Shadowing Practice: Lisa will NOT survive... | Basic English conversation | Learn English | Like English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Lisa will NOT survive..”. This video has 196 sentences and 6358 words to shadow. The speech runs for 51:14. The speaker talks at a steady 124 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% 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 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| comet noun | /ˈkɒmɪt/ | A small Solar System body consisting mainly of volatile ice, dust and particles of rock whose very eccentric solar orbit periodically brings it close enough to… |
| rocket noun | /ˈɹɑk.ɪt/ | A cylindrical projectile that can be fired to a great height through combustion, (specifically) a type of firework of this form, typically exploding with light… |
| worm noun | /wɝm/ | A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm. |
| illness noun | /ˈɪl.nəs/ | An instance (episode) of a disease or poor health. |
| nurse noun | /nɝs/ | Anyone performing this role, regardless of training or profession. |
| panic noun | /ˈpænɪk/ | Overwhelming fear or fright, often affecting groups of people or animals; (countable) an instance of this; a fright, a scare. |
| ambulance noun | /ˈæmbjᵿl(ə)n(t)s/ | An emergency vehicle designed for transporting seriously ill or injured people to a hospital. |
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| foam noun | /ˈfɔʊ̯m/ | A substance composed of a large collection of bubbles or their solidified remains, especially |
| astronaut noun | /ˈæstɹəˌnɔt/ | A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose. |
| hungry adjective | /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ | Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food. |
| headquarters noun | /ˈhɛdˌk(w)ɔɹ.tɚz/ | The military installation from which troops are commanded and orders are issued; the military unit consisting of a commander and his support staff. |
| hurry verb | /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ | To do things quickly. |
| liar noun | /ˈlaɪ.ɚ/ | Someone who tells a lie; especially, a person who frequently lies. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| get back verb | Return to where one came from. |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) |
| blow up verb | To explode or be destroyed by explosion. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
| come along verb | To accompany. |
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 begging · I've been thinking |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | we've convinced · I've booked · I've had |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was brought · were released · is allowed |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should have · should go · should keep |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 335 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'll, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, thief /ˈθiːf/, filthy /ˈfɪlθi/, unhealthy /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: wash /wɑʃ/, confirmation /ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, punish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/, vacation /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: confirmation /ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, simulator /ˈsɪmjəˌleɪtɚ/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, spontaneous /spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs/, cafeteria /ˌkæ.fə.ˈtɪ(ə).ɹi.ə/
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 comet, rocket, worm.
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.





























