Shadowing Practice: What’s on your mind? I UNICEF - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “What’s on your mind? I UNICEF”. This video has 14 sentences and 177 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:54. The speaker talks fast, about 195 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% 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
12 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| confuse verb | /kənˈfjuːz/ | to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder (somebody); to afflict by being complicated, contradictory, or otherwise difficult to understand |
| reminder noun | /ɹɪˈmaɪndə(ɹ)/ | Someone or something that reminds. |
| ashamed adjective | /əˈʃeɪmd/ | Feeling shame or guilt. |
| weigh verb | /weɪ/ | To determine the weight of an object. |
| cherish verb | /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/ | To treat with affection, care, and tenderness; to nurture or protect with care. |
| switch noun | /swɪt͡ʃ/ | A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow. |
| deserve verb | /dɪˈzɝv/ | To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have. |
| load noun | /loʊd/ | A burden; a weight to be carried. |
| heavy adjective | /ˈhɛv.i/ | Having great weight. |
| brain noun | /ˈbɹeɪ̯n/ | The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is responsible… |
| weird adjective | /ˈwiɚd/ | Having an unusually strange character or behaviour. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| open up verb | To open. |
| weigh down verb | To act as a ballast for. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to be |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was happening · was hanging · wasn't doing |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | have to do |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, don't, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/, cherish /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/
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 scary, confuse, reminder.
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.