Shadowing Practice: How to become rich - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “How to become rich”. This video has 426 sentences and 5039 words to shadow. The speech runs for 24:54. The speaker talks fast, about 202 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 88% 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 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| therapist noun | /ˈθɛɹəpɪst/ | Someone who provides therapy, usually professionally. |
| millionaire noun | /ˌmɪl.i.əˈnɛə(ɹ)/ | Somebody whose wealth is at least one million (10⁶) currency units (usually understood to exclude holders of hyperinflated currencies). |
| generous adjective | /ˈd͡ʒɛn(ə)ɹəs/ | Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not petty; kind, magnanimous. |
| validate verb | /ˈvæl.ɪ.deɪt/ | To render valid. |
| demon noun | /ˈdiː.mən/ | An evil being resident in or working for Hell; a devil. |
| liability noun | /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/ | An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone. |
| amplify verb | /ˈæm.plə.faɪ/ | To render larger, more extended, or more intense. |
| demonize verb | /ˈdiːmənaɪz/ | To turn into a demon. |
| influencer noun | /ˈɪnflu.ənsə(ɹ)/ | A person who or a thing which influences. |
| obsess verb | /əbˈsɛs/ | To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion. |
| follower noun | /ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/ | One who follows, comes after another. |
| anyways adverb | /ˈɛn.iˌweɪz/ | Anyway, anyhow, in any case. |
| overspend noun | The amount by which someone or something is overspent. | |
| unconditional adjective | /ˌʌnkənˈdɪʃənəl/ | Absolute; without conditions, limitations, reservations or qualifications. |
| validation noun | /ˌvæl.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/ | The act of validating something. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go up verb | To move upwards. | |
| take away verb | /ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/ | To remove something and put it in a different place. |
| give away verb | To make a gift of (something). | |
| open up verb | To open. | |
| write down verb | To produce or set (something) down in writing; to record something. | |
| break up verb | To break or separate into pieces. | |
| come up to verb | To approach. | |
| fill out verb | /fɪl ˈaʊt/ | To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Start thinking, how can I help people?
- See, you might say, no, I don't.
- I'm obsessed with money, whatever.
- Why do I not want that?
- You want to become wealthy?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you've ever dated one you will see |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to just give · used to clean |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is sponsored · were obsessed · be left |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | i've heard · i've relaxed · you've ever dated |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 138 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: therapist /ˈθɛɹəpɪst/, athlete /ˈæθ.liːt/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: unconditional /ˌʌnkənˈdɪʃənəl/, validation /ˌvæl.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, affirmation /æfɝˈmeɪʃn/, desperation /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/, entrepreneurship /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ.ʃɪp/
- Long words — get the stress right: millionaire /ˌmɪl.i.əˈnɛə(ɹ)/, liability /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/, influencer /ˈɪnflu.ənsə(ɹ)/, unconditional /ˌʌnkənˈdɪʃənəl/, validation /ˌvæl.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/
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 therapist, millionaire, generous.
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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