Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Frontrunner - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
When you run in a race, it is definitely a good thing to be at the front.
3
Front runner.
4
So I am guessing Jonathan and Anna are racing each other.
5
Those two are so competitive.
6
So I saw White Coast Blue Sea last night.
7
Finally!
8
Pretty great, huh?
9
Well, I'm not sure I understand why people are saying it's the frontrunner for best picture at the Oscars.
10
What?
11
Are you serious?
12
I just can't talk to you right now.
13
A frontrunner is the person or thing that is most likely to win a competition.
14
You can use this expression to talk about a sports team, a political candidate, or yes, a movie nominated for an award.
15
And that's English in a Minute.
📺 Same Channel
B1English in a Minute: Thorn in My Side
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B2English in a Minute: Ahead of the Curve
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A237
English in a Minute: Get Out Of Here
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B27
English in a Minute: Chalk It Up to Something
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
A212
English in a Minute: Stay in Touch
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B18
English in a Minute: Wishful Thinking
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B19
English in a Minute: Two Left Feet
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A23
English in a Minute: Like Oil and Water
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A24
English in a Minute: It's Up To You
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
English in a Minute: Tie the Knot
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
A23
It's Been Ages
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
English in a Minute: Sharp Cookie
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B14
English in a Minute: Back to Square One
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B24
English in a Minute: By the Skin of My Teeth
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B11
English in a Minute: Hollywood Ending
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A24
English in a Minute: Mixed Feelings
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B12
English in a Minute: Start from Scratch
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B1English in a Minute: Make (One's) Head Swim
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B15
English in a Minute: Hold Your Horses
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B1English in a Minute: Sink or Swim
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
✨ Recommend Video
B14
15 sentences
English in a Minute: In the Long Run
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
216 sentences
تعلم الانجليزية من الافلام / Cars
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B1456 sentences
Improve Your English Listening Skills IN 30 MINUTES!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B25
42 sentences
5-Minute English Shadowing Practice | Episode 7: "Run Out Of" (B1-B2 Level)
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B24
769 sentences
English with FRIENDS | Seasons 6-10 COMPILATION
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
159 sentences
Common English Phrases to Keep Your Conversation Going!
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B21
76 sentences
🏎️ Talking about Formula 1 in English 🏁 Intermediate English Listening Practice B1/B2 Level 3/4
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B14
310 sentences
23 Minutes of British English Listening Practice! (MODERN RP)
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
118 sentences
Practice your English game – 5
IELTS PrepDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B17
348 sentences
Most English Learners Can’t Do This (Fluency Challenge)
British AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B23
51 sentences
Your English Is EXCELLENT If You Can Understand These!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 15 sentences and 128 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:56. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
10 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- runner /ˈɹʌnɚ/ (noun) — A person who moves, on foot, at a fast pace, especially an athlete.
- nominate /ˈnɑ.mɪ.neɪt/ (verb) — To name someone as a candidate for a particular role or position, including that of an office.
- candidate /ˈkæn.ɪ.dɪt/ (noun) — A person who seeks to be elected or appointed to a position or privilege.
- competitive /kəmˈpɛt.ɪ.tɪv/ (adjective) — Of or pertaining to competition.
- expression /əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/ (noun) — The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc.
- welcome /ˈwɛl.kəm/ — Greeting given upon someone's arrival.
- definitely /ˈdɛf.ɪ.nɪt.li/ (adverb) — Without question and beyond doubt.
- competition /ˌkɑm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/ (noun) — The action of competing.
- award /əˈwɔɹd/ (noun) — A judgment, sentence, or final decision. Specifically: The decision of arbitrators in a case submitted.
- sport /spoɹt/ (noun) — Any activity that uses physical exertion or skills competitively under a set of rules that is not based on aesthetics.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: expression /əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/, competition /ˌkɑm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/
- Long words — get the stress right: competitive /kəmˈpɛt.ɪ.tɪv/, definitely /ˈdɛf.ɪ.nɪt.li/, competition /ˌkɑm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/
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 runner, nominate, candidate.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | am guessing · are saying |
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.