Shadowing Practice: Everyday English Conversation - Talking about social media usage - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Everyday English Conversation - Talking about social media usage”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: share, Zoe, personal, instagram, online. This video has 155 sentences and 1365 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:46. The speaker talks slowly, about 107 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.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| recommendation noun | /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/ | An act of recommending. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| hobby noun | /ˈhɑ.bi/ | An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. |
| inspire verb | /ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ | To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by… |
| password noun | /ˈpæs.wɜɹd/ | A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| broaden verb | [ˈbɹɔː.dn̩] | To make broad or broader. |
| disconnect verb | /dɪskəˈnɛkt/ | To sever or interrupt a connection. |
| enrich verb | /ɪnˈɹɪt͡ʃ/ | To enhance. |
| insightful adjective | /ɪnˈsaɪt.f(ə)l/ | Possessing insight; percipient. |
| overwhelm verb | /ˌoʊ.vɚˈwɛlm/ | To engulf, surge over and submerge. |
| responsibly adverb | In a responsible manner. | |
| fluent adjective | /ˈfluənt/ | That flows; flowing, liquid. |
| motivate verb | /ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/ | To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate. |
| wisely adverb | /ˈwaɪzli/ | In a wise manner; using good judgement. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How are you today?
- I'm doing well, thank you.
- Do you use social media much?
- Have you ever taken a break from social media?
- How did you feel after the break?
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 | have heard · Have you ever taken · has changed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who comment · share, which makes |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | avoid posting · love seeing · love discovering |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm doing · is happening · are doing |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, refresh /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, creativity /kri.eɪˈtɪv.ᵻ.ti/, communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/, diversity /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/
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 recommendation, relax, hobby.
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.












![You want 50 friends, not 5,000 followers [English Practice]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nFONMoweOs4/mqdefault.jpg)
