Shadowing Practice: Justin Bieber - That Should Be Me ft. Rascal Flatts - Learn English Speaking with Video
B1That Should Be Me - Justin Bieber (Traducida al Español)
A2Justin Bieber - Baby ft. Ludacris
B1Tate McRae - Sports car (Official Video)
A2Justin Bieber - One Time (Lyrics)
A2Love Me
B1Roommates - Malcolm Todd (Music Video)
B1Merry Christmas (Please Don't Call, I Miss You) - Bleachers & Alex Crichton
A2Justin Timberlake - CAN'T STOP THE FEELING! (from DreamWorks Animation's "TROLLS") (Official Video)
B1Olly Murs - That girl (Lyrics) - DJ CHEN remix
B1LE SSERAFIM x ILLIT x KATSEYE lCONIC BY MISTAKE (Color Coded Lyrics BR-PT)
B1Chicago- Michael Jackson XSCAPE (Deluxe)
B1Rex Orange County - Best Friend (Official Audio)
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Justin Bieber - That Should Be Me ft. Rascal Flatts”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: baby, listen, laugh, holding, buying. This video has 30 sentences and 445 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:50. The speaker talks at a steady 116 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 70% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
8 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tear verb | /tɛɹ/ | To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate. |
| shield noun | /ˈʃild/ | A broad piece of defensive armor, held in hand, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body. |
| disarm verb | /dɪsˈɑɹm/ | To deprive of weapons; to deprive of the means of attack or defense; to render defenseless. |
| laugh verb | /læf/ | To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and… |
| mistake noun | /mɪˈsteɪk/ | An error. |
| replace verb | /ɹɪˈpleɪs/ | To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back. |
| stupid adjective | /ˈstjuːpɪd/ | Lacking in intelligence. |
| gift noun | /ɡɪft/ | Something given to another voluntarily, without charge. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should be |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | You're taking · you're trying · I'm making |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 10 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, you're, I'm. 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 tear, shield, disarm.
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.