Shadowing Practice: You think are you tough? | Nick Vujicic - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 16 sentences and 139 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:48. The speaker talks at a natural 175 words per minute, close to everyday conversation.
Key vocabulary in this video
10 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tease verb | /tiːz/ | To separate the fibres of (a fibrous material). |
| ear noun | /ˈɪə̯/ | The organ of hearing, consisting of the pinna or auricle, auditory canal, eardrum, malleus, incus, stapes and cochlea. |
| knee noun | /ni/ | In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank. |
| forgive verb | /fɚˈɡɪv/ | To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against. |
| chin noun | /ˈt͡ʃɪn/ | The bottom of a face, (specifically) the typically jutting jawline below the mouth. |
| bully noun | /ˈbʊli/ | A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those whom they perceive as being vulnerable or of less power or… |
| elbow noun | /ˈɛlboʊ̯/ | The joint between the upper arm and the forearm. |
| singer noun | /ˈsɪŋ.ɚ/ | A person who sings, often professionally. |
| nose noun | [nəʊ̯z] | A protuberance on the face housing the nostrils, which are used to breathe or smell. |
| tough adjective | /tʌf/ | Of a material, strong and resilient; sturdy. |
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 tease, ear, knee.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who still |
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.





























