Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Nickel and Dimed - Learn English Speaking with Video
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14 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
A nickel is worth five cents and a dime is worth ten.
3
But what does the phrase nickel and dime mean?
4
Dan, do you want to get pizza?
5
I'm craving Pizza Palace.
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Pizza is good, but they always nickel and dime you.
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The last time I ate there, I had to pay for extra napkins.
8
What?
9
But I love Pete's.
10
I know.
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I'll bring napkins.
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If you are being nickel and dimed, a business is unfairly charging you extra money for small things or services.
13
Dan feels nickel and dimed at Pete's, and it sounds like he is right to feel that way.
14
And that's English in a Minute.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “English in a Minute: Nickel and Dimed”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: nickel, dime, pizza. This video has 14 sentences and 115 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:51. The speaker talks at a steady 134 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 10 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nickel noun | /ˈnɪk.əl/ | A silvery elemental metal with an atomic number of 28 and symbol Ni. |
| dime noun | /daɪm/ | A coin worth one-tenth of a dollar, that is, ten cents. |
| pizza noun | /ˈpi.tsə/ | A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| craving noun | /ˈkɹeɪ.vɪŋ/ | A strong desire; yearning. |
| napkin noun | /ˈnæpˌkɪn/ | A serviette; a (usually rectangular) piece of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth and hands for cleanliness while eating. |
| unfairly adverb | In a manner that is unfair. | |
| extra adjective | /ˈɛkstɹə/ | Beyond what is due, usual, expected, or necessary; extraneous; additional; supernumerary. |
| welcome | /ˈwɛl.kəm/ | Greeting given upon someone's arrival. |
| cent noun | /sɛnt/ | A subunit of currency equal to one-hundredth of the main unit of currency in many countries. Symbol: ¢. |
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 nickel, dime, pizza.
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.