Shadowing Practice: You Are Responsible for Your Life - Oprah Winfrey - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “You Are Responsible for Your Life - Oprah Winfrey”. This video has 6 sentences and 94 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:44. The speaker talks at a steady 128 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 9 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pray verb | /pɹeɪ/ | To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to a deity or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc. |
| forgive verb | /fɚˈɡɪv/ | To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against. |
| willingness noun | /ˈwɪlɪŋnəs/ | The state of being willing |
| responsibility noun | /ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/ | The state of being responsible, accountable, or answerable. |
| sit verb | /sɪt/ | To move oneself into such a position. |
| responsible adjective | /ɹɪˈspɑn.sə.bəl/ | Having the duty of taking care of something; answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically. |
| accept verb | /əkˈsɛpt/ | To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval. |
| realize verb | /ˈɹi(.ə)ˌlaɪz/ | To become aware of, understand, or appreciate (a fact or situation, especially something which has been true for some time). |
| somebody | /ˈsʌmˌbədi/ | Some unspecified person. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| move forward verb | To cause to make progress. |
| sit around verb | To spend time sitting idly, not doing anything important. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was praying |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | you're sitting · are wasting |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: responsibility /ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/, responsible /ɹɪˈspɑn.sə.bəl/
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 pray, forgive, willingness.
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.