Shadowing Practice: The Verity Cast Plays The REAL Verity Mod - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 478 sentences and 2676 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:28. The speaker talks at a steady 138 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 74% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| boom verb | /bum/ | To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound. |
| transform verb | /tɹænsˈfɔɹm/ | To change greatly the appearance or form of. |
| diamond noun | /ˈdaɪ.ə.mənd/ | A glimmering glass-like mineral that is an allotrope of carbon in which each atom is surrounded by four others in the form of a tetrahedron. |
| copper noun | /ˈkɒpə/ | A reddish-brown metallic chemical element (symbol Cu) with the atomic number 29; also, the metal made up of this element. |
| transformation noun | /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/ | The act of transforming or the state of being transformed. |
| chill verb | /tʃɪl/ | To lower the temperature of something; to cool. |
| tone noun | /ˈtəʊn/ | A specific pitch. |
| lieutenant noun | /l(j)uˈtɛn.ənt/ | In the US Army, Air Force and Marines, holding the rank above second lieutenant and below captain. Both ranks may be referred to as "lieutenant" or as the… |
| leak noun | /liːk/ | A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape. |
| scare verb | /skɛɚ/ | To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way. |
| bribe noun | /bɹaɪb/ | Something (usually money) given in exchange for influence or as an inducement to breaking the law. |
| silence noun | /ˈsaɪ̯ləns/ | The absence of any sound. |
| steal verb | /stiːl/ | To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it. |
| nope | /noʊp/ | No. |
| forgive verb | /fɚˈɡɪv/ | To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get out verb | To leave or escape. | |
| hold up verb | To wait or delay. | |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| shut up | /ʃʌt ʌp/ | Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)… |
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 | I've already said · I've transformed · haven't transformed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be trifled · is forgiven |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | wasn't capping · wasn't lying · weren't believing |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keep saying · keeps talking |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 150 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: transformation /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, casually /ˈkæʒuəli/
- Long words — get the stress right: transformation /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, difficulty /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/, communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/
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 boom, transform, diamond.
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.











