Shadowing Practice: Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know? (Official Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: crawling, fall, flows, mainly, tomorrow. This video has 59 sentences and 497 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:26. The speaker talks at a steady 112 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 12 of its 59 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| crawl verb | /kɹɔːl/ | To move by dragging one's body along or close to a surface, like a worm or insect, or on one's hands and knees, like a human baby. |
| asleep adjective | /əˈsliːp/ | In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting. |
| summit noun | /ˈsʌmɪt/ | The highest point of a hill, mountain, or similar geographical feature. |
| tune noun | /tjuːn/ | A melody. |
| ace noun | /ˈeɪ̯s/ | A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game. |
| tide noun | /taɪd/ | The daily fluctuation in the level of the sea caused by the gravitational influence of the moon and the sun. |
| poker noun | /ˈpoʊkɚ/ | A metal rod, generally of wrought iron, for adjusting the burning logs or coals in a fire; a firestick. |
| cheek noun | /t͡ʃiːk/ | The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity. |
| sleeve noun | /sliv/ | The part of a garment that covers the arm. |
| interrupt verb | /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/ | To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking. |
| flow verb | /ˈfloʊ̯/ | To move as a fluid from one position to another. |
| mainly adverb | /ˈmeɪnli/ | Of a person or thing being the driving force influencing the outcome of an event; chiefly; certainly for the most part. |
| shift noun | /ˈʃɪft/ | A movement to do something, a beginning. |
| constantly adverb | /ˈkɑnstənʔli/ | In a constant manner; occurring continuously; persistently. |
| somehow adverb | /ˈsʌmhaʊ/ | In one way or another; in a way not yet known or explained; by some means |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| call down verb | To bring (punishment, condemnation etc.) upon someone, as from above. | |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
| stick around verb | To stay; to linger; to remain. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Are there some aces up your sleeve?
- Have you no idea that you're indeed?
- How many secrets can you keep?
- Do I hold enough?
- Do you want me crawling back to you?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've tried · I've thought |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being lost |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 79 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, wanna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 crawl, asleep, summit.
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.