Shadowing Practice: Coldplay - Viva La Vida (Official Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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27 sentences
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1
I used to rule the world,
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sees it rise when I gave the word Now in the morning I sleep alone,
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sweep the streets I used to own
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I used to roll the dice Feel the fear in my
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enemy's eyes Listen as the crowd would sing Now the old king is dead,
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long live the king One minute I held the key Next the walls were closed on me
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And I discovered that my castle stand Upon pillars of sun,
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pillars of sand I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing Roman cavalry choirs are singing Be my mirror,
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my sword and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason I can't explain Once you've gone,
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it was never, never an honest word That was
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when I ruled the
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world It was
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the wicked and wild wind Blew down the doors to let me in Shattered windows
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and the sound of drums People couldn't believe what I'd become
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Revolutionaries wait For my head on a silver plate Just a
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puppet on a lonely string Of who would ever want to
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be king I hear cherished little bells ringing Roman cavalry choirs are singing Be my mirror,
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my sword
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and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason
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I can't explain I know Saint Peter won't call my name Never an honest word
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But that was when I ruled the world Oh,
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oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
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oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
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oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh I'll mirror my sword
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and shield I'm missionaries in a foreign field There's some reason I can't explain I know a saint,
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he don't call my name Never an honest word But that was when I ruled the world
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Coldplay - Viva La Vida”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: word, missionaries, shield, ruled, sword. This video has 27 sentences and 386 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:41. The speaker talks slowly, about 105 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 82% 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mirror noun | /ˈmiɹɚ/ | A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it. |
| sword noun | /soɹd/ | A long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack. |
| shield noun | /ˈʃild/ | A broad piece of defensive armor, held in hand, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body. |
| saint noun | /seɪnt/ | A deceased person whom a church or another religious group has officially recognised as especially holy or godly; one eminent for piety and virtue. |
| choir noun | /kwaɪɚ/ | A group of people who sing together; a company of people who are trained to sing together. |
| cavalry noun | /ˈkæ.vəl.ɹi/ | An individual unit of this arm of service. |
| pillar noun | /ˈpɪlɚ/ | A large post, often used as supporting architecture. |
| castle noun | /ˈkɑːsəl/ | A large residential building or compound that is fortified and contains many defences; in previous ages often inhabited by a nobleman or king. Also, a house or… |
| sand noun | /sænd/ | Rock that is ground more finely than gravel, but is not as fine as silt (more formally, see grain sizes chart), forming beaches and deserts and also used in… |
| string noun | /stɹɪŋ/ | A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together. |
| discover verb | /dɪˈskʌvə/ | To find or learn something for the first time. |
| lonely adjective | /ˈloʊnli/ | Unhappy due to feeling isolated from contact with other people. |
| revolutionary noun | /ˌɹɛvəˈluʃənɛɹi/ | A revolutionist; a person who revolts. |
| drum noun | /ˈdɹʌm/ | A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone. |
| sweep verb | /swiːp/ | To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| blow down verb | To knock over with an air current, most often wind. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 10 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, couldn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shield /ˈʃild/, revolutionary /ˌɹɛvəˈluʃənɛɹi/, cherish /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/
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 mirror, sword, shield.
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.