Shadowing Practice: How To Make Small Talk - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “How To Make Small Talk”. This video has 32 sentences and 279 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:47. The speaker talks at a natural 156 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| elevator noun | /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/ | Anything that raises or uplifts. |
| anchor noun | /ˈæŋ.kəː/ | A tool used to moor a vessel to the bottom of a sea or river to resist movement. |
| acronym noun | /ˈækɹənɪm/ | Generally such abbreviations, including those pronounced as individual letters (initialisms such as "TNT"). |
| approachable adjective | /əˈpɹəʊ.t͡ʃə.bəl/ | Easily approached; easy to talk to. |
| conversational adjective | /ˌkɒnvə(ɹ)ˈseɪʃənəl/ | Easy in conversation, chatty. |
| hyperventilate verb | To breathe quickly and deeply, especially at an abnormally rapid rate. | |
| restate verb | to state again (without changing) | |
| prompt verb | /pɹɑmpt/ | To lead (someone) toward what they should say or do. |
| compliment noun | /ˈkɑmpləmənt/ | An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect. |
| hobby noun | /ˈhɑ.bi/ | An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. |
| spark noun | /ˈspɑɹk/ | A small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire, resulting from an electrical surge or excessive heat created by friction. |
| yield verb | /jiːld/ | To give as a result or outcome; to produce or render. |
| controversial adjective | /ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl/ | Arousing or likely to arouse controversy. |
| relate verb | /ɹɪˈleɪt/ | To tell in a descriptive way. |
| consideration noun | /kənˌsɪd.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The thought process of considering, of taking multiple or specified factors into account (with of being the main corresponding adposition). |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, you'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: conversational /ˌkɒnvə(ɹ)ˈseɪʃənəl/, controversial /ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl/, consideration /kənˌsɪd.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: elevator /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/, approachable /əˈpɹəʊ.t͡ʃə.bəl/, conversational /ˌkɒnvə(ɹ)ˈseɪʃənəl/, controversial /ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl/, consideration /kənˌsɪd.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
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 elevator, anchor, acronym.
Gölgeleme Tekniği Nedir?
Gölgeleme, başlangıçta profesyonel tercüman eğitimi için geliştirilen ve çok dilli Dr. Alexander Arguelles tarafından popüler hale getirilen, bilim destekli bir dil öğrenme tekniğidir. Yöntem basit ama güçlüdür: ana dili İngilizce olan bir sesi dinler ve hemen yüksek sesle tekrar edersiniz — konuşmacıyı 1-2 saniye gecikmeyle takip eden bir gölge gibi. Pasif dinleme veya dilbilgisi alıştırmalarının aksine, gölgeleme beyninizi ve ağız kaslarınızı gerçek konuşma kalıplarını eşzamanlı olarak işlemeye ve yeniden üretmeye zorlar. Araştırmalar, telaffuz doğruluğu, tonlama, ritim, bağlı konuşma, dinleme anlama ve konuşma akıcılığını önemli ölçüde geliştirdiğini göstermektedir — bu da onu IELTS Konuşma hazırlığı ve gerçek dünya İngilizce iletişimi için en etkili yöntemlerden biri yapar.































