Shadowing Practice: You need to switch to Linux RIGHT NOW!! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “You need to switch to Linux RIGHT NOW!!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Linux, Omarchy, Arch, window, super. This video has 704 sentences and 5967 words to shadow. The speech runs for 33:35. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| install verb | /ɪnˈstɔl/ | To connect, set up or prepare something for use |
| desktop noun | /ˈdɛsktɒp/ | The top surface of a desk. |
| 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. |
| mouse noun | /maʊs/ | Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail. |
| package noun | /ˈpæk.ɪd͡ʒ/ | Something which is packed, a parcel, a box, an envelope. |
| terminal noun | /ˈtɚmɪnəl/ | A building in an airport where passengers transfer from ground transportation to the facilities that allow them to board airplanes. |
| default noun | /dɪˈfɔlt/ | The condition of failing to meet an obligation. |
| laptop noun | /ˈlæp.tɑp/ | A laptop computer. |
| tile noun | /ˈtaɪ.əl/ | A regularly-shaped slab of clay or other material, affixed to cover or decorate a surface, as in a roof-tile, glazed tile, stove tile, carpet tile, etc. |
| installed verb | /ɪnˈstɔːld/ | readied for use |
| hardware noun | /ˈhɑɹdˌwɛɹ/ | Fixtures, equipment, fasteners, tools, and devices used for general-purpose construction and repair of a structure or object. Also such equipment as sold as… |
| keyboard noun | /ˈki.bɔɹd/ | A set of keys laid out in a gridlike pattern, used for typing on a typewriter, computer, etc. |
| password noun | /ˈpæs.wɜɹd/ | A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information. |
| portal noun | /ˈpɔːɹtl̩/ | An entrance, entry point, or means of entry. |
| sixty noun | /ˈsɪksti/ | A commercial lasting 60 seconds. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| open up verb | To open. | |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| build out verb | To develop or expand (a system, structure, project, etc.). | |
| calm down verb | To become less excited, intense, or angry. | |
| come through verb | To come into a room or other space through a door or passageway. | |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. | |
| get around verb | To move to the other side of (something, such as an obstruction) by deviating from a direct course or following a curved path. | |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You know what I mean?
- Is this even for you?
- Chuck, what hardware do I use?
- Where do I install this?
- What's my key binding for agents?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | we've been waiting · I've been doing |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've ever felt · I've been · you've probably never heard |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is based · were born · being done |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Anyone who either · Linux, which is · People who are |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 227 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: aesthetics /ɛsˈθɛt.ɪks/, smooth /smuːð/, thirty /ˈθɝti/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, algorithm /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: coordination /kəʊˌɔːdɪˈneɪʃən/, flash /flæʃ/, passion /ˈpæʃən/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, promotion /pɹəˈmoʊʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: complexity /kəmˈplɛk.sɪ.ti/, coordination /kəʊˌɔːdɪˈneɪʃən/, mentality /mɛnˈtæləti/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, potentially /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/
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 install, desktop, pray.
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.















