Shadowing Practice: Hopscotch Space Songs Compilation - 14 minutes - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Hopscotch Space Songs Compilation - 14 minutes”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Pluto, Ceres, moon, planet, sun. This video has 140 sentences and 1364 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:43. The speaker talks slowly, about 99 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 72% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 27 of its 140 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| orbit noun | /ˈɔɹ.bɪt/ | An elliptical movement of an object about a celestial object or Lagrange point, especially a periodic elliptical revolution. |
| gravity noun | /ˈɡɹævɪti/ | Of an activity such as a ceremony, a person's conduct, etc.: the quality of being deeply serious and solemn, especially in a dignified manner; seriousness… |
| hydrogen noun | /ˈhaɪdɹəd͡ʒ(ə)n/ | The lightest chemical element (symbol H), with an atomic number of 1 and atomic weight of 1.008. |
| atmosphere noun | /ˈætməsˌfɪɹ/ | The gases surrounding the Earth or any astronomical body. |
| belt noun | /ˈbɛlt/ | A band worn around the waist to hold clothing to one's body (usually pants), hold weapons (such as a gun or sword), or serve as a decorative piece of clothing. |
| reflect verb | /ɹɪˈflɛkt/ | To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface. |
| spin verb | /spɪn/ | To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction. |
| thirty noun | /ˈθɝti/ | A commercial lasting 30 seconds. |
| introduce verb | /ˌɪntɹəˈdus/ | To cause (someone) to be acquainted (with someone else). |
| wax noun | /waks/ | Beeswax. |
| fade verb | /feɪd/ | To hit the ball with the shot called a fade. |
| backward adjective | /ˈbækwɚd/ | Situated toward or at the rear of something. |
| rotate verb | /ˈɹoʊ.teɪt/ | To spin, turn, or revolve. |
| asteroid noun | /ˈæst(ə)ɹɔɪd/ | A naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and a dwarf planet, larger than a meteoroid and not a comet, that orbits a star and often… |
| thin adjective | /ˈθɪn/ | Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
| go around verb | To move or spread from person to person. |
| go away verb | To depart or leave a place. |
| go past verb | To elapse. (said of time) |
| light up verb | To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten. |
| ring around verb | To call a number of people by phone, usually a circle of friends, to organise something. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'm a giant made of hydrogen and helium.
- I got supersonic winds that's faster than sound.
- That's my nuclear fusion energy.
- Without me there's no life.
- Do you clear your surroundings?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be told · is lit · is called |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've loved · I've been |
| Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things | faster than · smaller than · brighter than |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the smallest · the windiest · the biggest |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 47 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thirty /ˈθɝti/, thin /ˈθɪn/, breathe /bɹiːð/, thrill /θɹɪl/, girth /ɡɝθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/, shine /ʃaɪn/, fusion /ˈfjuː.ʒən/, reddish /ˈɹɛdɪʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: meteorite /ˈmi.ti.əˌɹaɪt/, terrestrial /tɪˈɹɛstɹɪ.əl/
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 orbit, gravity, hydrogen.
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.















