Shadowing Practice: Johnlock | "Mrs Hudson, Dr John Watson." | S01E01 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 51 sentences and 264 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:30. The speaker talks slowly, about 106 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 9 of its 51 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
12 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bedroom noun | /ˈbɛdˌɹum/ | A room in a house, apartment, hotel, or other dwelling where a bed is kept for sleeping. |
| designer noun | /dɪˈzaɪnɚ/ | A person who designs something, or who designs things as a profession. |
| habit noun | /ˈhæb.ɪt/ | An action performed on a regular basis. |
| precisely adverb | /pɹɪˈsaɪs.li/ | In a precise manner; exactly. |
| owe verb | /oʊ/ | To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone. |
| airline noun | /ˈɛɹˌlaɪn/ | A company that flies airplanes to transport people and goods. |
| thumb noun | /ˈθʌm/ | The shortest and thickest digit of the hand that for humans has the most mobility and can be made to oppose (moved to touch) all of the other fingers. |
| execute verb | /ˈɛksɪˌkjuːt/ | To kill, especially as punishment for a capital crime. |
| upstairs adverb | /ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/ | Up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level. |
| insure verb | /ɪnˈʃʊɚ/ | To provide for compensation if some specified risk occurs. Often agreed by policy (contract) to offer financial compensation in case of an accident, theft or… |
| landlady noun | /ˈlæn(d)ˌleɪ.di/ | A female landlord. |
| straighten verb | /ˈstɹeɪtn̩/ | To cause to become straight. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| clean out verb | To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents. |
| help out verb | To provide assistance. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Sorry, you stopped her husband being executed?
- Of course we'll be needing two.
- Sherlock, the mess you've made.
- What did you think?
- Thought that'd be right up your street.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has given · you've made · There's been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being executed · was cleaned |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as you've, don't, that'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 bedroom, designer, habit.
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.