Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Par for the Course - Learn English Speaking with Video
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16 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
Golf is played on a course.
3
If you're good at golf, a par is what you should expect to score.
4
But what does par for the course mean?
5
It's 3.02.
6
Where is everybody?
7
Dan, relax.
8
People are going to come.
9
I specifically said on the invitation, 3 o'clock. So rude.
10
It's not rude, Dan.
11
It's par for the course for people to come a little later to a party.
12
It's not par for the course for me.
13
Par for the course means what is normal or expected in any sort of situation.
14
It is normal to come to a party a little late.
15
With as many parties as you have, Dan, you should know that.
16
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 16 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. 85% 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
9 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- rude /ɹuːd/ (adjective) — Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous.
- relax /ɹɪˈlæks/ (verb) — To make something loose.
- invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/ (noun) — The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company.
- golf /ɡɑlf/ (noun) — A ball game played by individuals competing against one another in which the object is to hit a ball into each of a series of (usually 18 or nine) holes in the…
- specifically /spɪˈsɪf.ɪ.kli/ (adverb) — In a specific manner, applying to or naming a particular thing or things, expressly, explicitly.
- sort /soɹt/ (noun) — A general type.
- welcome /ˈwɛl.kəm/ — Greeting given upon someone's arrival.
- everybody /ˈɛvɹi(ˌ)bədi/ — All people.
- score /skoɹ/ (noun) — The total number of goals, points, runs, etc. earned by a participant in a game.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- play on (verb) — To exploit (a potential weakness or vulnerability) by exacerbating.
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, specifically /spɪˈsɪf.ɪ.kli/, everybody /ˈɛvɹi(ˌ)bədi/
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 rude, relax, invitation.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is played |
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.