Shadowing Practice: Everybody Up 1 - Unit 1 lesson 4: Shapes 🟦 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 52 sentences and 174 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:20. The speaker talks slowly, about 52 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 73% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
13 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- triangle /ˈtɹaɪˌæŋɡəl/ (noun) — A polygon with three sides and three angles.
- lesson /ˈlɛs.ən/ (noun) — A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
- angle /ˈæŋ.ɡəl/ (noun) — A figure formed by two rays which start from a common point (a plane angle) or by three planes that intersect (a solid angle).
- purple /ˈpɝ.pl̩/ (noun) — A colour between red and blue; violet, though often closer to magenta.
- mouse /maʊs/ (noun) — Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail.
- robot /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ (noun) — An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
- classroom /ˈklɑːsɹʊm/ (noun) — A room, often in a school, where classes take place.
- rectangle /ˈrɛktæŋɡl̩/ (noun) — Any quadrilateral having opposing sides parallel and four right angles.
- circle /ˈsɜɹkəl/ (noun) — A two-dimensional geometric figure, a line, consisting of the set of all those points in a plane that are equally distant from a given point (center).
- yellow /ˈjɛloʊ/ (adjective) — Of a yellow hue.
- square /skwɛə/ (noun) — A polygon with four straight sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.
- shape /ˈʃeɪ̯p/ (noun) — The status or condition of something
- hello /hɛˈloʊ/ — A greeting (salutation) said when meeting someone or acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 triangle, lesson, angle.
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.