Shadowing Practice: Learn English Conversation Unit 4 I like your style - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Learn English Conversation Unit 4 I like your style”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: wear, cost, tattoo, pierced, hats. This video has 27 sentences and 224 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:08. The speaker talks slowly, about 105 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. 7 of its 27 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 |
|---|---|---|
| tattoo noun | /tæˈtuː/ | An image made on a body part, usually the skin with ink and a needle. |
| pierce verb | /pɪɹs/ | To puncture; to break through. |
| jewellery noun | /ˈd͡ʒʊ-/ | Collectively, personal ornamentation such as rings, necklaces, brooches and bracelets, made of precious metals and sometimes set with gemstones. |
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| twelve noun | /twɛlv/ | A group of twelve items. |
| necklace noun | /ˈnɛkləs/ | An article of jewelry that is worn around the neck, most often made of a string of precious metal, pearls, gems, beads or shells, and sometimes having a… |
| shirt noun | /ʃɜɹt/ | An article of clothing that is worn on the upper part of the body, often with sleeves that cover some or all of the arms. |
| hat noun | /hæ̞ʔ/ | A covering for the head, often in the approximate form of a cone, dome or cylinder closed at its top end, and sometimes having a brim and other decoration. |
| girlfriend noun | /ˈɡɝlfɹɛnd/ | A female partner in an unmarried romantic relationship. |
| dollar noun | /ˈdɑ.lɚ/ | Official designation for currency in some parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and elsewhere… |
| monster noun | /ˈmɑnstɚ/ | A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or fictional kind. |
| wear verb | /wɛ(ə)ɹ/ | To carry or have equipped on or about one's body, as an item of clothing, equipment, decoration, perfume, etc. |
| weekend noun | /ˈwiˌkɛnd/ | The break in the working week, usually two days including the traditional holy or sabbath day. Thus in Western countries, Saturday and Sunday. |
| fashion noun | /ˈfæʃən/ | A current (constantly changing) trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. |
| unit noun | /ˈjuː.nɪt/ | Oneness, singularity, seen as a component of a whole number; a magnitude of one. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shirt /ʃɜɹt/, fashion /ˈfæʃən/
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 tattoo, pierce, jewellery.
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.






























