Shadowing Practice: English Speaking Practice with Daily Conversation | Listen, Repeat & Speak English - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 182 sentences and 1255 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:15. The speaker talks slowly, about 77 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 89% 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 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• surround /səˈɹaʊnd/ (verb) — To encircle something or simultaneously extend in all directions.
• dessert /dɪˈzɝt/ (noun) — The last course of a meal, consisting of fruit, sweet confections etc.
• homemade (adjective) — Made at home.
• delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/ (adjective) — Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty.
• lesson /ˈlɛs.ən/ (noun) — A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
• skill /skɪl/ (noun) — A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
• shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/ (noun) — A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.
• rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/ (noun) — The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.
• pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken.
• carefully /ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/ (adverb) — With care; attentively, circumspectly.
• ear /ˈɪə̯/ (noun) — The organ of hearing, consisting of the pinna or auricle, auditory canal, eardrum, malleus, incus, stapes and cochlea.
• relax /ɹɪˈlæks/ (verb) — To make something loose.
• shoe /ˈʃu/ (noun) — A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom part composed of thick leather or plastic sole and often a thicker heel, and a softer upper part made of…
• interactive /ˌɪn.tɚˈæk.tɪv/ (adjective) — Interacting with or communicating with and reacting to each other; influencing or having an effect on each other; acting or capable of acting on each other or…
• cloth /klɒθ/ (noun) — A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. Sometimes…

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• wait for (verb) — To wait until the specified event occurs.
• think about /ˈθɪŋk əˌbaʊt/ (verb) — To ponder.
• check out (verb) — To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 38 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “th” sounds: rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/, cloth /klɒθ/
• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, shoe /ˈʃu/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
• Long words — get the stress right: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, interactive /ˌɪn.tɚˈæk.tɪv/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/, repetition /ˌɹɛp.əˈtɪʃ.ən/

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 surround, dessert, homemade.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: