Shadowing Practice: Southland - I pay your salary - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Southland - I pay your salary”. This video has 17 sentences and 123 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:06. The speaker talks at a steady 112 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 6 of its 17 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 11 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| salary noun | /ˈsæləɹi/ | A fixed amount of money paid to a worker, usually calculated on a monthly or annual basis, not hourly, as wages. Implies a degree of professionalism and/or… |
| commit verb | /kəˈmɪt/ | To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto. |
| taxpayer noun | /ˈtakspeɪə/ | A person who is subject to, liable for, or pays tax. |
| lick verb | /lɪk/ | To stroke with the tongue. |
| rapist noun | /ˈɹeɪ.pɪst/ | One who has committed rape; someone who raped another person. |
| gangster noun | /ˈɡæŋ.stəː/ | A member of a criminal or street gang. |
| dollar noun | /ˈdɑ.lɚ/ | Official designation for currency in some parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and elsewhere… |
| shift noun | /ˈʃɪft/ | A movement to do something, a beginning. |
| entitled adjective | /ɪnˈtaɪtl̩d/ | Having a title. |
| crime noun | /kɹaɪm/ | A specific act committed in violation of the law, especially criminal law. |
| treat verb | /tɹiːt/ | To negotiate, discuss terms, bargain (for or with). |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| stand around verb | To stand without doing anything; to do nothing productive; to waste time. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Can I help you?
- While you're standing around, there are crimes being committed.
- Would it make you happier if we had cut the line?
- You're wasting our taxpayers' dollars.
- Ma'am, do you get a break while you're at work?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being committed · are not entitled |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have actually paid |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | you're standing · You're wasting |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, doesn't, we're. 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.
- 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 salary, commit, taxpayer.
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.