Shadowing Practice: Try Everything - Zootopia (Music Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 21 sentences and 285 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:09. The speaker talks slowly, about 90 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 84% 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
8 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- breathe /bɹiːð/ (verb) — To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.
- fail /feɪl/ (verb) — To be unsuccessful.
- mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ (noun) — An error.
- fill /fɪl/ (verb) — To add contents to (a container, cavity, or the like) so that it is full.
- bird /ˈbɜːd/ (noun) — An animal of the clade (traditionally class) Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually capable of…
- mess /mɛs/ (noun) — A thing or group of things in a disagreeable, disorganised, or dirty state; hence a bad situation.
- reach /ɹiːt͡ʃ/ (verb) — To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).
- till /tɪl/ — Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- give in (verb) — To collapse or fall.
- give up (verb) — To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).
- keep on (verb) — To persist or continue.
- fall down /fɔl ˈdaʊn/ (verb) — To fall to the ground. To collapse.
- get up (verb) — To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb.
- mess up (verb) — To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 32 contractions and reduced forms, such as won't, wanna, I'll. 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.
- 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 breathe, fail, mistake.
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 come · you've filled |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll just start · will learn · won't give |
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.