Shadowing Practice: Minecraft NOOB vs PRO: SAFEST SECURITY TOWER BUILD CHALLENGE - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Minecraft NOOB vs PRO: SAFEST SECURITY TOWER BUILD CHALLENGE”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Mikey, tower, diamond, security, entrance. This video has 795 sentences and 4024 words to shadow. The speech runs for 29:23. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 79% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| diamond noun | /ˈdaɪ.ə.mənd/ | A glimmering glass-like mineral that is an allotrope of carbon in which each atom is surrounded by four others in the form of a tetrahedron. |
| entrance noun | /ˈɛn.tɹəns/ | The action of entering, or going in. |
| treasure noun | /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/ | A collection of valuable things; accumulated wealth; a stock of money, jewels, etc. |
| climb verb | /ˈklaɪ̯m/ | To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending). |
| 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… |
| trap noun | /tɹæp/ | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body. |
| circuit noun | /ˈsɝ.kɪt/ | The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution |
| elevator noun | /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/ | Anything that raises or uplifts. |
| skeleton noun | /ˈskɛlətən/ | The system that provides support to an organism, where in vertebrates it is internal and consists of bones and cartilage, and external in some other animals. |
| dust noun | /dʌst/ | Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, fiber… |
| flesh noun | /flɛʃ/ | The soft tissue of the body, especially muscle and fat. |
| install verb | /ɪnˈstɔl/ | To connect, set up or prepare something for use |
| stairs noun | /ˈstɛɹz/ | A contiguous set of steps connecting two floors. |
| rotten adjective | /ˈɹɑtn̩/ | Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents. |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| go up verb | To move upwards. | |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| fall off verb | To become detached or to drop from. | |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| see through verb | To perceive visually through something transparent. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Where should I set it up?
- While we're at it, why not give him some golden apples?
- Let's see, what should I be doing next?
- Are you sure that's not a mistake?
- You caught on pretty quick, didn't you?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If I do, I'll have · if anyone steps on them, they'll fall · If you ride it, it'll blast |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've connected · I've been done · I've come |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is defeated · I've been done · was finished |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should probably create · should I add · should I set |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 192 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: athletic /æθˈlɛt.ɪk/, thirteen /ˌθɝtˈtin/, wither /ˈwɪðɚ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: treasure /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/, flesh /flɛʃ/, suspicious /səˈspɪʃ.əs/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, smash /smæʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: elevator /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/, ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/, ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/
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 diamond, entrance, treasure.
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.






















