Shadowing Practice: LEARN ENGLISH with This Vlog | Exploring Moscow State University - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 179 sentences and 1510 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:27. The speaker talks slowly, about 98 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 86% 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 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• entrance /ˈɛn.tɹəns/ (noun) — The action of entering, or going in.
• tractor /ˈtɹæktɚ/ (noun) — A vehicle used in farms e.g. for pulling farm equipment and preparing the fields.
• anyways /ˈɛn.iˌweɪz/ (adverb) — Anyway, anyhow, in any case.
• impressive /ɪmˈpɹɛsɪv/ (adjective) — Making, or tending to make, a positive impression; having power to impress.
• sand /sænd/ (noun) — Rock that is ground more finely than gravel, but is not as fine as silt (more formally, see grain sizes chart), forming beaches and deserts and also used in…
• hockey /ˈhɑ.ki/ (noun) — Any of a family of sports in which hockey sticks are used to move a ball or puck into a goal.
• participate /pɑːˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/ (verb) — To join in, to take part, to involve oneself (in something).
• grass /ɡɹɑːs/ (noun) — Any plant of the family Poaceae, characterized by leaves that arise from nodes in the stem and leaf bases that wrap around the stem, especially those grown as…
• pin /pɪn/ (noun) — A needle without an eye (usually) made of drawn-out steel wire with one end sharpened and the other flattened or rounded into a head, used for fastening.
• garage /ɡəˈɹɑʒ/ (noun) — A building (or section of a building) used to store a car or cars, tools and other miscellaneous items.
• instantly /ˈɪnstəntli/ (adverb) — At once; without delay.
• pole /pəʊl/ (noun) — Either of the two points on the earth's surface around which it rotates; also, similar points on any other rotating object.
• duck /dʌk/ (noun) — Any of certain aquatic birds of the family Anatidae, having a flat bill and webbed feet, distinguished from swans and geese by generally being smaller and…
• fence /fɛns/ (noun) — A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc.
• swim /swɪm/ (verb) — To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
• work out /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ (verb) — To calculate.
• fall in (verb) — To collapse inwards.
• get in (verb) — To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.
• go around (verb) — To move or spread from person to person.
• go on /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/ (verb) — To continue in extent.
• hold on (verb) — To grasp or grip firmly.
• lie around (verb) — To do nothing in particular; to be idle.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 45 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: garage /ɡəˈɹɑʒ/, tuition /tjuːˈɪʃən/, hydration /haɪˈdɹeɪʃən/
• Long words — get the stress right: participate /pɑːˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/, phenomenal /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like entrance, tractor, anyways.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: