Shadowing Practice: Akon - Ghetto (Official Music Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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23 sentences
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1
Quiero Quiero Ghetto, ghetto, ghetto baby These streets remind me of quicksand When you're on it,
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you'll keep going down
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And there's no one to hold on to And there's no one to pull you out You keep on falling, no one can hear you calling
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So you end up self -destructing On a corner with a
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toolie on a waistline Just got about the bingo estate time
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Teeth marks on my back from the K -9 Dark memories of
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when there was no sunshine Cause they said that I wouldn't make it I remember like yesterday
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Holding on to what God gave me Cause that's the life when you're living in the And eating in the Oh,
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sleeping in the That's the life when you're living in the And eating in the Or sleeping in the Ghetto
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No need to cherish luxuries Cause everything come and go Even the life
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that you have is borrowed Cause you're not promised tomorrow
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So live your life as if every day's gonna be your last Once you move forward,
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can't go back Just pretend to remove your past Cause you gotta be willing to pray Yes, there gotta be, it gotta be a better way Oh,
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yes, you gotta be willing to pray Cause there gotta be, it gotta be a better day
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Whoever said that the struggle would stop the day A lot of niggas dead
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or locked away Teenage women growing up with AIDS Cause that's the life when you're living in the Oh,
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eating in the Oh, sleeping in the That's the life when you're living in the Eating in the
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Sleeping in the Gunshots every night Rookie cops on side Every day is a fight
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Got kids to feed Selling coke and weed Every day somebody beatin' her Oh,
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oh, oh, oh, oh That's the life when you're livin' in the Oh,
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livin' by the Oh, eatin' in the Yeah, oh, oh That's the life when you're livin' in the Oh,
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sleepin' in the You're livin' in the Yeah, oh, yeah, oh
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Oh, oh, oh Thank you.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Akon - Ghetto”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: livin, ghetto, sleeping, eating. This video has 23 sentences and 348 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:28. The speaker talks slowly, about 100 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 86% 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 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
livin nounA particular protein that inhibits apoptosis
destruct verb/dɪˈstɹʌkt/To invoke the destructor of.
quicksand noun/ˈkwɪkˌsænd/Wet sand that appears firm but in which things readily sink, often found near rivers or coasts.
toolie nounA tool dresser.
waistline noun/ˈweɪstˌlaɪn/a line around the body at the waist; its measurement
cherish verb/ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/To treat with affection, care, and tenderness; to nurture or protect with care.
bingo noun/ˈbɪŋ.ɡoʊ/A game of chance for two or more players, who mark off numbers on a grid as they are announced by the caller; the game is won by the first person to call out…
borrow verb/ˈbɑɹ.oʊ/To receive (something) from somebody temporarily, expecting to return it.
coke noun/koʊk/Solid residue from roasting coal in a coke oven; used principally as a fuel and in the production of steel and formerly as a domestic fuel.
sunshine noun/ˈsʌnʃaɪn/The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.
weed noun/wiːd/Any plant unwanted at the place where and at the time when it is growing.
pretend verb/pɹəˈtɛnd/To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordMeaning
end up verbTo bring to a conclusion.
go back verbTo return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time.
go down verbTo descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.
lock away verbTo lock up; to lock in a safe place, out of view.
move forward verbTo cause to make progress.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 19 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, gotta, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

  • The “sh” and “zh” sounds: cherish /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/, sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like livin, destruct, quicksand.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →