Shadowing Practice: How to Remember Vocabulary (Easily) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hello, everybody.
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In this video, I'm going to share with you a technique that you can use to remember English vocabulary.
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And the reason that I recommend this technique is that it's pretty effective.
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I actually did a small experiment.
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I created two lists of words that I didn't know and I just tried to memorize the words in each list.
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I did not use any technique to memorize the first list.
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It was just pure repetition.
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But for the second list, I used the technique that you're about to learn.
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The next day I tried to recall the meanings of the words in both lists.
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For the first list, I was able to recall only 12%.
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But for the second list, I recalled as much as 50%.
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This is pretty impressive considering the fact that I spent only one minute memorizing each word.
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So let me explain the technique and then at the end of this video, I will give you a link to an exercise that you can do to practice this technique.
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So let say we want to remember the word "adroit", which means "clever or skillful at something; really good at something".
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The first thing we need to do is to come up with another word that sounds similar to this word.
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And that word must refer to something that we can visualize - something that we can see in our mind.
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So for this word, the substitute word could be the word 'android' which means "a robot." Right?
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Adroit and android sound pretty close to each other.
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We could also use the phrase "a drawing".
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That sounds similar as well.
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Adroit. A drawing.
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What these words have in common is that they refer to something that we can visualize.
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And this is a very important point and you're going find out why soon.
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So we have two options here but let's use the word 'android' as the substitute word.
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Now visualize an android. You know...a robot that looks like a human.
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Next, we have to associate this image to the meaning of the word that we want to remember.
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And again the meaning is "skillful at something.
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That's the meaning.
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So perhaps we can imagine the android doing something that requires a lot of skill.
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Maybe we can imagine the android playing the guitar on stage.
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Maybe there's a competition going on and we can imagine other guitarists come up on stage and try to compete with the android.
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But everybody loses because the android is very good at playing the guitar.
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The android is adroit at playing the guitar.
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So what we're doing here is associate the pronunciation with the meaning through an image or a story.
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We're creating an association between them.
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So when you come across this word again, the pronunciation will remind you of the association and therefore the meaning of the word.
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Let's take a look at one more example.
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Suppose we want to memorize the word "lambaste," which means "to criticize (someone or something) harshly" For the first syllable 'lam,' we can use "lamb" - the animal, or "lamp" - the thing that generates light, as the substitute word.
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For the second syllable "baste," we can use "bass" - the musical instrument. And I also happen to have a friend named "Bass". So personally, I can use his name as the substitute word as well.
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But let's use "lamb" the animal and "bass" the musical instrument together.
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So we can imagine a lamb playing the bass. But unfortunately, the lamb is really terrible at playing the bass. So the bass gets angry and starts criticizing the lamb.
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The bass is lambasting the lamb.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will learn an effective technique for remembering English vocabulary through visualization and association. This method not only helps you recall meanings but also aids in improving your overall vocabulary retention. By engaging in this process, you will enhance your vocabulary knowledge, which is essential for success in various English language exams like IELTS, and you will practice using the shadowspeak technique, allowing you to improve English pronunciation while speaking.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Adroit – clever or skillful at something.
  • Android – a robot that resembles a human.
  • Lambaste – to criticize someone or something harshly.
  • Visualization – the process of creating mental images to aid memory.
  • Association – connecting one word with another to enhance recall.
  • Shadowing Technique – a language-learning exercise where learners repeat what they hear to improve pronunciation and fluency.
  • Pronunciation – the way in which a word is pronounced.

Practice Tips

To make the most out of this vocabulary memorization technique, consider the following tips:

  • Engage in Shadowspeak: As you visualize the keywords like "adroit" and "lambaste," speak them aloud using the shadowing technique. This will help solidify your memory of both the words and their meanings.
  • Adjust Your Speed: When practicing, mimic the speed of natural speech from the video. Slow down if necessary but try to maintain a rhythm similar to the speaker. This helps you adjust to natural intonation and rhythm.
  • Use Imagery: Create vivid mental images of the associations you’ve developed. For instance, visualize an android playing the guitar skillfully each time you hear "adroit." The more unusual and colorful your images, the better they will stick in your mind.
  • Consistency is Key: Regularly practice new vocabulary using this method. Spend at least 10 minutes daily, repeating the words and visualizing their meanings. This routine will help enhance your retention significantly.
  • Record Yourself: After creating associations, record your own voice using the shadowspeak method to hear your pronunciation. Listen back to identify areas for improvement, especially focusing on rhythm and stress.

By implementing these techniques, you will not only improve your vocabulary but also gain confidence in your English speaking skills, enhancing your overall communication abilities. Happy learning!

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.