Shadowing Practice: Pick it up like a lady - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Pick it up like a lady”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: dress, hold, pencil, pick, hem. This video has 36 sentences and 207 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:28. The speaker talks at a steady 141 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 91% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
10 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pencil noun | /ˈpɛnsəl/ | A writing utensil with a graphite (commonly referred to as lead) shaft, usually blended with clay, clad in wood, and sharpened to a taper. |
| pretend verb | /pɹəˈtɛnd/ | To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance. |
| gentleman noun | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.təl.mən/ | Any well-bred, well-mannered, or charming man. |
| dress verb | /dɹɛs/ | To put clothes (or, formerly, armour) on (oneself or someone, a doll, a mannequin, etc.); to clothe. |
| bottom noun | /ˈbɑ.təm/ | The lowest part of anything. |
| drop noun | /dɹɑp/ | A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own rounded shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid. |
| lady noun | /ˈleɪ.di/ | A woman of breeding or higher class, a woman of authority. |
| nobody noun | /ˈnoʊ.bə.di/ | A person dismissed as unimportant. |
| wear verb | /wɛ(ə)ɹ/ | To carry or have equipped on or about one's body, as an item of clothing, equipment, decoration, perfume, etc. |
| rise verb | /ɹaɪz/ | To move upwards. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go down verb | To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one. |
| sit up verb | To assume a sitting position from a position lying down. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- We're pretending there's no gentleman in the room.
- Lay it in the run, let's go.
- That's in front of you.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | We're pretending · you're wearing |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | have to hold · have to do |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 pencil, pretend, gentleman.
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.