Shadowing Practice: Why You Keep Forgetting English Words (And How to Stop) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
176 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Do you know what happens to your English if you learn 20 new words every day for the next three months?
2
After three months, what's going to happen to your English?
3
Do you know how many words you're going to know?
4
Yeah, I'm going to tell you zero.
5
The math is not mathing here because 20 new words a day, every day for 90 days, that's three months, it's going to be 1800 words.
6
Why is it that you only remember zero?
7
I know this happens to you this happens to everyone.
8
This week, you sit down and you learn some words.
9
Next week, thinking back at those words, you don't remember anything.
10
So what's the solution?
11
You study again.
12
You study more.
13
You learn more words, you forget.
14
You learn, you forget.
15
You learn, you forget.
16
And after a while, you're exhausted and you start questioning yourself.
17
Maybe I'm not smart enough.
18
Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
19
Maybe I'm not studying the words correctly.
20
Or maybe English is too difficult.
21
If this is you, I want you to know one thing.
22
The problem is not you.
23
The problem is not what words you learn.
24
The problem is not how you learn those words.
25
And the problem is not how smart you are.
26
The problem is simply what you do after you finish studying the words.
27
Because let's face it, learning is difficult.
28
You sit down and you spend two hours learning a couple of words.
29
It's very difficult, I know.
30
And you have to do this over a long period of time, six months, one year, two years, three years.
31
It's very hard and it's very demotivating if you spend all that time learning new things and then you realize,
32
I don't remember any of that or I'm not able to use any of those words I've learned.
33
It's very demotivating because you spend the time learning them, you spend no time keeping them and activating them.
34
And that's why you are stuck.
35
So what's the solution?
36
It's one word starting with R,
37
uh -huh, R -E, R -E -V, review.
38
But it's not as simple as that.
39
There are two questions you need to answer.
40
how often to review, and when I want to review, how to review.
41
These are the two important questions we're going to answer together.
42
And I'm going to use science to prove why you forget and how not to forget anything that you learn.
43
My name is Maddy and welcome to my Slow English podcast.
44
Before we start, if you want to experience learning English with me for free, you can simply join my free English mini course.
45
Just go on this webpage, start.
46
I want to help you for free.
47
On this page, you can choose your level, beginner, intermediate, advanced.
48
Depending on your level, you will receive five full lessons.
49
These five lessons will help you find the right way.
50
It's the best start for you guys and it's for free.
51
Let me paint you a little picture here.
52
Look at this graph.
53
On the vertical line we have how much you remember of the word you studied.
54
On the horizontal one we have time.
55
Day one, day three, day seven, day nine, day thirty.
56
Now let's say on day one you learn a new word.
57
It's day one you learn the word.
58
How much of that word do you remember?
59
100 % of it because you just studied that word.
60
By day three you're not going to remember that word 100 %
61
because your memory is going to be a little bit faded.
62
You know what I mean?
63
so probably you're gonna remember 70 60 percent of it by day seven
64
this is going to come even lower than that day nine lower than
65
that day 30 lower than
66
that let's connect all of them together what will you get
67
you will get a downward curve called the forgetting curve this research was done by a psychologist called Hermann Ebbinghaus.
68
He was a German psychologist who did a bunch of experiments with memory and came up with the forgetting curve.
69
This curve shows how over time the things
70
you have learned words grammar whatever they are idioms phrasal verbs the things
71
that you learn are forgotten and this happens to everyone so
72
if you think English is hard this is not just for English, it's for any information you obtain.
73
So what's the solution?
74
Let's say you learn the word on day one and you remember 100%.
75
On day three, you're not remembering 100 % of that, you're remembering a little less.
76
How can I bring it back up to 100 %?
77
Review.
78
Review the word and this is what happens to the graph.
79
One review brings it back up to 100%.
80
But then if I stop it there and don't do anything after that, same thing is going to happen.
81
Although this time the curve will go down but not as low as the previous one.
82
So that one review has had some effect on your power to remember that worked.
83
What's the solution there?
84
I want to bring it back up again.
85
Day seven, review again.
86
Bring it back to 100%.
87
And if you leave it there, it's going to go down.
88
How can I bring it back up again?
89
Day nine, review again.
90
Day 20, day 30, review again.
91
That's how you keep the graph up and
92
that's how the forgetting curve does not come down and that's how you will never forget the things you learn.
93
So we know reviewing is the key to not forgetting but there are two questions remember?
94
How often to review and how to review.
95
These These are very important.
96
It's not just as simple as saying, okay, go review, but how often and how?
97
First let's talk about how often.
98
Let's say you learn a new word and on the second day you review that word five times
99
and then you let it go.
100
You've reviewed it five times, but this is what's going to happen to your memory over time.
101
This is called crammed reviewing.
102
Over a very short period of time you review so many times
103
and then you forget it you leave
104
it you don't do anything else look at the curve what's going to happen in the long run
105
you're going to forget it's not effective
106
it's a waste of time what's the solution instead of reviewing five times a day
107
and then forgetting it let's do this let's review five times over five days over one month let's space
108
it out this is called spaced reviewing instead of crammed reviewing you're gonna do spaced reviewing
109
so do not cram everything into one review session space
110
it out i'm gonna give you a template at the end of this video stay with me
111
now this is how often but the biggest question
112
and the biggest mistake you guys are making is how to review before i talk about this.
113
Are you still with me?
114
Go to the comments section and write I'm still watching.
115
I want to see how many people are still here
116
and want to see the biggest mistake that you guys are making when you're reviewing.
117
Go to the comments section.
118
Good.
119
Ready?
120
Let's talk about this.
121
Imagine there are two students, student A and student B, and both of them have learned the same group of words.
122
They have a word list with the words on the left and the explanation or the meaning on the right.
123
Both of them want to review their words.
124
Student A covers the meanings and looks at the words and tries to remember what that word means.
125
Student B does the opposite.
126
He or she covers the words, looks at the meanings, and tries to retrieve the word.
127
But wait, aren't they doing the same thing?
128
No, absolutely not.
129
Let me explain what each of these students are doing.
130
Student A is training his or her brain to recognize the word and what the word means.
131
He is working or she is working on the recognition part.
132
What is recognition?
133
Recognition is when you see the word somewhere, you're reading a book and you see the word, you can recognize the word.
134
You know what that word means.
135
But when you work on your recognition, like student A, you will never be able to use that word when you are speaking.
136
That's the big problem.
137
If you guys have studied a lot of words and cannot use those words when you speak, it's because you are doing it this way.
138
You're covering the meaning.
139
You are reading the words.
140
And you are training your mind to recognize the words.
141
However, what student B is doing is covering the words.
142
You don't know what the word is.
143
You're looking at the meaning or the description or the example sentence and you force your brain to retrieve the word.
144
This is called retrieval.
145
Recognition, retrieval.
146
Retrieval is your brain has to go in, look for the word, find it in that dusty library, bring it out, give it to you.
147
And once you have the word, you can use it when you want to speak.
148
You can use it when you want to write.
149
Student A is working on his or her recognition.
150
That student will be able to understand the word if that word appears in a listening or a reading activity.
151
However, student B is working on retrieval.
152
And that student will be able to use the word in writing and speaking.
153
The first student, student A, is working on the receptive skills, listening and reading.
154
Student B is working on the productive skills, speaking and writing.
155
So which one do you think is more effective?
156
Yes, absolutely, student B.
157
Work on the active retrieval.
158
Do not work on recognition because once you're able to retrieve, you will also be automatically able to recognize.
159
So this is what you're going to do.
160
Covering the word, working on the example sentences or meanings rather than covering the meanings, working on the words.
161
Now, based on what I just told you about how to review
162
and how often to review and why it's important to review, you can make yourself a worksheet.
163
I used the information and asked ChatGPT to generate a worksheet template that you can use to review words,
164
to learn words.
165
And if you want to download this, the link is in the description.
166
Just click download.
167
It's on Google Drive.
168
I'm going to upload this on Google Drive.
169
You can easily download that.
170
If you want to get it, download it, print it, and use it as your review sheet or your vocabulary learning notebook.
171
I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.
172
Go and try it.
173
Try it.
174
And then let me know if that worked for you or not.
175
And I am going to see you in the next lesson.
176
Bye.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B11
Learn Advanced Weather Vocabulary | #EnglishVocabulary Explained!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
20 adjectives to describe feelings!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
Why You Never Make Progress in English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
A220
Stop Saying "SAD" all the time! #english
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B13
Speak English At The Restaurant!
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B11
15 English personality adjectives| How to ask and talk about someone's personality?
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
Afraid of Making Mistakes in English? Watch This!
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B17
Airport vocabulary | Speak English at the airport! 🛫
Travel EnglishTeensUniversity Students
B24
Understand English But Can’t Speak? Fix It Now!
Daily Conversation
B15
English Speaking Lesson (Making Requests In English!)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B25
Stop Looking for a Speaking Partner! Do This Instead
Business EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
A24
Asking For & Giving Directions In English!
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B1What is intonation in English? How many types does it have?
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
A22
Ordering food in a restaurant (dialogue) #shorts
KidsTravel EnglishTeens
B13
How to improve English speaking? | Follow these tips!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B25
Why You Can't Understand English Movies (And How to Fix It)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
English Grammar in 15 Minutes: All About Past Tenses
Cambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B22
Stop Translating in Your Head! Do This Instead
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B12
How Good Is Your English Listening? Take This Test!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B16
3 Speaking Exercises to Become Fluent in English
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B21
99 sentences
Why You Always Forget English Words (Science Explains)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
208 sentences
I don't see any progress in English | Intermediate plateau
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
107 sentences
How to learn everyday English | Canguro English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
176 sentences
Want to THINK in English? Here's how to train your brain.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
70 sentences
Improve Your English Pronunciation Fast with This Practice
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
164 sentences
The language learning system I wish I knew years ago!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
151 sentences
How to Stay Motivated for Your English Goals | Build Momentum
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
55 sentences
If I Had to Learn English Again… I'd Do This
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
156 sentences
The Psychology of Fast Learners: Why You’re Actually Learning Wrong
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B11
1080 sentences
You Don't Need More Vocabulary, You Need This | Improve Your English Fluency
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B117
25 sentences
The Secret to Learning English Through Repetition — Daily English Talks
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Why You Keep Forgetting English Words”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: word, review, student, learn, happen. This video has 176 sentences and 1817 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:08. The speaker talks at a natural 150 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 90% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| recognition noun | /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/ | The act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized (matching a current observation with a memory of a prior observation of the same entity). |
| curve noun | /kɚv/ | A bend, such as in a road. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| graph noun | /ɡɹæf/ | A data chart (graphical representation of data) intended to illustrate the relationship between a set (or sets) of numbers (quantities, measurements or… |
| retrieve verb | /ɹɪˈtɹiːv/ | To regain or get back something. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| psychologist noun | /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/ | An expert in the field of psychology. |
| template noun | /ˈtɛm.plɪt/ | A physical object whose shape is used as a guide to make other objects. |
| math noun | /mæθ/ | Arithmetic calculations; (see do the math). |
| explanation noun | /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/ | The act or process of explaining. |
| mini adjective | /ˈmɪn.i/ | Miniature, tiny, small. |
| obtain verb | /əbˈteɪn/ | To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way. |
| sheet noun | /ʃit/ | A thin bed cloth used as a covering for a mattress or as a layer over the sleeper. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| experiment noun | /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/ | A test under controlled conditions made to either demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| back up verb | To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so. |
| go down verb | To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one. |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Do you know how many words you're going to know?
- Why is it that you only remember zero?
- How much of that word do you remember?
- You know what I mean?
- How can I bring it back up again?
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 | I've learned · have learned · has had |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was done · are forgotten · is called |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 36 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: math /mæθ/, thirty /ˈθɝti/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, sheet /ʃit/
- Long words — get the stress right: recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, psychologist /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/, explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/
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 recognition, curve, lesson.
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.