Shadowing Practice: The Nicene Creed - 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 Nicene Creed”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Father, heaven, holy. This video has 18 sentences and 224 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:30. The speaker talks at a natural 150 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| suffer verb | /ˈsʌfɚ/ | To undergo hardship. |
| sake noun | /ˈseɪ̯k/ | Cause, interest or account. |
| visible adjective | /ˈvɪzɪb(ə)l/ | Able to be seen. |
| sin noun | /ˈsɪn/ | A violation of divine will or religious law. |
| glory noun | /ˈɡlɔːɹi/ | Great beauty and splendor. |
| maker noun | /ˈmeɪk.ɚ/ | Someone who makes; a person or thing that makes or produces something. |
| proceed verb | /pɹəˈsid/ | To move, pass, or go forward or onward; to advance; to carry on. |
| accordance noun | /əˈkɔː.dəns/ | Agreement; harmony; conformity; compliance. |
| invisible adjective | /ɪnˈvɪzəb(ə)l/ | Unable to be seen; out of sight; not visible. |
| prophet noun | /ˈpɹɑ.fɪt/ | Someone who speaks by divine inspiration. |
| salvation noun | /sælˈveɪ.ʃn̩/ | The process of being saved, the state of having been saved (from hell). |
| amen | /(ˌ)ɑːˈmɛn/ | At the end of a religious prayer: so be it. |
| bury verb | /ˈbɛɹi/ | To outlive. |
| forgiveness noun | /fɚˈɡɪvnəs/ | The action of forgiving. |
| confess verb | /kənˈfɛs/ | To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
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 | were made · was crucified · was buried |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has spoken |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: salvation /sælˈveɪ.ʃn̩/, resurrection /ɹɛzəˈɹɛkʃən/, consubstantial /ˌkɑnsəbˈstænʃəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: invisible /ɪnˈvɪzəb(ə)l/, resurrection /ɹɛzəˈɹɛkʃən/, apostolic /ˌæp.əˈstɑːl.ɪk/, consubstantial /ˌkɑnsəbˈstænʃəl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like suffer, sake, visible.
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.