Shadowing Practice: Forgiveness isn't going to set you free - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 13 sentences and 172 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:02. The speaker talks at a natural 166 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 91% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| forgiveness noun | /fɚˈɡɪvnəs/ | The action of forgiving. |
| forgive verb | /fɚˈɡɪv/ | To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| spiritual adjective | /ˈspɪɹɪt͡ʃuəl/ | Of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul. |
| liberation noun | /ˌlɪbəˈɹeɪʃən/ | The act of liberating or the state of being liberated. |
| bypass noun | /ˈbaɪpæs/ | A road that passes around something, such as a residential area or business district. |
| obsess verb | /əbˈsɛs/ | To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion. |
| unstoppable adjective | /ʌnˈstɔ.pə.bəl/ | Unable to be stopped. |
| shift noun | /ˈʃɪft/ | A movement to do something, a beginning. |
| universe noun | /ˈjunəˌvɝs/ | The sum of everything that exists in the cosmos. |
| suppose verb | /səˈpoʊz/ | To take for granted; to conclude, with less than absolute supporting data; to believe. |
| actual adjective | /ˈækʃuəl/ | relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical |
| reality noun | /ɹiˈæləti/ | The state of being actual or real; realness. |
| teacher noun | /ˈti.t͡ʃɚ/ | A person who teaches, especially one employed in a school; preceptor. |
| avoid verb | /əˈvɔɪd/ | To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, gonna, isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: liberation /ˌlɪbəˈɹeɪʃən/, shift /ˈʃɪft/, actual /ˈækʃuəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: liberation /ˌlɪbəˈɹeɪʃən/, unstoppable /ʌnˈstɔ.pə.bəl/, reality /ɹiˈæləti/
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 forgiveness, forgive, lesson.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was never meant · was meant |
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.