Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Child's Play - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “English in a Minute: Child's Play”. This video has 14 sentences and 99 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:52. The speaker talks at a steady 114 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 3 of its 14 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| robot noun | /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ | An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal. |
| fixing noun | /ˈfɪksɪŋ/ | The act of subverting (fixing) a vote. |
| task noun | /tæsk/ | A piece of work done as part of one’s duties. |
| describe verb | /dɪˈskɹaɪb/ | To represent in words. |
| expression noun | /əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/ | The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc. |
| engineer noun | /ˌɛnd͡ʒɪˈnɪ(ə)ɹ/ | A soldier engaged in designing or constructing military works for attack or defence, or other engineering works. |
| welcome | /ˈwɛl.kəm/ | Greeting given upon someone's arrival. |
| degree noun | /dɪˈɡɹiː/ | A completed curriculum of study in tertiary education. |
| camera noun | /ˈkæməɹə/ | A device for taking still or moving pictures or photographs. |
| adult noun | /ˈæd.ʌlt/ | An animal that is full-grown. |
| apart | /əˈpɑɹt/ | Excluded from consideration. |
| require verb | /ɹɪˈkwaɪɹ/ | To demand, to insist upon (having); to call for authoritatively. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You could say it's their job.
- Child's Play Anna, what are you doing?
- My robot camera stopped working, so I'm fixing it.
- Do you even know how?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might require |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | stopped working |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are you doing · I'm fixing · you're doing |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | have to think |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 robot, fixing, task.
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.