Shadowing Practice: Bon Jovi - It's My Life [Lyrics] - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Bon Jovi - It's My Life”. This video has 23 sentences and 271 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:35. The speaker talks slowly, about 76 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 85% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| silent adjective | /ˈsaɪ̯lənt/ | Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet. |
| prayer noun | /pɹɛɚ/ | A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity. |
| brick noun | /ˈbɹɪk/ | A hardened rectangular block of mud, clay etc., used for building. |
| bend verb | /bɛnd/ | To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means. |
| blanket noun | /ˈblæŋ.kɪt/ | A heavy, loosely woven fabric, usually large and woollen, used for warmth while sleeping or resting. |
| 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. |
| highway noun | /ˈhaɪweɪ/ | A main public road, especially a multi-lane, high-speed thoroughfare. |
| mistake noun | /mɪˈsteɪk/ | An error. |
| milk verb | /mɪlk/ | To express milk from (a mammal, especially a cow). |
| loud adjective | /ˈlaʊ̯d/ | Of great intensity. |
| tall adjective | /tɔl/ | Having great vertical extent (usually reckoned from the bottom of the feet to the very top of the head) when standing. (For instance, somebody with a height of… |
| forever adverb | /fəˈɹɛvɚ/ | For all time, for all eternity; for a lifetime; for an infinite amount of time. |
| alive adjective | /əˈlaɪv/ | Having life; living; not dead. |
| frank adjective | /fɹæŋk/ | Honest, especially in a manner that seems slightly blunt; candid; not reserved or disguised. |
| crowd noun | /ˈkɹaʊ̯d/ | A group of people congregated or collected into a close body without order. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| back down verb | To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously had, or has planned to have. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 29 contractions and reduced forms, such as wanna, ain't, gonna. 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 silent, prayer, brick.
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.