Shadowing Practice: The Talk: Kanye West & Elon Musk (Part 2) - 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 Talk: Kanye West & Elon Musk”. This video has 42 sentences and 294 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:27. The speaker talks at a steady 120 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| upload verb | /ˈʌpˌloʊd/ | To transfer data to a computer on a network, especially to a server on the Internet. |
| clothing noun | /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/ | Any of a wide variety of articles, usually made of fabrics, animal hair, animal skin, or some combination thereof, used to cover the human body for warmth, to… |
| robot noun | /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ | An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal. |
| shoe noun | /ˈʃu/ | A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom part composed of thick leather or plastic sole and often a thicker heel, and a softer upper part made of… |
| bless verb | /blɛs/ | To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify. |
| transparency noun | /tɹænsˈpæɹənsi/ | The quality of being transparent. |
| participant noun | /pɑːɹˈtɪsəpənt/ | One who participates. |
| ridiculously adverb | /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs.li/ | In a ridiculous manner. In a way that is funny, embarrassing or extremely implausible. |
| spectator noun | /spɛkˈteɪtə/ | One who watches an event; especially, an event held outdoors. |
| simplify verb | /ˈsɪmplɪfaɪ/ | To make simpler, either by reducing in complexity, reducing to component parts, or making easier to understand. |
| shirt noun | /ʃɜɹt/ | An article of clothing that is worn on the upper part of the body, often with sleeves that cover some or all of the arms. |
| false adjective | /fɔls/ | Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect. |
| resolution noun | /ˌɹɛzəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ | A firm decision or an official decision. |
| universe noun | /ˈjunəˌvɝs/ | The sum of everything that exists in the cosmos. |
| ultimately adverb | /ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt.lɪ/ | Indicating the last item. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How did you feel about the things I just told you?
- You mean talking about, you're talking about clothing?
- Isn't this, isn't this dangerous?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, I'm, isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shoe /ˈʃu/, shirt /ʃɜɹt/, resolution /ˌɹɛzəˈluːʃ(ə)n/
- Long words — get the stress right: transparency /tɹænsˈpæɹənsi/, participant /pɑːɹˈtɪsəpənt/, ridiculously /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs.li/, resolution /ˌɹɛzəˈluːʃ(ə)n/, ultimately /ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt.lɪ/
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 upload, clothing, robot.
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.