Shadowing Practice: Global Success 12: Unit 1 - Dang Thuy Tram - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 28 sentences and 244 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:56. The speaker talks at a steady 126 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

14 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• diary /ˈdaɪ.ə.ɹi/ (noun) — A daily log of experiences, especially those of the writer.
• province /ˈpɹɔv.ɪns/ (noun) — A region of the earth or of a continent; a district or country.
• soldier /ˈsoʊld͡ʒɚ/ (noun) — A member of a ground-based army, of any rank, but especially an enlisted member.
• volunteer /ˌvɑlənˈtɪɹ/ (noun) — One who enters into, or offers themselves for, any service of their own free will, especially when done without pay.
• surgeon /ˈsɝd͡ʒən/ (noun) — One who performs surgery; a doctor who performs operations on people or animals.
• jungle /ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/ (noun) — A large, lush, undeveloped, humid forest, especially in a tropical region, thick with vegetation and wildlife; a tropical rainforest.
• translate /tɹænzˈleɪt/ (verb) — To change spoken words or written text (of a book, document, movie, etc.) from one language to another.
• lend /ˈlɛnd/ (verb) — To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
• devote /dɪˈvəʊt/ (verb) — to give one's time, focus one's efforts, commit oneself, etc. entirely for, on, or to a certain matter; to consecrate.
• hero /ˈhɪɹ.oʊ/ (verb) — To act as a hero (brave person; role model; or protagonist).
• unfortunately /ʌnˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt.li/ (adverb) — Happening through bad luck, or because of some unfortunate event.
• resistance /ɹɪˈzɪstəns/ (noun) — The act of resisting, or the capacity to resist.
• burn /bɝn/ (verb) — To cause to be consumed by fire.
• contain /kənˈteɪn/ (verb) — To hold inside.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• book in (verb) — To check in (to a hotel).
• live in (verb) — To reside on the premises of one's employer (used especially of domestic staff such as nannies, cooks, maids, etc.)
• work in (verb) — To find time or space for, amid other things.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'd, I'm, isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like diary, province, soldier.

Grammar in this video

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