Shadowing Practice: My First Presentation | Easy English Story - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 11 sentences and 55 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:44. The speaker talks slowly, about 75 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 73% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

• presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/ (noun) — The act of presenting, or something presented.
• scary /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ (adjective) — Causing fear or anxiety
• breathe /bɹiːð/ (verb) — To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.
• scare /skɛɚ/ (verb) — To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
• smile /ˈsmaɪl/ (verb) — To have (a smile) on one's face.
• slowly /ˈsloʊli/ (adverb) — At a slow pace.
• clearly /ˈklɪɚli/ (adverb) — In a clear manner.
• finish /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ (verb) — To complete (something).
• teacher /ˈti.t͡ʃɚ/ (noun) — A person who teaches, especially one employed in a school; preceptor.
• proud /ˈpɹaʊ̯d/ (adjective) — Feeling honoured (by something); feeling happy or satisfied about an event or fact; gratified.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• finish with (verb) — To put aside, break all relations with, or reject finally.

Pronunciation to watch

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, finish /ˈfɪnɪʃ/

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 presentation, scary, breathe.