Shadowing Practice: How Watching Movies with Subtitles Boosts English Skills - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 10 sentences and 91 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:38. The speaker talks at a steady 142 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• dual /ˈdul/ (adjective) — Characterized by having two (usually equivalent) components.
• skill /skɪl/ (noun) — A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
• engage /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/ (verb) — To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied.
• accent /ækˈsɛnt/ (noun) — A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to…
• pause /pɔːz/ (noun) — A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
• pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken.
• subtitle /ˈsʌbtaɪtəl/ (noun) — A heading below or after a title.
• idiom /ˈɪdiəm/ (noun) — A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people.
• rewind /ɹiːˈwaɪnd/ (verb) — To wind (something) again.
• sling /ˈslɪŋ/ (noun) — An instrument for throwing stones or other missiles, consisting of a short strap with two strings fastened to its ends, or with a string fastened to one end…
• text /tɛkst/ (noun) — A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences.
• plus /ˈplʌs/ — And; sum of the previous one and the following one.
• catch /kæt͡ʃ/ (verb) — To capture or snare (someone or something which would rather escape).
• powerful /ˈpaʊɚfl̩/ (adjective) — Having, or capable of exerting, power or influence.
• method /ˈmɛθəd/ (noun) — A process by which a task is completed; a way of doing something (followed by the adposition of, to or for before the purpose of the process).

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like dual, skill, engage.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: