Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Strike a Chord - Learn English Speaking with Video

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13 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
When you strike a chord in music, you play several notes at the same time.
3
So, are Anna and Andrew going to play music?
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I hope so.
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I love Amelia Earhart.
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Her life really struck a chord with me.
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Really?
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But she was a pilot and you're afraid of flying.
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Oh, no, her flying career didn't strike a chord.
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She loved hot chocolate.
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And so do I.
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When something strikes a chord with you, it causes strong reaction, usually because you identify with it.
13
Striking a chord can also mean that you're reminded of something familiar.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 13 sentences and 102 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:53. The speaker talks at a steady 116 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing.

Key vocabulary in this video

11 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
chord noun/kɔɹd/A harmonic set of three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously.
remind verb/ɹəˈmaɪnd/To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person).
strike verb/stɹaɪk/To delete or cross out; to scratch or eliminate.
familiar adjective/fəˈmɪl.jəɹ/Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.
identify verb/aɪˈdɛn.(t)ə.faɪ/To establish the identity of someone or something.
pilot noun/ˈpaɪ̯.lət/A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
chocolate noun/ˈtʃɔk.(ə.)lɪt/A food made from ground roasted cocoa beans.
fly noun/ˈflaɪ̯/Any insect of the order Diptera; characterized by having two wings (except for some wingless species), also called true flies.
welcome/ˈwɛl.kəm/Greeting given upon someone's arrival.
reaction noun/ɹiˈækʃən/An action or statement in response to a stimulus or other event.
afraid adjective/əˈfɹeɪd/Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like chord, remind, strike.

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 →