Shadowing Practice: Joy Crookes - Feet Don't Fail Me Now (Lyrics) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 20 sentences and 279 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:57. The speaker talks slowly, about 95 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

• scare /skɛɚ/ (verb) — To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
• denial /dɪˈnaɪ.əl/ (noun) — An assertion of untruth.
• establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/ (noun) — The act or process of establishing; a ratifying or ordaining; settlement; confirmation.
• petition /pəˈtɪʃ.ən/ (noun) — A formal written request made by an individual or a group of people to a sovereign or political authority, often containing many signatures, soliciting some…
• privilege /ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/ (noun) — A particular benefit, advantage, or favor; a right or immunity enjoyed by some but not others; a prerogative, preferential treatment.
• pose /poʊz/ (verb) — To place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect.
• vibe /vaɪb/ (noun) — An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing.
• booze /buz/ (noun) — Any alcoholic beverage.
• crocodile /ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/ (noun) — Any of the predatory amphibious reptiles of the family Crocodylidae; (loosely) a crocodilian, any species of the order Crocodilia, which also includes the…
• dopamine /ˈdoʊ.pəˌmin/ (noun) — A monoamine C₈H₁₁NO₂ that is a decarboxylated form of dopa, present in the body as a neurotransmitter and a precursor of other substances including adrenalin.
• picket /ˈpɪkɪt/ (noun) — A stake driven into the ground.
• fail /feɪl/ (verb) — To be unsuccessful.
• blame /bleɪm/ (verb) — To assert or consider that someone is the cause of something negative; to place blame; to attribute responsibility (for something negative or for doing…

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 23 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/, petition /pəˈtɪʃ.ən/

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 scare, denial, establishment.