Shadowing Practice: TOPIC: SCHOOL DAYS IN THE PAST AND NOW - 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 “TOPIC: SCHOOL DAYS IN THE PAST AND NOW”. This video has 12 sentences and 119 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:53. The speaker talks at a steady 135 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| classroom noun | /ˈklɑːsɹʊm/ | A room, often in a school, where classes take place. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| strict adjective | /stɹɪkt/ | Strained; drawn close; tight. |
| tablet noun | /ˈtæblət/ | A slab of clay, stone or wood used for inscription. |
| notebook noun | /ˈnoʊtˌbʊk/ | A book (physical or digital) in which notes or memoranda are written. |
| projector noun | /pɹəˈd͡ʒɛktə/ | Someone who devises or suggests a project; a proposer or planner of something. |
| comfortable adjective | /ˈkʌm(p)f.tə.bəl/ | Providing physical comfort and ease; agreeable. |
| friendly adjective | /ˈfɹɛnd.li/ | Generally warm, approachable and easy to relate with in character. |
| mainly adverb | /ˈmeɪnli/ | Of a person or thing being the driving force influencing the outcome of an event; chiefly; certainly for the most part. |
| teacher noun | /ˈti.t͡ʃɚ/ | A person who teaches, especially one employed in a school; preceptor. |
| computer noun | /kəmˈpju.tɚ/ | A programmable electronic device that performs mathematical calculations and logical operations, especially one that can process, store and retrieve large… |
| opportunity noun | /ˌɒp.əˈtjuː.nɪ.tɪ/ | A chance for advancement, progress or profit. |
| opinion noun | /əˈpɪn.jən/ | A belief, judgment or perspective that a person has formed, either through objective or subjective reasoning, about a topic, issue, person or thing. |
| active adjective | /ˈæk.tɪv/ | Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives. |
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 walk |
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 classroom, lesson, skill.
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.