis from you.
4
How long have you had arthritis?
5
I noticed the first signs of arthritis about 20 years ago.
6
But it's only been in the past year that the condition has been affecting me a lot.
7
Okay.
8
Which joints are most affected?
9
The joints in my left knee are more swollen than my right knee.
10
My left knee is very painful, especially when I stand up or walk.
11
Do you use a walking aid to give you some support?
12
Yes, I do.
13
I have a walking frame that I use when I go out of the house.
14
I usually use a walking cane if I'm moving around the house.
15
What about other joints in your body?
16
Well, I also have quite a few problems with my hands.
17
The knuckles in both hands are knobbly and stiff, especially in the morning.
18
It takes half an hour after I wake up to warm up my hands so I can move them.
19
How about managing your daily activities?
20
I find it hard to do things like opening jars, for example.
21
I can't twist the lids off without help.
22
And I find it hard to use cutlery now.
23
I just can't grip hold of the handles of knives and forks.
24
There are some aids that might be helpful for you.
25
An easy grip jar opener will help you twist off the lids of jars.
26
Adaptive cutlery will make it easier to grip the handles of knives and forks.
27
They sound very useful.
28
Is there anything else you are having trouble with?
29
Yes.
30
I can't get to my medication.
31
I have to rely on help to get the medication out of its bottle.
32
I'd really prefer to be more independent with this.
33
I can appreciate why you feel that way.
34
A pill organizer would help you with your medication.
35
That way you won't have to unscrew the lid of your medication bottle.
36
Thank you for those suggestions.
37
I'll try them all out.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “English for Nurses: Talking about Arthritis”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: arthritis, medication, lid, joints, jar. This video has 37 sentences and 352 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:59. The speaker talks at a natural 177 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 6 of its 37 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| arthritis noun | /ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs/ | Inflammation of a joint or joints causing pain and/or disability, swelling and stiffness, and due to various causes such as infection, trauma, degenerative… |
| medication noun | /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/ | A medicine, or all the medicines regularly taken by a patient. |
| grip noun | /ˈɡɹɪp/ | A hold or way of holding, particularly with the hand. |
| cutlery noun | /ˈkʌt.lə.ɹi/ | Sharp cutting utensils. |
| lid noun | /lɪd/ | The top or cover of a container. |
| jar noun | /d͡ʒɑː/ | An earthenware container, either with two or no handles, for holding oil, water, wine, etc., or used for burial. |
| fork noun | /fɔɹk/ | A utensil with spikes used to put solid food into the mouth, or to hold food down while cutting, or for serving food. |
| twist verb | /twɪst/ | To turn the ends of something, usually thread, rope etc., in opposite directions, often using force. |
| knobbly adjective | Having a covering of small knobs. | |
| knuckle noun | /ˈnʌkəl/ | Any of the joints between the bones of the fingers. |
| unscrew verb | To loosen a screw or thing by turning it. | |
| organizer noun | /ˈɔɹɡənaɪzɚ/ | A person who arranges the details of a public event. |
| adaptive adjective | /əˈdæp.tɪv/ | Of, pertaining to, characterized by or showing adaptation; making or made fit or suitable. |
| swell verb | /swɛl/ | To become larger, fuller, or rounder, or expand in size or shape, usually as a result of pressure from within. |
| cane noun | /keɪn/ | The slender, flexible main stem of a plant such as bamboo, including many species in the grass family Gramineae. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| move around verb | To relocate to new homes repeatedly; to not live in any one place for long. | |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. | |
| warm up verb | /ˌwɔː(ɹ)m ˈʌp/ | To become warmer. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How long have you had arthritis?
- Do you use a walking aid to give you some support?
- What about other joints in your body?
- How about managing your daily activities?
- Is there anything else you are having trouble with?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will help · will make · won't have |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm moving · are having |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | have to rely · have to unscrew |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, I'd, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: medication /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/, suggestion /səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: arthritis /ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs/, medication /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/, organizer /ˈɔɹɡənaɪzɚ/
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 arthritis, medication, grip.
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.