Shadowing Practice: Karoline Leavitt addresses age gap with husband - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 15 sentences and 108 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:33. The speaker talks fast, about 197 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds.
Key vocabulary in this video
11 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| invite verb | /ɪnˈvaɪt/ | To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something. |
| mutual adjective | /ˈmjuːt͡ʃuəl/ | Having the same relationship, each to each other. |
| congressional adjective | /kəŋˈɡɹɛ.ʃə.nəl/ | Of or relating to a congress. |
| supporter noun | /səˈpɔɹ.tɚ/ | A person who supports, promotes, advocates or champions a cause, movement, or political party; an adherent. |
| acquaint verb | /əˈkweɪnt/ | To furnish or give experimental knowledge of; to make (one) know; to make familiar. |
| atypical adjective | /eɪˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/ | Not conforming to the normal type. |
| restaurant noun | /ˈɹɛst(ə)ˌɹɑnt/ | An eating establishment in which diners are served food, usually by waiters at their tables but sometimes (as in a fast food restaurant) at a counter. |
| incredible adjective | /ɪŋˈkɹɛdəbəl/ | Too implausible to be credible; beyond belief. |
| husband noun | /ˈhʌzbənd/ | A man in a marriage or marital relationship, especially in relation to his spouse. |
| campaign noun | /kæmˈpeɪn/ | A series of operations undertaken to achieve a set goal. |
| host noun | /hoʊst/ | One which receives or entertains a guest, socially, commercially, or officially. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, didn't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: congressional /kəŋˈɡɹɛ.ʃə.nəl/, atypical /eɪˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/, incredible /ɪŋˈkɹɛdəbəl/
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 invite, mutual, congressional.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were acquainted |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was speaking |
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.