Shadowing Practice: Top 6 Tips For Your Cover Letter - 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 “Top 6 Tips For Your Cover Letter”. This video has 6 sentences and 183 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:05. The speaker talks at a natural 169 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 89% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| litter noun | /ˈlɪt.ɚ/ | Straw, grass, and similar loose material used as bedding for people or animals. |
| intimidate verb | /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/ | To make timid or afraid; to cause to feel fear or nervousness; to deter, especially by threats of violence. |
| jargon noun | /ˈdʒɑː.ɡən/ | A technical terminology unique to a particular subject. |
| ramble verb | /ˈɹæmbəl/ | To move about aimlessly, or on a winding course. |
| tantalizing adjective | Teasing; tempting, especially that which is beyond reach. | |
| tailor noun | /ˈteɪlɚ/ | A person who makes, repairs, or alters clothes professionally, especially suits and men's clothing. |
| enthusiastic adjective | /ɪnˌθjuːzɪˈæstɪk/ | With zealous fervor; excited, motivated. |
| advertisement noun | /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzmənt/ | A commercial solicitation designed to sell some commodity, service or similar. |
| outline noun | /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ | A line marking the boundary of an object figure. |
| keen adjective | /kin/ | Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested. |
| requirement noun | /ɹɪˈkwaɪɹmənt/ | A necessity or prerequisite; something required or obligatory. Its adpositions are generally of in relation to who or what has given it, on in relation to whom… |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| edit verb | /ˈɛdɪt/ | To change a text, or a document. |
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 | you've researched |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being said |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | shouldn't ramble |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | won't fit |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as shouldn't, won't, you've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: intimidate /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/, enthusiastic /ɪnˌθjuːzɪˈæstɪk/, advertisement /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzmənt/
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 litter, intimidate, jargon.
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.