Shadowing Practice: The Strokes - Reptilia (Official HD Video) - 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 Strokes - Reptilia”. This video has 25 sentences and 178 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:11. 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
9 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lanes noun | /leɪnz/ | bowling alley |
| drown verb | /dɹaʊn/ | To die from suffocation while immersed in water or other fluid. |
| insist verb | /ɪnˈsɪst/ | To hold up a claim emphatically. |
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| impress verb | /ɪmˈpɹɛs/ | To affect (someone) strongly and often favourably. |
| sleepy adjective | /ˈsliːpi/ | Tired; feeling the need for sleep. |
| laugh verb | /læf/ | To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and… |
| strange adjective | /stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/ | Not normal; odd, unusual, surprising, out of the ordinary, often with a negative connotation. |
| afraid adjective | /əˈfɹeɪd/ | Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take over verb | To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 16 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. 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 lanes, drown, insist.
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.