Shadowing Practice: Travel Diary : KOREA - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Travel Diary : KOREA”. This video has 117 sentences and 1143 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:08. The speaker talks at a steady 125 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| candy noun | /ˈkæn.di/ | Crystallized sugar formed by boiling down sugar syrup. |
| prayer noun | /pɹɛɚ/ | A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity. |
| incredibly adverb | /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/ | In an incredible manner; not to be believed. |
| hook noun | /hʊk/ | A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment. |
| stretch verb | /stɹɛt͡ʃ/ | To lengthen by pulling. |
| celebrity noun | /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/ | Fame, renown; the state of being famous or talked-about. |
| massage noun | /məˈsɑ(d)ʒ/ | The action of rubbing, kneading or hitting someone's body, to help the person relax, prepare for muscular action (as in contact sports) or to relieve aches. |
| fry verb | /fɹaɪ/ | To cook (something) in hot fat. |
| lotus noun | /ˈloʊtəs/ | Any member of the genus Nelumbo of aquatic plants in the family Nelumbonaceae. |
| glamorous adjective | /ˈɡlæ.mə.ɹəs/ | Having glamour; stylish, attractive. |
| adventure noun | /ədˈvɛn.t͡ʃə/ | A feeling of desire for new and exciting things. |
| formula noun | /ˈfɔː.mjʊ.lə/ | Any mathematical rule expressed symbolically. |
| temple noun | /ˈtɛm.pl̩/ | A house of worship dedicated to a polytheistic faith. |
| bath noun | /bɑːθ/ | A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub. |
| avenue noun | /ˈæv.əˌn(j)u/ | A broad street, especially one bordered by trees or, in cities laid out in a grid pattern, one that is on a particular side of the city or that runs in a… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hit up verb | To visit with or contact someone, especially with a definite purpose. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| come up to verb | To approach. |
| make out of verb | To construct from; to create (something) using (a material or substance). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How do you feel?
- I don't need to go to the other side.
- We can't wait to come back.
- I'm so excited to be here.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most famous · the oldest · the best |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was looking · were looking |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | love having · keeps stretching |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | are going to get · gonna be · gonna sleep |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 96 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: bath /bɑːθ/, thirst /θɝst/, breathtaking /ˈbɹɛθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/, toothbrush /ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/, toothpaste /ˈtuθpeɪst/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: massage /məˈsɑ(d)ʒ/, brush /bɹʌʃ/, dish /dɪʃ/, transformation /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, cherish /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/, transformation /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/, hospitality /ˌhɑ.spɪˈtæl.ə.ti/, ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/
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 candy, prayer, incredibly.
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.
































