Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Go for Broke - Learn English Speaking with Video
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20 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
If you're broke, you have little or no money.
3
Am I going to have to help Jonathan or Anna pay a bill?
4
Well, Jonathan, I'm doing it.
5
I'm joining the circus.
6
Excuse me?
7
That's right.
8
But not just any circus.
9
The Cirque du Soleil.
10
You got into Cirque?
11
Well, not yet.
12
But I already told my boss that I'm quitting, and I found someone to move into my apartment.
13
Montreal, here I come.
14
Wow, you're really going for broke.
15
When you go for broke, you take a big risk in hopes of having a big success.
16
This phrase comes from gambling, when a player bets all their money at once.
17
If they win, they win big.
18
But if they lose, they really do go broke.
19
And that's English in a Minute.
20
Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “English in a Minute: Go for Broke”. This video has 20 sentences and 139 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:59. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 3 of its 20 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 10 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| circus noun | /ˈsɜːkəs/ | A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular tent. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| gambling noun | /ˈɡæm.bl̩.ɪŋ/ | An activity characterized by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance, usually with money wagered on the outcome. |
| apartment noun | /əˈpɑɹt.mənt/ | A complete domicile occupying only part of a building, especially one for rent; a flat. |
| excuse verb | /ɪksˈkjuz/ | To forgive; to pardon; to overlook. |
| quit verb | /kwɪt/ | To leave (a place). |
| join verb | /ˈd͡ʒɔɪn/ | To connect or combine into one; to put together. |
| welcome | /ˈwɛl.kəm/ | Greeting given upon someone's arrival. |
| bet verb | /ˈbɛt/ | To stake or pledge upon the outcome of an event; to wager. |
| boss noun | /bɔs/ | One who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as 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 circus, phrase, gambling.
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.