Shadowing Practice: How TLOU2's Political Messaging Contradicts Itself - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 656 sentences and 9458 words to shadow. The speech runs for 49:33. The speaker talks fast, about 191 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| narrative noun | /ˈnæɹ.ə.tɪv/ | The systematic recitation of an event or series of events. |
| representation noun | /ˌɹɛp.ɹə.zɛnˈteɪ.ʃən/ | That which represents something else. |
| genocide noun | /ˈd͡ʒɛnəsaɪd/ | The systematic and deliberate destruction of a group of people; typically by killing substantial numbers of them, on the basis of their ethnicity, religion… |
| translation noun | /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/ | The conversion of text from one language to another. |
| hatred noun | /ˈheɪtɹɪd/ | A strong aversion; an intense dislike. |
| diversity noun | /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/ | The quality of being diverse or different; a difference or unlikeness. |
| harassment noun | /həˈɹæsmənt/ | Persistent attacks and criticism causing worry and distress. |
| commit verb | /kəˈmɪt/ | To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto. |
| revenge noun | /ɹəˈvɛnd͡ʒ/ | Any form of personal, retaliatory action against an individual, institution, or group for some alleged or perceived harm or injustice. |
| gameplay noun | /ˈɡeɪmˌpleɪ/ | The totality of player experiences during a game, such as the gaming environment and the competitive interaction with other players; often with reference to a… |
| gamer noun | /ˈɡeɪ̯mə/ | A person who plays any kind of game. |
| violent adjective | /ˈvaɪ.ə.lənt/ | Involving extreme force or motion. |
| diverse adjective | /daɪˈvɜːs/ | Consisting of different elements; various. |
| colonial adjective | /kəˈloʊ.njəl/ | Of or pertaining to a colony. |
| awareness noun | /əˈwɛɹ.nəs/ | The state or level of consciousness where sense data can be confirmed by an observer. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| call out verb | To specify, especially in detail. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| blow up verb | To explode or be destroyed by explosion. | |
| bring up verb | To mention. | |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). | |
| go around verb | To move or spread from person to person. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 67 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, doesn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: representation /ˌɹɛp.ɹə.zɛnˈteɪ.ʃən/, translation /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/, oppression /əˈpɹɛʃən/, contrast /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/
- Long words — get the stress right: representation /ˌɹɛp.ɹə.zɛnˈteɪ.ʃən/, diversity /daɪˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/, ideology /aɪ.diˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/, protagonist /pɹəˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/, biological /ˌbaɪ.əˈlɑ.d͡ʒɪ.kəl/
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 narrative, representation, genocide.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | has been fighting · I've been praising · has been going |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have sunk · has received · has been rooted |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | cannot be separated · is often misplaced · has been rooted |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who act · women who were · people who like |
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.






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