Shadowing Practice: The Environment | English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
How's your new place, Julie?
2
It's really nice.
3
I finally finished unpacking, so now I feel more settled.
4
Have you met your neighbors yet?
5
Yes.
6
I met them yesterday.
7
They're really friendly.
8
But they're a bit too passionate about protecting the environment.
9
They're really keen on renewable energy.
10
You know, like using solar or wind energy.
11
They took great pride in showing me the mini wind turbine in their garden and the solar panels on their roof.
12
They're also fanatical about recycling.
13
They gave me a tour of their bins.
14
They have five different bins, all with different types of rubbish.
15
And it's all neatly sorted and divided.
16
They sound like model members of the community.
17
I don't know why you are complaining.
18
Anyway, isn't it a good thing to be environmentally conscious?
19
Well, yes, but I couldn't get away once they started talking about it.
20
They kept talking to me for nearly two hours.
21
I was almost late for work.
22
What kind of things did they talk about?
23
Oh, so much.
24
They started off by talking about how our dependence on fossil fuels is causing a buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere,
25
which is damaging the ozone layer.
26
and how this would inevitably lead to increasing temperatures and rising sea levels all around the world.
27
Well, they're not wrong.
28
I know, but this was the first time I'd ever met them.
29
They went on to talk extensively about the problems brought about by deforestation.
30
Like habitat loss?
31
Yes, and other things, like how the trees can help to soak up CO2 from the atmosphere and offset the damage by fossil fuel use.
32
Oh, really?
33
That's interesting.
34
I didn't know that.
35
In that case, I'll have to introduce you to them, then.
36
They are thinking about launching a new community campaign to convince more people to recycle.
37
Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “The Environment”. This video has 37 sentences and 309 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:37. The speaker talks at a steady 118 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 6 of its 37 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:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| recycle verb | /ɹəˈsaɪkəl/ | To break down and reuse component materials. |
| fossil noun | /ˈfɑsl̩/ | The mineralized remains of an animal or plant. |
| bin noun | /ˈbɪn/ | A box, frame, crib, or enclosed place, used as a storage container. |
| buildup noun | /ˈbɪldʌp/ | An accumulation; an increase; a gradual development. |
| deforestation noun | /dɪˌfɒɹɪsˈteɪʃən/ | The process of destroying a forest and replacing it with something else, especially with an agricultural system. |
| environmentally adverb | In a manner affecting the environment. | |
| fanatical adjective | /fəˈnætɪkəl/ | Having an extreme, irrational zeal or enthusiasm for a specific cause. |
| neatly adverb | /ˈniːtli/ | In a neat manner. |
| unpack verb | /ʌnˈpæk/ | To remove from a package or container, particularly with respect to items that had previously been arranged closely and securely in a pack. |
| soak verb | /soʊk/ | To be saturated with liquid by being immersed in it. |
| turbine noun | /ˈtɜː.baɪn/ | Any of various rotary machines that use the kinetic energy of a continuous stream of fluid (a liquid or a gas) to turn a shaft. |
| dependence noun | /dɪˈpɛndəns/ | The state of being dependent, of relying upon another. |
| rubbish noun | /ˈɹʌbɪʃ/ | Refuse, waste, garbage, junk, trash. |
| extensively adverb | /ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv.li/ | In an extensive manner, widely. |
| inevitably adverb | /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/ | In a manner that is impossible to avoid or prevent. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get away verb | To move away (from). |
| start off verb | To begin. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How's your new place, Julie?
- Have you met your neighbors yet?
- I don't know why you are complaining.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | finished unpacking · started talking · kept talking |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are complaining · is causing · is damaging |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as they're, couldn't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: deforestation /dɪˌfɒɹɪsˈteɪʃən/, rubbish /ˈɹʌbɪʃ/, passionate /ˈpæʃənɪt/, conscious /ˈkɑn.ʃəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: deforestation /dɪˌfɒɹɪsˈteɪʃən/, fanatical /fəˈnætɪkəl/, extensively /ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv.li/, inevitably /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/
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 recycle, fossil, bin.
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.