Shadowing Practice: Hope - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
The speaker keeps coming back to these words: rest, riot, swear, calling, die. This video has 19 sentences and 221 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:42. The speaker talks at a steady 131 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 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| riot noun | /ˈɹaɪ.ət/ | A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property. |
| stack noun | /stæk/ | A large pile of hay, grain, straw, or the like, larger at the bottom than the top, sometimes covered with thatch. |
| shoe noun | /ˈʃu/ | A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom part composed of thick leather or plastic sole and often a thicker heel, and a softer upper part made of… |
| divide verb | /dɪˈvaɪd/ | To split or separate (something) into two or more parts. |
| vibe noun | /vaɪb/ | An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing. |
| misery noun | /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹi/ | Great unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind; wretchedness; distress; woe. |
| dedicate verb | /ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪt/ | To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate. |
| envision verb | /ɪnˈvɪʒn̩/ | To conceive or see something within one's mind. To imagine. |
| swear verb | /ˈswɛɚ/ | To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect. |
| cheese noun | /t͡ʃiz/ | A dairy product made from curdled or cultured milk. |
| plate noun | /ˈpleɪ̯t/ | A slightly curved but almost flat dish from which food is served or eaten. |
| tired adjective | [ˈtaɪ̯ɚd] | In need of some rest or sleep. |
| cross noun | /kɹɑs/ | A geometrical figure consisting of two straight lines or bars intersecting each other such that at least one of them is bisected by the other. |
| flight noun | /ˈflaɪ̯t/ | The act of flying; the ability to fly. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 20 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, wanna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shoe /ˈʃu/, envision /ɪnˈvɪʒn̩/
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 riot, stack, shoe.
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.