Shadowing Practice: The Grossest Harry Potter Scenes | Compilation - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 101 sentences and 285 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:35. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bone noun | /boʊn/ | A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates. |
| deny verb | /dəˈnaɪ/ | To disallow or reject. |
| dare verb | /dɛ(ə)ɹ/ | To have enough courage (to do something). |
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| cheers | /t͡ʃɪəz/ | A common toast used when drinking in company. |
| flexible adjective | /ˈflɛk.sɪ.bəl/ | Capable of being flexed or bent without breaking; able to be turned or twisted without breaking. |
| essence noun | /ˈɛsəns/ | The inherent nature of a thing or idea. |
| cannon noun | /ˈkæn.ən/ | A complete assembly, consisting of an artillery tube and a breech mechanism, firing mechanism or base cap, which is a component of a gun, howitzer or mortar… |
| gosh | /ɡɑːʃ/ | A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm. |
| crab noun | /kɹæb/ | Any crustacean of the infraorder Brachyura, having five pairs of legs, the foremost of which are in the form of claws, and a carapace. |
| headless adjective | /ˈhɛdləs/ | Synonym of decapitated. |
| ripper noun | /ˈɹɪpɚ/ | Something that rips something else. |
| bogey noun | /boʊɡi/ | A ghost, goblin, or other hostile supernatural creature. |
| brachium noun | The upper arm. | |
| dismal adjective | /ˈdɪzməl/ | Disastrous, calamitous. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get down verb | /ɡɛt ˈdaʊn/ | To bring or come down; to descend; to cause to bring or come down. |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, gonna, 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.
- 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 bone, deny, dare.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are not broken · has been denied |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will have · they'll be · will save |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna kill · gonna be |
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.






























