Shadowing Practice: GRADE 9 UNIT 2 SKILLS 2 - 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 “GRADE 9 UNIT 2 SKILLS 2”. This video has 20 sentences and 180 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:06. The speaker talks at a natural 163 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 3 of its 20 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mall noun | /mɔːl/ | A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct. |
| lazy adjective | /ˈleɪ̯zi(ː)/ | Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion. |
| uncomfortable adjective | /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/ | Not comfortable; causing discomfort. |
| cinema noun | /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/ | A movie theatre, a movie house. |
| convenient adjective | /kənˈviː.niənt/ | Serving to reduce a difficulty, or accessible with minimum difficulty; expedient. |
| warn verb | /woɹn/ | To make (someone) aware of impending danger, evil, etc. |
| costly adjective | /ˈkɒst.li/ | Of high cost; expensive. |
| hygiene noun | /ˈhaɪˌd͡ʒiːn/ | The science of health, its promotion and preservation. |
| stall noun | /stɔːl/ | A compartment for a single animal in a stable or cattle shed. |
| livable adjective | Endurable, survivable, suitable for living in, inhabitable. | |
| widen verb | /ˈwaɪdn̩/ | To become wide or wider. |
| cook verb | /kʊk/ | To prepare food for eating, typically by heating it, combining it with other ingredients, seasoning it, preparing it for serving, etc. |
| teach verb | /ˈtiːt͡ʃ/ | To pass on knowledge to. |
| entertainment noun | /ˌɛn.tɚˈteɪn.mənt/ | An activity designed to give pleasure, enjoyment, diversion, amusement, or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as… |
| facility noun | /fəˈsɪlɪti/ | The physical means or contrivances to make something (especially a public service) possible; the required equipment, infrastructure, location etc. |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, entertainment /ˌɛn.tɚˈteɪn.mənt/, facility /fəˈsɪlɪti/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like mall, lazy, uncomfortable.
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.