Shadowing Practice: 💪 The Things I Can Do | Confidence-Boosting Storytime Read Aloud - 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 Things I Can Do”. This video has 34 sentences and 223 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:33. The speaker talks slowly, about 63 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
12 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bath noun | /bɑːθ/ | A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub. |
| toy noun | /tɔɪ/ | Something to play with, especially as intended for use by a child. |
| forgive verb | /fɚˈɡɪv/ | To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against. |
| 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… |
| brush noun | /bɹʌʃ/ | An implement consisting of multiple more or less flexible bristles or other filaments attached to a handle, used for any of various purposes including… |
| cloth noun | /klɒθ/ | A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. Sometimes… |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| wipe verb | /waɪp/ | To move an object over, maintaining contact, with the intention of removing some substance from the surface. (Compare rub.) |
| glue noun | /ɡlu/ | A hard gelatin made by boiling bones and hides, used in solution as an adhesive; or any sticky adhesive substance. |
| sweater noun | /ˈswɛtɚ/ | A knitted jacket or jersey, usually of thick wool, worn by athletes before or after exercise. |
| comb noun | /koʊm/ | A toothed implement for grooming the hair or (formerly) for keeping it in place. |
| storytime noun | The time at which a story is told. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pick out verb | To remove by picking. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 8 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, don't, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: bath /bɑːθ/, cloth /klɒθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shoe /ˈʃu/, brush /bɹʌʃ/
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 bath, toy, forgive.
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.