Shadowing Practice: 18K - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 631 sentences and 6479 words to shadow. The speech runs for 46:15. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 90% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| discipline noun | /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ | A controlled behaviour; self-control. |
| execute verb | /ˈɛksɪˌkjuːt/ | To kill, especially as punishment for a capital crime. |
| eliminate verb | /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/ | To completely remove, get rid of, put an end to. |
| mindset noun | /ˈmaɪn(d)ˌsɛt/ | A way of thinking; an attitude or opinion, especially a habitual one. |
| hesitation noun | /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/ | An act of hesitating |
| execution noun | /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/ | The act, manner or style of executing (actions, maneuvers, performances). |
| habit noun | /ˈhæb.ɪt/ | An action performed on a regular basis. |
| momentum noun | /ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/ | Of a body in motion: the tendency of a body to maintain its inertial motion; the product of its mass and velocity, or the vector sum of the products of its… |
| commit verb | /kəˈmɪt/ | To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto. |
| motivation noun | /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/ | Willingness of action especially in behavior. |
| weakness noun | /ˈwik.nɪs/ | The condition of being weak. |
| refuse verb | /ɹɪˈfjuːz/ | To decline (a request or demand). |
| succeed verb | /səkˈsiːd/ | To follow something in sequence or time. |
| emotion noun | /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/ | A person's internal state of being and involuntary physiological response to an object or a situation, based on or tied to physical state and sensory data. |
| intensity noun | /ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/ | The quality of being intense. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| slow down verb | To decelerate. | |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| move forward verb | To cause to make progress. | |
| show up verb | To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically. | |
| follow through verb | To execute or complete a commitment. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| look back verb | To think of (past events) in retrospect (in hindsight). | |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/, breakthrough /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/, thrive /θɹajv/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: hesitation /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/, execution /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, transformation /ˌtɹæns.fɔɹˈmeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: eliminate /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/, hesitation /ˌhɛzɪˈteɪʃən/, execution /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/, momentum /ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/
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 discipline, execute, eliminate.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if followed correctly will guarantee · If you tolerate excuses, you will live · If you tolerate mediocrity, you will stay |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to take · used to stop · used to work |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has held · have led · has happened |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are stuck · be done · will be drained |
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.











