Shadowing Practice: Alec Benjamin - If We Have Each Other [Official Music Video] - Learn English Speaking with Video

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37 sentences
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She was 19 with a baby on the way On the
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east side of the city she was working every day Cleaning
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dishes in the evening she could barely stay awake She was clinging to the feeling
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that her luck was gonna change
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And across town she would take the bus at night To a one bedroom apartment
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and when she'd turn on the lights She would sit down at the table tell herself
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that it's alright She was waiting on the day she hoped her baby would arrive She'd never be alone,
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have someone to hold And when nights were cold, she'd say The world's not perfect,
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but it's not that bad If we got each other
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and that's all we have I will be your mother
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and I'll hold your hand You should know I'll be there for you When the world's not perfect, when the world's not kind If we have each other,
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then we'll both be fine I will be your mother
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and I'll hold your hand You should know I'll be there for you They were 90
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and were living out the days On the west side of
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the city next to where they got engaged They had pictures on the walls of all the memories
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that they made And though life is never easy, they were thankful that they stayed With each other and though some times were hard Even when she made him angry, he would never break a heart No,
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they didn't have the money to afford a fancy car
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But they never had to travel cause they'd never be apart Even at the end,
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their love was stronger than The day that they first met, they'd say The world's not perfect,
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but it's not that bad If we got each other
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and that's all we have I will be your lover
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and I'll hold your hand You should know I'll be there for you When the world's not perfect, when the world's not kind If we have each other,
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then we'll both be fine I will be your lover
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and I'll hold your hand You should know I'll be there for you
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You should know I'll be there for you
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I'm 23 and my folks are getting old I know they don't have forever
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and I'm scared to be alone So I'm thankful for my sister even though sometimes we fight When high school wasn't easy, she's the reason I survived I know she never leave me
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and I hate to see her cries
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So I wrote this verse to tell her
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that I'm always by her side I wrote this verse to tell her
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that I'm always by her side I wrote this verse to tell her that
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The world's not perfect but it's not that bad
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If we got each other and that's all we have I will be your brother
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and I'll hold your hand You should know I'll be there for you When the world's not perfect, when the world's not kind
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If we have each other then we'll both be fine I will be your brother
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and I'll hold your hand You should know I'll be there for you
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You should know I'll be there for you

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice English listening and speaking skills using the heartfelt lyrics from the song "If We Have Each Other" by Alec Benjamin. This emotional narrative explores the bond between loved ones across different life stages. As you follow along, you will enhance your vocabulary and improve your pronunciation through targeted shadowing exercises. By engaging with the song, you can develop your English speaking practice in a meaningful context, making language learning both enjoyable and impactful.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Clinging to - holding onto something tightly, often used metaphorically to indicate hope or desire.
  • Engaged - the state of being formally committed to someone in a romantic relationship.
  • Memories - recollections of past experiences that hold significance.
  • Stronger than - used to compare the intensity or resilience of a feeling, such as love.
  • Thankful - expressing gratitude for the positive aspects of life.
  • Survived - to continue to live or exist, especially in a difficult situation.
  • Fine - feeling satisfactory; in this context, it refers to coping well despite challenges.
  • By my side - to have someone there for support and companionship.

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning experience while using this shadowing site, follow these practical tips tailored to the rhythm and emotions of the song:

  • Listen Actively: Start by playing the song a few times to familiarize yourself with its tone and pronunciation. Pay special attention to the emotional nuances in Alec Benjamin's voice.
  • Shadow Speech: Use a shadowing app or a simple audio playback tool to practice shadowing. Speak along with the lyrics, mimicking the speed and intonation as closely as possible.
  • Repeat & Reflect: After shadowing a few lines, pause and reflect on the phrases. Consider what they mean and how they relate to your own experiences.
  • Break It Down: If the tempo feels too fast, break the song into smaller segments. Focus on just a couple of lines at a time before moving on to the next part.
  • Engage Emotionally: Try to connect personally with the lyrics. This connection will help you convey the emotions more authentically in your speaking practice.

By using these strategies, you’ll not only improve your English but also deepen your connection to the language through the beautiful and relatable themes expressed in the song. Enjoy learning English with YouTube!

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good ideashould know
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the pastwas working · was clinging · was waiting
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionwill be · I'll hold · we'll both

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 →