Shadowing Practice: What I've been working on all year - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
We only ever see the world on its worst days.
2
Like, crisis is the only story.
3
It seems like the only way to actually engage with the world is to be afraid of it.
4
And yet, I do think it's important that we pay attention, that we try to understand and care about what's happening on the other side of the planet.
5
I just think that there's more to the story than what we usually see.
6
Turns out, it's not just all scary.
7
I've set out to take on some of the biggest global stories.
8
To look at them, not just through the standard narratives that we hear all the time, but to actually sit across from the people living inside the forces that shape our lives.
9
To feel with them.
10
Wow, that is strong.
11
To understand them.
12
It's just so unique.
13
I finally understand it.
14
To ask the biggest questions.
15
What is this place?
16
And of course, to never turn down a meal.
17
Oh my goodness.
18
Mmm, that's delicious.
19
Wow, that's good.
20
There's so much more hope out there than what we usually get to see.
21
It's not black and white.
22
It's not gray either.
23
It's full of color, painted by people who live inside these stories.
24
The people who amidst change and challenge are adapting, smiling, looking for solutions, and finding joy in the process.
25
Never thought I'd be doing that.
26
I've spent all year capturing their stories.
27
Stories that help all of us understand the forces shaping our world.
28
I've been trying to understand them through the human element, which is what I think the world needs right now.
29
I'm excited to share it with you.
📺 Same Channel
B22
1955 vs 2025, who actually had it better?
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
The Internet Didn't Fail. It Was Taken.
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
At North Korea’s Border
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B24
Why This Country Was Erased From History
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B2The Problem With Elon Musk
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B22
What’s really happening in the ocean’s “dark zones”
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B22
Your Olive Oil is (probably) a Lie
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
Why is Russia So DAMN BIG?
American AccentUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
What’s ACTUALLY Happening in North Korea
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B27
How The US Stole The Panama Canal, Mapped
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
C14
Why you’re so tired
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
✨ Recommend Video
B21
204 sentences
My Life Lately - The Highs and the Lows
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2951
27 sentences
Nature Is Speaking – Harrison Ford is The Ocean | Conservation International (CI)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
329 sentences
2026 Is Winner’s Revenge Year— Kill Them With Success | Andrew Tate Motivation -Jim Rohn -Les Brown
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2121 sentences
Leaving America Changed the Way I See Everything
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
22 sentences
When an Era Is Looked Back On, Another One Is About to Begin
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
61 sentences
Shadowing English with Soul | Speak like a Native with a Cartoon Ep.11
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
122 sentences
"James Barkman" - VW Van Life
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
333 sentences
take your power back
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
64 sentences
2025 Was A Weird Year
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
19 sentences
He is The Most Amazing Kid.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B284 sentences
Learning
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “What I've been working on all year”. This video has 29 sentences and 279 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:41. The speaker talks at a natural 165 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 91% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| element noun | /ˈɛləmənt/ | One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based. |
| gray adjective | /ɡɹeɪ/ | Of a color between black and white, having neutral hue and intermediate brightness. |
| capture verb | /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/ | To take control of; to seize by force or stratagem. |
| narrative noun | /ˈnæɹ.ə.tɪv/ | The systematic recitation of an event or series of events. |
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| engage verb | /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/ | To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied. |
| delicious adjective | /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/ | Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty. |
| goodness noun | /ˈɡʊdnəs/ | The state or characteristic of being good. |
| adapt verb | /əˈdæpt/ | To make suitable; to make to correspond; to fit or suit. |
| amidst | /aˈmɪdst/ | In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. |
| planet noun | /ˈplænɪt/ | A body which is massive enough to be in hydrostatic equilibrium (generally resulting in being an ellipsoid) but not enough to attain nuclear fusion and, in IAU… |
| smile verb | /ˈsmaɪl/ | To have (a smile) on one's face. |
| crisis noun | /ˈkɹaɪsɪs/ | A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point. |
| paint verb | /peɪnt/ | To apply paint to. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| turn down verb | To refuse, decline, or deny. |
| turn out verb | To end up; to result. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Never thought I'd be doing that.
- I've spent all year capturing their stories.
- I'm excited to share it with you.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who live · people who amidst · element, which is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've set · I've spent |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, I'd, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/
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 meal, element, gray.
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.