Shadowing Practice: Have you ever failed to achieve a goal? - Learn English Speaking with Video

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5 sentences
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1
Speaking Practice Have you ever failed to achieve a goal?
2
Yes, I have.
3
A few years ago, I set a goal for myself, but I fell short of it because I underestimated how much time and effort it would take.
4
Although I was disappointed, the experience taught me to set more realistic goals and plan things more carefully.
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Looking back, I think that failure helped me grow and become more resilient.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Have you ever failed to achieve a goal?”. This video has 5 sentences and 71 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:26.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 11 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
carefully adverb/ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/With care; attentively, circumspectly.
disappointed adjective/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/Defeated of expectations or hope; experiencing disappointment; let down.
realistic adjective/ˌɹɪəˈlɪs.tɪk/Expressed or represented as being accurate, practicable, or not idealistic.
underestimate verb/ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/To estimate too low; to perceive (someone or something) as having a lower value, quantity, worth, etc., than what he/she/it actually has.
resilient adjective/ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/Returning quickly to original shape after force is applied; elastic. (of objects or substances)
teach verb/ˈtiːt͡ʃ/To pass on knowledge to.
fail verb/feɪl/To be unsuccessful.
achieve verb/əˈt͡ʃiv/To carry out or conclude (something, as a task) successfully; to accomplish.
effort noun/ˈɛf.ɚt/The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.
grow verb/ˈɡɹəʊ/To become larger, to increase in magnitude.
failure noun/ˈfeɪ.ljə/State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordMeaning
look back verbTo think of (past events) in retrospect (in hindsight).

Pronunciation to watch

  • Long words — get the stress right: disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/, underestimate /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/

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 carefully, disappointed, realistic.

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 →