Shadowing Practice: Eminem - The Real Slim Shady (Lyrics) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 62 sentences and 1016 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:39. The speaker talks fast, about 219 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• shady /ˈʃeɪdi/ (adjective) — Abounding in shades.
• nurse /nɝs/ (noun) — Anyone performing this role, regardless of training or profession.
• burst /bɜːst/ (verb) — To break from internal pressure.
• lip /lɪp/ (noun) — Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth.
• rap /ɹæp/ (verb) — To strike something sharply with one's knuckles; knock.
• finger /ˈfɪŋɡɚ/ (noun) — A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb, and the corresponding part, irrespective of including a thumb, in many other…
• audio /ˈɔ.di.oʊ/ (adjective) — Focused on audible sound, as opposed to sight.
• argue /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/ (verb) — To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply.
• bedroom /ˈbɛdˌɹum/ (noun) — A room in a house, apartment, hotel, or other dwelling where a bed is kept for sleeping.
• stomach /ˈstʌmək/ (noun) — An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion.
• divorce /dɪˈvɔːs/ (noun) — The legal dissolution of a marriage.
• blast /blæst/ (noun) — A violent gust of wind (in windy weather) or apparent wind (around a moving vehicle).
• furniture /ˈfɝ.nɪ.t͡ʃɚ/ (noun) — Large movable item(s), usually in a room, which enhance(s) the room's characteristics, functionally or decoratively.
• flip /flɪp/ (verb) — To throw so as to turn over.
• basement /ˈbeɪsmənt/ (noun) — A floor of a building below ground level.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• stand up (verb) — To rise from a lying or sitting position.
• get on (verb) — To board or mount (something), especially a vehicle.
• burst in (verb) — to enter suddenly and unexpectedly
• eat up (verb) — To consume completely.
• hand up (verb) — To deliver an indictment (e.g. to a judge).
• lock in (verb) — To fix the value of (something potentially variable).
• look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
• walk around (verb) — To walk with no planned destination; to meander.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 55 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, won't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shady /ˈʃeɪdi/, sugarcoat /ˈʃʊɡɚˌkoʊt/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like shady, nurse, burst.