Shadowing Practice: (Reading Practice (Improve your pronunciation in English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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107 sentences
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I have this friend named Jonathan.
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He's been a close friend for a long time.
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Last month, I asked to borrow some money from him.
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It wasn't a lot, and I said I'd pay him back in a week.
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A week went by, and I didn't have the money.
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so I said I'd pay the following week.
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He got all upset with me and said he needed the money right away.
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I mean, it's only another week, so I don't know what the big deal is.
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I managed to get the money together, and I just paid him.
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He didn't say thank you or anything, and I'm now afraid I may have lost his friendship over this.
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i have a lot of friends or at least i thought i did
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but i now see some of these friends more as acquaintances
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let me explain last month i was in a car accident it wasn't very serious
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but i did have to spend some time in the hospital.
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It was hard because I missed classes and was behind on my homework.
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The strange thing is, only three of my friends came to visit me, and no one else called or sent cards, nothing.
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It kind of hurt my feelings.
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What is interesting is
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that it's helped me realize who my true friends are i thought i had more close friends
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but i see now that's not the case that's fine with
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me actually what's important to me is to have a few really close good friends
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my friend Casey is probably my best friend she's honest reliable
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and truthful all qualities
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that are important for me in a friendship well the other
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day I was telling her about my sister my sister was mad at me because I didn't remember her birthday.
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I told my sister she was acting silly and now she is hardly talking to me.
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Well, I was telling this to Casey and she thought I was wrong.
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She really made me see that I was being insensitive and my behavior wasn't very nice.
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That's what I like about Casey.
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She can help me see things that I wouldn't normally see.
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My Travel Journal
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September 13 I arrived in New York City two weeks ago.
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I am writing this journal for one of my classes.
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My teacher says it is a good way for me to practice writing in English
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and to write about my experiences here in the United States.
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So far, I like New York and my school.
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I have three classes a day.
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Most of my classmates come from Japan, Korea, Poland, Germany, and Brazil.
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There aren't many Italian students, so I have to use English most of the time.
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I am learning a lot.
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I am living in student housing, and I have my own comfortable room.
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October 20 My English is hopeless.
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I was on the bus this morning, and a man spoke to me, but I hardly understood him.
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I was so embarrassed.
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Why is my English improving so slowly?
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I want to make lots of American friends, but this isn't happening so easily.
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I feel shy, and it is hard for me to talk to people, even my classmates.
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I like them, but sometimes I can't understand them very well.
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I'm feeling homesick.
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I miss my friends and family.
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October 27.
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I went to a school party last Friday, and it was awesome!
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I talked with a Japanese man named Kenji and a Polish woman named Anna.
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We talked about our country's customs and our experiences in the States so far.
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We are going to walk around the city together this weekend.
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Also, Kenji wants me to write for the student newspaper here at school.
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Maybe things are getting better.
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Stop Pollution Many power stations burn coal to make electricity.
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This makes pollution.
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What can we do to stop pollution?
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We can turn off lamps, computers, and other machines when we are not using them.
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We can have a shower, not a bath.
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We can get electricity from power stations that make electricity with wind or water.
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These power stations don't make pollution.
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We can also use the sun to make electricity.
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Solar panels use energy from the sun to make electricity.
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Solar panels don't make pollution.
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Batteries Some machines get electricity from batteries.
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We put batteries into lots of machines to make them work.
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Calculators, cameras, cell phones, and watches get electricity from batteries.
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We can take these machines with us when we move.
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Most batteries are small.
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They make electricity for small machines.
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Some machines use two or more batteries to work.
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Big batteries make electricity for big machines.
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A car battery helps a car to work.
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Some satellites have batteries, too.
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Giant batteries make some satellites work.
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Do you have machines that use batteries? Be safe.
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How can you be safe with electricity?
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Don't put electric machines next to water.
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Electricity can move through water to you.
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Firefighters don't use water to stop electric machines burning.
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They use powder to stop the fire.
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It isn't safe to put your fingers in sockets or electric machines.
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Electricity can move from the socket or the machine to you.
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It can give you an electric shock.
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Remember to be safe with electricity.
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Electricity helps us to do many things every day and every night.
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Electricity is amazing.
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Cell Phone Etiquette The first point I'd like to address is when not to use your phone.
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It's polite to switch off your phone or turn off the sound when you're in class or in a meeting.
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If you get an important call, you should ask for permission to leave the room, and then don't talk for too long.
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Furthermore, for conversations that need more time, it is best to ask the person to call back at a more convenient time.
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Cell phones can also cause you to neglect the people you are with.
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I find it really annoying when my friends constantly check their messages on their phone.
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In fact, I want to tell them to turn off the cell phone and enjoy my company.
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Another point that needs to be made has to do with personal space.
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I think it is very impolite to make calls in small spaces or crowded rooms.
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This makes others uncomfortable and forces them to listen to your personal conversations conversations.
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Additionally, it disturbs other face-to-face conversations.
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That's why I never use my cell phone within a few meters of other people, except in emergencies.
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Lastly, I would like readers to pay attention to the dangers of using your phone while doing something else.
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For instance, driving and texting is a bad combination.
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Likewise, using your phone or texting when walking can make you careless.
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You don't want to get hit by a car.
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Pay attention to where you're going.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “(Reading Practice (Improve your pronunciation in English”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: electricity, machine, batteries, pollution, cell. This video has 107 sentences and 1142 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:32. The speaker talks slowly, about 99 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 82% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| pollution noun | /pəˈluʃən/ | Physical contamination, now especially the contamination of the environment by harmful substances, or by disruptive levels of noise, light etc. |
| classmate noun | /ˈklæs.meɪt/ | A student who is in the same class at school. |
| socket noun | /ˈsɑkɪt/ | An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit (e.g. a light bulb socket). |
| satellite noun | /ˈsætəlaɪ̯t/ | A moon or other smaller body orbiting a larger one. |
| firefighter noun | /ˈfaɪ.ɚˌfaɪ.tɚ/ | A person who has been trained to put out fires. |
| homesick adjective | /ˈhoʊ̯m.sɪk/ | Missing one's home and family very much when away; nostalgic. |
| impolite adjective | /ɪmpəˈlaɪt/ | Not polite; discourteous; not of polished manners; wanting in good manners. |
| insensitive adjective | /ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv/ | Expressing or feeling little or no concern, care, compassion, or consideration for the feelings, emotions, sentiments, or concerns of other people… |
| truthful adjective | /ˈtɹuːθ.f(ə)l/ | Honest, and always telling the truth. |
| acquaintance noun | /ʌˈkweɪn.təns/ | A state of being acquainted with a person; originally indicating friendship, intimacy, but now suggesting a slight knowledge less deep than that of friendship… |
| disturb verb | /dɪˈstɜːb/ | to confuse a quiet, constant state or a calm, continuous flow, in particular: thoughts, actions or liquids. |
| calculator noun | /kæl.kjə.leɪ.tɚ/ | A mechanical or electronic device that performs mathematical calculations; (now usually) an electronic one specifically. |
| careless adjective | /kɛɹ.ləs/ | Not concerned or worried (about). |
| lastly adverb | /ˈlæstli/ | Used to mark the beginning of the last in a list of items or propositions. |
| hopeless adjective | /ˈhoʊplɪs/ | Without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| turn off verb | To power down, to switch off, to put out of operation, to deactivate (an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.). |
| switch off verb | To stop or disable a device by turning a switch or a lever. |
| walk around verb | To walk with no planned destination; to meander. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What can we do to stop pollution?
- Do you have machines that use batteries?
- How can you be safe with electricity?
- You don't want to get hit by a car.
- Pay attention to where you're going.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was telling · was acting · was being |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | am writing · am learning · am living |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | have to spend · have to use |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 25 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, didn't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: truthful /ˈtɹuːθ.f(ə)l/, furthermore /ˈfɜː(ɹ).ðə(ɹ)ˌmɔː(ɹ)/
- Long words — get the stress right: firefighter /ˈfaɪ.ɚˌfaɪ.tɚ/, insensitive /ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv/, calculator /kæl.kjə.leɪ.tɚ/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/
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 pollution, classmate, socket.
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.