Shadowing Practice: I AM THEATRE: Jenny Larson - Learn English Speaking with Video

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18 sentences

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2001 was a year of beginnings for me.

In the winter of 2001 I had seen a Salvage Vanguard Theatre production of Mack Wellman's Terminal Hip.

And this was eye-opening to me in terms of what theatre could be.

Up until that point I felt like my experience with theatre had been very much the classics and traditional.

And I think what most people who don't do theater think of theater, that's what I knew.

So I decided to seek out an internship with Salvage Vanguard because they had inspired me.

Also, that spring I had just had a baby.

And there's something about that moment that just sticks with me still in terms of this new baby, new life.

And then this new career which was also about new plays.

And the exciting thing about new works to me is how different stories can be told

and how we can continue to push the envelope.

And that's something that really continues to invigorate me is what's next?

What is the next step in American theater?

What's the next way that we engage with our audiences and tell stories?

The theater world has to continue to evolve with the rest of the world.

And so how we play with that is by bringing these new works to the stage,

by playing with new ways to engage new audiences.

I am Jenny Larson and I am theater.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 18 sentences and 235 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:26. The speaker talks at a natural 164 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% 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 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
theater noun	/ˈθi(ə)tɚ/	A place or building, consisting of a stage and seating, in which an audience gathers to watch plays, musical performances, public ceremonies, and so on.
engage verb	/ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/	To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied.
inspire verb	/ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/	To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by…
envelope noun	/ˈɛnvə(ˌ)loʊp/	A paper or cardboard wrapper used to enclose small, flat items, especially letters, for mailing.
evolve verb	/ɪˈvɑlv/	To move (something) in regular procession through a system.
internship noun	/ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp/	A job taken by a student in order to learn a profession or trade.
excite verb	/ɪkˈsaɪt/	To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.
invigorate verb	/ɪnˈvɪɡəɹeɪt/	To impart vigor, strength, or vitality to.
seek verb	/ˈsiːk/	To try to find; to look for; to search for.
audience noun	/ˈɔːdi.əns/	A group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.
beginning noun	/bɪˈɡɪn.ɪŋ/	The act of doing that which begins anything; commencement of an action, state, or space of time; entrance into being or upon a course; the first act, effort…
spring noun	/ˈspɹɪŋ/	An act of springing: a leap, a jump.
winter noun	/ˈwɪntə/	Traditionally the fourth of the four seasons, typically regarded as spanning either the period between the winter solstice to the spring equinox, or the months…
traditional adjective	/tɹəˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/	Of, relating to, or derived from tradition.
push verb	/pʊʃ/	To apply a force to (an object) such that it moves away from the person or thing applying the force.

Pronunciation to watch

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: internship /ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp/, traditional /tɹəˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/, push /pʊʃ/
Long words — get the stress right: invigorate /ɪnˈvɪɡəɹeɪt/, traditional /tɹəˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/

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 theater, engage, inspire.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	people who don · career which was
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	can be told

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 →

Shadowing Practice: I AM THEATRE: Jenny Larson - Learn English Speaking with Video

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