Shadowing Practice: NE1 U20 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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New Orleans is an old city in the southern part of the US.
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It is famous for its old-fashioned streets and buildings, jazz music and Mardi Gras.
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It used to attract millions of tourists every year.
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But all of this changed in August of 2005.
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A nasty hurricane named Katrina hit the southern part of the US.
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New Orleans suffered the most damage from the storm.
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New Orleans is a city built below sea level, and so it has levees to keep seawater from coming in.
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However, Katrina destroyed these levees, and the city eventually became flooded by seawater.
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More than 100 people were dead, and the city was completely destroyed.
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Houses were gone, buildings were ruined, and cars were damaged.
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Experts say that it will cost more than $26 billion to rebuild the city.
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But hope is still left for the people of New Orleans.
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People in the U.S and all over the world have sent money and supplies to help them with the rebuilding.
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Will New Orleans be rebuilt as the beautiful city it once was?
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We will just have to wait and see.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "NE1 U20" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →