Shadowing Practice: Family and Friends 1 - Unit 5 : Where's the ball? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 106 sentences and 402 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:38. 75% 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 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| slide noun | /ˈslaɪ̯d/ | An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again. |
| swing verb | /ˈswɪŋ/ | To rotate about an off-centre fixed point. |
| litter noun | /ˈlɪt.ɚ/ | Straw, grass, and similar loose material used as bedding for people or animals. |
| umbrella noun | /ʌmˈbɹɛl.ə/ | A cloth-covered frame used for protection against rain or sun. |
| rabbit noun | /ˈɹæbɪt/ | A mammal of most genera of the family Leporidae, with long ears, long hind legs and a short, fluffy tail. (Those of the larger kind are instead called hares) |
| sofa noun | /ˈsoʊ̯fə/ | An upholstered seat with a raised back and one or two raised ends, long enough to comfortably accommodate two or more people. |
| climb verb | /ˈklaɪ̯m/ | To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending). |
| chant verb | /t͡ʃænt/ | To sing, especially without instruments, and as applied to monophonic and pre-modern music. |
| toy noun | /tɔɪ/ | Something to play with, especially as intended for use by a child. |
| seesaw noun | /ˈsi.sɔ/ | A structure composed of a plank, balanced in the middle, used as a game in which one person goes up as the other goes down. |
| armband noun | A band worn around the arm, usually to symbolize mourning or protest. | |
| pool noun | /puːl/ | A small and rather deep area of (usually) fresh water, as one supplied by a spring, or occurring in the course of a stream or river; a reservoir for water. |
| cream noun | /kɹiːm/ | The butterfat or milkfat part of milk which rises to the top; this part when separated from the remainder. |
| frame noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯m/ | The structural elements of a building or other constructed object. |
| repeat verb | /ɹɪˈpiːt/ | To do or say again (and again). |
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 slide, swing, litter.
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.




















