Shadowing Practice: Unit 8: Part 3 - Reading Comprehension (Q&A) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 29 sentences and 122 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:36.
Key vocabulary in this video
8 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| grandpa noun | /ˈɡɹæm.pɑː/ | grandfather. |
| grandma noun | /ˈɡɹænmɑː/ | Grandmother. |
| downstairs adverb | /daʊnˈstɛɹz/ | Down the stairs. |
| bedroom noun | /ˈbɛdˌɹum/ | A room in a house, apartment, hotel, or other dwelling where a bed is kept for sleeping. |
| upstairs adverb | /ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/ | Up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level. |
| dine verb | /daɪn/ | To eat; to eat dinner or supper. |
| bathroom noun | /ˈbæθˌɹum/ | A room containing a shower or bathtub, and (typically but not necessarily) a toilet. |
| dinner noun | /ˈdɪnɚ/ | The main meal of the day, often eaten in the evening. |
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 grandpa, grandma, downstairs.
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.





























