Shadowing Practice: Speak Out B1+ 3rd ed. Unit 1. BBC Vlogs - Learn English Speaking with Video
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22 sentences
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1
The best present I've ever received was a laptop,
2
because after I received my laptop I was able to start working online and that changed my life.
3
The best present I've ever received was my engagement ring.
4
The best present I ever received was a puppy.
5
I was three years old.
6
This meant we grew up together.
7
We're always the best of friends.
8
My favourite present was my saxophone.
9
My parents gave it to me when I was 10 for my birthday.
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I'd wanted one for ages and when I opened the present I was so excited.
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The best birthday present I've ever had was my son who was born on my birthday.
12
The best present I ever received was a new set of golf clubs
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because golf is my passion and these clubs may be a better golfer.
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The best present I've ever received is a music studio built into my own house.
15
I think the best present I ever received was a holiday to South Africa to go on safari
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and it's something I had wanted to do since I was a child.
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The best present I have ever received was a car
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that my husband bought me because he really wanted me to learn to drive.
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It was an old car and it was really beautiful.
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The best present I've ever received I think must be a camera that I got for my 10th birthday.
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It was quite a basic camera
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but it led me to a great interest in photography and I still love taking photographs today.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Speak Out B1+ 3rd ed. Unit 1. BBC Vlogs”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: present, received, birthday. This video has 22 sentences and 260 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:43. The speaker talks at a natural 151 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% 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
13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| laptop noun | /ˈlæp.tɑp/ | A laptop computer. |
| photography noun | /fəˈtɑ.ɡɹə.fi/ | The art and technology of producing images on photosensitive surfaces, and its digital counterpart. |
| passion noun | /ˈpæʃən/ | A true desire sustained or prolonged. |
| engagement noun | /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ.mənt/ | An appointment, especially to speak or perform. |
| photograph noun | /ˈfoʊ.təˌɡɹæf/ | A picture created by projecting an image onto a photosensitive surface such as a chemically treated plate or film, CCD receptor, etc. |
| puppy noun | /ˈpʌpi/ | A young rat. |
| safari noun | /səˈfɑːɹ.i/ | A trip into any undeveloped area to see, photograph or to hunt wild animals in their own environment. |
| golfer noun | /ˈɡɒlfə(ɹ)/ | Someone who plays golf. |
| saxophone noun | /ˈsæksəˌfoʊ̯n/ | A single-reed instrument musical instrument of the woodwind family, usually made of brass and with a distinctive loop bringing the bell upwards. |
| golf noun | /ɡɑlf/ | A ball game played by individuals competing against one another in which the object is to hit a ball into each of a series of (usually 18 or nine) holes in the… |
| holiday noun | /ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/ | A day on which a religious event or secular celebration is traditionally observed. |
| studio noun | /ˈstudi.oʊ/ | An artist’s or photographer’s workshop or the room in which an artist works. |
| favourite adjective | /ˈfeɪv.ɹɪt/ | Most-liked. (In other words, [person]'s favorite [noun] = the [noun] that [person] likes the most.) |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've ever received · I've ever had · have ever received |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | The best |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | start working · love taking |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, I'd, 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.
- 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 laptop, photography, passion.
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.