Shadowing Practice: Learn 40 Basic French Phrases for Beginners - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 83 sentences and 273 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:16. 42% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aide noun | /eɪd/ | An assistant. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| congratulations | /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/ | Expressing praise and approval, expressing approbation. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| urgency noun | /ˈɜː.d͡ʒən.si/ | The quality or condition of being urgent. |
| sui verb | To commit a suicide attack. | |
| bonne noun | A French nursemaid. | |
| enchant verb | /ɪnˈt͡ʃænt/ | To attract and delight, to charm. |
| licitation noun | auction | |
| merci | /mɛːˈsiː/ | Thank you. |
| aider noun | /ˈeɪdɚ/ | A person who aids or assists. |
| beaucoup | /ˈbuˌku/ | Much, many, a lot of. |
| droit noun | /dɹɔɪt/ | A legal right or entitlement. |
| fait noun | Only used in fait accompli. | |
| perdu noun | /pəˈdjuː/ | One placed on watch, or in ambush. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 8 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. 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 aide, meal, congratulations.
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.