Shadowing Practice: RE2 Unit 8A - Learn English Speaking with Video
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The Polos, Marco, his father Niccolo,
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and his uncle Maffeo had been traveling for three and a half years when they finally achieved their objective,
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a long -awaited meeting with the powerful Mongol leader Kublai Khan.
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The historic event took place in 1275 at the Khan's luxurious summer capital in Chengdu,
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in what is now northern China.
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Kublai Khan was surprisingly informal as he greeted his tired guests.
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Welcome, gentlemen.
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Please stand up.
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How have you been?
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How was the trip?
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Marco Polo's trip had, in fact, started more than 9 ,000 kilometers away in Venice when he was just a teenager.
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His father and uncle already knew Kublai Khan from a previous visit nine years earlier, when they had spent a short time in Chengdu.
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On this second trip, the Polos stayed for 17 years before they returned home.
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They made themselves useful to the Khan and undertook various missions and tasks for him.
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It is likely that the Khan considered it an honor that these Europeans, who were rare in China,
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had made this extremely difficult journey and he took the opportunity to make good use of their skills and knowledge.
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While he was in the service of Kublai Khan, the most powerful man in people and in lands and in treasure that ever was in the world,
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Marco Polo was able to learn and experience many things that were new to Europeans.
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In his travel journal, he wrote that Kublai Khan's palace was the greatest he had ever seen.
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He admired the Khan's recently completed new capital, Dadu, whose streets were so straight and so broad.
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The city was located in what is now the center of Beijing, and Kublai Khan's city planning can still be perceived in the straight,
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broad streets of China's modern capital.
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We learn from Marco Polo that, in the administration of his empire, Kublai Khan made use of a fast and simple message system.
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Horse riders, spaced every 40 kilometers, allowed messages to cover 500 kilometers a day.
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As soon as one horse had run 40 kilometers, the next horse would run the next 40 kilometers, and so on.
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Marco also learned the secret of asbestos cloth, which is made from a mineral and doesn't catch fire.
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Paper money also took him by surprise, since it was not yet used in the West at that time.
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Homes were heated with black stones which burn like logs.
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These stones were coal, unknown in most of Europe, and were so plentiful that many people had a hot bath three times a week.
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Although the Khan did not want his visitors to leave, the Polos finally received permission to return home in 1292.
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Marco continued his observations while on the ocean voyage by way of Sumatra and India.
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After he returned home, Marco completed a book about his trip, full of details about his amazing cultural experiences.
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It was probably the single greatest contribution to geographical knowledge ever made to the West about the East.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Khan, Kublai, Marco, Polo, kilometers. This video has 33 sentences and 491 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:30. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| uncle noun | /ˈʌŋ.kl̩/ | The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent. |
| palace noun | /ˈpælɪs/ | Official residence of a head of state or other dignitary, especially in a monarchical or imperial governmental system. |
| bath noun | /bɑːθ/ | A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub. |
| 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. |
| log noun | /lɔɡ/ | The trunk of a dead tree, cleared of branches. |
| objective noun | /ɒbˈd͡ʒɛk.tɪv/ | A material object that physically exists. |
| contribution noun | /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/ | Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole. |
| treasure noun | /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/ | A collection of valuable things; accumulated wealth; a stock of money, jewels, etc. |
| gentleman noun | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.təl.mən/ | Any well-bred, well-mannered, or charming man. |
| observation noun | /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/ | The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance) |
| surprisingly adverb | /səˈpɹaɪzɪŋli/ | In a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual. |
| teenager noun | /ˈtiːnˌeɪ̯d͡ʒə/ | A person between thirteen and nineteen years old (inclusive). |
| cloth noun | /klɒθ/ | A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. Sometimes… |
| mineral noun | /ˈmɪn.ə.ɹəl/ | Any naturally occurring solid material that has a (more or less) definite chemical composition and characteristic physical properties; especially, an inorganic… |
| rider noun | /ˈɹaɪ̯.dəː/ | An old Dutch gold coin with the figure of a man on horseback stamped upon it. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: bath /bɑːθ/, cloth /klɒθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: contribution /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/, treasure /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/, observation /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/, luxurious /lʌɡˈʒʊəɹi.əs/
- Long words — get the stress right: contribution /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/, surprisingly /səˈpɹaɪzɪŋli/, luxurious /lʌɡˈʒʊəɹi.əs/
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 uncle, palace, bath.
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.