Shadowing Practice: WE SURVIVED NEW YORK FASHION WEEK - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “WE SURVIVED NEW YORK FASHION WEEK”. This video has 718 sentences and 6374 words to shadow. The speech runs for 43:57. The speaker talks at a steady 145 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| yogurt noun | /ˈjɒɡ.ət/ | A milk-based product stiffened by a bacterium-aided curdling process, and sometimes mixed with fruit or other flavoring. |
| outfit noun | /ˈaʊtfɪt/ | A set of clothing (with accessories). |
| shave verb | /ˈʃeɪ̯v/ | To make (the head, skin etc.) bald or (the hair) shorter by using a tool such as a razor or electric clippers to cut the hair close to the skin. |
| skirt noun | /skɚt/ | A separate article of clothing, usually worn by women and girls, that hangs from the waist and covers the lower torso and part of the legs. |
| genuinely adverb | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/ | In a genuine manner; truthfully, truly. |
| makeup noun | /ˈmeɪkʌp/ | An item's composition. |
| twin noun | /twɪn/ | Either of two people (or, less commonly, animals) who shared the same uterus at the same time; one who was born at the same birth as a sibling. |
| boom verb | /bum/ | To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound. |
| rip verb | /ɹɪp/ | To divide or separate the parts of (especially something flimsy, such as paper or fabric), by cutting or tearing; to tear off or out by violence. |
| stomach noun | /ˈstʌmək/ | An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion. |
| necklace noun | /ˈnɛkləs/ | An article of jewelry that is worn around the neck, most often made of a string of precious metal, pearls, gems, beads or shells, and sometimes having a… |
| suitcase noun | /ˈsutkeɪs/ | A large (usually rectangular) piece of luggage used for carrying clothes, and sometimes suits, when travelling. |
| flash verb | /flæʃ/ | To cause to shine briefly or intermittently. |
| buddy | /ˈbʌdi/ | A person far removed from the conversation. |
| gorgeous adjective | /ˈɡoɹd͡ʒəs/ | Sumptuously dressed. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pull up verb | /ˌpʊl ˈʌp/ | To lift upwards or vertically. |
| kick out verb | To eject, dismiss, expel, or forcefully remove (someone or something). | |
| clean up verb | To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy. | |
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. | |
| line out verb | To appear in a lineout. | |
| back up verb | To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Wait, so my dad booked you there?
- Wait, what'd you want?
- Which means, can you close this?
- You're going to swallow it?
- I don't look like a twin too?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | has been asking · have been camping · we've been missing |
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if i was british i'd be |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be Let · are smashed · was lit |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've never been · We've been · i've never seen |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 296 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, we're, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: throne /θɹəʊ̯n/, thumb /ˈθʌm/, ethnicity /ɛθˈnɪsɪti/, thug /θʌɡ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shave /ˈʃeɪ̯v/, flash /flæʃ/, shout /ʃaʊt/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, reflection /ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, elevator /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/, librarian /laɪˈbɹɛə̯ɹi.ən/, photographer /fəˈtɑ.ɡɹə.fɚ/, accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/
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 yogurt, outfit, shave.
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.






























