Shadowing Practice: If You Know These 11 Words, Your English Is Excellent! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Imagine you're in a job interview or talking with new friends.
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You want to say something smart but suddenly the right word doesn't come.
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You feel stuck and maybe a little bit embarrassed.
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This happens to millions of English learners.
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In fact studies show that vocabulary size is one of the biggest signs of fluency.
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The more words you know the more confident you feel.
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So, the question is, how strong is your vocabulary?
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Let's find out together.
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I have 11 words for you today, and we'll start with easy ones, and we'll go step by step all the way up to advanced level.
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If you know them all, great, your English is excellent.
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And if not, don't worry, because you're going to learn them all today.
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Section one is the easier words, B1 to B2 level.
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The first word is value.
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Does value mean hope, worth or uncertainty?
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Three, two, one.
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The answer is worth.
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If something has value, it's useful or important.
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For example, friendship has great value.
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So word number one, value equals worth.
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Word number two, are you ready?
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Typical.
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Does typical mean ordinary, expensive or complicated?
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Three, two, one.
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The answer is ordinary.
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A typical day means a normal day, nothing special.
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For example, it was a typical Monday.
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I just drank coffee, went to work and came home.
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Quick fact for you, in spoken English, typical is often used with a little negative feeling.
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For example, oh, that's so typical of him.
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Meaning, it's unexpected, but not in a good way.
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Okay, word three is emphasize now does it mean to highlight to remove
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or to weaken three two one okay the answer is highlight
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if you emphasize something you give it special importance for example the teacher emphasized the need to practice
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every day so here's a question for you do you emphasize grammar
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or do you emphasize vocabulary when you study write your answer in the comments okay
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so these first words have been very useful
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but maybe you already knew them the next group is where learners sometimes start to struggle so So let's level up.
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Section two, the medium words.
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Okay, word four, blunt.
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Does blunt mean sharp, straightforward, or foolish?
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What do you think?
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Okay, three, two, one.
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The answer is straightforward.
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A blunt person speaks very, very directly, sometimes too directly.
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For example, she was blunt about her opinion even if it hurt people.
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So in real life, have you ever had a blunt teacher or friend who just says the truth without sugarcoating it?
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It can be helpful, but it could also be painful.
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So word five is consequence.
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Does it mean cause, result or ignorance?
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Three, two, one.
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The answer is result.
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Usually a bad result.
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Example, the consequence of not sleeping is feeling really tired at work.
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A fact for you, native speakers often say face the consequences.
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That means to accept the result of your actions.
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Okay, moving on, where are we?
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Word six.
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Authentic.
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Does authentic mean unoriginal, genuine or serious?
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Three, two, one.
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The answer is genuine.
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If something is authentic, that means it's real.
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For example, this is an authentic Italian pizza, which means it actually comes from Italy.
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Word seven, I think now, is evolve.
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Does evolve mean to stay the same, change gradually or break?
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Three, two, one.
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The answer is change gradually.
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So for example, English has evolved over time.
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Words like selfie and emoji are new to the English language because English has evolved.
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Okay guys, you're doing great so far, but here comes the real test.
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These next words are really advanced.
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Right, section three, advanced words.
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Word eight now, ambiguous.
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Ambiguous.
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Does ambiguous mean identical, open to more than one thing, or exhausted?
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What do you think?
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Three, two, one.
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The answer is open to more than one meaning.
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For example, the email was ambiguous, so I wasn't sure what to do.
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Got it?
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Okay, word nine now.
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Facilitate.
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Does facilitate mean to make easier, to make longer, or to make stronger?
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Three, two, one.
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The answer is to make easier.
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For example, this new app will facilitate learning English.
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So a little tip for you to remember.
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Imagine carrying 10 books.
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Heavy, right?
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Now imagine carrying one small Kindle.
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Technology facilitates your reading.
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Technology makes reading easier, more simple.
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Okay, moving on.
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Word 10.
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Succinct.
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Does succinct mean vague, brief and clear, or condescending?
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Three, two, one.
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The answer is brief and clear.
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Her explanation was succinct.
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Short but complete.
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And here's a little tip for you.
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In job interviews, being succinct is a lot better than talking too much.
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Employers love clear, succinct answers.
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Okay, guys.
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And the final word is eschew.
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So does eschew mean to avoid, to promote or to undo?
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What do you think?
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Okay, three, two, one.
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The answer is to avoid.
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So for example, he decided to eschew social media so he could focus on studying.
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I think we all need to do a bit of that.
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Okay, so here's a thought.
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What's one thing you might eschew to improve your English?
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Put your answer in the comments.
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So how many words did you know?
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If you knew all 15, congratulations.
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You're at the top level of learner, but if not, don't worry because now you know them and now they're a part of your vocabulary.
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And if you really want to remember them, you can download the free lesson PDF that's in the description.
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And remember guys, vocabulary size is one of the biggest signs of fluency.
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The more words you know, the more confident and natural you'll sound.
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And if you want to know how to speed up your English learning journey from intermediate to fluent level, then watch this video next.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 121 sentences and 962 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:47. The speaker talks at a steady 124 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| blunt adjective | /blʌnt/ | Having a thick edge or point; not sharp. |
| 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. |
| emphasize verb | /ˈɛm.fə.saɪz/ | To stress, give emphasis or extra weight to (something). |
| authentic adjective | /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/ | Of the same origin as claimed; genuine. |
| facilitate verb | /fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/ | To make easy or easier. |
| evolve verb | /ɪˈvɑlv/ | To move (something) in regular procession through a system. |
| ambiguous adjective | /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/ | Open to multiple interpretations. |
| consequence noun | /ˈkɑn.sɪ.kwəns/ | An effect; something that follows a cause as a result. |
| ordinary adjective | /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/ | Having regular jurisdiction; now only used in certain phrases. |
| genuine adjective | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.juˌɪn/ | Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native. |
| gradually adverb | /ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəli/ | In a gradual manner; making slow progress; slowly. |
| highlight verb | /ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/ | To make prominent; emphasize. |
| straightforward adjective | /ˌstɹeɪtˈfɔː(ɹ)wə(ɹ)d/ | Proceeding in a straight course or manner; not deviating. |
| sharp adjective | /ʃɑɹp/ | Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded. |
| complicated adjective | /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/ | Difficult or convoluted. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| speed up verb | /spiːdˈʌp/ | To accelerate; to increase speed. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have been · has evolved |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | friend who just · pizza, which means |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the biggest |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | we'll start · will facilitate · you'll sound |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, we'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sharp /ʃɑɹp/, explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/, foolish /ˈfuː.lɪʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, facilitate /fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/, ambiguous /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/, ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/
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 blunt, vocabulary, emphasize.
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.