Shadowing Practice: Present Perfect Tense English Speaking Practice | Learn English Through Conversation (For Beginners) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 29 sentences and 159 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:52. The speaker talks slowly, about 85 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

11 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ (noun) — A Japanese dish made of small portions of sticky white rice flavored with vinegar, usually wrapped in seaweed and filled or topped with fish, vegetables or…
• promotion /pɹəˈmoʊʃn̩/ (noun) — An advancement in rank or position.
• congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/ — Expressing praise and approval, expressing approbation.
• delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/ (adjective) — Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty.
• dish /dɪʃ/ (noun) — A vessel such as a plate for holding or serving food, often flat with a depressed region in the middle.
• tasty /ˈteɪsti/ (adjective) — Having a pleasant or satisfying flavor.
• restaurant /ˈɹɛst(ə)ˌɹɑnt/ (noun) — An eating establishment in which diners are served food, usually by waiters at their tables but sometimes (as in a fast food restaurant) at a counter.
• holiday /ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/ (noun) — A day on which a religious event or secular celebration is traditionally observed.
• recommend /ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/ (verb) — To bestow commendation on; to represent favorably; to suggest, endorse or encourage as an appropriate choice.
• favourite /ˈfeɪv.ɹɪt/ (adjective) — Most-liked. (In other words, [person]'s favorite [noun] = the [noun] that [person] likes the most.)
• trip /tɹɪp/ (noun) — A journey; an excursion or jaunt.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• look for (verb) — To seek.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, haven't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, promotion /pɹəˈmoʊʃn̩/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, dish /dɪʃ/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like sushi, promotion, congratulations.