Shadowing Practice: Unit 8, listening 1 - Basic Tactics for Listening - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Unit 8, listening 1 - Basic Tactics for Listening”. This video has 45 sentences and 200 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:54. The speaker talks slowly, about 105 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 16 of its 45 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| swim verb | /swɪm/ | To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means. |
| tennis noun | /ˈtɛnɪs/ | A sport played by two players (or four in doubles), who alternately strike the ball over a net using racquets. |
| ski noun | /skiː/ | One of a pair of long flat runners designed for gliding over snow or water. |
| tire verb | /ˈtaɪ̯ɚ/ | To become sleepy or weary. |
| fry verb | /fɹaɪ/ | To cook (something) in hot fat. |
| volleyball noun | /ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l/ | A game played on a rectangular court between two teams of two to six players which involves striking a ball back and forth over a net. |
| hamburger noun | /ˈhæmˌbɜɹ.ɡɚ/ | A hot sandwich consisting of a patty of cooked ground beef or a meat substitute, in a sliced bun, usually also containing salad vegetables, condiments, or both. |
| exercise noun | /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/ | Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability. |
| pool noun | /puːl/ | A small and rather deep area of (usually) fresh water, as one supplied by a spring, or occurring in the course of a stream or river; a reservoir for water. |
| baseball noun | /ˈbeɪs.bɔl/ | A sport common in North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia, in which the objective is to strike a ball so that one of a nine-person team can run… |
| bike noun | /baɪk/ | Any vehicle sharing some characteristics with a bicycle or motorbike, such as pedal power, a handlebar, or a saddle. |
| sport noun | /spoɹt/ | Any activity that uses physical exertion or skills competitively under a set of rules that is not based on aesthetics. |
| weekend noun | /ˈwiˌkɛnd/ | The break in the working week, usually two days including the traditional holy or sabbath day. Thus in Western countries, Saturday and Sunday. |
| travel verb | /ˈtɹævəl/ | To be on a journey, often for pleasure or business and with luggage; to go from one place to another. |
| shape noun | /ˈʃeɪ̯p/ | The status or condition of something |
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 swim, tennis, ski.
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.