Shadowing Practice: Excitement Builds in Europe for First Total Solar Eclipse in 25 Years - Learn English Speaking with Video
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50 sentences
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1
This morning, excitement building across Europe with lines for solar glasses ahead of the continent's first total solar eclipse in more than 25 years.
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The sun will be completely covered by the moon for millions of people along the path of totality, which runs from Greenland, past Iceland, and into northern Spain.
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The total eclipse here will last just one minute, 43 seconds, but long enough to attract nearly half a million tourists who will be gazing skyward.
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It's an amazing event.
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These photographers set up at a Spanish vineyard, hoping for the perfect shot of the celestial spectacle.
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Thousands of Americans have flown in, including the Fulmer family from Las Vegas.
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Point to the sky.
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Right up there.
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Today's eclipse falling on Max's third birthday.
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We are chasing eclipse to see the whole line of totality.
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This will be her second and my third.
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And this is my first.
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Oh, you're in for a real treat.
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Any tips for me?
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Savor the moment.
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Yes.
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Really live in it.
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You're like looking through the glasses and you're seeing it, and then all of a sudden it disappears in the glasses and you take them off, and it's like this fireball in the sky.
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Like millions of other Americans, they hit the road to see the 2024 eclipse over the U.S.
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What's the moon doing?
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He's taking a bite. Of what? Of a little sun.
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He's taking a bite of the little son.
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Al covered it for today from Dallas.
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Let's get him on, okay, because it's starting to come.
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Today's eclipse will be partially visible in the northern U.S.,
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a reminder of 2024's moment of solar magic when it felt like the whole country was looking up in awe.
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And we definitely are going to have the best views here, but folks back home are not going to totally miss out
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you will be able to partially see the eclipse starting in Alaska.
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That's at 8.27 a.m local time.
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At the peak, the sun is going to be about 37 percent covered.
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It's going to reach the continental U.S a little after 1.50 p.m.
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Eastern.
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So if you're in Maine, you're going to see the sun about a quarter covered.
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If you are in my hometown of Boston, it's going to be about 16 percent.
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Guys, I'm afraid by the time it reaches you in New York City, we are down to just nine percent.
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So that means you're going to see just a little sliver of the sun cut off.
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But a quick PSA, wherever you are, if you're watching the eclipse, you need to be wearing your super fashionable solar glasses.
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As Al pointed out in Dallas, I'm pointing out right now, we don't want any burned eyes out there.
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No, no, we don't.
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Look at you.
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Raf Sanchez going to enjoy an eclipse just outside Madrid, Spain.
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I would say you won.
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Yeah, no kidding.
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Well done, Raf.
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Good assignment.
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We're doing okay.
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Yeah.
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Hey, thanks for watching.
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Don't forget, you can catch The Today Show every morning on NBC or take Today when you're on the go.
50
Just follow The Today Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Excitement Builds in Europe for First Total Solar Eclipse in 25 Years”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: eclipse, sun, glasses, solar, covered. This video has 50 sentences and 532 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:04. The speaker talks at a natural 174 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| eclipse noun | /ɪˈklɪps/ | An alignment of astronomical objects whereby one object comes between the observer (or notional observer) and another object, thus obscuring the latter. |
| totality noun | /toʊˈtælɪti/ | The state of being total. |
| partially adverb | /ˈpɑɹʃəli/ | To a partial degree or extent, incompletely. |
| wherever | /(h)wɛɹˈɛvɚ/ | Regardless of the place in, at or to which. |
| bite verb | /baɪt/ | To cut into something by clamping the teeth. |
| fireball noun | /ˈfaɪəɹˌbɔl/ | A ball of fire, especially one associated with an explosion, or (fiction, mythology) thrown as a weapon. |
| savour verb | /ˈseɪvəɹ/ | To detect (a flavour or taste, or food or drink); to taste; specifically, to enjoy or linger on (a flavour or taste, or food and drink); to relish. |
| skyward adjective | Pointing or facing at or moving toward the sky. | |
| sliver noun | /ˈslɪvɚ/ | A long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment. |
| celestial adjective | /səˈlɛs.t͡ʃ(ə)l/ | Of, relating to, or located in the sky or outer space, where the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars are visible. |
| vineyard noun | /ˈvɪn.jɚd/ | A grape plantation, especially one used in the production of wine. |
| spectacle noun | /ˈspɛktəkl̩/ | An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc. |
| fashionable adjective | /ˈfæʃənəbl̩/ | Characteristic of or influenced by a current popular trend or style; in fashion; in vogue. |
| gaze verb | /ɡeɪz/ | To stare intently or earnestly. |
| hometown noun | /ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn/ | An individual’s place of birth, childhood home, or place of main residence. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cut off verb | /ˌkʌt ˈɔf/ [ˌkɐɾ ˈɔf] | To remove by cutting. |
| look through verb | To take a view of the contents of; search in, either with the eyes or by hand. | |
| miss out verb | To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed. | |
| point out verb | To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | are going to have · is going to be · It's going to reach |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are chasing · you're seeing · you're watching |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will be · will last |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 14 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: partially /ˈpɑɹʃəli/, fashionable /ˈfæʃənəbl̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: totality /toʊˈtælɪti/, photographer /fəˈtɑ.ɡɹə.fɚ/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like eclipse, totality, partially.
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.