Shadowing Practice: Sylvester Stallone Reflects on Working with Dolly Parton on ‘Rhinestone’ - Learn English Speaking with Video
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21 sentences
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1
When I met Dahlia, we instantly enjoyed one another's personalities, company, outlook, and I think philosophies, if I can be so bold.
2
This is my favorite.
3
There is a very relaxed sense of well -being between us.
4
And I like him.
5
I like him too.
6
You can't even find this film anywhere, which is amazing.
7
I'm going, Jesus, did it really happen or was that a dream?
8
Your agent must have been having whiplash.
9
Oh, they went nuts.
10
They said, Jesus, what a career killer.
11
I go, so be it.
12
I said, you're never going to have this chance again.
13
It's more than working with an actress.
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It's working with a philosophy and a talent that is beyond, really, you can't categorize her.
15
What do you remember about working alongside Dolly?
16
I remember that she never stopped literally laughing.
17
She also would go around and know the name of every crew member.
18
When she took me to her hometown, I'd go to meet
19
Uncle Lugnut or whatever his name was.
20
She would laugh about that because, yeah, he got no Lugnuts in our family.
21
I mean, she came, when I say humble beginnings, wow.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Sylvester Stallone Reflects on Working with Dolly Parton on ‘Rhinestone’”. This video has 21 sentences and 194 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:01. The speaker talks fast, about 191 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
12 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| killer noun | /ˈkɪlɚ/ | One who or that which kills. |
| actress noun | /ˈæk.tɹɪs/ | A female who performs on the stage or in films. |
| alongside | /əˌlɔŋˈsaɪd/ | Side by side with. |
| uncle noun | /ˈʌŋ.kl̩/ | The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| bold adjective | /ˈbəʊld/ | Courageous, daring. |
| instantly adverb | /ˈɪnstəntli/ | At once; without delay. |
| humble adjective | /ˈhʌmbəl/ | Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming. |
| outlook noun | /ˈaʊtˌlʊk/ | A place from which something can be viewed. |
| hometown noun | /ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn/ | An individual’s place of birth, childhood home, or place of main residence. |
| categorize verb | /ˈkætɪɡəˌɹaɪz/ | To assign a category; to divide into classes. |
| whiplash noun | /ˈwɪpˌlæʃ/ | The lash of a whip. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go around verb | To move or spread from person to person. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, I'd, I'm. 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 killer, actress, alongside.
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.