This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “The Gingerbread Man 🏃”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: gingerbread, fox, ran, cow, farmer. This video has 72 sentences and 592 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:42. The speaker talks at a steady 126 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 81% 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

13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
snap verb	/snæp/	To fracture or break apart suddenly.
farmer noun	/ˈfɑɹ.mɚ/	A person who works the land and/or who keeps livestock; anyone engaged in agriculture on a farm.
tail noun	/ˈteɪ̯l/	An object or part of an object resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails; a strand of material hanging from something.
climb verb	/ˈklaɪ̯m/	To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending).
swim verb	/swɪm/	To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means.
shout verb	/ʃaʊt/	To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc.
oven noun	/ˈʌ.vn̩/	A chamber used for baking or heating.
pretend verb	/pɹəˈtɛnd/	To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
bake verb	/beɪk/	To cook (something) in an oven (for someone).
dough noun	/doʊ/	A thick, malleable substance made by mixing flour with other ingredients such as water, eggs, or butter, that is made into a particular form and then baked.
creep verb	/kɹiːp/	To move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground.
gingerbread verb	/ˈd͡ʒɪn.d͡ʒɚˌbɹɛd/	To decorate or embellish in an ornate or intricate way.
clamor noun	/ˈklæm.ɚ/	A great outcry or vociferation; loud and continued shouting or exclamation.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
run away from verb	To avoid or shirk a problem or consequences; to rush to back away from or disclaim responsibility for something.
run away verb	To flee by running.
run past verb	To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of (someone) in order to obtain their opinion.
cut out verb	To refrain from (doing something, using something etc.), to stop or cease (doing something).
jump out verb	To emerge suddenly.
run down verb	To hit someone with a car or other vehicle and injure or kill them.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have run
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	you'll come · I'll be · will take
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now	is getting

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, couldn't. 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.
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 snap, farmer, tail.

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 →