Shadowing Practice: My Friends Planned My Day and Told Me Nothing - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 354 sentences and 4162 words to shadow. The speech runs for 25:08. The speaker talks at a natural 166 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| pumpkin noun | /ˈpʌm(p).kɪn/ | A domesticated plant, in species Cucurbita pepo, similar in growth pattern, foliage, flower, and fruit to the squash or melon. |
| verse noun | /ˈvɝs/ | A poetic form with regular meter and a fixed rhyme scheme. |
| bake verb | /beɪk/ | To cook (something) in an oven (for someone). |
| flower noun | /ˈfloʊɚ/ | A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens… |
| spouse noun | /spaʊ̯s/ | A person in a marriage or marital relationship. |
| syrup noun | /ˈsɪɹ.əp/ | Any thick liquid that has a high sugar content and which is added to or poured over food as a flavoring. |
| rant verb | /ɹænt/ | To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger. |
| recipe noun | /ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/ | Any set of instructions for preparing a mixture of ingredients. |
| potter noun | /ˈpɑtɚ/ | One who makes pots and other ceramic wares. |
| grill noun | /ɡɹɪl/ | A grating; a grid of wire or a sheet of material with a pattern of holes or slots, usually used to protect something while allowing the passage of air and… |
| dong noun | /dɔŋ/ | The currency of Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: ₫ |
| circuit noun | /ˈsɝ.kɪt/ | The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution |
| anxiety noun | /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/ | An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event. |
| crack noun | /kɹæk/ | A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material. |
| funeral noun | /ˈfju.nəɹ.əl/ | A ceremony to honor and remember a deceased person, often distinguished from a memorial service by the presence of the body of the deceased. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| turn out verb | To end up; to result. | |
| walk through verb | To explain (something) to (someone), step by step. | |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| clear up verb | /klɪəˈɹʌp/ | To clarify, to correct a misconception. |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been sent · have just texted · I've walked |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | I've been sent · was actually voted · was told |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | task which is · minutes which is · people who had |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | start putting · started seeing · started reading |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 140 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: eighth /eɪtθ/, athlete /ˈæθ.liːt/, atheist /ˈeɪ.θi.ɪst/, psychopath /ˈsaɪkəʊpæθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: brush /bɹʌʃ/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, garage /ɡəˈɹɑʒ/
- Long words — get the stress right: anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/, necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/
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 pumpkin, verse, bake.
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.















