Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: On the Fence - Learn English Speaking with Video
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18 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
This is a fence.
3
Fences are used to separate two areas.
4
But what could this idiom mean? On the fence.
5
Okay, Anna.
6
Have you decided?
7
Yes.
8
No. For two days, I have thought about the pros and the cons.
9
But I am still on the fence.
10
Well, you can't sit on the fence much longer.
11
I need a decision.
12
Do you want chocolate cake?
13
Chocolate? Or vanilla?
14
I don't know.
15
Someone who is on the fence has not made a decision or picked a side in some issue.
16
To sit on the fence means to be undecided.
17
Someone who always has a hard time making decisions can even be called a fence sitter.
18
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “English in a Minute: On the Fence”. This video has 18 sentences and 120 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:55. The speaker talks at a steady 131 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 5 of its 18 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 11 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fence noun | /fɛns/ | A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc. |
| con verb | /kɑn/ | To trick, lie or defraud, usually for personal gain. |
| vanilla noun | /vəˈnɪl.ə/ | Any tropical climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla (especially Vanilla planifolia), bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food or in… |
| idiom noun | /ˈɪdiəm/ | A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people. |
| sitter noun | /ˈsɪtɚ/ | Someone who sits, e.g. for a portrait. |
| undecided adjective | /ˌʌndɪˈsaɪ̯.dɪd/ | Open and not yet settled or determined. |
| chocolate noun | /ˈtʃɔk.(ə.)lɪt/ | A food made from ground roasted cocoa beans. |
| cake noun | /keɪk/ | A rich, sweet dessert food, typically made of flour, sugar, and eggs and baked in an oven, and often covered in icing. |
| welcome | /ˈwɛl.kəm/ | Greeting given upon someone's arrival. |
| pro noun | /pɹoʊ/ | A professional sportsman. |
| separate verb | /ˈsɛp.əˌɹeɪt/ | To divide (a thing) into separate parts. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you decided · have thought · has not made |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be undecided · be called |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Someone who is · Someone who always |
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 fence, con, vanilla.
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.