Shadowing Practice: September 7, 2026 - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 33 sentences and 284 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:53. The speaker talks at a natural 150 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

• athlete /ˈæθ.liːt/ (noun) — A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
• compete /kəmˈpiːt/ (verb) — To be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend.
• naked /ˈneɪkɪd/ (adjective) — Bare, not covered by clothing.
• olive /ˈɑ.lɪv/ (noun) — A tree of species Olea europaea cultivated since ancient times in the Mediterranean for its fruit and the oil obtained from it.
• cloth /klɒθ/ (noun) — A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. Sometimes…
• violent /ˈvaɪ.ə.lənt/ (adjective) — Involving extreme force or motion.
• medal /ˈmɛdəl/ (noun) — A stamped metal disc used as a personal ornament, a charm, or a religious object.
• arrive /əˈɹaɪv/ (verb) — To reach; to get to a certain place.
• fewer /ˈfjuː.ɚ/ — Less; a smaller amount of something non-integral commonly expressed as an integer
• symbol /ˈsɪmbəl/ (noun) — A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.
• celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/ (noun) — Fame, renown; the state of being famous or talked-about.
• palm /pɑm/ (noun) — The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand or other primate hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers.
• safely /ˈseɪfli/ (adverb) — In a safe manner; without risk; using caution above all else.
• earthquake /ˈɝθkweɪk/ (noun) — A shaking of the ground, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults.
• cheer /t͡ʃɪɹ/ (verb) — To gladden; to make cheerful; often with up.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• hold in (verb) — To keep something to oneself; to prevent from escaping.
• give up (verb) — To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, wasn't, weren't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “th” sounds: athlete /ˈæθ.liːt/, cloth /klɒθ/, earthquake /ˈɝθkweɪk/, wreath /ɹiθ/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like athlete, compete, naked.