Shadowing Practice: It's time to terrify my production team. - Learn English Speaking with Video

Six years ago, I got an invitation to go around a bobsleigh track, and I was too scared and I turned it down.

But since then, these folks have been helping run this channel, and they got me over my fear of roller coasters.

So thank you for that.

This is Chris Spring, world-class bobsleigh athlete, and this is the Whistler Sliding Centre in Canada.

So for the season finale, for the Christmas special, we brought the entire team out here to Canada, and we're gonna throw ourselves down a bobsleigh track.

Wait, what?

Oh, don't pretend you don't know!

Which includes, by the way, the camera team.

Hello. Hello.

How's it going?

Going well. Tom.

Welcome to the Sliding Centre. My name is Philippe.

I'm gonna be showing you a few things before we go.

So follow me and we can get started.

Right. You're gonna go down the fastest, steepest track in the world.

So on average, speed for track is 135km an hour.

Here, top speed is 155 from the top.

So big jump.

We need to regroom the track by hand, believe it or not, because of the speed.

So that's what the guys are doing.

So, a little warning about the ride.

You might not like it.

And there's nothing we can do about it, okay?

Yeah, once you start, that's it.

You're in it for the ride.

It's nothing like you expect.

You're gonna pull three to four G-forces, so you're gonna weigh three to four times your weight.

Those are positive Gs, means it's pressure on you.

There's no negative Gs. The negative Gs, that's what you experience in a roller coaster.

When the stomach goes up, drop, upside down.

We don't have that. It's not scary.

The athletes, when they start from the top, they go up to 155 km, five to six Gs on their back.

That's why they only go for three runs a day or two, never more.

After three, they really can't take it anymore.

So it's three minutes or two minutes of training per day.

Wow. Because after that, you feel really tired, and you can't take it anymore.

So if you have any heart condition, any hand, neck, back injury, pregnant, osteoporosis, please don't go.

We're really serious about that.

Yeah. Okay?

We have one crew member who has a...

will not be going for medical reasons.

So that's... Okay, I didn't know if you wanted to mention that on camera or not!

I was just gonna say "medical reasons." That's fine.

So when there's a cut, like the one on a competition sled, the nose can move.

The nose is articulated.

And when the nose can move like that, the sled can go higher in the corner, and the back falls, and they can get more speed.

The downside is they can go too high and they crash.

So they're easy to crash.

The other one is called a plank sled.

There's no cut.

They're slower, smoother, safer, but because they're slower, we don't use them with the public.

We're gonna use a real one.

Oh wow, okay.

So we're going in the less safe one?

Yes. Okay. We're going with the faster one.

I wouldn't call it less safe.

I call them the more fun one.

Alright?

We're gonna start you from corner seven, not the top.

There's different reasons for that.

So the top is... it's hell.

The one reason we don't start from the top is because of this corner.

You see that fake straight line?

This is the hardest corner in the world by far.

The athlete during the 2010 Olympics named it 50-50.

We thought that was a funny name, so we kept it.

50-50 what?

50% chance to go through it properly on your runners.

Oh, wow. Or 50% chance of...

Yeah. Okay, yeah, cool.

Let's not go full-speed through that.

So this is what could happen.

If you're in a crash, the sled's gonna slide on its side or upside down all the way to the bottom.

We have staff waiting with some hooks at the bottom in case of a crash.

And then the staff's gonna stop you.

It's gonna help you to exit the sled and the track, and you're gonna have a good story for tonight.

Okay. Does it happen often?

Uhh... no. I do not believe you, okay?

Alright. That's it, ready to go?

Ready. Alright. Ready.

Let's drive to the top.

Ready for some bobsledding?

Yeah. We are sled number one.

Sled number two is behind the various cameras here at the minute, so, yeah.

My nerves haven't kicked in yet.

Have they for you?

Long ago. Okay. Yeah, they did.

They've dissipated a bit, but they'll come back.

I'm waiting.

Honestly didn't realise it didn't have a back for realsies.

Yeah, no back door.

Until this morning.

There's a little bit of a lip.

You'll be fine.

Just hold on.

Yeah, you'll be surprised how much the pressure will squish you into place.

Okay. And not allow you to fall out the back.

So how long have you been doing this?

This is my 16th year as a bobsledder.

100

Wow. We did the research.

101

You're most decorated Olympian bobsledder, most decorated Canadian Olympian in the house?

102

Well, I don't know about that, but I've definitely been to four Olympic games, which is...

103

one less than one other Olympic bobsledder.

104

Yeah. But we couldn't get him to come here today.

105

So you have me. We're both— I'm trying to be not too awkward, and you're trying to be nice and Canadian.

106

You're self-deprecating here and, alright.

107

We're in good hands then.

108

You are in good hands, yeah.

109

This is... a heck of a run.

110

I'm just looking at that and going, that doesn't look that steep.

111

It's a long way down, but...

112

Am I sorta doing pride before a fall here?

113

'Cause I did— You're nodding.

114

I've seen the track, mate.

115

Okay, this is the thing.

116

They've seen it, they've recce'd and I haven't.

117

This is all I've seen.

118

Right here it doesn't look too steep, but once we get going...

119

By corner 11, 12, 13, it really starts picking up, and you'll start to feel that pressure that I was talking about.

120

How long's the run gonna be?

121

Around 40 seconds.

122

Sounds quick, but... It does!

123

I'll let you know when we get down.

124

How are you feeling about it?

125

Yeah, I feel like the first few corners are gonna be okay, and we'll probably get cocky, and then...

126

our heads will start doing this.

127

Yeah, especially if you don't know which way the corners go.

128

I'm not sure how much you studied the track or not.

129

We did not. In hindsight, that would've been a really good idea.

130

Your instinct will kick in when things do start, you know, rattling around quite a bit and you'll end up...

131

Yeah. kinda resorting to that turtle type shape that you'll make.

132

How much steering is involved in it?

133

'Cause we got told basically: Skeleton, goes down on its own more or less.

134

Luge, really, really difficult.

135

Bobsleigh, you have to know your line.

136

You have to come through. It's not like...

137

It's not like if you didn't steer, it would just go slower.

138

If you didn't steer, it would...

139

Exactly yeah. We would be on our heads.

140

Right. And how much of "on our heads" is there actually when we...?

141

'Cause I saw these little guardy things up here.

142

Yeah, they put these in for the public ride here.

143

Yeah. We have these extra little humps.

144

It's mainly just the visual to make you feel that you are more safe.

145

Right, yeah.

146

That's really what I wanted to know.

147

Yeah, you'll be on— That's great. Thanks mate.

148

You'll be on your head for sure, if we are on our heads.

149

How are the folks behind the cameras feeling?

150

Are y'all okay?

151

Great, just... Great.

152

I didn't have to go, so I'm fine.

153

So Kirsten just enjoying the show, right?

154

Jamie, how are you feeling?

155

Fine. That was a lie.

156

Maybe? Maybe I'm exuding this confidence.

157

Yeah. So we're gonna walk down into corner seven.

158

This is the first curve that we're gonna be entering today, and we'll talk a little bit about the science and the physics behind what we're trying to do, how we're manipulating the sled in curve seven.

159

Yeah. Alright, let's go.

160

What's unique about this curve is that it is laid back quite a lot more than most corners in the world.

161

So when you say laid back, like the angle...

162

Yeah. that the wall's at?

163

Let's come up a little bit closer here, and see if we can see.

164

The track is kind of...

165

We call it an open curve.

166

So there isn't much of an overhang of the roof.

167

It's not cupped like this.

168

And when it's open like this, the pressure is...

169

a lot more difficult to feel in your hands.

170

Because the sled— We always talk about if we did nothing, what would happen to the sled?

171

And then we're trying to manipulate the sled to be on the perfect line from there.

172

How do you learn that feeling?

173

Like how— 'Cause you can't go down at half speed.

174

That doesn't make sense.

175

True. So how do you...

176

The first time you take the controls...

177

how do you know what to do?

178

Yeah, it's very difficult to teach.

179

And we give new drivers, we give them all this information and we hope that...

180

Okay! They understand what we're talking about.

181

Alright. So it's instinctive, is it, a lot of it is?

182

It is, yeah.

183

And a lot of it is that feeling that I talk about.

184

We feel about the pressure, I feel it in in my stomach, I feel it in my butt in the amount of pressure that's in my body.

185

And so I kind of steer using that feeling as well.

186

Alright, should we do it?

187

Yeah, let's do it.

188

So I'm in first.

189

You're going to stand here for a sec.

190

Yep. Go on the other side.

191

I need to check what you're going to be doing.

192

Okay. Go inside.

193

Yep. Come on in. Come in closer.

194

Have a seat.

195

Have a seat? Yeah.

196

Okay. Now you're nervous?

197

Here? I should have done this six years ago.

198

And then you... Okay.

199

Cool. How are you feeling back there?

200

Do you wanna go?

201

So we are ready?

202

Feels very exposed, doesn't it?

203

Tom, when I get in, my bum is really close to your face.

204

My apologies. Alright.

205

There's nothing we can do about that.

206

Just keep these to the outside. There we go.

207

Alright! Cosy?

208

Yeah. It's comfortable, isn't it?

209

Yeah, I'm happy with this.

210

I'm worried about like keeping my back straight.

211

I'm not sure what counts as leaning back.

212

Okay, that's leaning back, 'cause I just hit Guy in the head.

213

Hey buddy. Sorry about that.

214

It's quite comfortable, isn't it?

215

I don't have anything to lean against.

216

The track is in use by Chris, Tom, Cambria, and Guy.

217

You guys ready?

218

Let's do it. Let's do it, here we go!

219

Good luck. See you at the bottom.

220

Three, two, one.

221

Come on, let's have it!

222

Let's go, boys!

223

Come on! Right. Make yourself big.

224

Here we go.

225

Corner seven.

226

Let's go! Woo-hoo!

227

Woo! Woo-ho-ho-hoo! How're you doing back there?

228

Way to go, gang!

229

Welcome back to Earth everyone.

230

Woo! Little bit of grayout on that last corner.

231

How are you doing back there?

232

Yeah, fine. Survived it.

233

I loved it. We made it!

234

I can't feel my fingers.

235

That's interesting.

236

Woo! Oh my god... That was brilliant.

237

I loved it.

238

Come on! Ohh!

239

Alright. How are you feeling Cambria?

240

Oh my god, that was incredible.

241

That was so good.

242

Oh my god. How we doing gang?

243

Thank you Chris.

244

Guy, we survived!

245

Thank you so much.

246

Didn't fall out the back.

247

Nothing happened.

248

Right? You happy?

249

Yeah. Very happy.

250

Thank you so much.

251

Thank you. Yeah, my pleasure.

252

This is what I love, right here.

253

Seeing the smiles.

254

This is great.

255

Alright, camera crew. It's your turn.

256

Yeah. Up you go, guys. How you doing?

257

How you feeling?

258

Good to go.

259

A man of few words. A man of few words.

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162 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “It's time to terrify my production team”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: corner, sled, track, feeling. This video has 259 sentences and 2060 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:22. The speaker talks at a natural 154 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 50 of its 259 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
sled noun	/ˈslɛd/	A small, light vehicle with runners, used recreationally, mostly by children, for sliding down snow-covered hills; no draft animal pulls it.
bobsleigh noun	/ˈbɑbˌsleɪ/	A winter sport in which teams make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked purpose-built iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled.
steer verb	/stɪɹ/	To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
curve noun	/kɚv/	A bend, such as in a road.
bobsledder noun		Someone who participates in bobsled.
steep adjective	/stiːp/	Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward or downward at an angle approaching vertical.
athlete noun	/ˈæθ.liːt/	A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
lean verb	/ˈliːn/	To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
decorate verb	/ˈdɛkəɹeɪt/	To furnish with decorations.
manipulate verb	/məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/	To move, arrange or operate something using the hands
coaster noun	/ˈkoʊ̯s.tɚ/	A person who uses a sled or toboggan to slide down a slope covered with ice or snow; a sledder, a tobogganist.
roller noun	/ˈɹoʊlɚ/	Any rotating cylindrical device that is part of a machine, especially one used to apply or reduce pressure.
upside noun	/ˈʌpˌsaɪd/	The highest or uppermost side or portion of something.
folk noun	/foʊk/	People, persons.
bobsled verb	/ˈbɑbˌslɛd/	To ride or race in a bobsled.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
fall out verb		To come out of something by falling.
come back verb		To return to a place.
come on in verb		Synonym of come in (“to enter”).
come through verb		To come into a room or other space through a door or passageway.
come up verb		To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.
end up verb		To bring to a conclusion.
get down verb	/ɡɛt ˈdaʊn/	To bring or come down; to descend; to cause to bring or come down.
go around verb		To move or spread from person to person.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

You see that fake straight line?
Am I sorta doing pride before a fall here?
How are you feeling about it?
Jamie, how are you feeling?
How're you doing back there?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if you didn't steer, it would just · If you didn't steer, it would · if we did nothing, what would happen
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	haven't kicked · They've dissipated · I've definitely been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is articulated · is called · is involved
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should we do · should have

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 111 contractions and reduced forms, such as gonna, we're, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

Long words — get the stress right: manipulate /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/, osteoporosis /ˌɒstiəʊpəˈɹəʊsɪs/, articulate /ɑːɹˈtɪk.jə.leɪt/, apology /əˈpɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/

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 sled, bobsleigh, steer.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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