Shadowing Practice: The Birthday Secret - Learn English Speaking with Video

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24 sentences
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1
Lucas, come here. Can you keep a secret?
2
Sure. What's going on?
3
It's Priya's birthday today!
4
We're having a surprise party for her at four!
5
That's a great idea! Does she know?
6
No, and she can't find out!
7
Good morning, you two. Why are you whispering?
8
Whispering? We weren't whispering!
9
Okay. Lucas, are you free at four today?
10
At four? No! I mean, yes! I mean, why?
11
You're acting very strange today.
12
Don't mind him. He's had too much coffee.
13
The cake is here! Where can we hide it?
14
In the meeting room. Priya never goes in there after lunch.
15
Lucas, can you carry it? I'll get the candles.
16
Sure. Wow, it's heavier than I thought!
17
Careful! Don't drop it!
18
Surprise! Happy birthday, Priya!
19
Oh my goodness! I thought everyone forgot!
20
We'd never forget your birthday.
21
I almost told you this morning. Sorry!
22
I know. You're a terrible liar, Lucas!
23
Is that a compliment?
24
Yes, it is. Now, who wants cake?

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Lesson

City Stories

Episode 5 of 7

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “The Birthday Secret”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Lucas, whispering, birthday. This video has 24 sentences and 161 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:16. 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. 12 of its 24 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
whisper verb/ˈ(h)wɪspɚ/To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the…
goodness noun/ˈɡʊdnəs/The state or characteristic of being good.
liar noun/ˈlaɪ.ɚ/Someone who tells a lie; especially, a person who frequently lies.
compliment noun/ˈkɑmpləmənt/An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect.
candle noun/ˈkæn.dəl/A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a solid, flammable substance such as wax, tallow, or paraffin.
cake noun/keɪk/A rich, sweet dessert food, typically made of flour, sugar, and eggs and baked in an oven, and often covered in icing.
lunch noun/lʌnt͡ʃ/A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day.
strange adjective/stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/Not normal; odd, unusual, surprising, out of the ordinary, often with a negative connotation.
careful adjective/ˈkɛɹfəl/Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious.
birthday noun/ˈbɜːθ.deɪ/The anniversary of the day on which someone is born.
surprise noun/sə(ː)ˈpɹaɪ̯z/Something unexpected.
drop noun/dɹɑp/A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own rounded shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.
heavy adjective/ˈhɛv.i/Having great weight.
secret noun/ˈsiː.kɹɪt/A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden.
carry verb/ˈkæɹ.i/To lift (something) and take it to another place; to transport (something) by lifting.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordMeaning
find out verbTo discover, as by asking or investigating.

Sentences worth repeating

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

  • Can you keep a secret?
  • We're having a surprise party for her at four!
  • Lucas, are you free at four today?
  • Where can we hide it?
  • Lucas, can you carry it?

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like whisper, goodness, liar.

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 →