Shadowing Practice: ONE-MINUTE ENGLISH: Amen! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “ONE-MINUTE ENGLISH: Amen!”. This video has 13 sentences and 157 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:56. The speaker talks at a natural 168 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| amen | /(ˌ)ɑːˈmɛn/ | At the end of a religious prayer: so be it. |
| prayer noun | /pɹɛɚ/ | A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| dispute noun | /dɪˈspjuːt/ | An argument or disagreement; a failure to agree. |
| sensible adjective | /ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/ | Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason or wisdom, or reflecting such ability. |
| specify verb | /ˈspɛs.əˌfaɪ/ | To state explicitly, or in detail, or as a condition. |
| nationality noun | /ˌnæʃ.əˈnæl.ɪ.ti/ | Legal membership of a particular nation or state, by origin, birth, naturalization, ownership, allegiance or otherwise. |
| rant verb | /ɹænt/ | To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger. |
| advert verb | /ædvˈɝt/ | To take notice, to pay attention (to). |
| embroil verb | /əmˈbɹɔɪl/ | To bring (something) into a state of confusion or uproar; to complicate, to confuse, to jumble. |
| hallow verb | /ˈhæloʊ/ | To make holy, to sanctify. |
| angry adjective | /ˈæŋ.ɡɹi/ | Displaying or feeling anger. |
| native adjective | /ˈneɪtɪv/ | Belonging to one by birth or ancestry. |
| originally adverb | /əˈɹɪd͡ʒ.ɪ.nə.li/ | As it was in the beginning; at first. |
| discuss verb | /dɪˈskʌs/ | To converse or debate concerning a particular topic. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| point out verb | To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to say |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are not born · are born |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've become |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: nationality /ˌnæʃ.əˈnæl.ɪ.ti/, originally /əˈɹɪd͡ʒ.ɪ.nə.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 amen, prayer, skill.
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.