Shadowing Practice: Grade 7- Unit 2- Skills 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 11 sentences and 102 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:44. The speaker talks at a steady 138 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| acne noun | /ˈækni/ | A skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterised by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands… |
| soap noun | /soʊp/ | A metallic salt derived from a fatty acid, commonly used in cleaning products. |
| vegetable noun | /ˈvɛd͡ʒ.tə.bəl/ | A plant raised for some edible part of it, such as the leaves, roots, fruit or flowers, but excluding any plant considered to be a fruit, grain, herb, or spice… |
| affect verb | /əˈfɛkt/ | To influence or alter. |
| fruit noun | /fɹut/ | A product of fertilization in a plant, specifically |
| dirty adjective | /ˈdɝti/ | Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime. |
| tip noun | /tɪp/ | A gratuity; a small amount of money left for a bartender, waiter, taxi driver or other service worker as a token of appreciation, often calculated as a… |
| skin noun | /skɪn/ | The outer protective layer of the body of any animal, including of a human. |
| spot noun | /spɑt/ | A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape. |
| touch verb | /tʌt͡ʃ/ | To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with. |
| disease noun | /dɪˈziːz/ | An abnormal condition of a human, animal or plant that causes discomfort or dysfunction; distinct from injury insofar as the latter is usually instantaneously… |
| doctor noun | /ˈdɑktɚ/ | A physician; a member of the medical profession; one who is trained and licensed to heal the sick or injured. The final examination and qualification may award… |
| avoid verb | /əˈvɔɪd/ | To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun. |
| condition noun | /kənˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ | A state or quality. |
| twice adverb | /twaɪs/ | Two times. |
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 acne, soap, vegetable.
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.






























