Shadowing Practice: Lemongrass Oil | How It's Made - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Narrator: WORKERS UNLOCK THE TOP OF THE STILL AND POUR IN CHLORINE-FREE, DEIONIZED WATER.
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ONCE THE STILL IS ONE-QUARTER FULL, THEY ADD THE LEMONGRASS.
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THEY STACK THE BUNDLES IN A CRISSCROSS FASHION, CREATING GAPS FOR STEAM TO PASS THROUGH.
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THEY SCREW THE LID TIGHTLY TO PREVENT THE LOSS OF STEAM DURING DISTILLATION.
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THEY ACTIVATE THE STILL, AND IT HEATS THE WATER TO THE BOILING POINT.
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STEAM RISES THROUGH THE PLANTS AND PICKS UP THE OILS.
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IT CARRIES THE OIL VAPOR UP THROUGH A PIPE AND INTO A CONDENSER, WHERE THE VAPORS COOL AND RETURN TO A LIQUID FORM.
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THE LIQUID OIL AND WATER DRIP OUT INTO A FLASK.
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OIL AND WATER DON'T MIX.
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SO THE OIL FLOATS TO THE TOP.
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AND THE WATER IS DRAINED OFF AND RECYCLED BACK INTO THE DISTILLER.
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THE TECHNICIAN THEN COLLECTS THE LEMONGRASS OIL IN A BOTTLE ONE DROP AT A TIME.
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THE LEMONGRASS OIL UNDERGOES A SECOND DISTILLATION IN A LABORATORY, USING A MORE SENSITIVE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT KNOWN AS A ROTARY VACUUM EVAPORATOR.
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THE OIL FLOWS INTO A FLASK THAT'S SPINNING IN A HOT BATH OF VEGETABLE OIL.
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THE EVAPORATOR PUMPS OUT AIR AND CREATES A VACUUM IN THE FLASK, WHICH LOWERS THE BOILING POINT.
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THIS PREVENTS DAMAGE TO THE DELICATE MOLECULES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LEMONGRASS SCENT.
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THE OIL VAPORS RISE TO A CONDENSER COIL WHERE THEY RELIQUEFY, LEAVING ANY RESIDUAL WATER AND IMPURITIES BEHIND.
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THE PURE LEMONGRASS OIL DRIPS INTO A RECEIVER FLASK.
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AS DISTILLED LEMONGRASS OIL IS COLLECTED, MORE FLOWS INTO THE EVAPORATOR BEAKER FOR PURIFICATION.
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THE DISTILLING PROCESS IS CONTINUOUS.
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THE ROTARY VACUUM EVAPORATOR PROCESSES ROUGHLY 2 TO 3 QUARTS OF FRAGRANT OIL PER HOUR.
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THEY STORE THE LEMONGRASS OIL IN A COLD ROOM WITH OTHER ESSENTIAL OILS.
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LIKE FINE WINE, IT MUST BE KEPT COOL, OR IT COULD SPOIL AND RUIN ITS BOUQUET.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Lemongrass Oil”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: oil, lemongrass, evaporator, flask, vapor. This video has 23 sentences and 304 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:28. The speaker talks at a steady 123 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 64% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lemongrass noun | One of various species of grass of the genus Cymbopogon, especially Cymbopogon citratus, which have a lemon-like taste and aroma, and are used in cooking, for… | |
| evaporator noun | /ɪˈvæp.ə.ɹeɪt.ɚ/ | A piece of equipment used to evaporate the solvent from a solution. |
| flask noun | /ˈflæsk/ | A narrow-necked vessel of metal or glass, used for various purposes; as of sheet metal, to carry gunpowder in; or of wrought iron, to contain quicksilver; or… |
| vapor noun | /ˈveɪpɚ/ | Cloudy diffused matter such as mist, steam or fumes suspended in the air. |
| vacuum noun | /ˈvæ.kjuːm/ | A region of space that contains no matter. |
| condenser noun | /ˈkʰəndɛnsɚ/ | A device designed to condense a gas into a liquid, either as part of a still, steam engine, refrigerator or similar machine. |
| distil verb | /dəˈstɪl/ | To exude (a liquid) in small drops; also, to give off (a vapour) which condenses in small drops. |
| distillation noun | /dɪstɪˈleɪʃən/ | The act of falling in drops, or the act of pouring out in drops. |
| drip verb | /ˈdɹɪp/ | To fall one drop at a time. |
| rotary adjective | /ˈɹoʊ.tə.ɹi/ | Capable of rotation. |
| boil verb | /bɔɪ(ə)l/ | To heat to the point where it begins to turn into a gas. |
| beaker noun | /ˈbiːkɚ/ | A flat-bottomed, straight-sided, glass vessel, with a lip and often a small spout, used as a laboratory container. |
| bouquet noun | /buːˈkeɪ/ | An arrangement or bunch of cut flowers; a nosegay. |
| crisscross adverb | /ˈkɹɪsˌkɹɒs/ | Crossing one another. |
| distiller noun | A person who distills, especially alcoholic spirits or hard liquor by a process of distillation; a person who owns, works in or operates a distillery. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pass through verb | To go through, to travel through, to transit or lie across a place or from one place to another. |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: distillation /dɪstɪˈleɪʃən/, purification /ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, technician /tɛkˈnɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: evaporator /ɪˈvæp.ə.ɹeɪt.ɚ/, distillation /dɪstɪˈleɪʃən/, purification /ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, residual /ɹɪˈzɪd͡ʒ.u.əl/
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 lemongrass, evaporator, flask.
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.