Shadowing Practice: Imagine Dragons - Bones (Lyrics) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 22 sentences and 340 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:06. The speaker talks at a steady 110 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 77% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

• bone /boʊn/ (noun) — A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates.
• patience /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/ (noun) — The quality of being patient.
• entertain /ˌɛntəˈteɪn/ (verb) — To amuse (someone); to engage the attention of agreeably.
• mirror /ˈmiɹɚ/ (noun) — 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.
• gray /ɡɹeɪ/ (adjective) — Of a color between black and white, having neutral hue and intermediate brightness.
• pace /peɪs/ (noun) — A step taken with the foot.
• bullet /ˈbʊlɪt/ (noun) — A projectile, usually of metal, shot from a gun at high speed.
• flame /fleɪm/ (noun) — The visible part of fire; a stream of burning vapour or gas, emitting light and heat.
• dynamite /ˈdaɪ.nəˌmaɪt/ (noun) — A class of explosives made from nitroglycerine in an absorbent medium such as kieselguhr, used in mining and blasting.
• wane /weɪn/ (verb) — To progressively lose its splendor, value, ardor, power, intensity etc.; to decline.
• darken /ˈdɑɹkən/ (verb) — To make dark or darker by reducing light.
• hurdle /ˈhɝd(ə)l/ (noun) — An artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which athletes or horses jump in a race.
• reaper /ˈɹiːpɚ/ (noun) — One who reaps; a person employed to harvest crops from the fields by reaping.
• vulture /ˈvʌlt͡ʃɚ/ (noun) — Any of several carrion-eating birds of the families Accipitridae and Cathartidae.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
• go ahead /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ (verb) — To proceed with; to begin.
• burn in (verb) — To eat into, as fire.
• go into (verb) — To get involved in; to investigate or explore.
• look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
• play with (verb) — To fiddle with; make small adjustments to, for example to something mechanical in order to improve its performance.
• set up /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ (verb) — To make ready for use.
• work in (verb) — To find time or space for, amid other things.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like bone, patience, entertain.