Shadowing Practice: Mulan meets Shang HD - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 40 sentences and 199 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:52. The speaker talks slowly, about 106 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 71% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

• skill /skɪl/ (noun) — A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
• steal /stiːl/ (verb) — To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it.
• outdoor /aʊtˈdɔː/ (adjective) — Situated in, designed to be used in, or carried on in the open air.
• grain /ɡɹeɪn/ (noun) — The harvested seeds of various grass food crops, especially wheat, maize, rye, barley, and rice.
• gentleman /ˈd͡ʒɛn.təl.mən/ (noun) — Any well-bred, well-mannered, or charming man.
• urge /ɜːd͡ʒ/ (verb) — To press; to push; to drive; to impel; to force onward.
• manly /ˈmænli/ (adjective) — Having the characteristics of a man.
• achoo /əˈt͡ʃuː/ — The sound of a sneeze.
• conscription /kənˈskɹɪpʃən/ (noun) — Involuntary labor, especially military service, demanded by some established authority.
• lunatic /ˈluːnətɪk/ (noun) — An insane person.
• cook /kʊk/ (verb) — To prepare food for eating, typically by heating it, combining it with other ingredients, seasoning it, preparing it for serving, etc.
• absolute /ˈæb.sə.luːt/ (adjective) — Free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions; unconditional.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• ask for (verb) — To request; to order.
• grow up (verb) — To mature and become an adult.
• pick up (verb) — To lift; to grasp and raise.
• talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
• try out (verb) — To test (something) to see how it works or whether it is suitable.
• work on (verb) — To apply mental or physical effort to (something) in order to shape, form, improve, investigate, solve it, etc.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, doesn't, don'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 skill, steal, outdoor.