Shadowing Practice: LION MENTALITY - Motivational Video - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 51 sentences and 479 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:51. The speaker talks at a natural 168 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% 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:
- lion /ˈlaɪən/ (noun) — A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
- jungle /ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/ (noun) — A large, lush, undeveloped, humid forest, especially in a tropical region, thick with vegetation and wildlife; a tropical rainforest.
- elephant /ˈɛlɪfənt/ (noun) — A large mammal of the family Elephantidae in the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and native to Africa and Asia.
- mentality /mɛnˈtæləti/ (noun) — A mindset; a way of thinking; a set of beliefs.
- hunter /ˈhʌntɚ/ (noun) — One who hunts game for sport or for food; a huntsman or huntswoman.
- beast /biːst/ (noun) — Any four-footed land mammal.
- impressive /ɪmˈpɹɛsɪv/ (adjective) — Making, or tending to make, a positive impression; having power to impress.
- encourage /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/ (verb) — To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
- chase /t͡ʃeɪs/ (verb) — To follow at speed.
- reward /ɹɪˈwɔɹd/ (noun) — Something of value given in return for an act.
- scare /skɛɚ/ (verb) — To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
- entrepreneur /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/ (noun) — A person who sets up a business; generally, a person who owns and manages a business and assumes its financial risks.
- fearful /ˈfɪəfəl/ (adjective) — Frightening; causing fear.
- gazelle /ɡəˈzɛl/ (noun) — An antelope of either of the genera Gazella (mostly native to Africa), Procapra (native to Asia), Eudorcas, or Nanger, capable of running at high speeds for…
- cheetah /ˈt͡ʃiːtə/ (noun) — A distinctive member (Acinonyx jubatus) of the cat family, slightly smaller than the leopard, but with proportionately longer limbs and a smaller head; native…
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- go by (verb) — To pass or go past without much interaction.
- come up (verb) — To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.
- give up (verb) — To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).
- lie in (verb) — To stay in bed (longer than usual).
- live for (verb) — To deeply enjoy or be fulfilled by something esteemed as very important in one's life.
- take off (verb) — To remove.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 32 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, gonna, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: mentality /mɛnˈtæləti/, entrepreneur /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/
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 lion, jungle, elephant.
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.
































