Shadowing Practice: Learn English with RATATOUILLE — Linguini's Secret - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Learn English with RATATOUILLE — Linguini's Secret”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: word, rat, chef, insane, lose. This video has 356 sentences and 3502 words to shadow. The speech runs for 25:30. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 73 of its 356 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| vegetable noun | /ˈvɛd͡ʒ.tə.bəl/ | A plant raised for some edible part of it, such as the leaves, roots, fruit or flowers, but excluding any plant considered to be a fruit, grain, herb, or spice… |
| scamper verb | /ˈskæmpɚ/ | To run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful or undignified manner. |
| involuntary adjective | /ɪnˈvɑ.lənˌtɛɹ.i/ | Without intention; unintentional. |
| scurry verb | /ˈskʌ.ɹi/ | To run with quick light steps, to scamper. |
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| dodge verb | /dɑd͡ʒ/ | To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way. |
| familiarize verb | /fəˈmɪliəɹaɪ̯z/ | To make or become familiar with something or someone. |
| muffle verb | /mʌfl̩/ | To wrap (a person, face etc.) in fabric or another covering, for warmth or protection; often with up. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| gourmet noun | /ɡʊɹˈmeɪ/ | A connoisseur in eating and drinking; someone who takes their food seriously. |
| refrigerator noun | /ɹɪˈfɹɪd͡ʒ.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/ | A household or commercial appliance used for keeping food fresh by refrigeration (short form fridge). |
| puppet noun | /ˈpʌpɪt/ | Any small model of a person or animal able to be moved by strings or rods, or in the form of a glove. |
| passive adjective | /ˈpæs.ɪv/ | Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction. |
| phrasal adjective | /ˈfɹeɪzəl/ | Relating to, or used in the manner of, a phrase. |
| tickle verb | /ˈtɪkl̩/ | To touch repeatedly or stroke delicately in a manner which typically causes laughter, pleasure and twitching. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. | |
| run up verb | To run (towards someone or something); to hasten to a destination. | |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. | |
| think out verb | To devise or solve by a process of thought. | |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| go away verb | To depart or leave a place. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Hey, is that for me?
- What does it mean here by saying I'm gonna lose it?
- Can you just imagine that?
- Chef, oh, would you listen to me?
- What are you doing in here?
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 | being controlled · is not reduced · is formed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | road which means · nipping, which is · squirrels, which is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has already whipped · haven't watched · has connected |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 103 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: schwa /ʃwɑ/, shine /ʃaɪn/, collocation /ˌkɑ.ləˈkeɪ.ʃən/, flashcard /ˈflæʃˌkɑɹd/, repetition /ˌɹɛp.əˈtɪʃ.ən/
- Long words — get the stress right: involuntary /ɪnˈvɑ.lənˌtɛɹ.i/, familiarize /fəˈmɪliəɹaɪ̯z/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, refrigerator /ɹɪˈfɹɪd͡ʒ.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/, collocation /ˌkɑ.ləˈkeɪ.ʃən/
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 vegetable, scamper, involuntary.
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.




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