Shadowing Practice: ur sounds #animation #english - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 20 sentences and 61 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:38.
Key vocabulary in this video
13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| purse noun | /pɚs/ | A small bag for carrying money. |
| nurse noun | /nɝs/ | Anyone performing this role, regardless of training or profession. |
| bubble noun | /ˈbʌbəl/ | A spherically contained volume of air or other gas in a liquid, commonly a soapy liquid. |
| burst verb | /bɜːst/ | To break from internal pressure. |
| curve noun | /kɚv/ | A bend, such as in a road. |
| toast noun | /toʊst/ | Bread that has been toasted (cooked lightly by browning). |
| bandage noun | /ˈbæn.dɪd͡ʒ/ | A strip of gauze or similar material used to protect or support a wound or injury. |
| toaster noun | /ˈtəʊ̯s.təː/ | An electrical device for toasting food, typically sliced bread. |
| blow verb | /bloʊ/ | To produce an air current. |
| careful adjective | /ˈkɛɹfəl/ | Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious. |
| burn verb | /bɝn/ | To cause to be consumed by fire. |
| letter noun | /ˈlɛtɚ/ | A symbol in an alphabet. |
| excellent adjective | /ˈɛk.sə.lənt/ | Having excelled, having surpassed. |
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 purse, nurse, bubble.
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.






























