Shadowing Practice: Remember, You Are Mortal - 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 “Remember, You Are Mortal”. This video has 8 sentences and 161 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:50. The speaker talks fast, about 192 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| memento noun | /məˈmɛntoʊ/ | A keepsake; an object kept as a reminder of a place or event. |
| accomplishment noun | /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ.mənt/ | The act of accomplishing; completion; fulfilment. |
| whisper verb | /ˈ(h)wɪspɚ/ | To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the… |
| mortal adjective | /ˈmɔɹ.təl/ | Susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal. |
| reminder noun | /ɹɪˈmaɪndə(ɹ)/ | Someone or something that reminds. |
| chariot noun | /ˈt͡ʃæɹi.ət/ | A two-wheeled horse-drawn cart, used in Bronze Age and Early Iron Age warfare. |
| invincible adjective | /ɪnˈvɪn.sə.bəl/ | Impossible to defeat, destroy, or kill; too powerful to be defeated or overcome. |
| triumphal adjective | /tɹaɪˈʌmfəl/ | Of, relating to, or being a triumph. |
| exempt adjective | /ɪɡˈzɛmpt/ | Free from a duty, obligation, rule, law, etc. |
| triumph noun | /ˈtɹaɪ̯əmf/ | A conclusive success following an effort, conflict, or confrontation of obstacles; victory; conquest. |
| supposedly adverb | /səˈpoʊ̯.zɪd.li/ | As a matter of supposition; in the beliefs or according to the claims of some people. |
| arch noun | /ɑɹt͡ʃ/ | An inverted U shape. |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: accomplishment /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ.mənt/, invincible /ɪnˈvɪn.sə.bəl/, supposedly /səˈpoʊ̯.zɪd.li/
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 memento, accomplishment, whisper.
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.