Shadowing Practice: My ex-best friend tried to kill me 🚗😨 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 19 sentences and 149 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:51. The speaker talks at a natural 176 words per minute, close to everyday conversation.
Key vocabulary in this video
14 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| scream verb | /skɹiːm/ | To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, sharp outcry, or shrill, loud cry, as in fright or extreme pain; to screech, to shriek. |
| insane adjective | /ɪnˈseɪn/ | Exhibiting unsoundness or disorder of mind; not sane; utterly mad. |
| grocery noun | /ˈɡɹəʊ.s(ə.)ɹi/ | Retail foodstuffs and other household supplies. |
| confront verb | /kənˈfɹʌnt/ | To stand or meet facing, especially in competition, hostility or defiance; to come face to face with. |
| thankfully adverb | In a thankful manner; giving thanks. | |
| steer verb | /stɪɹ/ | To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel). |
| compose verb | /kəmˈpəʊz/ | To make something by merging parts. |
| terrify verb | /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/ | To frighten greatly; to fill with terror. |
| uninjured adjective | That did not suffer injury. | |
| crash noun | /ˈkɹæʃ/ | A sudden, intense, loud sound, as made for example by cymbals. |
| apartment noun | /əˈpɑɹt.mənt/ | A complete domicile occupying only part of a building, especially one for rent; a flat. |
| respond verb | /ɹɪˈspɑnd/ | To say something in return; to answer; to reply. |
| destroy verb | /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/ | To damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist. |
| aim noun | /eɪm/ | The pointing of a weapon, as a gun, a dart, or an arrow, or object, in the line of direction with the object intended to be struck; the line of fire; the… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, haven't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 scream, insane, grocery.
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 | haven't been responding |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was pulling · was aiming |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | started screaming |
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.