Shadowing Practice: Memories - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 32 sentences and 397 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:03. The speaker talks at a steady 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• toast /toʊst/ (noun) — Bread that has been toasted (cooked lightly by browning).
• toe /təʊ/ (noun) — Each of the five digits on the end of the human foot.
• someday (adverb) — Sometime; at some unspecified time in the future.
• hatred /ˈheɪtɹɪd/ (noun) — A strong aversion; an intense dislike.
• torch /ˈtɔːtʃ/ (noun) — A stick of wood or plant fibres twisted together, with one end soaked in a flammable substance such as resin or tallow and set on fire, which is held in the…
• ember /ˈɛm.bə/ (noun) — A piece of coal or wood glowing by heat; a hot coal.
• memory /ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/ (noun) — The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later, usually at will.
• drink /ˈdɹɪŋk/ (verb) — To consume (a liquid) through the mouth.
• hurt /hɝt/ (verb) — To cause (a person or animal) physical pain and/or injury.
• spring /ˈspɹɪŋ/ (noun) — An act of springing: a leap, a jump.
• glass /ɡlɑːs/ (noun) — An amorphous solid, often transparent substance, usually made by melting silica sand with various additives (for most purposes, a mixture of soda, potash and…
• raise /ɹeɪz/ (verb) — To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
• yours /jɔɹz/ — That or those belonging to you; the possessive second-person singular pronoun used without a following noun.
• reach /ɹiːt͡ʃ/ (verb) — To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).
• carry /ˈkæɹ.i/ (verb) — To lift (something) and take it to another place; to transport (something) by lifting.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• bring back /ˈbɹɪŋ bæk/ (verb) — To fetch something.
• lost on (adjective) — Not understood or appreciated by (someone).
• light up (verb) — To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as we've, you're, ain't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like toast, toe, someday.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: