Shadowing Practice: Why Is Everything So Expensive? Inflation Explained - Learn English Speaking with Video
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30 sentences
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1
Six dollars for a coffee? Are you serious?
2
Ha! Welcome to the real world, kiddo.
3
Ugh, it was four fifty last year, Grandpa!
4
Well, prices don't stay the same forever.
5
And look at this bread. It's gone up again!
6
That's inflation. Prices slowly rise over time.
7
Oh no. So my money just buys less?
8
Exactly. Ten dollars gets you a little less every year.
9
When I was your age, a loaf of bread was thirty-five cents.
10
Thirty-five cents? No way!
11
Ha, but I earned less than three dollars an hour!
12
Oh... so pay went up too?
13
Usually, yes. Just not always as fast as prices.
14
But why does it happen? Who decides?
15
Nobody really decides. Think of it like this.
16
When everyone wants something that's hard to get, sellers ask for more.
17
Oh, like concert tickets for a famous band!
18
Ha, exactly! And when costs go up, prices follow.
19
If energy gets more expensive, the bakery pays more too.
20
Gas for the ovens, fuel for the trucks... it all adds up.
21
Ugh, and then they pass it on to us!
22
Can't anyone stop it?
23
Central banks try. They raise interest rates.
24
Borrowing costs more, so people spend less and prices slow down.
25
Hmm, so a little inflation is normal?
26
Yes. Many central banks aim for about two percent a year.
27
So, my advice? Compare prices before you buy.
28
And keep your savings somewhere that pays interest.
29
Okay, okay. And maybe make my coffee at home?
30
Now you're thinking like your grandpa!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Why Is Everything So Expensive? Inflation Explained”. This video has 30 sentences and 253 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:06. The speaker talks at a steady 121 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 11 of its 30 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 |
|---|---|---|
| thirty noun | /ˈθɝti/ | A commercial lasting 30 seconds. |
| inflation noun | /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/ | An act, instance of, or state of expansion or increase in size, especially by injection of a gas or liquid. |
| grandpa noun | /ˈɡɹæm.pɑː/ | grandfather. |
| earn verb | /ɝn/ | To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work. |
| fifty noun | /ˈfɪfti/ | A banknote or coin with a denomination of 50. |
| oven noun | /ˈʌ.vn̩/ | A chamber used for baking or heating. |
| seller noun | /ˈsɛlɚ/ | Someone who sells; a vendor; a clerk. |
| bind verb | /ˈbaɪ̯nd/ | To tie; to confine by any ligature. |
| borrowing noun | /ˈbɔrəwɪŋ/ | An instance of something being borrowed. |
| bakery noun | /ˈbeɪ.kə.ɹi/ | A place in which bread (and often other baked goods such as cakes) is baked and/or sold. |
| kiddo noun | /ˈkɪdoʊ/ | A close friend; especially used as a form of address. |
| loaf noun | /loʊf/ | A block of bread after baking. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go up verb | To move upwards. |
| add up verb | To take the sum of; to total. |
| slow down verb | To decelerate. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, don't, you're. 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 thirty, inflation, grandpa.
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.