Shadowing Practice: Why Do We Yawn? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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25 sentences
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Have you ever yawned in the middle of an important meeting?
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Ha, it's so embarrassing, isn't it?
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But don't worry, everybody does it.
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Believe it or not, babies even yawn before they're born!
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So why do we do it?
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For years, people believed we yawned to get more oxygen.
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It sounds logical, right?
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But scientists actually tested this idea.
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They gave people extra oxygen to breathe,
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and guess what? They yawned just as much as before!
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So researchers have a newer idea.
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A yawn might help to cool down your brain.
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You open your mouth wide and take a deep breath.
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That cool air and extra blood flow can carry heat away.
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That might be why we yawn more when our brain gets warm.
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Pretty cool, right? Literally!
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Now, have you noticed that yawns are contagious?
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When one person yawns, people nearby often yawn too.
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Scientists think this is connected to how we feel about each other.
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We catch yawns more from family and friends than from strangers!
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So a yawn can be a sweet little sign of connection.
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Here's the funny part: even hearing about yawns can start one.
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Hmm, I've said the word "yawn" a lot today...
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So, be honest... did you just yawn?
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Ha! I knew it!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Why Do We Yawn?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: yawn, yawned, cool. This video has 25 sentences and 210 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:26. The speaker talks at a steady 147 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 8 of its 25 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| oxygen noun | /ˈɑksɪd͡ʒən/ | The chemical element (symbol O) with an atomic number of 8 and relative atomic mass of 15.9994. It is a colorless and odorless gas. Sometimes called elemental… |
| scientist noun | /ˈsaɪəntəst/ | One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research… |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| stranger noun | /ˈstɹeɪnd͡ʒɚ/ | A person whom one does not know; a person who is neither a friend nor an acquaintance. |
| logical adjective | /ˈlɑd͡ʒɪkəl/ | In agreement with the principles of logic. |
| researcher noun | /ˈɹiˌsɝ.t͡ʃɚ/ | One who researches. |
| contagious adjective | /kənˈteɪ.d͡ʒəs/ | Easily transmitted to others. |
| yawn verb | /jɔn/ | To open the mouth widely and take a long, rather deep breath, often because one is tired or bored, and sometimes accompanied by pandiculation. |
| embarrass verb | /ɪmˈbæɹəs/ | To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely. |
| flow verb | /ˈfloʊ̯/ | To move as a fluid from one position to another. |
| nearby adverb | /ˌnɪə(ɹ)ˈbaɪ/ | Next to, close to. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cool down verb | /kuːl ˈdaʊn/ | To become cooler; to be reduced in temperature. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Have you ever yawned in the middle of an important meeting?
- Ha, it's so embarrassing, isn't it?
- Hmm, I've said the word "yawn" a lot today...
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you ever yawned · have you noticed · I've said |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might help · might be |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I've, isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like breathe, oxygen, scientist.
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.