Shadowing Practice: I Hate My Job - Vocabulary - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
Same Channel
Recommend Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “I Hate My Job - Vocabulary”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: repeat, example, exactly. This video has 529 sentences and 2904 words to shadow. The speech runs for 21:52. The speaker talks at a steady 133 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| clock noun | /klɑk/ | A chronometer, an instrument that measures time, particularly the time of day. |
| dragon noun | /ˈdɹæɡən/ | In European mythologies, a gigantic beast, typically reptilian with leathery bat-like wings, lion-like claws, scaly skin and a lizard-like body, often a… |
| trap noun | /tɹæp/ | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body. |
| deadline noun | /ˈdɛdˌlaɪn/ | A time limit in the form of a date on or before which something must be completed. |
| passionate adjective | /ˈpæʃənɪt/ | Fired with intense feeling. |
| painful adjective | /ˈpeɪn.fl̩/ | Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental. |
| miserable adjective | /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/ | In a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor. |
| stomach noun | /ˈstʌmək/ | An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion. |
| paperwork noun | /ˈpeɪ.pɚˌwɝk/ | Routine work involving written documents. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| 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. |
| occur verb | /əˈkɜː/ | To happen or take place. |
| worker noun | /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ | One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| burn out verb | To destroy by fire. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. |
| stand around verb | To stand without doing anything; to do nothing productive; to waste time. |
| start off verb | To begin. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Let's start with the conversation.
- I feel like I'm just going through the motions.
- You can't leave because the money is too good.
- You don't change everything at once.
- What would you rather do?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the worst · the most terrible · The best |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | stop micromanaging · starts hurting · stop working |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are talking · I'm just going · he's just going |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 38 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: passionate /ˈpæʃənɪt/, passion /ˈpæʃən/, exception /əkˈsɛpʃən/, exaggeration /ɪɡˌzæd͡ʒəˈɹeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/, difficulty /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/, voluntarily /ˌvɑlənˈtɛɹɪli/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like clock, dragon, trap.
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.

























