Shadowing Practice: John F. Kennedy's greatest Speech on Peace - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “John F. Kennedy's greatest Speech on Peace”. This video has 22 sentences and 252 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:50. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% 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 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| rational adjective | /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəl/ | Capable of reasoning. |
| pursuit noun | /pɝˈsut/ | The act of pursuing. |
| inhabit verb | /ɪnˈhæbɪt/ | To live or reside in. |
| pursuer noun | One who pursues. | |
| unsolvable adjective | Not solvable. | |
| cherish verb | /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/ | To treat with affection, care, and tenderness; to nurture or protect with care. |
| mortal adjective | /ˈmɔɹ.təl/ | Susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal. |
| heir noun | /ˈɛə̯/ | Someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another. |
| enforce verb | /ɪnˈfoɹs/ | To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force. |
| deaf adjective | /diːf/ | Unable (or partially able) to hear. |
| seemingly adverb | /ˈsiːmɪŋli/ | As it appears; apparently. |
| urgent adjective | /ˈɜː.d͡ʒənt/ | Requiring immediate attention. |
| destiny noun | /ˈdɛs.tɪ.ni/ | That to which any person or thing is destined; a predetermined state; a condition predestined by the Divine or by human will. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: rational /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəl/, cherish /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/
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 rational, pursuit, inhabit.
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.