Shadowing Practice: Learn English | تعلم اللغة الانجليزية من خلال الافلام الامريكية | Me Before You فيلم - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Learn English”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: employ, tea, previous, cup, quadriplegia. This video has 202 sentences and 1589 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:52. The speaker talks slowly, about 107 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 48 of its 202 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 |
|---|---|---|
| employ verb | /ɪmˈplɔɪ/ | To retain (someone) as an employee. |
| solve verb | /sɒlv/ | To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out. |
| castle noun | /ˈkɑːsəl/ | A large residential building or compound that is fortified and contains many defences; in previous ages often inhabited by a nobleman or king. Also, a house or… |
| bother verb | /ˈbɑðɚ/ | To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for. |
| decent adjective | /ˈdiː.sənt/ | Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances. |
| pursue verb | /pɚˈsu/ | To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase. |
| employer noun | /ɪmˈplɔɪə/ | A person, firm or other entity which pays for or hires the services of another person. |
| enhance verb | /ɪnˈhæns/ | To augment or make something greater. |
| reveal verb | /ɹɪˈviːl/ | To uncover; to show and display that which was hidden. |
| jacket noun | /ˈd͡ʒæk.ɪt/ | A piece of clothing worn on the upper body outside a shirt or blouse, often waist length to thigh length. |
| clerk noun | /klɝk/ | One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker. |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
| interviewer noun | /ˈɪntɚvjuɚ/ | One who interviews. |
| quadriplegia noun | /ˌkwɑdɹɪˈplid͡ʒə/ | Paralysis from the neck down. |
| injure verb | /ˈɪn.d͡ʒɚ/ | To wound or cause physical harm to a living creature. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take off verb | To remove. |
| pop out verb | To appear on the screen as a temporary window or menu. |
| pop off verb | To leave and return in a short time. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Do you have any experience of caregiving?
- Do you have any experience of quadriplegia?
- Do you have any experience with quadriplegia?
- Do you mind if I take off my jacket?
- Do you have aspirations for a career?
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 | can't be solved · could be solved · can be solved |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've never done · have never done |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should I employ · should employ · should not be |
| Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things | stronger than · longer than |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 65 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: quadriplegia /ˌkwɑdɹɪˈplid͡ʒə/, aspiration /ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃən/, interviewee /ˌɪn.tɚ.vjuːˈiː/, participle /ˈpɑɹtɪˌsɪpəl/, paraplegic /ˌpɛɹəˈplid͡ʒɪk/
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 employ, solve, castle.
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.













