This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “The Quidditch World Cup”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Ron, pleasure, Harry, sir, girls. This video has 144 sentences and 493 words to shadow. The speech runs for 6:03. The speaker talks slowly, about 81 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
whoa	/woʊ/	Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.
roar verb	/ˈɹoɹ/	To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
boot noun	/but/	A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg.
blimey	/ˈblaɪmi/	Used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.
foggiest adjective		Slightest, faintest, least.
seeker noun	/ˈsikəɹ/	One who seeks.
shambles noun	/ˈʃæmbəlz/	A scene of great disorder or ruin.
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.
sleepy adjective	/ˈsliːpi/	Tired; feeling the need for sleep.
dunno noun	/dəˈnoʊ/	An utterance of the word dunno.
strap noun	/stɹæp/	A long, narrow, pliable strip of leather, cloth, or the like.
sneak verb	/sniːk/	To creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen.
beard noun	/bɪɹd/	Facial hair on the chin, cheeks, jaw and neck.
invitation noun	/ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/	The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company.
hurry verb	/ˈhʌ.ɹi/	To do things quickly.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
keep up verb		To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating or falling.
get out of verb		To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.
wake up verb	/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/	To stop sleeping; to awake.
go back to verb		To stem from; to originate in.
stand around verb		To stand without doing anything; to do nothing productive; to waste time.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

When did you get here?
Ron, where are we actually going?
I bet that cleared your sinuses, eh?
How far up are we?
Do enjoy yourself, won't you?

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the foggiest · the best
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	won't be · I'll do · I'll be
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now	are we actually going · are we going

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'll, won't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shambles /ˈʃæmbəlz/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/

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 whoa, roar, boot.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: The Quidditch World Cup | Goblet of Fire - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson