Shadowing Practice: People Pleasing #learnenglish - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “People Pleasing”. This video has 5 sentences and 74 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:36.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 10 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| abandon verb | /əˈbæn.dən/ | To give up or relinquish control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions. |
| kindness noun | /ˈkaɪnd.nəs/ | The state of being kind. |
| honesty noun | /ˈɑ.nɪ.sti/ | The act, quality, or condition of being honest. |
| disappoint verb | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt/ | To sadden or displease (someone) by underperforming, or by not delivering something promised or hoped for. |
| comfortable adjective | /ˈkʌm(p)f.tə.bəl/ | Providing physical comfort and ease; agreeable. |
| valuable adjective | /ˈvælju(ə)bl̩/ | Having a great value. |
| approval noun | /əˈpɹuvəl/ | An expression granting permission; an indication of agreement with a proposal; an acknowledgement that a person, thing, or event meets requirements. |
| avoid verb | /əˈvɔɪd/ | To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun. |
| healthy adjective | /ˈhɛl.θi/ | Enjoying good health; free from disease or disorder. |
| require verb | /ɹɪˈkwaɪɹ/ | To demand, to insist upon (having); to call for authoritatively. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should not require |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may say |
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like abandon, kindness, honesty.
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.






























