Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Set in Stone - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
A stone has a very hard surface.
3
To set something into one would not be easy.
4
So, what do you think set in stone means?
5
Dan, what are you doing this weekend?
6
I might go hiking with a friend, but I'm not totally sure yet.
7
Well, if those plans aren't set in stone, my friend Kristen wants you to come with us to the Funky Boys concert.
8
You mean beautiful, funny, smart, Kristen?
9
Yeah, I'm free.
10
I thought so.
11
If your plans or decisions are set in stone, it is difficult or even impossible to make changes.
12
If plans are not set in stone, they are less firm and easily changed.
13
And that's English in a Minute.
📺 Same Channel
B1English in a Minute: Thorn in My Side
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B2English in a Minute: Ahead of the Curve
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B146
English in a Minute: Get Out Of Here
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B120
English in a Minute: Stay in Touch
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B113
English in a Minute: Wishful Thinking
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B19
English in a Minute: Chalk It Up to Something
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B19
English in a Minute: Like Oil and Water
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B19
English in a Minute: Two Left Feet
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A211
Call It A Day
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B14
English in a Minute: It's Up To You
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B15
It's Been Ages
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A22
Stay in Touch
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A21
English in a Minute: Tie the Knot
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B14
English in a Minute: When it Rains, it Pours
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B13
English in a Minute: Barking Up the Wrong Tree
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B11
English in a Minute: Sharp Cookie
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
English in a Minute: Hollywood Ending
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A24
English in a Minute: Start from Scratch
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
English in a Minute: It's Been Ages
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
English in a Minute: Make (One's) Head Swim
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
✨ Recommend Video
B12
321 sentences
THINK and SPEAK in English: Your Weekend Plans
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
526 sentences
English Conversations for Everyday Use | Formal & Informal English in Different Situations (A2-B1)
Business EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B14
252 sentences
Tactics for Listening Third Edition Developing Unit 11 Invitations
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B12
1048 sentences
English Podcast for Conversation Practice B1 | Talk About Daily Routine | Learn English Fast
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B17
251 sentences
Future in English - How to Talk about the Future
British AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
329 sentences
Can You Pass This Real English Test? | English Challenge Day 5 | English Podcast
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
326 sentences
125 Must-Know English Words for Everyday Life
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
360 sentences
Speak English Without Fearing Mistakes | Easy English Listening Practice
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B22
112 sentences
Pronunciation in Use Advanced, Unit 51, How embarrassing
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B21
453 sentences
🧠 用英文思考的一天：從早上到晚上這樣練，英文會慢慢變自然 (B1-B2)
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “English in a Minute: Set in Stone”. This video has 13 sentences and 123 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:54. The speaker talks at a steady 137 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 11 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hike noun | /haɪk/ | A long walk, usually for pleasure or exercise. |
| concert noun | /kənˈsɝt/ | An agreement in a design or plan; a union formed by mutual communication of opinions and views; an accordance in a scheme; harmony; a simultaneous action. |
| stone noun | /stoʊ̯n/ | A hard earthen substance that can form rocks; especially, such substance when regarded as a building material. |
| welcome | /ˈwɛl.kəm/ | Greeting given upon someone's arrival. |
| weekend noun | /ˈwiˌkɛnd/ | The break in the working week, usually two days including the traditional holy or sabbath day. Thus in Western countries, Saturday and Sunday. |
| easily adverb | /ˈi.zɪ.li/ | Comfortably, without discomfort or anxiety. |
| smart adjective | /smɑɹt/ | Exhibiting social ability or cleverness. |
| surface noun | /ˈsɜː.fɪs/ | The external boundary of an object or body. |
| totally adverb | /ˈtəʊ.tə.li/ | To the fullest extent or degree. |
| firm adjective | /fɜɹm/ | Steadfast, secure, solid (in position) |
| impossible adjective | /ɪmˈpɒs.ɪ.bəl/ | Not possible; not able to be done or happen. |
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 | aren't set · are set · are not set |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might go |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are you doing |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, aren't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 hike, concert, stone.
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.