Shadowing Practice: Everyday English Conversations - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 279 sentences and 1237 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:38. The speaker talks slowly, about 74 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 85% 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

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• jacket /ˈd͡ʒæk.ɪt/ (noun) — A piece of clothing worn on the upper body outside a shirt or blouse, often waist length to thigh length.
• remote /ɹəˈməʊt̞/ (adjective) — At a distance; disconnected.
• couch /ˈkaʊ̯t͡ʃ/ (noun) — An item of furniture, often upholstered, for the comfortable seating of more than one person; a sofa.
• auction /ˈɔkʃən/ (noun) — A public event where goods or property are sold to the highest bidder.
• hurry /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ (verb) — To do things quickly.
• authentic /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/ (adjective) — Of the same origin as claimed; genuine.
• upstairs /ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/ (adverb) — Up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level.
• charger /ˈt͡ʃɑɹd͡ʒɚ/ (noun) — A device that charges or recharges.
• meal /ˈmiːl/ (noun) — Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity.
• clothing /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/ (noun) — Any of a wide variety of articles, usually made of fabrics, animal hair, animal skin, or some combination thereof, used to cover the human body for warmth, to…
• carefully /ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/ (adverb) — With care; attentively, circumspectly.
• compare /kəmˈpɛɚ/ (verb) — To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it…
• hungry /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ (adjective) — Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food.
• mystery /ˈmɪs.t(ə.)ɹi/ (noun) — Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown.
• solve /sɒlv/ (verb) — To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
• turn up (verb) — To show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.
• back into (verb) — To advance to the post-season as a result of another team's loss, especially where one's own team has also lost.
• come across (verb) — To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition.
• come from (verb) — To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
• come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
• do with (verb) — Only used in to do with
• fall in (verb) — To collapse inwards.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 53 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “th” sounds: authentic /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/, clothing /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/, thrift /ˈθɹɪft/
• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: auction /ˈɔkʃən/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, treasure /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/, shelf /ʃɛlf/
• Long words — get the stress right: congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, unbelievable /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəbl̩/

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 jacket, remote, couch.

Grammar in this video

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