Shadowing Practice: My Bully is Obsessed with ME! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “My Bully is Obsessed with ME!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Jasper, parents, device. This video has 528 sentences and 4258 words to shadow. The speech runs for 25:20. The speaker talks at a natural 168 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 78% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| freeze verb | /ˈfɹiːz/ | Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature. |
| soccer noun | /ˈsɑk.ɚ/ | Association football. |
| lookout noun | /ˈlʊkaʊt/ | A vantage point with a view of the surrounding area. |
| honey noun | /ˈhʌni/ | A sweet, viscous, gold-colored fluid produced from plant nectar by bees, and often consumed by humans. |
| awkward adjective | /ˈɔk.wɚd/ | Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments. |
| cheat verb | /ˈt͡ʃiːt/ | To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation. |
| sunglasses noun | Tinted glasses worn to protect the eyes from the sun or other bright light, and may also be worn as a fashion accessory. | |
| rush verb | /ɹʌʃ/ | To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully. |
| argue verb | /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/ | To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply. |
| silence noun | /ˈsaɪ̯ləns/ | The absence of any sound. |
| doll noun | /dɑl/ | A small figure resembling a human being that is used as a toy. |
| desperately adverb | /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹət.li/ | In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly. |
| shock noun | /ʃɔk/ | A sudden, heavy impact. |
| silent adjective | /ˈsaɪ̯lənt/ | Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet. |
| horrible adjective | /ˈhɔɹ.ɪ.bəl/ | Causing horror; terrible; shocking. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
| hide behind verb | To use someone or something as a shield in order to avoid taking responsibility for something; to avoid attention by using someone or something as a shield. |
| run away verb | To flee by running. |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. |
| break up verb | To break or separate into pieces. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
| 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:
- Is that horrible girl still making fun of you?
- Ashley, I said how was school?
- Protect me from what, though?
- Would you rather she get tormented every day?
- Why don't you sit down?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been talking · who's been making · It's been excruciating |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was met · was frozen · being apprehended |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've wanted · haven't met · have been |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | were always fighting · was planning · was moving |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 88 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, don't, couldn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: myth /mɪθ/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: rush /ɹʌʃ/, shock /ʃɔk/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, adoption /əˈdɑp.ʃən/, casually /ˈkæʒuəli/
- Long words — get the stress right: desperately /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹət.li/, experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, popularity /ˌpɑ.pjəˈlæɹ.ə.ti/
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 freeze, soccer, lookout.
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.




















