Shadowing Practice: Susan David 2min Ted talk - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Susan David 2min Ted talk”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: emotions, feeling, dead. This video has 21 sentences and 258 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:02. The speaker talks at a steady 127 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| emotion noun | /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/ | A person's internal state of being and involuntary physiological response to an object or a situation, based on or tied to physical state and sensory data. |
| meaningful adjective | /ˈmiː.nɪŋ.fl̩/ | Having meaning, significant. |
| discomfort noun | /dɪsˈkʌmfɚt/ | Mental or bodily distress. |
| moral adjective | /ˈmoɹəl/ | Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially conforming to principles of rectitude. |
| anger noun | /ˈæŋɡə/ | A strong and unpleasant feeling of displeasure, hostility, or antagonism, usually combined with an urge to yell, curse, damage or destroy things, or harm… |
| disappointed adjective | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/ | Defeated of expectations or hope; experiencing disappointment; let down. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| actively adverb | /ˈæktɪvli/ | In an active manner. |
| embrace verb | /ɛmˈbɹes/ | To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug. |
| admission noun | /ədˈmɪʃən/ | The act or practice of admitting. |
| grief noun | /ɡɹiːf/ | Suffering, hardship. |
| disappointment noun | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/ | The feeling or state of being disappointed: a feeling of sadness or frustration when something is not as good as one hoped or expected, or when something bad… |
| sadness noun | /ˈsædnəs/ | The state or emotion of being sad. |
| unwanted adjective | /ʌnˈwɒntɪd/ | Not wanted; unwelcome. |
| inconvenience noun | /ɪnkənˈvinjəns/ | The quality of being inconvenient. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| push aside verb | To ignore, reject or subdue (something). |
| go away verb | To depart or leave a place. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, admission /ədˈmɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/, disappointment /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/, inconvenience /ɪnkənˈvinjəns/, inherently /ɪnˈhɛɹəntli/, positivity /ˌpɑ.zɪˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/
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 emotion, meaningful, discomfort.
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.