Shadowing Practice: WHAT IS ITALY? - Learn English Speaking with Video

When you think about Italy, what comes to mind?

Maybe it's pizza or the Roman Colosseum, but there's so much more to the country than just that.

Welcome to Geography with Drew Binsky.

In this video, I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about Italy, from crazy travel facts to wonderful stories.

Let's get started.

Geography with Drew Binsky!

You can definitely spot Italy on a map by finding a giant boot.

It's located in South Central Europe, neighboured by France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

Italy is roughly the size of Arizona, my home state, but it has eight times the population.

That is 59 million people who call Italy their home.

The vast majority of locals speak Italian, with some communicating in English, French, and Spanish.

It depends on your education level and which part of Italy you are from.

The biggest cities in the country are Rome, Milan, and Naples.

When you explore any street in the country, you'll notice the beautiful Italian national flag, but there's more to it that meets the eye.

The green symbolizes freedom, the white represents faith, and the red means love.

Like many of its neighbors, Italy's currency is the euro, which is worth just over one dollar.

That is one US dollar equals one euro, but sometimes it changes up and down.

When it comes to food, from cheesy pizza to creamy pasta, it's no surprise that Italy is very famous for its cuisine.

You cannot go wrong with spaghetti, lasagna, risotto, and potato dumplings called noci.

And of course, pizza.

Did you know that some Italians eat cow tail?

It's called coda aia vaccinata and it's served in a tomato stew.

Out of all the desserts in Italy, I would say gelato is the superstar.

You also have Italian ice cream which is a fluffy, sweet, and refreshing snack especially on a hot summer day.

Now that you know the basics, it's time for some fast facts.

In Venice, people don't drive cars, they take boats instead.

What's up everyone?

We are riding on the famous gondola ride in Venice.

Yes, that is right.

Instead of roads, the city is filled with beautiful waterways and canals that are only accessible by boat.

Did you know that the world's smallest country is located inside of Italy?

It's called the Vatican.

It has a population of just a few hundred people and the Pope actually lives there.

It's been a fun day here in the Vatican, definitely worth spending an afternoon or a half day.

In the year 79 AD, a volcano called Mount Vesuvius erupted near the city of Pompeii, killing thousands and thousands of people.

The ash preserved much of the city and to this day, the archaeologists are still studying what happened.

Believe it or not, pasta isn't originally from Italy.

Many people think it originated in China before becoming the spaghetti that we love and know today.

Whether you know it or not, many items in your house were invented in Italy.

The piano, the battery, and the newspaper.

Mamma mia!

Now it is time for a fun story about Italy.

On my first trip to Italy about seven years ago, I went to the beautiful city of Florence, which is in the northern part of the country,

and there, there's a pizza place called Gusto Pizza, and it was my first time having a pizza experience in Italy, where pizza comes from.

I'm so used to eating pizza in other countries, or even in America, where they serve it in a regular pizza slice.

But in Italy, they serve it in a big circle and they put all the ingredients on it and they cook it.

And the bread gets really good, the dough gets really fresh and crispy.

They put all the mozzarella and cheese and olives on top of it and olive oil and pepperoni and you eat it.

They don't cut it into pieces.

You have to literally either cut it yourself or take the whole thing and eat it.

And I remember sitting there in that little restaurant thinking, wow, this is truly one of the best meals in the world.

Pizza originated in Italy, so if you get the chance to eat it there, it's phenomenal.

Not to mention the spaghetti and the pasta in Italy is superior to anywhere in the world.

To be honest, pizza in America is very good, pizza in Italy is very good, so they're both almost equally good in my opinion.

However, the spaghetti and the pasta in Italy is outstanding and

so much better than you can find anywhere else in the world.

They make the noodles so fresh, they cook it overnight, they put all the right spices

and sauces on it and they serve it in a beautiful bowl with parmesan cheese

and the sauce and the olive oil and all

that mix together it's

so good i love italy it's a country i'll always go

back to in the future it's beautiful the people are amazing

and i can't wait to head back to italy sometime very

very very soon thank you for watching this episode of geography with rubinski and i'll see you next time bye

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73 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 64 sentences and 880 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:35. The speaker talks fast, about 192 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 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 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

pizza /ˈpi.tsə/ (noun) — A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables.
pasta /ˈpɑ.stə/ (noun) — Dough made from wheat and water and sometimes mixed with egg and formed into various shapes; often sold in dried form and typically boiled for eating.
olive /ˈɑ.lɪv/ (noun) — A tree of species Olea europaea cultivated since ancient times in the Mediterranean for its fruit and the oil obtained from it.
geography /d͡ʒiˈɑɡɹəfi/ (noun) — The study of the physical properties of the earth, including how humans affect and are affected by them.
locate /ˈloʊˌkeɪt/ (verb) — To place; to set in a particular spot or position.
vast /væst/ (adjective) — Very large or wide (literally or figuratively).
meal /ˈmiːl/ (noun) — Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity.
superior /sʊˈpɪɹ.i.ɚ/ (adjective) — Higher in rank, status, or quality.
equally /ˈiːkwəli/ (adverb) — In an equal manner; in equal shares or proportion; with equal and impartial justice; evenly
currency /ˈkʌɹ.ən.si/ (noun) — Money or other items used to facilitate transactions.
roughly /ˈɹʌf.li/ (adverb) — In a rough manner; without kindness, softness, or gentleness.
tail /ˈteɪ̯l/ (noun) — The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to their posterior and near the anus or cloaca.
explore /ɪkˈsploɹ/ (verb) — To examine or investigate something systematically.
piano /piˈænɪː/ (noun) — A percussive keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black colored keys, played by pressing these keys, causing hammers…
sauce /sɔːs/ (noun) — A liquid (often thickened) condiment or accompaniment to food.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

come from (verb) — To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
think about /ˈθɪŋk əˌbaʊt/ (verb) — To ponder.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 10 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'll, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

Long words — get the stress right: geography /d͡ʒiˈɑɡɹəfi/, superior /sʊˈpɪɹ.i.ɚ/, communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/, accessible /əkˈsɛs.ɪ.bəl/, phenomenal /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/

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 pizza, pasta, olive.

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 call · euro, which is · cream which is
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is filled · is located · were invented
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	The biggest · the best
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	you'll notice · i'll always go · i'll see

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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