Shadowing Practice: The worlds greatest travellers - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “The worlds greatest travellers”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: guidebook, Maureen, Asia, Lonely, Tony. This video has 16 sentences and 245 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:42. The speaker talks at a steady 144 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| publish verb | /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ | To issue (something, such as printed work) for distribution and/or sale. |
| pocket noun | /ˈpɑ.kɪt/ | A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items. |
| bench noun | /ˈbɛnt͡ʃ/ | A long seat with or without a back, found for example in parks and schools. |
| arrive verb | /əˈɹaɪv/ | To reach; to get to a certain place. |
| visitor noun | /ˈvɪzɪtɚ/ | Someone who visits someone else; someone staying as a guest. |
| employ verb | /ɪmˈplɔɪ/ | To retain (someone) as an employee. |
| bestseller noun | A book or other product that has sold in large numbers. | |
| writer noun | /ˈɹaɪ.təɹ/ | A person who writes, or produces literary work; an author can refer to themselves as "the writer". |
| journey noun | /ˈd͡ʒɝni/ | A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage. |
| travel verb | /ˈtɹævəl/ | To be on a journey, often for pleasure or business and with luggage; to go from one place to another. |
| sell verb | /sɛl/ | To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money. |
| copy noun | /ˈkɑpi/ | The result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original. |
| hotel noun | /həʊˈtɛl/ | An establishment that provides accommodation and other services for paying guests; normally larger than a guesthouse, and often one of a chain. |
| famous adjective | /ˈfeɪ.məs/ | Well known. |
| cent noun | /sɛnt/ | A subunit of currency equal to one-hundredth of the main unit of currency in many countries. Symbol: ¢. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get over verb | To overcome. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | has been publishing · has also been running · has been making |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | they've been · It's been · has published |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | The most famous · the best |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/, television /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/
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 publish, pocket, bench.
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.