Shadowing Practice: This Is What His Father Taught Him About Life - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “This Is What His Father Taught Him About Life”. This video has 9 sentences and 158 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:49. The speaker talks fast, about 194 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 82% 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
12 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lawn noun | /lɔːn/ | Ground (generally in front of or around a house) covered with grass kept closely mown. |
| boom verb | /bum/ | To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound. |
| garage noun | /ɡəˈɹɑʒ/ | A building (or section of a building) used to store a car or cars, tools and other miscellaneous items. |
| bend verb | /bɛnd/ | To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means. |
| backyard noun | /bækˈjɑːd/ | A yard to the rear of a house or similar residence. |
| crank noun | /ˈkɹæŋk/ | A bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an attached arm perpendicular, or nearly so, to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation to a wheel or other… |
| lawnmower noun | /ˈlɔn.moʊ.ɚ/ | A device used for cutting grass to a chosen height, typically of landscaped lawns of residences or institutions. |
| mower noun | /ˈmoʊ.ɚ/ | A lawnmower, a machine used to cut grass on lawns. |
| chore noun | /t͡ʃoɹ/ | A task, especially a regularly needed task for the upkeep of a home or similar, such as cleaning or preparing meals. |
| kitchen noun | /ˈkɪt͡ʃ(ə)n/ | A room or area for preparing food. |
| mess noun | /mɛs/ | A thing or group of things in a disagreeable, disorganised, or dirty state; hence a bad situation. |
| excuse verb | /ɪksˈkjuz/ | To forgive; to pardon; to overlook. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| mess around verb | To fiddle idly. |
| turn around verb | To physically rotate (usually around a vertical axis) for a half turn (180 degrees), a whole turn (360 degrees), or an indefinite amount. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was going · was running · were just having |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | you're not just having · I'm going |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, couldn't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 lawn, boom, garage.
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.