Shadowing Practice: It's About Time! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “It's About Time!”. This video has 59 sentences and 221 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:07. The speaker talks slowly, about 71 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 62% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| clock noun | /klɑk/ | A chronometer, an instrument that measures time, particularly the time of day. |
| stretch verb | /stɹɛt͡ʃ/ | To lengthen by pulling. |
| swing verb | /ˈswɪŋ/ | To rotate about an off-centre fixed point. |
| bath noun | /bɑːθ/ | A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub. |
| shadow noun | /ˈʃædəʊ̯/ | A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object. |
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| midnight noun | /ˈmɪd(ˌ)naɪt/ | The middle of the night: the sixth temporal hour, equidistant between sunset and sunrise. |
| climb verb | /ˈklaɪ̯m/ | To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending). |
| hurry verb | /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ | To do things quickly. |
| murphy noun | /ˈmɝfi/ | An Irish or white potato. |
| noon noun | /nun/ | The time of day when the Sun seems to reach its highest point in the sky; solar noon. |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| creep verb | /kɹiːp/ | To move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground. |
| illustrate verb | /ˈɪl.əˌstɹeɪt/ | To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison. |
| sleepy adjective | /ˈsliːpi/ | Tired; feeling the need for sleep. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| go away verb | To depart or leave a place. | |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| help out verb | To provide assistance. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Then, for me, it's quiet time.
- Bath time now, but I'm not dirty.
- Bedtime next, but I'm not sleepy.
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, shout /ʃaʊt/
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 clock, stretch, swing.
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.