This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Strensland Fires Pearson Hardman and Dominic”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: firm, board, Harvey, Stensland, Dominic. This video has 88 sentences and 626 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:03. The speaker talks at a natural 154 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% 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
bylaw noun	/ˈbaɪ.lɔ/	A local custom or law of a settlement or district.
croissant noun	/kɹəˈsɑnt/	A flaky roll or pastry in a form of a crescent.
deniability noun	/dɪˌnaɪ(j)əˈbɪlɪti/	The condition of being deniable.
misunderstand verb	/mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/	To understand incorrectly, while believing one has understood correctly.
preposition noun	/ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/	Any of a class of non-inflecting words and multiword terms typically employed to connect a following noun or a pronoun, in an adjectival or adverbial sense…
ratify verb	/ˈɹætɪfaɪ/	To give formal consent to; make officially valid, to sign off on.
torpedo noun	/ˌtoɹˈpi.doʊ/	An electric ray of the genus Torpedo.
diligence noun	/ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒəns/	Steady application; industry; careful work involving long-term effort.
billing noun	/ˈbɪlɪŋ/	Amounts billed.
plausible adjective	/ˈplɑ.zɪ.bəl/	Seemingly or apparently valid, likely, or acceptable; conceivably true or likely.
hedge noun	/ˈhɛd͡ʒ/	A thicket of bushes or other shrubbery, especially one planted as a fence between two portions of land, or to separate the parts of a garden.
encouragement noun	[ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]	The act of encouraging
credibility noun	/kɹɛd.əˈbɪ.ɫɪ.ti/	A reputation impacting one's ability to be believed.
assure verb	/əˈʃʊɹ/	To make sure and secure; ensure.
scare verb	/skɛɚ/	To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
go back verb	To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time.
go through verb	To travel from one end of something to the other.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

He's waiting for us outside.
You're taking a risk on him?
What are we gonna do?
What do you want me to do about it?
Am I smart enough to do that?

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 27 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, didn't, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, assure /əˈʃʊɹ/
Long words — get the stress right: deniability /dɪˌnaɪ(j)əˈbɪlɪti/, misunderstand /mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, encouragement [ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt], credibility /kɹɛd.əˈbɪ.ɫɪ.ti/

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 bylaw, croissant, deniability.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Strensland Fires Pearson Hardman and Dominic | Suits - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson