Shadowing Practice: my makeup routine for date night! | GET READY WITH ME - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 86 sentences and 1122 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:25. The speaker talks at a natural 151 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 |
|---|---|---|
| fluid noun | /ˈflu.ɪd/ | Any substance which can flow with relative ease, tends to assume the shape of its container, and obeys Bernoulli's principle; a liquid, gas or plasma. |
| cheek noun | /t͡ʃiːk/ | The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity. |
| seal noun | /siːl/ | A stamp used to impress a design on a soft substance such as wax. |
| brush noun | /bɹʌʃ/ | An implement consisting of multiple more or less flexible bristles or other filaments attached to a handle, used for any of various purposes including… |
| blend verb | /blɛnd/ | To mingle; to mix; to unite intimately; to pass or shade insensibly into each other. |
| blush noun | /ˈblʌʃ/ | An act of blushing; a pink or red glow on the face caused by embarrassment, shame, shyness, love, etc. |
| powder noun | /ˈpaʊ.dɚ/ | The fine particles which are the result of reducing a dry substance by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or the result of decay; dust. |
| brow noun | /bɹaʊ/ | The bony ridge over the eyes, upon which the eyebrows are located. |
| finger noun | /ˈfɪŋɡɚ/ | A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb, and the corresponding part, irrespective of including a thumb, in many other… |
| highlight verb | /ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/ | To make prominent; emphasize. |
| chill verb | /tʃɪl/ | To lower the temperature of something; to cool. |
| gently adverb | /ˈd͡ʒɛntli/ | Without strong force or quickness: softly, lightly. |
| chin noun | /ˈt͡ʃɪn/ | The bottom of a face, (specifically) the typically jutting jawline below the mouth. |
| curl noun | /kɜɹl/ | A curving piece or lock of hair; a ringlet. |
| trick noun | /ˈtɹɪk/ | Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| brush up verb | To paint, or make clean or bright with a brush. | |
| cool down verb | /kuːl ˈdaʊn/ | To become cooler; to be reduced in temperature. |
| go in with verb | To commit to something with; to partner with. | |
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. | |
| take off verb | To remove. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | I'm going to do · I'm going to use · I'm going to just |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | needs to like · need to get · need to go |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm using |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will use · i'll see |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 38 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: brush /bɹʌʃ/, blush /ˈblʌʃ/, shade /ʃeɪd/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, lash /læʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/
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 fluid, cheek, seal.
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.





























