Shadowing Practice: Wanting nothing, gives you everything - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Wanting nothing, gives you everything”. This video has 387 sentences and 4434 words to shadow. The speech runs for 23:23. The speaker talks fast, about 190 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 88% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| unconscious adjective | /ˌʌnˈkɑnʃəs/ | Not awake; having no awareness (usually as the result of a head injury). |
| grateful adjective | /ˈɡɹeɪtf(ə)l/ | Of a person or their actions, feelings, etc.: expressing gratitude or appreciation; appreciative, thankful. |
| shake verb | /ˈʃeɪk/ | To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly. |
| privilege noun | /ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/ | A particular benefit, advantage, or favor; a right or immunity enjoyed by some but not others; a prerogative, preferential treatment. |
| hunger noun | /ˈhʌŋɡɚ/ | A need or compelling desire for food. |
| stable noun | /ˈsteɪ.bəl/ | A building, wing or dependency set apart and adapted for lodging and feeding (and training) ungulates, especially horses. |
| expand verb | /ɪkˈspænd/ | To change (something) from a smaller form or size to a larger one; to spread out or lay open. |
| mentally adverb | /ˈmɛntəli/ | In a mental manner; an idea thought out in one's mind, as opposed to an idea spoken orally. |
| 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. |
| crush verb | /kɹʌʃ/ | To press between two hard objects; to squeeze so as to alter the natural shape or integrity, or to force together into a mass. |
| pour verb | /poɹ/ | To cause (liquid, or liquid-like substance) to flow in a stream, either out of a container or into it. |
| anyways adverb | /ˈɛn.iˌweɪz/ | Anyway, anyhow, in any case. |
| surround verb | /səˈɹaʊnd/ | To encircle something or simultaneously extend in all directions. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| anxiety noun | /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/ | An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. | |
| open up verb | To open. | |
| run away verb | To flee by running. | |
| run away from verb | To avoid or shirk a problem or consequences; to rush to back away from or disclaim responsibility for something. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Why am I saying this?
- Otherwise you wouldn't hold onto it so tightly.
- It's like, yeah, but why are you scared that they will go?
- Why do I not think I'm being protected from something here?
- Why do I have fear now instead of faith?
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 he gives you money he will not |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been · haven't visited · has gone |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is wired · being guided · I've been guided |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was just failing · was losing · was teaching |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 127 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, thankful /ˈθæŋkfəl/, empathy /ˈɛmpəθi/, sociopath /ˈsəʊ.si.ə(ʊ)ˌpæθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: unconscious /ˌʌnˈkɑnʃəs/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, crush /kɹʌʃ/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/
- Long words — get the stress right: anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, stability /stəˈbɪlɪti/, consistently /kənˈsɪstəntli/, limitation /lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/, manipulate /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like unconscious, grateful, shake.
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.






























