Shadowing Practice: George Michael - Careless Whisper (Official 4K 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 “George Michael - Careless Whisper”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: dance, rhythm, fool, pretend, guilty. This video has 46 sentences and 419 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:24. The speaker talks slowly, about 95 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 83% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| pretend verb | /pɹəˈtɛnd/ | To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance. |
| rhythm noun | /ˈɹɪð.əm/ | The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter. |
| cheat verb | /ˈt͡ʃiːt/ | To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation. |
| comfort noun | /ˈkʌm.fət/ | Contentment, ease. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| ignorance noun | /ˈɪɡ.nɚ.əns/ | The condition of being uninformed or uneducated; lack of knowledge or information. |
| whisper verb | /ˈ(h)wɪspɚ/ | To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the… |
| careless adjective | /kɛɹ.ləs/ | Not concerned or worried (about). |
| guilty adjective | /ˈɡɪl.ti/ | Responsible for a dishonest act. |
| dance noun | /dæns/ | A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction. |
| foot noun | /fʊt/ | A biological structure found in many animals that is used for locomotion and that is frequently a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg. |
| floor noun | /flɔː/ | The interior bottom or surface of a house or building; the supporting surface of a room. |
| hurt verb | /hɝt/ | To cause (a person or animal) physical pain and/or injury. |
| screen noun | /ˈskɹiːn/ | A physical divider intended to block an area from view, or provide shelter from something dangerous. |
| silver noun | /ˈsɪl.vɚ/ | A lustrous, white, metallic element, atomic number 47, atomic weight 107.87, symbol Ag. |
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 | been given · I've been given |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been given |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 26 contractions and reduced forms, such as gonna, I'm, you're. 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 pretend, rhythm, cheat.
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.