Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Put Out Fires - Learn English Speaking with Video
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13 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
You already know that firefighters are trained to safely put out fires.
3
Put out fires.
4
Do Anna and Jonathan have new careers?
5
Anna, I haven't seen you all week.
6
What have you been doing?
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I have been busy putting out fires.
8
First, Kim yelled at a very important customer.
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And then Kevin gave the wrong presentation at a big meeting.
10
So now is not a good time to tell you that there's a big mistake in this report?
11
As an idiom, to put out fires means to deal with urgent problems rather than your usual tasks.
12
Think of the problem as a fire, something that needs to be dealt with quickly before it spreads or causes much damage damage.
13
And that's English in a Minute.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “English in a Minute: Put Out Fires”. This video has 13 sentences and 131 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:56. The speaker talks at a steady 141 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 3 of its 13 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| presentation noun | /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/ | The act of presenting, or something presented. |
| safely adverb | /ˈseɪfli/ | In a safe manner; without risk; using caution above all else. |
| urgent adjective | /ˈɜː.d͡ʒənt/ | Requiring immediate attention. |
| yell verb | /jɛl/ | To shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice, especially to express intense emotions such as anger or excitement. |
| firefighter noun | /ˈfaɪ.ɚˌfaɪ.tɚ/ | A person who has been trained to put out fires. |
| idiom noun | /ˈɪdiəm/ | A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people. |
| mistake noun | /mɪˈsteɪk/ | An error. |
| task noun | /tæsk/ | A piece of work done as part of one’s duties. |
| usual adjective | /ˈju.ʒuəl/ | Most commonly occurring; typical. |
| customer noun | /ˈkʌs.tə.mə/ | A person or company who purchases or receives a product or service from a business or merchant or intends to do so. |
| damage noun | /ˈdæmɪd͡ʒ/ | Injury or harm; the condition or measure of something not being intact. |
| quickly adverb | /ˈkwɪk.li/ | Rapidly; with speed; fast; with expedition. |
| welcome | /ˈwɛl.kəm/ | Greeting given upon someone's arrival. |
| train noun | /ˈtɹeɪn/ | The elongated back portion of a dress or skirt (or an ornamental piece of material added to similar effect), which drags along the ground. |
| spread verb | /spɹid/ | To stretch out, open out (a material etc.) so that it more fully covers a given area of space. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| put out verb | To blind (eyes). |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | have you been doing |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't seen · have been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are trained · be dealt |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, usual /ˈju.ʒuəl/
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 presentation, safely, urgent.
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.