Shadowing Practice: I don't Make Wishes Often | Whitney Hanson Poetry - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “I don't Make Wishes Often”. This video has 7 sentences and 136 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:53. The speaker talks at a natural 155 words per minute, close to everyday conversation.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| disappointed adjective | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/ | Defeated of expectations or hope; experiencing disappointment; let down. |
| lately adverb | /ˈleɪt.li/ | Recently; not long ago; of late; not long since. |
| arrive verb | /əˈɹaɪv/ | To reach; to get to a certain place. |
| quietly adverb | /ˈkwaɪ.ɪt.li/ | Producing little or no noise. |
| candle noun | /ˈkæn.dəl/ | A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a solid, flammable substance such as wax, tallow, or paraffin. |
| hopeful adjective | /ˈhoʊpfl̩/ | feeling hope |
| whisper verb | /ˈ(h)wɪspɚ/ | To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the… |
| dandelion noun | /ˈdæn.dəˌlaɪ.ən/ | Any of the several species of plant in the genus Taraxacum, characterised by yellow flower heads and notched, broad-ended leaves, especially the common… |
| eyelash noun | /ˈaɪlæʃ/ | One of the hairs which grows along the edge of eyelids. |
| shift noun | /ˈʃɪft/ | A movement to do something, a beginning. |
| shoot verb | /ʃut/ | To fire (a weapon that releases a bullet or other projectile). |
| birthday noun | /ˈbɜːθ.deɪ/ | The anniversary of the day on which someone is born. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been thinking |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has left · They've left · has arrived |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will come · will get |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | is shifting |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: eyelash /ˈaɪlæʃ/, shift /ˈʃɪft/, shoot /ʃut/
- Long words — get the stress right: disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/, dandelion /ˈdæn.dəˌlaɪ.ən/
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 disappointed, lately, arrive.
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.