Shadowing Practice: ITSY BITSY SPIDER - Song for Children - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 8 sentences and 140 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:32. The speaker talks slowly, about 91 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 63% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
10 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- spider /ˈspaɪ̯dɚ/ (noun) — Any of various eight-legged, predatory arthropods, of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs to catch prey.
- wash /wɑʃ/ (verb) — To clean with water.
- climb /ˈklaɪ̯m/ (verb) — To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending).
- sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ (noun) — The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.
- bitsy /ˈbɪtsi/ (adjective) — Fragmented.
- itsy (adjective) — Very small; itty
- spout /spaʊt/ (noun) — A tube or lip through which liquid or steam is poured or discharged.
- waterspout /ˈwɔtɚ spaʊt/ (noun) — A whirlwind that forms over water, not associated with a mesocyclone of a thunderstorm (contrary to a true tornado).
- rain /ˈɹeɪn/ (noun) — Condensed water falling from a cloud.
- dry /ˈdɹaɪ̯/ (adjective) — Free from or lacking moisture.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- dry up (verb) — To become dry (often of weather); to lose water.
- go up (verb) — To move upwards.
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: wash /wɑʃ/, sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/
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 spider, wash, climb.
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.