Shadowing Practice: Minecraft, But You Only Get One Block! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Minecraft, But You Only Get One Block!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: dirt, Mikey, wood, pig, stone. This video has 687 sentences and 2631 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:28. The speaker talks at a steady 135 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 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dirt noun | /dɝt/ | Soil or earth. |
| seed noun | /siːd/ | Any propagative portion of a plant which may be sown, such as true seeds, seed-like fruits, tubers, or bulbs. |
| upgrade verb | /əpˈɡɹeɪd/ | To improve, usually applied to technology, generally by complete replacement of one or more components. |
| pumpkin noun | /ˈpʌm(p).kɪn/ | A domesticated plant, in species Cucurbita pepo, similar in growth pattern, foliage, flower, and fruit to the squash or melon. |
| craft noun | /ˈkɹæft/ | Ability, skillfulness, especially skill in making plans and carrying them into execution; dexterity in managing affairs, adroitness, practical cunning… |
| sword noun | /soɹd/ | A long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack. |
| ranch noun | /ˈɹænt͡ʃ/ | A large plot of land used for raising cattle, sheep or other livestock. |
| zombie noun | /ˈzɑmbi/ | A person, usually undead, animated by unnatural forces (such as magic), with no soul or will of his or her own, typically being slow, obedient, and harmless… |
| bucket noun | /ˈbʌkɪt/ | A container made of rigid material, often with a handle, used to carry liquids or small items. |
| wheat noun | /ˈwiːt/ | Any of the several cereal grains, of the genus Triticum, that yields flour as used in bakery. |
| wooden adjective | /ˈwʊdn̩/ | Made of wood. |
| spider noun | /ˈspaɪ̯dɚ/ | Any of various eight-legged, predatory arthropods, of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs to catch prey. |
| dig verb | /dɪɡ/ | To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More… |
| sheep noun | /ˈʃiːp/ | A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis. |
| torch noun | /ˈtɔːtʃ/ | 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… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fall off verb | To become detached or to drop from. | |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) | |
| come together verb | /ˈkʌm tʊˈɡɛðɚ/ | To assemble; to congregate; to combine. |
| get away verb | To move away (from). | |
| look out verb | To be vigilant and aware often as an imperative to alert a person to danger. | |
| pop out verb | To appear on the screen as a temporary window or menu. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How are we even supposed to survive here?
- What'll we find if we keep breaking it?
- Can we make a farm?
- Do you think more good stuff is coming?
- How about we do that now?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | we've dug · has come |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keep breaking · keep digging · keep working |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should break · should probably come · should have |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | we're trying · we're getting · is coming |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 102 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: feather /ˈfɛðə/, leather /ˈlɛðɚ/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sheep /ˈʃiːp/, efficient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/, mushroom /ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, occasionally /əˈkeɪʒənəli/
- Long words — get the stress right: congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, occasionally /əˈkeɪʒənəli/, fortunately /ˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt.li/
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 dirt, seed, upgrade.
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.

























