Shadowing Practice: คุยภาษาอังกฤษกับเอกอัครราชทูตอังกฤษประจำประเทศไทย Mark Gooding | คำนี้ดี Feat. EP.31 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 278 sentences and 4042 words to shadow. The speech runs for 21:18. The speaker talks fast, about 190 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| diplomat noun | /ˈdɪp.lə.mæt/ | A person, such as an ambassador, who is accredited to represent a government officially in its relations with other governments or international organisations |
| ambassador noun | /æmˈbæs.ə.dɚ/ | A diplomat of the highest rank sent to a foreign court to represent there their sovereign or country. (Sometimes called ambassador-in-residence) |
| overseas adverb | /ˌoʊvɚˈsiːz/ | Abroad. |
| tone noun | /ˈtəʊn/ | A specific pitch. |
| celebration noun | /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament. |
| rely verb | /ɹɪˈlaɪ/ | To trust; to have confidence in; to depend. |
| volunteer noun | /ˌvɑlənˈtɪɹ/ | One who enters into, or offers themselves for, any service of their own free will, especially when done without pay. |
| motivation noun | /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/ | Willingness of action especially in behavior. |
| embassy noun | /ˈɛmbəsi/ | The function or duty of an ambassador. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| partnership noun | /ˈpɑɹtnɚʃɪp/ | The state of being associated with a partner. |
| practical adjective | /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/ | Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis. |
| encourage verb | /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/ | To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit. |
| engage verb | /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/ | To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied. |
| cooperation noun | /koʊˌɑ.pəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The act of cooperating. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. | |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| talk out verb | To resolve (a problem) by talking about it. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to Bangkok · used to it · used to live |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've heard · I've been · I've visited |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is complicated · be told · can be addressed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Chinese, which was · language which is · people who have |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 74 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, I'm, we've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: ninth /naɪnθ/, strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/, enthusiasm /ɪnˈθuziæzəm/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, partnership /ˈpɑɹtnɚʃɪp/, cooperation /koʊˌɑ.pəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/
- Long words — get the stress right: ambassador /æmˈbæs.ə.dɚ/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, cooperation /koʊˌɑ.pəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
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 diplomat, ambassador, overseas.
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.














