Shadowing Practice: Pink Floyd's Roger Waters EXPLOSIVE Interview Sets Record Straight - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Pink Floyd's Roger Waters EXPLOSIVE Interview Sets Record Straight”. This video has 17 sentences and 2908 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:19. The speaker talks at a steady 143 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cancel verb | /ˈkæn.sl̩/ | To cross out something with lines etc. |
| indifferent adjective | /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/ | Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic. |
| fcking noun | Censored spelling of fucking. | |
| glorify verb | /ˈɡlɔːɹɪfaɪ/ | To exalt, or give glory or praise to (something or someone). |
| bloke noun | /bloʊk/ | A fellow, a man; especially an ordinary man, a man on the street. |
| apartheid verb | /əˈpɑːtheɪt/ | To impose a policy of segregation of groups of people, especially one based on race. |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| vilify verb | /ˈvɪl.ɪ.faɪ/ | To say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of. |
| blitz noun | /blɪts/ | A sudden attack, especially an air raid; usually with reference to the Blitz. |
| theatrical adjective | /θiˈætɹɪkəl/ | Of or relating to the theatre. |
| scrub verb | /skɹʌb/ | To rub hard; to wash with rubbing; usually, to rub with a wet brush, or with something coarse or rough, for the purpose of cleaning or brightening |
| ambulance noun | /ˈæmbjᵿl(ə)n(t)s/ | An emergency vehicle designed for transporting seriously ill or injured people to a hospital. |
| addressee noun | /ˌædɹɛˈsiː/ | The person or organization to which something, such as a letter or message, is addressed or sent, for whom the item is intended. |
| bushed adjective | /bʊʃt/ | Very tired; exhausted. |
| conscription noun | /kənˈskɹɪpʃən/ | Involuntary labor, especially military service, demanded by some established authority. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| double down verb | To double one's wager, particularly, the name of a specific doubling bet allowed in blackjack. | |
| call up verb | To retrieve from personal or computer memory. | |
| put up verb | To place in a high location. | |
| beat up verb | To give a severe beating to; to assault violently with repeated blows. | |
| break out verb | To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly. | |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| cut out verb | To refrain from (doing something, using something etc.), to stop or cease (doing something). | |
| fight back verb | /faɪt bæk/ | To defend oneself by fighting. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been doing |
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you do their world will crumble |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've forgotten · I've been |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | guy who was · symbols which are |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 75 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: theatrical /θiˈætɹɪkəl/, mouthpiece /ˈmaʊθˌpiːs/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shout /ʃaʊt/, bushed /bʊʃt/, conscription /kənˈskɹɪpʃən/, existential /ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃl̩/, unconscionable /ˌənˈkɑn(t)ʃ(ə)nəbəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: theatrical /θiˈætɹɪkəl/, instinctively /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪvli/, pacifism /ˈpæsɪfɪzəm/, politicize /pəˈlɪtɪˌsaɪz/, transmogrify /tɹænzˈmɑɡɹɪfaɪ/
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 cancel, indifferent, fcking.
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.













