Shadowing Practice: Is North Korea’s Leader Dead? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Is North Korea’s Leader Dead?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: rumor, bro, kim, crazy. This video has 17 sentences and 173 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:44. The speaker talks fast, about 235 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 4 of its 17 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| rumor noun | /ˈɹumɚ/ | A statement or claim of questionable accuracy, from no known reliable source, usually spread by word of mouth. |
| argue verb | /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/ | To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply. |
| suffer verb | /ˈsʌfɚ/ | To undergo hardship. |
| headline noun | /ˈhɛd.laɪn/ | The heading or title of a magazine or newspaper article. |
| secretly adverb | /ˈsiː.kɹɪt.li/ | In secret, covertly. |
| coma noun | /ˈkoʊmə/ | A state of unconsciousness from which one may not wake up, usually induced by some form of trauma. |
| bleed verb | /ˈbliːd/ | To shed blood through an injured blood vessel. |
| repost noun | The act of posting again; the material thus posted. | |
| hemorrhage noun | /ˈhɛm(ə)ɹɪd͡ʒ/ | A heavy release of blood within or from the body. |
| thumbnail noun | /ˈθʌm.neɪl/ | The fingernail on the thumb. |
| brain noun | /ˈbɹeɪ̯n/ | The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is responsible… |
| leader noun | /ˈliː.də(ɹ)/ | Any person who leads or directs. |
| doctor noun | /ˈdɑktɚ/ | A physician; a member of the medical profession; one who is trained and licensed to heal the sick or injured. The final examination and qualification may award… |
| spread verb | /spɹid/ | To stretch out, open out (a material etc.) so that it more fully covers a given area of space. |
| apparently adverb | /əˈpæɹəntli/ | Seemingly; in appearance. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| move back verb | To reschedule (something) to a later date or time. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was moved · was spread |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | hemorrhage, which means · people who say |
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 rumor, argue, suffer.
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.