Shadowing Practice: Intermediate Pronunciation - Day 5 - My Dad, My Superman - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 12 sentences and 78 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:30.
Key vocabulary in this video
8 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| daddy noun | /ˈdædi/ | Also used as a term of address: a father; one's father. |
| hungry adjective | /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ | Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food. |
| happiness noun | /ˈhæpinɪs/ | The emotion of being happy; joy; elation. |
| handsome adjective | /ˈhæn.səm/ | Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive, particularly |
| clever adjective | /ˈklɛv.ɚ/ | Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept. |
| lie verb | /laɪ̯/ | To rest in a horizontal position on a surface. |
| sweet adjective | /swit/ | Tasting of sugars. |
| tired adjective | [ˈtaɪ̯ɚd] | In need of some rest or sleep. |
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 sweetest · the most handsome · The most clever |
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 daddy, hungry, happiness.
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.





























