Shadowing Practice: LISTENING APTIS General 1 - Bristol Academy - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “LISTENING APTIS General 1 - Bristol Academy”. This video has 317 sentences and 4240 words to shadow. The speech runs for 25:23. The speaker talks at a natural 167 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| routine noun | /ɹuˈtin/ | A course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
| bedroom noun | /ˈbɛdˌɹum/ | A room in a house, apartment, hotel, or other dwelling where a bed is kept for sleeping. |
| encourage verb | /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/ | To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit. |
| reflect verb | /ɹɪˈflɛkt/ | To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface. |
| incredibly adverb | /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/ | In an incredible manner; not to be believed. |
| reliable adjective | /ɹɪˈlaɪəbl̩/ | Suitable or fit to be relied on; worthy of dependence, reliance or trust; dependable, trustworthy |
| reception noun | /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃn̩/ | The act of receiving. |
| classroom noun | /ˈklɑːsɹʊm/ | A room, often in a school, where classes take place. |
| colleague noun | /ˈkɒliːɡ/ | A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate. |
| backpack noun | /ˈbæk.pæk/ | A knapsack, sometimes mounted on a light frame, but always supported by straps, worn on a person’s back for the purpose of carrying things, especially when… |
| unsure adjective | uncertain, ambivalent. | |
| cereal noun | /ˈsɪə.ɹɪ.əl/ | A type of grass (such as wheat, rice or oats) cultivated for its edible grains. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| catch up verb | To pick up suddenly. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
| try out verb | To test (something) to see how it works or whether it is suitable. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Anyway, that's what I'll be doing.
- Anyway, that's my usual breakfast routine.
- Excuse me, could you help me for a moment?
- Could you point me in the right direction?
- It's such a nice change from my old place.
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 | haven't been camping · I've been trying · I've been preparing |
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if there are new arrivals, I'd love · if there are new arrivals I'd love |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to make |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've just found · I've had · I've tried |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 120 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: reception /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃn̩/, occasionally /əˈkeɪʒənəli/, presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, shoe /ˈʃu/
- Long words — get the stress right: incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, participate /pɑːˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/, occasionally /əˈkeɪʒənəli/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, nevertheless /ˌnɛvɚðəˈlɛs/
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 routine, lesson, relax.
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.











