Shadowing Practice: Introduction to Chemistry - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hey guys, I'm Professor Dave, and I want to tell you about chemistry.
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What is chemistry?
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Why should we know about it?
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Chemistry is the study of what matter is made of and how it changes.
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It's important to know because it describes everything around us, every material, almost every process.
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If we truly want to understand how our bodies work, how diseases operate and how to cure them, which foods are nutritious and which are not, we must learn chemistry.
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Unless you fundamentally understand molecules, all you can do is repeat things you've heard.
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But how do you know if what you've heard is right?
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If you know chemistry, you can compare what someone says to how you know that molecules behave.
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If there is a glaring contradiction, you can easily reject false information, and you won't be taken advantage of for someone else's personal gain.
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We should be able to think critically like this in every avenue of life, be it health, politics, or otherwise.
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With this general chemistry series, I have two goals.
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One is to help high school and undergraduate students taking their first chemistry course.
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Please use these tutorials to supplement your lectures in any way that is helpful to you.
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But because this is introductory material, and given that chemistry is the central science,
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this general chemistry series is also meant for anyone who wants to learn science with no prior knowledge and for any reason.
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I will break down concepts as simply as possible so that anyone can learn them.
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There will be moments where we go over practice problems that are more geared towards students in a class.
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But feel free to learn these too, because the predictive power of mathematics is what proves the legitimacy of our science.
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If you are watching this clip and intend to view the entire series, please click on the general chemistry playlist on the Professor Dave homepage to view in the suggested order.
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When we check our comprehension after a lesson, feel free to pause the clip so you have plenty of time to think before I tell you the answer.
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If you need to watch a clip more than once to fully understand it, that's okay.
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And if you have any questions about what you've learned, feel free to email me at ProfessorDaveExplains at gmail .com.
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Enjoy your newfound knowledge.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Introduction to Chemistry”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: chemistry, learn, clip, science. This video has 24 sentences and 396 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:01. The speaker talks fast, about 196 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| molecule noun | /ˈmɑ.lɪ.kjul/ | The smallest particle of a specific element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound; two or more atoms held together by… |
| contradiction noun | /ˌkɑːntɹəˈdɪkʃən/ | The act of contradicting. |
| newfound adjective | /ˈnjuː.faʊnd/ | Recently found; newly discovered. |
| nutritious adjective | /nuːˈtɹɪʃəs/ | Providing nutrients; healthy to eat or drink. |
| predictive adjective | /pɹɪˈdɪk.tɪv/ | Useful in predicting. |
| introductory adjective | /ˌɪntɹəˈdʌktəɹi/ | Introducing; giving a preview, idea or foretaste of. |
| comprehension noun | /ˌkɑmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/ | A thorough understanding. |
| playlist noun | /ˈpleɪˌlɪst/ | A list of recorded songs scheduled to be played on a radio station. |
| legitimacy noun | /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/ | The quality or state of being legitimate or valid; validity. |
| fundamentally adverb | In a fundamental or basic sense; reaching the very core of the matter. | |
| tutorial noun | /ˌtjuːˈtɔːɹɪəl/ | A self-paced learning exercise; a lesson prepared so that a student can learn at their own speed or convenience. |
| undergraduate noun | A student at a university who has not yet received a degree. | |
| critically adverb | /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kə.li/ | In a critical manner; with, or in terms of, criticism. |
| pause noun | /pɔːz/ | A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation. |
| behave verb | /bɪˈheɪv/ | To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way; to conform. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| break down verb | To stop functioning. |
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. |
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 | you've heard · you've learned |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is made · won't be taken · is also meant |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | and which are · anyone who wants |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as you've, I'm, won't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: contradiction /ˌkɑːntɹəˈdɪkʃən/, nutritious /nuːˈtɹɪʃəs/, comprehension /ˌkɑmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: contradiction /ˌkɑːntɹəˈdɪkʃən/, introductory /ˌɪntɹəˈdʌktəɹi/, legitimacy /ləˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/, critically /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kə.li/
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 molecule, contradiction, newfound.
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.