Shadowing Practice: The Lion and the Mouse - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “The Lion and the Mouse”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: lion, mouse, tiny. This video has 35 sentences and 284 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:55. The speaker talks at a steady 149 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 74% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| lion noun | /ˈlaɪən/ | A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe. |
| mouse noun | /maʊs/ | Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail. |
| mighty adjective | /ˈmaɪti/ | Very strong; possessing might. |
| rope noun | /ɹoʊp/ | Thick strings, yarn, monofilaments, metal wires, or strands of other cordage that are twisted together to form a stronger line. |
| roar verb | /ˈɹoɹ/ | To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion. |
| sharp adjective | /ʃɑɹp/ | Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded. |
| friendship noun | /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/ | The condition of being friends. |
| asleep adjective | /əˈsliːp/ | In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting. |
| dare verb | /dɛ(ə)ɹ/ | To have enough courage (to do something). |
| unexpected adjective | /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/ | Not expected, anticipated or foreseen. |
| accidentally adverb | /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/ | In an accidental manner; by chance, unexpectedly. |
| hurry verb | /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ | To do things quickly. |
| sunny adjective | /ˈsʌni/ | Featuring a lot of sunshine. |
| kindness noun | /ˈkaɪnd.nəs/ | The state of being kind. |
| underestimate verb | /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/ | To estimate too low; to perceive (someone or something) as having a lower value, quantity, worth, etc., than what he/she/it actually has. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| run across verb | To cross by running. | |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| walk through verb | To explain (something) to (someone), step by step. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as couldn't, didn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sharp /ʃɑɹp/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/
- Long words — get the stress right: unexpected /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/, accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/, underestimate /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/
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 lion, mouse, mighty.
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.