Shadowing Practice: Let's learn about Vietnamese Independence Day - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 8 sentences and 121 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:54. The speaker talks at a steady 135 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 70% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
14 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- declaration /ˌdɛk.ləˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — An emphatic or formal act of saying, telling or asserting something, by speech or writing; a decisive assertion or proclamation.
- grateful /ˈɡɹeɪtf(ə)l/ (adjective) — Of a person or their actions, feelings, etc.: expressing gratitude or appreciation; appreciative, thankful.
- parade /pəˈrɑd/ (noun) — Synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive orders, or especially for inspection at set times.
- cruel /ˈkɹuːəl/ (adjective) — Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless.
- declare /dɪˈklɛɚ/ (verb) — To assert or announce formally, officially, explicitly, or emphatically.
- colonize /ˈkɑlənaɪz/ (verb) — To settle (a place) with colonists, and hence make (a place) into a colony.
- exploitative /ɛkˈsplɔɪtətɪv/ (adjective) — In the nature of exploitation; acting to exploit someone or something
- firework /ˈfaɪɚˌwɚk/ (noun) — A device using gunpowder and other chemicals which, when lit, emits a combination of coloured flames, sparks, whistles or bangs, and sometimes made to rocket…
- tyrannical /təˈrænəkəl/ (adjective) — Of, or relating to tyranny or a tyrant.
- holiday /ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/ (noun) — A day on which a religious event or secular celebration is traditionally observed.
- celebrate /ˈsɛl.ɪ.bɹeɪt/ (verb) — To extol or honour in a solemn manner.
- freedom /ˈfɹiːdəm/ (noun) — The state of being free.
- leader /ˈliː.də(ɹ)/ (noun) — Any person who leads or directs.
- birth /bɜɹθ/ (noun) — The process of childbearing; the beginning of life; the emergence of a human baby or other viviparous animal offspring from the mother's body into the…
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: declaration /ˌdɛk.ləˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, exploitative /ɛkˈsplɔɪtətɪv/, tyrannical /təˈrænəkəl/
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 declaration, grateful, parade.
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 | was colonized · is also known |
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.