Shadowing Practice: finally ORGANIZING MY NEW HOME 🏠 *this was so satisfying omg* - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 326 sentences and 4239 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:16. The speaker talks fast, about 220 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 83% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| drawer noun | /dɹɔɹ/ | An open-topped box that can be slid in and out of the cabinet that contains it, used for storing clothing or other articles. |
| container noun | /kənˈteɪ.nəɹ/ | An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported. |
| organize verb | /ˈɔɹɡənaɪz/ | To arrange in working order. |
| pasta noun | /ˈpɑ.stə/ | Dough made from wheat and water and sometimes mixed with egg and formed into various shapes; often sold in dried form and typically boiled for eating. |
| snack noun | /snæk/ | A light meal. |
| tackle verb | /ˈtækəl/ | To force a person to the ground with the weight of one's own body, usually by jumping on top or slamming one's weight into them. |
| potato noun | /pəˈteɪ.təʊ/ | The edible starchy tuber of the plant species Solanum tuberosum. |
| organizer noun | /ˈɔɹɡənaɪzɚ/ | A person who arranges the details of a public event. |
| package noun | /ˈpæk.ɪd͡ʒ/ | Something which is packed, a parcel, a box, an envelope. |
| onion noun | /ˈʌn.jən/ | A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice. |
| pod noun | /ˈpɑd/ | A seed case for legumes (e.g. peas, beans, peppers); a seedpod. |
| syrup noun | /ˈsɪɹ.əp/ | Any thick liquid that has a high sugar content and which is added to or poured over food as a flavoring. |
| compartment noun | /kəmˈpɑɹtmənt/ | A room, or section, or chamber, typically within a vehicle. |
| chaos noun | /ˈkeɪˌɑs/ | The unordered state of matter in classical accounts of cosmogony. |
| functional adjective | /ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃənəl/ | In good working order. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| clean out verb | To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| stick around verb | To stay; to linger; to remain. | |
| break up verb | To break or separate into pieces. | |
| clean up verb | To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy. | |
| come along verb | To accompany. | |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 113 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: aesthetic /ɛsˈθɛ.tɪk/, unhealthy /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/, broth /bɹɔθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shelf /ʃɛlf/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, extension /ɪkˈstɛnʃən/, shock /ʃɔk/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/
- Long words — get the stress right: organizer /ˈɔɹɡənaɪzɚ/, temporary /ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, whatsoever /ˌ(h)wʌtsoʊˈɛvɚ/, ideally /aɪˈdi.ə.li/
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 drawer, container, organize.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | you've been waiting · have been waiting · have definitely been avoiding |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to have · used to be |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've gotten · I've actually mentioned · have left |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being said · is cleaned · be stored |
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.











