Shadowing Practice: The story behind this viral video - Learn English Speaking with Video
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9 sentences
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1
You guys went mega viral a couple months ago with a video of you telling your daughter a story.
2
What's the backstory of that viral video?
3
She's like, I want you to tell me a story about a little girl that was being mean to her dada.
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She's like locked into the story.
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And then Brielle takes her phone and she starts recording because she's like, I need to keep this moment forever.
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After I'm done telling the story, like a hug or whatever, because I don't like to see her cry.
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At the same time, like I was so proud that like she was able at three years old to feel that.
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Brielle, she showed me the video, she goes, you have to post that right now.
9
And so I post it literally within minutes, millions, and I was just like, this is the most viral video we have ever had.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 9 sentences and 152 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:35. The speaker talks fast, about 259 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% 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
8 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| viral adjective | /ˈvaɪɹəl/ | Of or relating to a biological virus. |
| mega adjective | /ˈmɛɡə/ | Very large. |
| backstory noun | /ˈbækˌstɔɹi/ | The previous experiences and life of a person, specifically (narratology, especially in film, television) a character in a dramatic work. |
| dada noun | Father, dad. | |
| lock noun | /lɑk/ | Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination. |
| literally adverb | /ˈlɪ.tə.ɹə.li/ | Without overstatement or understatement, or false or misleading words. |
| proud adjective | /ˈpɹaʊ̯d/ | Feeling honoured (by something); feeling happy or satisfied about an event or fact; gratified. |
| forever adverb | /fəˈɹɛvɚ/ | For all time, for all eternity; for a lifetime; for an infinite amount of time. |
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 ever had |
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 viral, mega, backstory.
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.