Shadowing Practice: last night ★ [animated short film] - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “last night ★”. This video has 78 sentences and 416 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:55. The speaker talks slowly, about 106 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 15 of its 78 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hungry adjective | /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ | Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food. |
| decent adjective | /ˈdiː.sənt/ | Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances. |
| insane adjective | /ɪnˈseɪn/ | Exhibiting unsoundness or disorder of mind; not sane; utterly mad. |
| remind verb | /ɹəˈmaɪnd/ | To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person). |
| gorgeous adjective | /ˈɡoɹd͡ʒəs/ | Sumptuously dressed. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| stamp noun | /stæmp/ | An act of stamping the foot, paw or hoof. |
| prescription noun | /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/ | A written order from an authorized medical practitioner for provision of a medicine or other treatment, such as (ophthalmology) the specific lenses needed for… |
| fry verb | /fɹaɪ/ | To cook (something) in hot fat. |
| med noun | /mɛːd/ | Medications, especially prescribed psychoactive medications. |
| tomato noun | /təˈmeɪ.toʊ/ | A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit. |
| phenomenal adjective | /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/ | Very remarkable; highly extraordinary; amazing. |
| alma noun | /ˈæl.mə/ | An Egyptian female singer or dancing girl employed for entertainment or as a professional mourner. |
| mushy adjective | /ˈmʌ.ʃi/ | Resembling or having the consistency of mush; semiliquid, pasty, or granular. |
| drunkenly adverb | In a drunken manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Are you mad at me?
- What makes you think that?
- Are you packed up already?
- What's wrong with you?
- Aren't you gonna answer that?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm picking · you're paying · I'm just saying |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | won't look · won't be · will let |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna answer · you're going to say · is going to change |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | had to take · have to say |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 28 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: prescription /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/, mushy /ˈmʌ.ʃi/
- Long words — get the stress right: phenomenal /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/, indecency /ɪnˈdiːsənsi/
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 hungry, decent, insane.
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.