Shadowing Practice: Learn Real Life English: My Hobbies - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 303 sentences and 3255 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:56. The speaker talks at a natural 163 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 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:
- hobby /ˈhɑ.bi/ (noun) — An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
- lately /ˈleɪt.li/ (adverb) — Recently; not long ago; of late; not long since.
- comfort /ˈkʌm.fət/ (noun) — Contentment, ease.
- intense /ɪnˈtɛns/ (adjective) — Of a characteristic: extreme or very high or strong in degree; severe; also, excessive, towering.
- artistic /ɑɹˈtɪs.tɪk/ (adjective) — Having or revealing creative skill.
- routine /ɹuˈtin/ (noun) — A course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure.
- phrase /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ (noun) — A short written or spoken expression.
- vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ (noun) — A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
- topic /ˈtɑpɪk/ (noun) — A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
- relax /ɹɪˈlæks/ (verb) — To make something loose.
- distress /dɪˈstɹɛs/ (noun) — Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
- everyday /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ (adjective) — Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions.
- fitness /ˈfɪt.nəs/ (noun) — The condition of being fit, suitable or appropriate.
- commit /kəˈmɪt/ (verb) — To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.
- colours (noun) — Flag denoting the nationality of a vessel, flown from the stern.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- take up (verb) — To pick up.
- branch out (verb) — To expand in the manner of branches.
- fit in (verb) — To be physically capable of going into a space.
- break up (verb) — To break or separate into pieces.
- do in (verb) — To kill or end; to defeat.
- look forward to (verb) — To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.
- set aside /sɛt.əˈsaɪd/ (verb) — To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.
- go through (verb) — To travel from one end of something to the other.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 112 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, I'm, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/, mouthful /ˈmaʊθfʊl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, dictionary /ˈdɪk.ʃəˌnɛ.ɹi/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, unexpected /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/, dictionary /ˈdɪk.ʃəˌnɛ.ɹi/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like hobby, lately, comfort.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been trying · I've been looking · How's it been going |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've started · I've never thought · I've actually just joined |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are meant |
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.


























![Shadowing Practice #1: Interests & Lifestyle [Intermediate]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0lKXp9N4cao/mqdefault.jpg)





