Shadowing Practice: READING EXPLORER FOUNDATIONS UNIT 3 3A DIGGINGFOR THE PAST by Nora Shawki - Learn English Speaking with Video
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3. A.
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Digging for the Past by Nora Schocke A.
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When I was in third grade, I watched a video that recreated the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb.
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I remember Howard Carter one, peering through a narrow hole in the tomb with a candle.
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A workman asked what he could see.
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Wonderful things, Carter said.
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From that moment, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.
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B. Today I'm lucky to work as an archaeologist.
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I study the lives of people who lived in Egypt's Nile Delta.
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It's exciting work.
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Sometimes you find something that was buried 3 ,000 years ago.
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Holding a piece of history is an amazing feeling.
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C. So I decided what I wanted to be at the age of nine, and I made it happen.
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Seems easy, right?
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Not quite.
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The road wasn't easy.
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I did my studies, university, then a PhD.
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But along the way, I was told many things.
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I was too young, I wasn't qualified.
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I should get married and have kids.
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I also needed money, so I applied for six grants.
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The first five replies I got said no. Six months later, the last reply came.
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This time, it was yes.
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Finally, I could start my own excavation.
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DD, for anyone thinking about a career, I would say, never give up.
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If you want to do something, keep trying.
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If people tell you no, use that.
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It will push you.
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At the beginning, it hurts, but the next no hurts a little less.
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It makes you stronger and actually helps you.
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The second, focus on your goals.
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And I stress yours.
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You don't have to follow other people.
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If they say something has never been done, make it happen.
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You may be the first to do it.
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There are always challenges, but you overcome them in the end.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “READING EXPLORER FOUNDATIONS UNIT 3 3A DIGGINGFOR THE PAST by Nora Shawki”. This video has 36 sentences and 305 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:01. The speaker talks at a natural 152 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| tomb noun | /tum/ | A small building, or a room within one, for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. It may be… |
| discovery noun | /dɪˈskʌv.ɹi/ | Something discovered. |
| narrow adjective | /ˈnæɹəʊ/ | Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth. |
| overcome verb | /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/ | To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of. |
| dig verb | /dɪɡ/ | To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More… |
| qualify verb | /ˈkwɑ.lɪ.faɪ/ | To describe or characterize something by listing its qualities. |
| peer noun | /pɪɹ/ | Somebody who is, or something that is, at a level or of a value equal (to that of something else). |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
| bury verb | /ˈbɛɹi/ | To outlive. |
| candle noun | /ˈkæn.dəl/ | A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a solid, flammable substance such as wax, tallow, or paraffin. |
| recreate verb | /ˈɹɛk.ɹi.eɪt/ | To give new life, energy or encouragement (to); to refresh, enliven. |
| archaeologist noun | /ˌɑɹ.kiˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒɪst/ | Someone who studies or practises archaeology. |
| excavation noun | /ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃn/ | The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass. |
| excite verb | /ɪkˈsaɪt/ | To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement. |
| workman noun | /ˈwɝkmən/ | A man who labours for wages. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Today I'm lucky to work as an archaeologist.
- I was too young, I wasn't qualified.
- You don't have to follow other people.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as wasn't, don't, I'm. 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.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like tomb, discovery, narrow.
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.