Shadowing Practice: Akon - Lonely - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely, I have nobody for my own I'm so lonely,
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I'm Mr. Lonely, I have nobody for my own I'm so lonely Yo,
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this one here, goes out to all my players out there man,
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you know They got that one good girl dog that's always been there man Like,
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took all the bullshit, but then one day she can't take it no more and decide to leave Yeah,
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I woke up in the middle of the night and I noticed my girl wasn't on my side
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Could've sworn I was dreaming, for her I was fiending So I had to take a little ride
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Backtracking on these few years Trying to figure out what I do to make it go bad
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Cause ever since my girl left me My whole life came crashing and I'm so So lonely,
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Mr. Lonely I have no body,
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I'm on my own So lonely,
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Mr. Lonely Mr. Lonely, I have nobody to call my own girl
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Can't believe I had a girl like you when I just let you walk right out of my life
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After all I put you through, you still stuck around and stayed by my side What really hurt me is I broke your heart, baby you a good girl
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and I had no right I really wanna make things right cause without you in my life girl I'm so So lonely,
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Mr. Lonely I have nobody,
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I have my own girl So lonely,
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Mr. Lonely I have nobody to call my own Been all over the world,
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ain't never met a girl That could take the things that you've been through
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Never thought that they would come where you would get up and run And I would be out chasing you
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Cause ain't nowhere in the globe I'd rather be
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Ain't no one in the globe I'd rather see
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Than the girl of my dreams that made me be So happy but now so lonely So lonely,
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Mr. Lonely I have nobody for my own,
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girl So lonely, Mr. Lonely I have nobody for my own,
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girl Never thought that I'd be alone
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I didn't think you'd be gone this long I just want you to call my phone So stop playing, girl, and come on home Baby girl,
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I didn't mean to shout I want me
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and you to work it out I never wish to ever hurt my baby
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And it's driving me crazy cause I'm so So lonely, Mr. Lonely I have nobody
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You're my own girl So lonely Mr. Lonely I have nobody You're my own girl So lonely
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So lonely Mr. Lonely So lonely So lonely So lonely So lonely Mr. Lonely
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Akon - Lonely”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: lonely, nobody, baby. This video has 32 sentences and 452 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:54. The speaker talks at a steady 116 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lonely adjective | /ˈloʊnli/ | Unhappy due to feeling isolated from contact with other people. |
| globe noun | /ɡloʊb/ | The eyeball. |
| chase verb | /t͡ʃeɪs/ | To follow at speed. |
| nowhere adverb | /ˈnoʊ.(h)wɛɹ/ | In no place. |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| backtrack verb | /ˈbæk.tɹæk/ | To retrace one's steps. |
| fiend noun | /ˈfiːnd/ | A devil or demon; a malignant or diabolical being; an evil spirit. |
| crash noun | /ˈkɹæʃ/ | A sudden, intense, loud sound, as made for example by cymbals. |
| swear verb | /ˈswɛɚ/ | To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect. |
| nobody noun | /ˈnoʊ.bə.di/ | A person dismissed as unimportant. |
| hurt verb | /hɝt/ | To cause (a person or animal) physical pain and/or injury. |
| dream verb | /ˈdɹim/ | To see imaginary events in one's mind while sleeping. |
| notice verb | /ˈnoʊ.tɪs/ | To become aware of; to observe. |
| ride verb | /ɹaɪd/ | To transport oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, later also a bicycle etc. |
| decide verb | /dɪˈsaɪd/ | To resolve (a contest, problem, dispute, etc.); to choose, determine, or settle. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| stick around verb | To stay; to linger; to remain. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 25 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, ain't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shout /ʃaʊt/, crash /ˈkɹæʃ/
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 lonely, globe, chase.
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.