Shadowing Practice: HEATHEN ''Lee Altus on CBS NEWS'' - 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 “HEATHEN ''Lee Altus on CBS NEWS''”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Lee, Soviet, band, Union. This video has 29 sentences and 369 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:11. The speaker talks at a natural 170 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 91% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bind verb | /ˈbaɪ̯nd/ | To tie; to confine by any ligature. |
| relation noun | /ɹɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ | The manner in which two things may be associated. |
| guitar noun | /ɡɪˈtɑɹ/ | A stringed musical instrument, of European origin, usually with a fretted fingerboard and six strings, played with the fingers or a plectrum (guitar pick). |
| tape noun | /teɪ̯p/ | Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape. |
| hockey noun | /ˈhɑ.ki/ | Any of a family of sports in which hockey sticks are used to move a ball or puck into a goal. |
| friendship noun | /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/ | The condition of being friends. |
| routine noun | /ɹuˈtin/ | A course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure. |
| settle verb | /ˈsɛtəl/ | To determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc). |
| summit noun | /ˈsʌmɪt/ | The highest point of a hill, mountain, or similar geographical feature. |
| mama noun | /ˈmɑmə/ | Synonym of mother (“a female parent”). |
| emigrate verb | /ˈɛmɪɡɹeɪt/ | To leave the country in which one lives, especially one's native country, in order to reside elsewhere. |
| excite verb | /ɪkˈsaɪt/ | To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement. |
| immigrate verb | /ˈɪmɪɡɹeɪt/ | To move into a foreign country to stay permanently. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| open up verb | To open. |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as they're, they've, couldn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: relation /ɹɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/
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 bind, relation, guitar.
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.