Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Sitting Pretty - Learn English Speaking with Video
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19 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
Sitting is a normal thing that we do.
3
We sit at work, at home, at restaurants.
4
Honestly, we probably sit too much.
5
But what does it mean to be sitting pretty?
6
Dan, how is your new apartment?
7
It's great.
8
It has the best views of DC.
9
And guess what?
10
My book is selling really well.
11
Wow!
12
You!
13
Dan, you are really sitting pretty.
14
Sorry, Anna.
15
It's my publisher.
16
How much money?
17
If you are sitting pretty, you are living in comfort.
18
You are in a good place in your life.
19
We can also use this to describe someone with a good chance at winning a competition.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 19 sentences and 112 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:54. The speaker talks at a steady 125 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 92% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
10 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- comfort /ˈkʌm.fət/ (noun) — Contentment, ease.
- publisher /ˈpʌblɪʃɚ/ (noun) — A person or (especially) a company who publishes, especially books.
- restaurant /ˈɹɛst(ə)ˌɹɑnt/ (noun) — An eating establishment in which diners are served food, usually by waiters at their tables but sometimes (as in a fast food restaurant) at a counter.
- apartment /əˈpɑɹt.mənt/ (noun) — A complete domicile occupying only part of a building, especially one for rent; a flat.
- describe /dɪˈskɹaɪb/ (verb) — To represent in words.
- sit /sɪt/ (verb) — To be in a position in which the upper body is upright and supported by the buttocks.
- welcome /ˈwɛl.kəm/ — Greeting given upon someone's arrival.
- sell /sɛl/ (verb) — To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.
- competition /ˌkɑm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/ (noun) — The action of competing.
- honestly /ˈɑ.nɪst.li/ (adverb) — In an honest manner.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- live in (verb) — To reside on the premises of one's employer (used especially of domestic staff such as nannies, cooks, maids, etc.)
- work at (verb) — To make a physical or mental effort to progress some specified task; to endeavor or struggle on an issue or project.
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: publisher /ˈpʌblɪʃɚ/, competition /ˌkɑm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/
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 comfort, publisher, restaurant.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the best |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | is selling · are really sitting · are sitting |
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.