Shadowing Practice: Human Body 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Lesson 11.
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Word List.
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Boy Scout.
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I am going to a Boy Scout camp tomorrow.
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History I think Lincoln is the best president in history.
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Custom.
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My father wears custom clothes only.
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Stamp.
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I forgot to put a stamp on the letter.
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Giant.
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The hands of the giant are so big, Normal.
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Amy was born into a normal family.
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Ceiling.
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A man is fixing a light on the ceiling.
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Collect.
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Her hobby is collecting stamps.
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Tall.
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She is not as tall as her brother.
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Store.
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The store sells delicious breads.
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Help.
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She helped Ron carry the boxes.
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Close.
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He has many clothes.
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Fit.
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Her new dress fits well.
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Seat.
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The car seat is very comfortable.
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head.
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She brushed the hair on her head.
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parent I live with my parents.
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Lesson 11.
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Wow, that's tall.
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Think of the tallest person you know.
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Does their head touch the ceiling?
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If not, then they are not as tall as Robert Wadlow was.
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He is the tallest man in history.
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Robert Wadlow was a normal sized baby.
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His parents could carry him around.
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But all that soon changed.
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At the age of four, he was 165 centimeters.
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He was as big as some adults.
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Robert kept growing.
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By age 10, he was 200 centimeters tall and weighed 100 kilograms.
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He was much taller than his father.
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Still, Robert did the same things as most boys his age.
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He collected stamps and liked taking pictures.
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He was also a Boy Scout for many years.
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Robert liked helping people.
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The clothes at the store were too small for Robert.
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His feet were 47 centimeters long.
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Robert needed custom clothes and shoes.
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His clothes were made just for him.
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They were made to fit his big body.
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Robert was also too big for cars.
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His father made their car bigger.
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He moved the car seats to make room for Robert's legs.
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Robert grew to be 272 centimeters by age 22.
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He was a giant.
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His head touched the ceiling.
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Since Robert was so big, he ate a lot of food.
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He ate about four times as much as most people.
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Maybe that's why he was 220 kilograms.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video titled "Human Body 2" offers a fantastic opportunity for English learners to practice speaking in a context that relates to everyday topics such as family, hobbies, and historical figures. By engaging with this material, you can effectively enhance your English speaking skills through the shadowing technique, where you mimic the speaker’s rhythm and pronunciation. This method not only boosts your confidence but also allows you to internalize common phrases and vocabulary. Moreover, using engaging content like this helps keep learners motivated and interested in practicing their speaking abilities, a crucial aspect of IELTS speaking practice.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

  • Comparative Structures: The phrase "not as tall as..." is demonstrated when comparing heights. This structure is useful for making comparisons in conversation.
  • Past Simple Tense: Phrases such as "He was born" and "He collected stamps" highlight the past simple tense, which is essential for narrating past events.
  • Present Continuous Tense: The video uses examples like "He is fixing a light," illustrating the present continuous tense for actions currently happening.
  • Expressing Habits: By stating "Robert liked helping people," you can learn how to express preferences and habitual actions, which is useful in both spoken and written English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While shadowing this video, pay attention to some tricky words and phrases. For example, the word "collecting" might lead to confusion because of the ending sound; it should be pronounced clearly to maintain fluidity in speech. Additionally, the term "ceiling" may be mispronounced if not practiced correctly, as it differs from how it looks (the 'ee' sound can be understated). Listening and repeating these words can significantly improve your English pronunciation.

As you practice, consider using the shadow speech strategy, where you listen to a sentence and then repeat it immediately. This can help solidify your grasp on pronunciation and intonation, making your speaking skills more fluid and natural. Engaging with materials like this video is a fantastic way to learn English with YouTube content that's both informative and entertaining!

Grammar in this video

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

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itwas born · were made
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a groupthe best · the tallest
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around nowis fixing · is collecting

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →