Shadowing Practice: Avicii - Wake Me Up (Official Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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B2Avicii - Wake Me Up (Lyrics)
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Avicii - Wake Me Up”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: wiser, wake, finding, older. This video has 33 sentences and 277 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:13. The speaker talks slowly, about 66 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 14 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| belong verb | /bɪˈlɒŋ/ | To have its proper place. |
| darkness noun | /ˈdɑɹk.nɪs/ | The state of being dark; lack of light; the absolute or comparative absence of light. |
| wise adjective | /waɪz/ | Showing good judgement or the benefit of experience. |
| cute adjective | /kjuːt/ | Possessing physical features, behaviors, personality traits or other properties that are mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals; e.g. fair… |
| journey noun | /ˈd͡ʒɝni/ | A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage. |
| prize noun | /ˈpɹaɪ̯z/ | That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power. |
| wake verb | /ˈweɪ̯k/ | (often followed by up) To stop sleeping. |
| travel verb | /ˈtɹævəl/ | To be on a journey, often for pleasure or business and with luggage; to go from one place to another. |
| dream verb | /ˈdɹim/ | To see imaginary events in one's mind while sleeping. |
| carry verb | /ˈkæɹ.i/ | To lift (something) and take it to another place; to transport (something) by lifting. |
| catch verb | /kæt͡ʃ/ | To capture or snare (someone or something which would rather escape). |
| forever adverb | /fəˈɹɛvɚ/ | For all time, for all eternity; for a lifetime; for an infinite amount of time. |
| somewhere adverb | /ˈsʌm.wɛɹ/ | In an uncertain or unspecified location. |
| afraid adjective | /əˈfɹeɪd/ | Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| open up verb | To open. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'm caught up in a dream.
- When I'm wiser and I'm older.
- I didn't know I was lost.
- Where are we going?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was lost |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was finding |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will end · will pass |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 23 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, didn't, don't. 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 belong, darkness, wise.
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.