Shadowing Practice: Flyers 1,TEST 1, Part 5 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 120 sentences and 512 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:39. The speaker talks slowly, about 67 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 89% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
14 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- coloring (noun) — An act or process which applies color.
- rocket /ˈɹɑk.ɪt/ (noun) — A cylindrical projectile that can be fired to a great height through combustion, (specifically) a type of firework of this form, typically exploding with light…
- robot /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ (noun) — An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
- cave /keɪv/ (noun) — A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside.
- boot /but/ (noun) — A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg.
- tablet /ˈtæblət/ (noun) — A slab of clay, stone or wood used for inscription.
- astronaut /ˈæstɹəˌnɔt/ (noun) — A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose.
- colour (noun) — Commonwealth and Ireland standard spelling of color.
- yellow /ˈjɛloʊ/ (adjective) — Of a yellow hue.
- planet /ˈplænɪt/ (noun) — A body which is massive enough to be in hydrostatic equilibrium (generally resulting in being an ellipsoid) but not enough to attain nuclear fusion and, in IAU…
- hole /hoʊl/ (noun) — A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit; a dent; a depression; a fissure.
- orange /ˈɒɹɪnd͡ʒ/ (noun) — An evergreen tree of the genus Citrus such as Citrus sinensis which yields oranges (the fruit).
- prefer [pɹɪˈfɝ] (verb) — To be in the habit of choosing something rather than something else; to favor; to like better.
- pink /ˈpɪŋk/ (noun) — A color reminiscent of pinks, the flowers.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'd, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 coloring, rocket, robot.
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.
















