Shadowing Practice: Kalogeras Sisters BLIND, DEAF, MUTE Make Sushi! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 760 sentences and 4638 words to shadow. The speech runs for 29:40. The speaker talks at a natural 156 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ (noun) — A Japanese dish made of small portions of sticky white rice flavored with vinegar, usually wrapped in seaweed and filled or topped with fish, vegetables or…
- ginger /ˈd͡ʒɪnd͡ʒɚ/ (noun) — The pungent aromatic rhizome of a tropical Asian herb, Zingiber officinale, used as a spice and as a stimulant and acarminative.
- onion /ˈʌn.jən/ (noun) — A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.
- kelly (noun) — A square or hexagonal pipe that is turned in order to rotate the rotary table of a drilling rig.
- recipe /ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/ (noun) — Any set of instructions for preparing a mixture of ingredients.
- honey /ˈhʌni/ (noun) — A sweet, viscous, gold-colored fluid produced from plant nectar by bees, and often consumed by humans.
- salmon /ˈsæmən/ (noun) — One of several species of fish, typically of the Salmoninae subfamily, brownish above with silvery sides and delicate pinkish-orange flesh; they ascend rivers…
- tape /teɪ̯p/ (noun) — Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
- chef /ʃɛf/ (noun) — The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household.
- poison /ˈpɔɪ.zən/ (noun) — A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism when ingested.
- thin /ˈθɪn/ (adjective) — Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
- package /ˈpæk.ɪd͡ʒ/ (noun) — Something which is packed, a parcel, a box, an envelope.
- hurry /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ (verb) — To do things quickly.
- garlic /ˈɡɑɹlɪk/ (noun) — A plant, Allium sativum, related to the onion, having a pungent bulb much used in cooking.
- knife /ˈnaɪ̯f/ (noun) — A utensil or a tool designed for cutting, consisting of a flat piece of hard material, usually steel or other metal (the blade), usually sharpened on one edge…
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
- come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
- clean up (verb) — To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy.
- look for (verb) — To seek.
- do with (verb) — Only used in to do with
- get on (verb) — To board or mount (something), especially a vehicle.
- get out of (verb) — To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.
- go on /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/ (verb) — To continue in extent.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 180 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thin /ˈθɪn/, thick /θɪk/, throat /ˈθɹoʊt/, breathe /bɹiːð/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, chef /ʃɛf/, ratio /ˈɹeɪ.ʃoʊ/, shave /ˈʃeɪ̯v/, stash /stæʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, disadvantage /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪd͡ʒ/, teriyaki /ˌtɛ.ɹiˈjɑ.ki/, avocado /ˌɑvəˈkɑdoʊ/, salmonella /ˌsæl.məˈnɛ.lə/
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 sushi, ginger, onion.
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 | I've taken · I've seen · have fed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be cooked · are not allowed · was expired |
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.





















