Shadowing Practice: What We Know About Taylor Swift's Wedding - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the following program contains images and voices of people who have died.
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Hello, Nat here.
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Let's see what's making news.
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Well it's official.
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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce did indeed tie the knot over the weekend after lots of speculation.
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So what went down?
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Cushy's back on the case.
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Just married.
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I suspected this might happen.
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I was actually ready for it.
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That was pretty good.
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The news was confirmed on the 3rd of July, as giant screens lit up with this message outside Madison Square Garden.
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Now, here's what we know.
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For starters, it all took place here at, well, Madison Square Garden.
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Adam Sandler officiated the wedding, and according to People magazine, Paul McCartney gave a special performance of a song he hasn't sung live in more than 60 years.
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A thousand names were reportedly on the guest list, and a whole lot of celebrities were spotted entering and exiting the venue.
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People want to be there.
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Now, there are no photos of the wedding dress yet, but we do know this man, Jonathan Anderson, was the designer behind it.
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And many fans camped outside Madison Square Garden, trying to get a sneak peek of the action.
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Some even scoring a sweet treat from the wedding caterers.
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We're having Taylor Swift this year!
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Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Probably not a paper ring.
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Sorry, I'll stop.
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Also, over the weekend, the United States celebrated its 250th birthday, despite a few things going wrong.
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4th of July celebrations swept the country, with fireworks, ships and air shows galore.
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I will always stand for this flag.
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and be proud to hold it.
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The day was a scorcher for those celebrating, though, as a heatwave hit Washington, where part of the main stage collapsed during a show rehearsal.
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Don't worry, though, no -one was hurt.
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And over in New York, fireworks on the Brooklyn Bridge had a slight malfunction, causing a fire that was eventually put out.
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Now, over to sport, where the Socceroos have been knocked out of the World Cup.
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Here's Justina.
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Your absolute heartbreak for the Socceroos.
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Yeah, the Socceroos World Cup run ended in a pretty dramatic penalty shootout with Harry Soutar
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and Lucas Herrington both missing the target.
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And he's hit the crossbar.
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Egypt scored the opener.
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Flip to the back, Paisel Shoua!
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And even a goal for us.
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Oh, wonderful goal!
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Thanks for that.
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The match stayed locked at 1 -1 through extra time, but in the shootout, Egypt were perfect from the start.
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Bringing the Socceroos' World Cup dreams to an end.
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And the drama continues.
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Brazil.. are out.
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It's the first time Brazil hasn't reached the quarterfinals since 1990, and it's the first time Norway has.
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Erling Haaland scored both goals for Norway, and while Brazil scored a late penalty,
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it was too late to catch up, with the final score 2 -1.
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And finally to the Women's T20 World Cup where we got to lift another one of these.
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The seventh World T20 title.
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England batted first, putting 150 runs on the board, which gave Australia its number to beat.
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And Beth Mooney led the charge, smashing 64 runs.
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She can just hit the ball anywhere.
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England tried to fight back, but Australia stayed in control, winning the match by seven wickets.
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We're celebrating NAIDOC week every day this week on Newsbreak with the stories of iconic First Nations Aussies throughout history.
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Today we're going to learn about Neville Bonner, Australia's first Indigenous politician.
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Take a look.
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Don't let the old grey hairs fill you.
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I still pack a decent sort of a wallop.
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Meet Neville Bonner.
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He was born in 1922 on New Carrabah Island in New South Wales, under a little gania.
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That's because his mother wasn't allowed to give a name birth to him in hospital.
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When Neville was five, he and his mother left the island to live with his grandparents.
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They had no furniture and only a few possessions, and Neville would help his family earn money by clearing the bush.
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He only got to finish one year of school,
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but his grandmother encouraged to Ipswich, Queensland.
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He joined the One People of Australia League,
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a group that worked for better rights and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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He actively campaigned for the 1967 referendum to remove sections of the constitution that discriminated against first to nations, people.
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The S -vote inspired Neville to get into politics.
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He joined the Liberal Party the very next day, and a few years later he became the first Indigenous Member of Parliament in Australian history.
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It feels wonderful, I can assure you.
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The anxiety and everything is over.
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I know now that I am Senator Bonner, as it were.
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He served as a liberal senator for Queensland for 12 years.
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I am not now content to sit still and allow a continuation of the kind of things that I've experienced.
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And never stopped fighting for his people and his country.
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If it's a bad law, then let us change the law!
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Well, that's all from us today.
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We'll catch you tomorrow.
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Bye -bye.
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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by listening to a recent news segment about Taylor Swift’s wedding. You will learn about event reporting while enhancing your pronunciation and fluency. This content is suitable for learners who wish to improve their speaking abilities, especially those preparing for IELTS speaking practice. By engaging with this material, you will also become familiar with conversational English used in real-life contexts.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Tie the knot - a colloquial phrase meaning to get married.
  • Speculation - guessing or making assumptions based on incomplete information.
  • Officiated - to conduct a ceremony like a wedding.
  • Guest list - a list of people invited to an event.
  • Caterers - people or companies that provide food and drinks for events.
  • Sneak peek - a brief or secret glimpse of something.
  • Heatwave - a prolonged period of excessively hot weather.
  • Penalty shootout - a method used to decide a winner in sports when teams are tied.

Practice Tips

To get the most out of this lesson, consider using a shadowing app to assist in your practice. Start by listening closely to the video at normal speed. As you listen, try to repeat the sentences immediately after you hear them, mimicking the speaker's intonation and pace. This technique, known as shadowspeak, will help improve your pronunciation and ability to speak fluently in conversations.

After initial attempts, repeat the process while gradually increasing your speed to match the original speaker's pace. Since the tone of the conversation is informal and conversational, pay attention to how the speaker emphasizes certain phrases, like "just married" or "confirmed." These nuances will enrich your own speaking style.

Remember, the goal is not just to repeat the words but to embody the rhythm of natural speech. Make it fun by timing yourself and trying to beat your previous attempts! Incorporating these shadowing techniques into your study routine will aid you greatly in achieving a higher level of fluency, particularly beneficial for IELTS speaking practice.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itare advised · was confirmed · were spotted
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhasn't sung · have been knocked · hasn't reached
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionI'll stop · will always stand · We'll catch
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around nowWe're having · We're celebrating

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 →