Shadowing Practice: Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr”. This video has 9 sentences and 110 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:10. The speaker talks slowly, about 95 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| earn verb | /ɝn/ | To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work. |
| prayer noun | /pɹɛɚ/ | A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity. |
| confirm verb | /kənˈfɝm/ | To strengthen; to make firm or resolute. |
| contribute verb | /kənˈtɹɪb.jut/ | To give something that is or becomes part of a larger whole. |
| intention noun | /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/ | A course of action that a person intends to follow. |
| announce verb | /əˈnaʊn(t)s/ | To give public notice of, especially for the first time; to make known. |
| mainstream adjective | /ˈmeɪn.stɹiːm/ | Used or accepted broadly rather than by small portions of population, market, scientific community, etc. |
| elect verb | /ɪˈlɛkt/ | To choose or make a decision (to do something). |
| pardon noun | /ˈpɑːdn̩/ | Forgiveness for an offence. |
| acutely adverb | /əˈkjuːtli/ | In an acute manner |
| belatedly adverb | In a belated manner; tardily. | |
| betterment noun | /ˈbɛtɚmənt/ | An improvement or amelioration. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have not elected · have granted |
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 earn, prayer, confirm.
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.