Shadowing Practice: Friend Of Mine (Acoustic) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Friend Of Mine”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: mine, hands, Hold. This video has 21 sentences and 247 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:37. The speaker talks slowly, about 68 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 6 of its 21 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 9 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| palm noun | /pɑm/ | The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand or other primate hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers. |
| lip noun | /lɪp/ | Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth. |
| vibe noun | /vaɪb/ | An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing. |
| erase verb | /ɪˈɹeɪs/ | To remove (markings or information). |
| mistake noun | /mɪˈsteɪk/ | An error. |
| cross noun | /kɹɑs/ | A geometrical figure consisting of two straight lines or bars intersecting each other such that at least one of them is bisected by the other. |
| yesterday noun | /ˈjɛstɹdeɪ/ | The day immediately before today; one day ago. |
| throw verb | /θɹoʊ/ | To hurl; to release (an object) with some force from one’s hands, an apparatus, etc. so that it moves rapidly through the air. |
| stupid adjective | /ˈstjuːpɪd/ | Lacking in intelligence. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hands up | /hæn(d)ˈzʌp/ | Put your hands up (if you wish to participate). |
| take back verb | To retract or withdraw (an earlier statement). |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, wanna, you're. 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 palm, lip, vibe.
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.