Shadowing Practice: In search of monsters - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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In Search of Monsters
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Outside the International Cryptozoology Museum an eight -foot replica of Bigfoot stands guard.
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Glancing around the two rooms, visitors see plastic casts of Bigfoot and Yeti footprints,
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hair samples, and a life -size model of a koala canth.
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Most of the 2 ,300 specimens of the weird and wonderful
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that can be found here come from the personal collection of Lauren Coleman, the museum's owner and the world's leading cryptozoologist.
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Loren first became fascinated by the study of cryptids, or hidden animals, when he was 12 years old after seeing a documentary on yetis.
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But his teacher told him that it was all just nonsense.
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Unconvinced, he set out to find all there was to know about legendary beasts such as yetis,
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lake monsters, giant snakes, and chupacabras.
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His interest led to a lifelong passion for monster hunting and cryptozoology.
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To date, he has written over 30 books
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and has spent countless hours traveling and camping out all over the American continent and abroad,
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interviewing witnesses and examining possible evidence of cryptids' existence, such as footprints, hair samples,
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scratches, audiotapes of screeches, and videos and photos.
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Not surprisingly, Loren is often the first person TV producers turn to when they want an expert on the unexplained.
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He holds a BA in Zoology and Anthropology, an MA in Social Work,
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and has done postgraduate work in Sociology and Anthropology.
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His opinion is valued because even though he firmly believes cryptids exist, he still demands hard evidence.
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Until I have a hair sample or footprint or twisted branch, I'm really kind of skeptical, he says.
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80 % of all accounts are ordinary animals.
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A few fakes, a few hoaxes.
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But it's that 20 % of unknowns that keeps me going.
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A particular interest of Coleman's is one of the most famous cryptids of all,
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Bigfoot or Sasquatch, which is said to inhabit forests mainly in the northwestern United States.
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He believes that there is lots of convincing evidence of its existence,
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including the famous 1967 Patterson -Gimlin footage of a Bigfoot walking into the forest.
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Despite many people claiming they were the person in the suit, Lauren points out that the creature walks the way an ape does,
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with little mobility in the hips and neck.
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So why hasn't anyone found a real Bigfoot yet?
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Well, Lauren points out that until 150 years ago,
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it was believed by most people in the Western world that mountain gorillas didn't exist.
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And before that, the giant panda was virtually unknown.
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Tales of sightings were taken with a grain of salt.
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They were thought to be legends told by native tribes.
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Respected scientists had to change their opinions, though, when these creatures were found high up in the mountains and deep in the forests.
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Similarly, the koala canth is a huge five -foot fish
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that was thought to have become extinct about 65 million years ago until it was rediscovered in 1938.
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But no one had mentioned this to islanders in the Indian Ocean who had been happily eating it for ages.
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So if a fish from prehistoric times is still swimming around, Why can't Bigfoot and other strange creatures be hidden away in a forest somewhere?
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Loren argues that cryptids are not monsters at all, just species of animals that are few in number,
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live far from human settlements, and are highly secretive.
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Cryptozoology is definitely Loren's life, but has he ever seen a cryptid himself?
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He admits that one dark night on the way home, he glimpsed a large, panther -like creature, but he's reluctant to call it a cryptid.
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Western science decides if animals exist or don't exist, he says.
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Lauren isn't trying to prove anything to the world.
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He just wants to find out the truth.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 47 sentences and 617 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:40. The speaker talks at a steady 132 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 75% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- footprint /ˈfʊtpɹɪnt/ (noun) — The impression of the foot in a soft substance such as sand or snow.
- argue /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/ (verb) — To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply.
- hip /hɪp/ (noun) — The outward-projecting parts of the pelvis and top of the femur and the overlying tissue.
- legend /ˈlɛd͡ʒ.ənd/ (noun) — The life story of a saint (such stories are often embellished, but any kind is called a legend).
- passion /ˈpæʃən/ (noun) — A true desire sustained or prolonged.
- producer /pɹəˈdjuːsə/ (noun) — An individual or organization that creates goods and services.
- ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/ (adjective) — Having regular jurisdiction; now only used in certain phrases.
- abroad /əˈbɹɔːd/ (adverb) — Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries.
- documentary /ˌdɒk.jʊˈmɛn.tɹi/ (noun) — A film, TV program, publication etc. which presents a social, political, scientific or historical subject in a factual or informative manner.
- footage /ˈfʊtɪd͡ʒ/ (noun) — An amount of film or tape that has been used to record something, or the content of the recording.
- similarly /ˈsɪm.ə.lə.li/ (adverb) — In a like style or manner.
- beast /biːst/ (noun) — Any four-footed land mammal.
- tale /ˈteɪl/ (noun) — A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.
- convince /kənˈvɪns/ (verb) — To make someone believe, or feel sure about something, especially by using logic, argument or evidence.
- virtually /ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/ (adverb) — Almost but not quite.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- point out (verb) — To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body.
- come from (verb) — To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
- find out (verb) — To discover, as by asking or investigating.
- take with (verb) — To take something and bring it along
- walk into (verb) — To collide with by walking.
- work in (verb) — To find time or space for, amid other things.
- write over (verb) — To save a piece of data in place of other data; to overwrite.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, didn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: northwestern /nɔːθˈwɛstn̩/, panther /ˈpænθəɹ/
- Long words — get the stress right: ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/, documentary /ˌdɒk.jʊˈmɛn.tɹi/, similarly /ˈsɪm.ə.lə.li/, virtually /ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/, legendary /ˈlɛd͡ʒ.ənˌdɛɹ.i/
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 footprint, argue, hip.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
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| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can be found · is valued · is said |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has written · has spent · has done |
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.