Shadowing Practice: English in a Minute: Thick as Thieves - Learn English Speaking with Video
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16 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute.
2
Thieves steal things and should not be trusted.
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But do thieves trust other thieves?
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That brings us to the expression, thick as thieves.
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I need to invite Ashley to Katie's surprise birthday party.
6
Uh-oh.
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Problem.
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Why is that a problem?
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Dan, those two are thick as thieves.
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It's like they can read each other's minds.
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Woo!
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In that case, let's keep the party a secret from Ashley, too.
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People who are thick as thieves are very close friends.
14
In this idiom, the word thick describes that very strong relationship.
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People who are thick as thieves are extremely loyal to each other.
16
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: Thick as Thieves”. This video has 16 sentences and 114 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:54. The speaker talks at a steady 128 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| thief noun | /ˈθiːf/ | One who carries out a theft. |
| thick adjective | /θɪk/ | Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension. |
| steal verb | /stiːl/ | To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it. |
| invite verb | /ɪnˈvaɪt/ | To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something. |
| loyal adjective | /ˈlɔɪəl/ | Having or demonstrating undivided and constant support for someone or something. |
| idiom noun | /ˈɪdiəm/ | A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people. |
| describe verb | /dɪˈskɹaɪb/ | To represent in words. |
| expression noun | /əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/ | The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc. |
| welcome | /ˈwɛl.kəm/ | Greeting given upon someone's arrival. |
| secret noun | /ˈsiː.kɹɪt/ | A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden. |
| extremely adverb | /ɪksˈtɹimli/ | To an extreme degree. |
| birthday noun | /ˈbɜːθ.deɪ/ | The anniversary of the day on which someone is born. |
| surprise noun | /sə(ː)ˈpɹaɪ̯z/ | Something unexpected. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | People who are |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | should not be trusted |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should not be |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | need to invite |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: thief /ˈθiːf/, thick /θɪk/, birthday /ˈbɜːθ.deɪ/
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 thief, thick, steal.
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.