Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Get Cracking - Learn English Speaking with Video

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16 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
If you crack something, you break it.
3
But what does someone mean if they tell you to get cracking?
4
Dan, can you help me with my proposal?
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You mean the one that's due tonight?
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Let me see what you've got.
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Well, I don't have much.
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Or, um, anything.
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Are you serious?
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You only have five hours.
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Well then, we'd better get cracking.
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We?
13
Get cracking is a way of telling someone to do something right away.
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You can also say it about yourself, as in, I should get cracking on my homework.
15
People sometimes drop the full ing sound and just say, get cracking.
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And that's English in a Minute.

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About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "English in a Minute: Get Cracking" 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.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good ideashould get

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 →