Shadowing Practice: English listening practice pre-intermediate level - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Listen to each sentence twice.
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First, listen to the sentence spoken slowly.
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Then, listen to the sentence spoken naturally and read along with the text on screen.
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The roads were extremely busy this morning.
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It took me about an hour to get to work.
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The roads were extremely busy this morning.
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It took me about an hour to get to work.
8
I'm dead on my feet.
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I'll try to get some sleep.
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I'm dead on my feet.
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I'll try to get some sleep.
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I've changed my mind.
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The weather's horrible outside.
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Too wet for a run.
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I'd rather stay in.
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I've changed my mind.
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The weather's horrible outside.
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Too wet for a run.
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I'd rather stay in.
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In some countries, people shake hands when they first meet.
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But in England, they just say hello.
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In some countries, people shake hands when they first meet.
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But in England, they just say hello.
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It's freezing cold outside.
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Wrap up well before you leave the house.
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It's freezing cold outside.
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Wrap up well before you leave the house.
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It was a really serious illness.
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Anna was poorly for months and still feels very weak weak.
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It was a really serious illness.
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Anna was poorly for months and still feels very weak.
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We can't afford to waste any more time.
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It's getting late and it's a five-hour journey.
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We can't afford to waste any more time.
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It's getting late and it's a five-hour journey.
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You're so fussy.
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Why don't you try this grilled salmon if you don't like seafood?
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You're so fussy.
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Why don't you try this grilled salmon if you don't like seafood?
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Our plane should take off in about half an hour.
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Liam's not really interested in the theatre.
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He prefers cinema.
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Liam's not really interested in the theatre.
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He prefers cinema.
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If you want to lose a few pounds, joining a gym seems to be the best idea.
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If you want to lose a few pounds, joining a gym seems to be the best idea.
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Give me a ring as soon as you get home, right?
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Give me a ring as soon as you get home, right?
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I wasn't in the mood to do anything.
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I watched telly for most of the evening.
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I watched telly for most of the evening.
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The leaking tap in the kitchen gets on my nerves.
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Are you going to fix it or should I phone the plumber?
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The leaking tap in the kitchen gets on my nerves.
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Are you going to fix it or should I phone the plumber?
56
Do you really think that moving house just a couple of days before Christmas is the best idea?
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Do you really think that moving house just a couple of days before Christmas is the best idea?
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It's been a long day.
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Why don't you go upstairs and try to get some rest?
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It's been a long day.
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Why don't you go upstairs and try to get some rest?
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There's nothing to wait for.
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Let's set off straight away.
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There's nothing to wait for.
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Let's set off straight away.
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We can either order Chinese or collect pizza from the takeaway round the corner. Which would you prefer?
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We can either order Chinese or collect pizza from the takeaway round the corner.
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Which would you prefer?
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It's a nice day today.
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The conditions are just right to go for a swim.
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It's a nice day today.
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The conditions are just right to go for a swim.
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Can you lend me £50?
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I'll have money in the bank the day after tomorrow and pay you back right away.
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Can you lend me £50?
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I'll have money in the bank the day after tomorrow and pay you back right away.
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The streets are very dirty.
78
Why don't people put their rubbish in the litter bins?
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The streets are very dirty dirty?
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Why don't people put their rubbish in the litter bins?
81
My driving instructor says I am certain to pass my test, but I don't feel confident enough just yet.
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My driving instructor says I am certain to pass my test, but I don't feel confident enough just yet.
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It doesn't work.
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Could you please give me a full refund?
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It doesn't work.
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Could you please give me a full refund?
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Takeaway is very convenient.
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But homemade food tastes way better.
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Takeaway is very convenient, but homemade food tastes way better.
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The rules are strict in this club.
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You must show your ID if you want to get in.
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The rules are strict in this club.
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You must show your ID if you want to get in.
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After a miserable week, the weather forecast said it would be sunny on Saturday.
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I'd love to go, but I'm dead tired.
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Why don't you take Karen with you instead?
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I'd love to go but I'm dead tired.
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Why don't you take Karen with you instead?
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We were stuck in the traffic jam for over two hours and missed our flight.
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We were stuck in the traffic jam for over two hours and missed our flight.
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It's a huge building.
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Carl's office is on the 30th floor.
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It's a huge building.
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Carl's office is on the 30th floor.
105
There is no point in calling now.
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The offices are shut.
107
We'll sort it out first thing tomorrow.
108
There is no point in calling now.
109
The offices are shut.
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We'll sort it out first thing tomorrow.
111
Surely Eddie couldn't do all that work on his own.
112
He's hopeless at decorating.
113
Surely Eddie couldn't do all that work on his own.
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He's hopeless at decorating.
115
Greg took tons of pictures on his holidays, but most of them are very bad quality.
116
Greg took tons of pictures on his holidays, but most of them are very bad quality.
117
I'm going to the opticians to collect my new glasses.
118
Do you want to come along?
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I'm going to the opticians to collect my new glasses.
120
Do you want to come along?
121
There must be a solution.
122
Can we sit down and discuss the options? the options?
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There must be a solution.
124
Can we sit down and discuss the options?
125
You can't quit your job.
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It's well paid and you desperately need the money.
127
You can't quit your job.
128
It's well paid and you desperately need the money.
129
It wasn't very far, so they decided to go on foot rather than take a bus.
130
It wasn't very far, so they decided to go on foot rather than take a bus.
131
Cleaning is extremely boring.
132
Even cooking seems like more fun.
133
Cleaning is extremely boring.
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Even cooking seems like more fun.
135
It'll take you half an hour to finish the job.
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There is no point in having a break now.
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It'll take you half an hour to finish the job.
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There's no point in having a break now.
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Hamburgers from this restaurant are delicious.
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Do you fancy trying one?
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Hamburgers from this restaurant are delicious.
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Do you fancy trying one?
143
Who's the owner of this greyish car?
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It's blocking the entrance.
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Who's the owner of this greyish car?
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It's blocking the entrance.
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We'll have to use the stairs.
148
The lift is out of order again.
149
We'll have to use the stairs.
150
The lift is out of order again.
151
Sue finally wants to book a holiday, but Jake has changed his mind again.
152
Sue finally wants to book a holiday, but Jake has changed his mind again.
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Let's knock and see if she's in.
154
Do you fancy going to Italy this year?
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It will be a nice change from wet Scotland.
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Do you fancy going to Italy this year?
157
It'll be a nice change from wet Scotland.
158
Did you hear the news on the radio?
159
It's shocking.
160
Claire is not very good at computers.
161
You can see technology isn't her thing.
162
Call a plumber immediately.
163
There's water coming through the ceiling.
164
I usually enjoy good food and company but I'm not in the mood to go to the Party this weekend.
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I usually enjoy good food and company I'm not in the mood to go to the party this weekend.
166
Meatballs with mashed potatoes are amazing, but most people say they go better with pasta.
167
Meatballs with mashed potatoes are amazing, but most people say they go better with pasta.
168
I'm afraid he's rather busy right now.
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I can pencil you in for the day after tomorrow
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which is thursday the 23rd i'm afraid he's rather busy right
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now i can pencil you in for the day after tomorrow which is thursday the 23rd
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let's meet for a good chat we really need to catch
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up let's meet for a good chat we really need to catch up.
174
Over the years the town changed dramatically.
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Over the years the town changed dramatically.
176
Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “English listening practice pre-intermediate level”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: hour, tomorrow, changed. This video has 176 sentences and 1463 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:48. The speaker talks slowly, about 99 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 33 of its 176 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 |
|---|---|---|
| takeaway noun | /ˈteɪkəweɪ/ | A restaurant that sells food to be eaten elsewhere. |
| plumber noun | /ˈplʌm.əɹ/ | One who furnishes, fits, and repairs pipes and other apparatus for the conveyance of water, gas, or drainage. |
| decorate verb | /ˈdɛkəɹeɪt/ | To furnish with decorations. |
| fussy adjective | /ˈfʌ.si/ | Anxious or particular about petty details; hard to please. |
| grayish adjective | /ˈɡɹeɪ.ɪʃ/ | Somewhat gray. |
| hamburger noun | /ˈhæmˌbɜɹ.ɡɚ/ | A hot sandwich consisting of a patty of cooked ground beef or a meat substitute, in a sliced bun, usually also containing salad vegetables, condiments, or both. |
| meatball noun | A ball of minced or ground meat, seasoned and cooked. | |
| opticians noun | An optometry practice. | |
| telly noun | /ˈtɛli/ | Television. |
| mash verb | /mæʃ/ | To convert into a mash; to reduce to a soft pulpy state by beating or pressure |
| seafood noun | /ˈsiːfuːd/ | Food from the sea, including that derived from fish, shellfish, crustaceans, cephalopods, seaweed, algae, marine mammals, and other marine organisms. |
| litter noun | /ˈlɪt.ɚ/ | Straw, grass, and similar loose material used as bedding for people or animals. |
| hopeless adjective | /ˈhoʊplɪs/ | Without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive. |
| homemade adjective | Made at home. | |
| grill noun | /ɡɹɪl/ | A grating; a grid of wire or a sheet of material with a pattern of holes or slots, usually used to protect something while allowing the passage of air and… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come along verb | To accompany. |
| set off verb | To leave; to set out; to begin a journey or trip. |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. |
| wrap up verb | To cover or enclose (something) by folding and securing a covering entirely around it. |
| catch up verb | To pick up suddenly. |
| come through verb | To come into a room or other space through a door or passageway. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Why don't you try this grilled salmon if you don't like seafood?
- Why don't you go upstairs and try to get some rest?
- Could you please give me a full refund?
- Do you want to come along?
- Can we sit down and discuss the options?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've changed · has changed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were stuck · are shut |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the best |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should take · should I phone |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 53 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: grayish /ˈɡɹeɪ.ɪʃ/, mash /mæʃ/, rubbish /ˈɹʌbɪʃ/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/
- Long words — get the stress right: desperately /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹət.li/, miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/
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 takeaway, plumber, decorate.
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.