This speaking lesson is built on the video “Fun at Kids Central 35 – Around the World Basketball Game”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Bobby, Izzy, shot, Jason, Shelley. This video has 85 sentences and 478 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:59. The speaker talks slowly, about 96 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
cheer verb	/t͡ʃɪɹ/	To gladden; to make cheerful; often with up.
vacation noun	/veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/	An extended trip or journey away from home for rest or pleasure.
litter noun	/ˈlɪt.ɚ/	Straw, grass, and similar loose material used as bedding for people or animals.
rush verb	/ɹʌʃ/	To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully.
whoever	/huˈɛvɚ/	Who ever: an emphatic form of who.
spell noun	/spɛl/	Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
goodbye	/ɡʊdˈbaɪ/	Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing.
announce verb	/əˈnaʊn(t)s/	To give public notice of, especially for the first time; to make known.
rival noun	/ˈɹaɪvəl/	A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a rival may be a primary or necessary…
beam noun	/ˈbiːm/	Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
bounce verb	/baʊns/	To change the direction of motion after hitting an obstacle.
theirs	/ðɛɚz/	That or those belonging to them; the possessive case of they, used without a following noun.
toss verb	/tɔs/	To throw with an initial upward direction.
whistle noun	/ˈwɪs(ə)l/	A device designed to be placed in the mouth and blown, or driven by steam or some other mechanism, to make a whistling sound.
interrupt verb	/ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/	To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
call around verb		To make several phone calls, usually for the purpose of locating an item, comparing prices or inquiring about a topic.
hold up verb		To wait or delay.
line up verb	/laɪnˈʌp/	To align; to put in alignment; to put in correct adjustment for smooth running.
watch out		Used to warn someone of an imminent danger.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Can you believe it's the last day of school?
Yes, but what are we doing today?
If it goes in, you'll move to I.
You'll have a basketball rival soon.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	were exchanging · was heading · were standing
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	You'll start · you'll move · I'll go

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as you'll, couldn't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: vacation /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, rush /ɹʌʃ/

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 cheer, vacation, 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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Fun at Kids Central 35 – Around the World Basketball Game - Learn English Speaking with Video

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