Shadowing Practice: How I faced rejections in interview | English conversation with RAM - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “How I faced rejections in interview”. This video has 405 sentences and 4690 words to shadow. The speech runs for 26:26. The speaker talks at a natural 177 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| rejection noun | /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/ | The act of rejecting. |
| priest noun | /ˈpɹiːst/ | A religious clergyman (clergywoman, clergyperson) who is trained to perform services or sacrifices at a church or temple. |
| peer noun | /pɪɹ/ | Somebody who is, or something that is, at a level or of a value equal (to that of something else). |
| select verb | /sɪˈlɛkt/ | To choose one or more elements of a set, especially a set of options. |
| crack noun | /kɹæk/ | A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material. |
| scholarship noun | /ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/ | A grant-in-aid to a student. |
| nowadays adverb | /ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/ | At the present time; in the current era. |
| bachelor noun | /ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)/ | A person, especially a man, who is socially regarded as able to marry, but has not yet. |
| locality noun | /loʊˈkæl.ɪ.ti/ | The fact or quality of having a position in space. |
| shadow noun | /ˈʃædəʊ̯/ | A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object. |
| lyrics noun | /ˈlɪɹ.ɪks/ | The words to a song (or other vocal music). |
| pursue verb | /pɚˈsu/ | To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase. |
| khan noun | /kɑːn/ | An Ottoman sultan. |
| communicate verb | /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/ | To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come back from verb | To become successful, confident or effective again after an injury, setback, failure, embarrassment, etc. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to see · used to use · used to have |
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | you've been working · i've been using · she's been trying |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have completed · have learned · have faced |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are connected · are finally connected · is provided |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 104 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: rejection /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/, scholarship /ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/
- Long words — get the stress right: locality /loʊˈkæl.ɪ.ti/, communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, hospitality /ˌhɑ.spɪˈtæl.ə.ti/, limitation /lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/
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 connect, rejection, priest.
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.












