Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Pull Some Strings - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Welcome to English in a Minute.
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These are strings.
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What happens if I pull them?
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Pull some strings.
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How's the apartment search going?
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Great.
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Next week, I'm moving into the River's Edge Apartments.
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What?
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There's a long waiting list to get into that apartment building.
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There is.
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But I know the building manager.
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She pulled some strings and got me in.
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Sometimes it really helps to know the right person.
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If you pull some strings, you use your connections, influence, or power to help someone else.
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Some word experts say this expression comes from puppeteers who move their puppets by pulling strings.
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And that's English in a Minute.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "English in a Minute: Pull Some Strings" 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.

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 →