Shadowing Practice: English listening test! How much can you understand? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “English listening test! How much can you understand?”. This video has 19 sentences and 216 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:09. The speaker talks fast, about 187 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 90% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| knee noun | /ni/ | In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank. |
| disappear verb | /dɪsəˈpɪɹ/ | To vanish. |
| magnificent adjective | /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/ | Grand, elegant or splendid in appearance. |
| tire verb | /ˈtaɪ̯ɚ/ | To become sleepy or weary. |
| steep adjective | /stiːp/ | Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward or downward at an angle approaching vertical. |
| exhaust verb | /ɪɡˈzɔst/ | To draw or let out wholly; to drain completely. |
| crawl verb | /kɹɔːl/ | To move by dragging one's body along or close to a surface, like a worm or insect, or on one's hands and knees, like a human baby. |
| textbook noun | /ˈtɛkst.bʊk/ | A coursebook, a formal manual of instruction in a specific subject, especially one for use in schools or colleges. |
| anticipate verb | /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/ | To act before (someone), especially to prevent an action. |
| subtitle noun | /ˈsʌbtaɪtəl/ | A heading below or after a title. |
| basically adverb | /ˈbeɪ.sɪk.(ə.)li/ | In a fundamental, essential or basic manner. |
| definitely adverb | /ˈdɛf.ɪ.nɪt.li/ | Without question and beyond doubt. |
| comment noun | /ˈkɑmɛnt/ | A spoken or written remark. |
| catch verb | /kæt͡ʃ/ | To capture or snare (someone or something which would rather escape). |
| bottom noun | /ˈbɑ.təm/ | The lowest part of anything. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| get up to verb | To do something, especially something that is forbidden or improper. |
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 spent |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was learning |
| Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things | more difficult than |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | love looking |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I've, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: magnificent /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/, anticipate /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/, basically /ˈbeɪ.sɪk.(ə.)li/, definitely /ˈdɛf.ɪ.nɪt.li/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like knee, disappear, magnificent.
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.