Shadowing Practice: How To Speak Like The 1% Elite - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “How To Speak Like The 1% Elite”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: student, answer, test, band, topic. This video has 323 sentences and 4218 words to shadow. The speech runs for 23:12. The speaker talks fast, about 182 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 |
|---|---|---|
| examiner noun | /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/ | A person who investigates someone or something. |
| memorize verb | /ˈmɛm.əˌɹaɪ̯z/ | To fully learn so as to have entirely available to the memory; to learn by heart, commit to memory. |
| yogurt noun | /ˈjɒɡ.ət/ | A milk-based product stiffened by a bacterium-aided curdling process, and sometimes mixed with fruit or other flavoring. |
| toast noun | /toʊst/ | Bread that has been toasted (cooked lightly by browning). |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| hometown noun | /ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn/ | An individual’s place of birth, childhood home, or place of main residence. |
| spice noun | /spaɪs/ | Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food. |
| cottage noun | /ˈkɒt.ɪd͡ʒ/ | A small house. |
| cheat verb | /ˈt͡ʃiːt/ | To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation. |
| patience noun | /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/ | The quality of being patient. |
| fluently adverb | In a fluent manner, as expressing oneself easily, especially in a foreign language. | |
| memorization noun | /ˈmem(ə)ɹaɪˌzeɪʃn̩/ | The act of committing something to memory or memorizing. |
| nutritious adjective | /nuːˈtɹɪʃəs/ | Providing nutrients; healthy to eat or drink. |
| paneer noun | /pəˈniːɹ/ | A soft, non-matured, Indian cheese. |
| fluent adjective | /ˈfluənt/ | That flows; flowing, liquid. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| burst out verb | To appear suddenly from within something else. | |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). | |
| go off verb | To explode. | |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| cut down verb | To cut downward. | |
| go away verb | To depart or leave a place. | |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. | |
| hands up | /hæn(d)ˈzʌp/ | Put your hands up (if you wish to participate). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Do you think that you sounded very fluent?
- Have you ever received flowers as a gift?
- Is there anything that you dislike about your job?
- You're like, how do I feel about toast?
- I'm sorry, can I have the question again?
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 doing · used to live · used to cook |
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If I was teaching speaking, I would go · if you ask my fiance, she will tell |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were colonized · are trained · is memorized |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | food, which is · students who are · students who spoke |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 82 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: patience /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/, memorization /ˈmem(ə)ɹaɪˌzeɪʃn̩/, nutritious /nuːˈtɹɪʃəs/, specialize /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/, variation /ˌvɛəɹiˈeɪʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: examiner /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, memorization /ˈmem(ə)ɹaɪˌzeɪʃn̩/, importantly /ɪmˈpɔɹ.tənt.li/, adventurous /ædˈvɛn.t͡ʃɚ.əs/
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 examiner, memorize, yogurt.
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.































