Shadowing Practice: What is a contract? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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34 sentences
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In this video, we'll discuss what we mean by a contract.
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When you think about contract law, first think about promises.
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But these are promises recognized as legal obligations by a court.
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And if this legally recognized promise is broken, a court might impose liability on the party breaking the promise.
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Now, people make promises all the time.
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For example, I promise to meet you next week.
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Don't worry, I promise you it won't rain.
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But with contracts, remember, we're concerned with liability if the person breaks a promise.
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If your friend doesn't show up in the park as scheduled,
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we don't expect a court to make someone pay for not showing up on a date.
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Likewise, maybe your friend promised you that it wouldn't rain, but you're probably not going to sue your friend because her weather prediction was wrong.
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Without even studying the law, instinctively, we don't expect your friend's weather prediction to be a legally enforceable contract.
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On the other hand, if we have a promise to sell a scooter in exchange for money, and one party pays money but there's no scooter,
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well, that seems to be a broken promise, for which we expect there to be some liability.
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So what's the difference, then, between a broken promise to be someone's best friend and a broken promise to sell or to buy a scooter.
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When should a promise be part of a contract, a legally enforceable agreement?
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We can say that a contract is made of distinct pieces that we'll call elements.
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And if we have the necessary elements, we have a contract.
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You can think of elements of a contract the way you might think of ingredients to a soup.
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If we have the right ingredients, we can make our soup.
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But now we're asking, what do we need?
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What are the elements to form a contract?
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And generally, our three elements for a contract are offer, acceptance, and consideration.
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Before we can have a contract, we should have these three elements.
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We'll say the offer and the acceptance are a mutual agreement to enter into a deal.
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And consideration will mean the parties are giving and getting something.
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For example, paying money in exchange for a painting.
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And we'll need all three elements to have a contract.
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This course focuses primarily on the offer, but in subsequent courses, we'll be looking at the acceptance and consideration.
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So our basic definition of a contract is going to be a promise that a court will enforce.
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Put a slightly different way, it's a promise that if broken, can result in liability.
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You can also define a contract as an agreement that can be enforced in court.
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If you'd like to discuss contract law or any other matter related to US law,
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stop by my website and feel free to send me an email.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “What is a contract?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: promise, contract, elements, broken, liability. This video has 34 sentences and 477 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:52. The speaker talks at a natural 166 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| liability noun | /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/ | An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone. |
| consideration noun | /kənˌsɪd.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The thought process of considering, of taking multiple or specified factors into account (with of being the main corresponding adposition). |
| legally adverb | /ˈliːɡəli/ | As permitted by law; not contrary to law. |
| acceptance noun | /əkˈsɛp.təns/ | The act of accepting; the receiving of something offered, with acquiescence, approbation, or satisfaction; especially, favourable reception; approval. |
| scooter noun | /ˈskuːtə(ɹ)/ | A kick scooter or push scooter; a human-powered land vehicle with a handlebar, deck and wheels that is propelled by a rider pushing off the ground. |
| soup noun | /sup/ | Any of various dishes commonly made by combining liquids, such as water or stock, with other ingredients, such as meat and vegetables, that contribute the food… |
| enforce verb | /ɪnˈfoɹs/ | To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force. |
| prediction noun | /pɹɪˈdɪkʃən/ | A statement of what will happen in the future. |
| ingredient noun | /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/ | One of the substances present in a mixture, especially food. |
| primarily adverb | /ˈpɹaɪ.mə.ɹə.li/ | Of a primary or central nature, first and foremost. |
| subsequent adjective | /ˈsʌbsɪkwənt/ | Following in time; coming or being after something else at any time, indefinitely. |
| define verb | /dɪˈfaɪn/ | To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly. |
| distinct adjective | /dɪˈstɪŋkt/ | Capable of being perceived very clearly. |
| mutual adjective | /ˈmjuːt͡ʃuəl/ | Having the same relationship, each to each other. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 15 contractions and reduced forms, such as we'll, don't, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: consideration /kənˌsɪd.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, prediction /pɹɪˈdɪkʃən/, obligation /ˌɑ.blɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: liability /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/, consideration /kənˌsɪd.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/, primarily /ˈpɹaɪ.mə.ɹə.li/, instinctively /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪvli/
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 element, liability, consideration.
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.