Shadowing Practice: Facebook Whistleblower Reacts to BBC’s Trump Edit - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Facebook Whistleblower Reacts to BBC’s Trump Edit”. This video has 19 sentences and 169 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:00. The speaker talks at a natural 168 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| resign verb | /ɹɪˈzaɪn/ | To give up; to relinquish ownership of. |
| actress noun | /ˈæk.tɹɪs/ | A female who performs on the stage or in films. |
| rank noun | /ˈɹæŋk/ | A row of people or things organized in a grid pattern, often soldiers. |
| brave adjective | /bɹeɪv/ | Strong in the face of fear; courageous. |
| edit verb | /ˈɛdɪt/ | To change a text, or a document. |
| clip noun | /klɪp/ | Something which clips or grasps; a device for attaching one object to another. |
| controversy noun | /kənˈtɹɒv.ə.si/ | A debate or discussion of opposing opinions; (generally) strife. |
| divide verb | /dɪˈvaɪd/ | To split or separate (something) into two or more parts. |
| lawsuit noun | /ˈlɔˌs(j)ut/ | In civil law, a case where two or more people disagree and one or more of the parties take the case to a court for resolution. |
| cheer verb | /t͡ʃɪɹ/ | To gladden; to make cheerful; often with up. |
| formally adverb | /ˈfɔː.mə.li/ | In a formal manner. |
| congressman noun | A male member of congress. | |
| surround verb | /səˈɹaʊnd/ | To encircle something or simultaneously extend in all directions. |
| manipulate verb | /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/ | To move, arrange or operate something using the hands |
| mislead verb | /mɪsˈliːd/ | To lead astray, in a false direction. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, don't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: controversy /kənˈtɹɒv.ə.si/, manipulate /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/
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 resign, actress, rank.
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.