Shadowing Practice: How to protect your energy - Learn English Speaking with Video
Who Should Watch This Video?
This video is perfect for intermediate English learners looking to practice conversational listening and speaking while exploring a unique topic. If you want to improve your ability to follow casual, personal narratives or learn to express complex ideas about emotions and energy, this is a great fit. It’s also ideal for those using the shadowing technique—repeating phrases aloud to mimic rhythm and tone—since the speaker’s pace is natural but not overly fast.
Words & Idioms Worth Stealing
The video is full of standout phrases to add to your toolkit. Here are a few:
- Unexplainable feelings: Emotions you can’t easily describe. Example: “She had an unexplainable feeling that something was wrong.”
- Latch on to: To attach oneself to someone or something, often in a persistent way. Example: “The idea latched on to her, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
- Vibrating on a low level: (Figurative) Feeling emotionally drained or negative. Example: “After the argument, he was vibrating on a low level for days.”
How to Get the Accent Right
The speaker, Liz, uses a warm, conversational tone with relaxed pronunciation. To mimic her style, focus on:
- Reduction of “you”: She often shortens “you” to “ya” in phrases like “my love, ya don’t know.” Practice this to sound more natural.
- Intonation in questions: Notice how her voice rises on phrases like “Do you struggle with…?” This helps convey curiosity.
- Stress on key words: She emphasizes words like “your thoughts” and “own opinion” to highlight importance. Use the shadowing technique to copy this stress pattern.
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 really not · used to have · used to do |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | hasn't moved · haven't moved · i've experienced |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are stuck · would be depressed · were never meant |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was thinking · was going · was not thinking |
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.






























