Shadowing Practice: This Ball is Impossible to Hit - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “This Ball is Impossible to Hit”. This video has 201 sentences and 4136 words to shadow. The speech runs for 24:11. The speaker talks at a natural 171 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| curve noun | /kɚv/ | A bend, such as in a road. |
| wrench noun | /ˈɹɛnt͡ʃ/ | A movement that twists or pulls violently; a tug. |
| astronaut noun | /ˈæstɹəˌnɔt/ | A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose. |
| mega adjective | /ˈmɛɡə/ | Very large. |
| gimmick noun | /ˈɡɪm.ɪk/ | A trick or device used to attain some end. |
| strikeout noun | /stɹaɪːkæʊt/ | An instance or the act of yielding nothing. |
| mound noun | /maʊnd/ | An artificial hill or elevation of earth; a raised bank; an embankment thrown up for defense |
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| outta | /ˈaʊtə/ | Out of. |
| airflow noun | Any flow of air, especially the motion of air around a moving aircraft or aerofoil. | |
| coincide verb | /ˌkoʊɪnˈsaɪd/ | To occupy exactly the same space. |
| diagonally adverb | /daɪˈæɡ.nə.li/ | In a diagonal manner, not square to any direction. |
| firewood noun | /ˈfaɪ.ɚ.wʊd/ | Wood intended to be burned, typically for heat. |
| seam noun | /ˈsiːm/ | A folded-back and stitched piece of fabric; especially, the stitching that joins two or more pieces of fabric. |
| streetlight noun | /ˈstɹit.laɪt/ | Any large outdoor light used to illuminate a public area, usually urban. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| strike out verb | To lash out; to strike or hit at someone or something, particularly something in arm's length of the striker and at or near the level of the striker's head. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. | |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. | |
| come down to verb | To reach by moving down or reducing. | |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. | |
| head out verb | To leave, depart; to go on ahead. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- That's an option for you kids.
- Do you take a face on that?
- What do you do to save yourself?
- All right, so did you think of the answer?
- Have you ever seen a firewood-chopping robot?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to live · used to keep · used to throw |
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If you've ever noticed how water will flow |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were arrowed · were born · being replaced |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has united · you've ever noticed · would've kept |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 72 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/, thorough /ˈθʌɹoʊ/, eighth /eɪtθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, dash /ˈdæʃ/, sheer /ʃɪɚ/, indication /ɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/, submission /səbˈmɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: diagonally /daɪˈæɡ.nə.li/, indication /ɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/, confirmation /ˌkɑn.fəɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like curve, wrench, astronaut.
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.






























