Shadowing Practice: EVERBODY UP 5 - UNIT 4 - LESSON 4 VIDEO - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Biomes are natural communities of plants and animals.
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The Earth has six biomes.
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Oceans, freshwater rivers and lakes,
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deserts, forests, grasslands, and forests grasslands, and the tundra.
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This is the ocean.
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It's the biggest biome, because over 70% of the Earth is ocean.
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A lot of fish and other animals live here.
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Some are very colorful.
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People don't live in the ocean, but people need it for rain.
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Water comes from the ocean, and then it rains on the land.
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This rain helps to grow food.
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We don't drink ocean water.
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But we do drink fresh water.
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Our lakes and rivers are fresh water.
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Only about 3% of the world's water is fresh water.
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But a lot of our towns and cities are next to rivers and lakes.
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We need fresh water to live.
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Deserts don't have a lot of fresh water because they are drier and hotter than other biomes.
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This is the Atacama Desert in Chile.
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It's the driest place in the world.
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There aren't many people or animals here, because there isn't enough water. But it's beautiful.
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There are rocks, sand, and mountains.
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And it's all red.
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This is a forest in the UK.
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It's raining.
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There are many trees, plants and animals here.
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There are lots of forests in the world, and they are in hot and cold places.
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Grasslands have a lot of grass, and many animals live here.
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Zebras, giraffes, tigers, rhinoceroses, and other animals all live in grasslands.
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There are grasslands all over the world.
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The tundra is the coldest biome.
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Most of the tundra is in North America and Europe.
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Some animals live here, like the snow leopard, but not many.
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There are six different biomes in the world.
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Which one is the hottest?
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Which one is the coldest?

What You'll Learn

This video helps you build practical speaking skills for describing the world around you. You’ll practice explaining facts clearly (like biome characteristics) and asking/answering simple questions (e.g., "Which biome is the coldest?"). It also strengthens your ability to use descriptive vocabulary (e.g., "driest," "colorful")—key for IELTS speaking practice and everyday conversations.

Listen For These Sounds

Notice connected speech in phrases like "over 70% of the Earth"—the "of the" links to sound like "ov-er sev-en-ty per-cent uhv thuh Earth." Reductions like "it's" (instead of "it is") and "don't" (instead of "do not") are common. Listen for how "a lot of" becomes "alotta" in fast speech—this linking helps you sound more natural. These patterns are perfect for shadow speech practice, as they mirror real-world conversation.

Say It Like a Native

To mirror the speaker’s rhythm, stress content words like "biomes," "ocean," "fresh water," and "tundra." Shorten function words ("the," "is," "and") to keep the flow. Use the shadowing technique: play a 2-second clip, pause, and repeat immediately, matching the speed and tone. For better results, try a shadowing app to track your progress. This method, called shadow speech, trains your mouth to move like a native. Practice with the video’s questions ("Which one is the hottest?") to build fluency—critical for IELTS speaking practice. Remember: stressing key terms and linking sounds makes your speech clear and confident, just like the speaker in the video.

Whether you’re using a shadowing app or practicing with the video, focus on copying the natural rhythm. This isn’t just about pronunciation—it’s about communicating effectively. Shadowspeaks techniques like these will help you master real-world English, making you ready for tests and daily interactions alike.

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 →