Shadowing Practice: KAROL G, Bruno Mars - Still (Official Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video
B1Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man (Official Music Video)
B1Die With A Smile - Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars (Lyrics) ZAYN, Ed Sheeran,... MIX
B1Backstreet Boys - I'll Never Break Your Heart (Official HD Video)
B1Maroon 5 - Girls Like You ft. Cardi B (Official Music Video)
B1The Weeknd - Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
B1Phillip Phillips - Gone, Gone, Gone (Official Music Video)
B1The Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather (Official Video)
B1Mariah Carey - My All (Official Lyric Video)
B1Bruno Major - The Most Beautiful Thing (Lyric & Chord Video)
B1Colbie Caillat - Bubbly (Official Music Video)
B1Mario - Let Me Love You (Official Video)
B1The Chainsmokers - Roses (Official Audio) ft. ROZES
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “KAROL G, Bruno Mars - Still”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: broken, sweat, dark, sleep. This video has 23 sentences and 313 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:04. The speaker talks slowly, about 77 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 86% 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
The 10 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sweat verb | /swɛt/ | To emit sweat. |
| 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. |
| angel noun | /ˈeɪ̯n.d͡ʒəl/ | An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes. |
| pray verb | /pɹeɪ/ | To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to a deity or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc. |
| favourite adjective | /ˈfeɪv.ɹɪt/ | Most-liked. (In other words, [person]'s favorite [noun] = the [noun] that [person] likes the most.) |
| quiet adjective | /ˈkwaɪ̯.ət/ | With little or no sound; free of disturbing noise. |
| fill verb | /fɪl/ | To add contents to (a container, cavity, or the like) so that it is full. |
| letter noun | /ˈlɛtɚ/ | A symbol in an alphabet. |
| apart | /əˈpɑɹt/ | Excluded from consideration. |
| forever adverb | /fəˈɹɛvɚ/ | For all time, for all eternity; for a lifetime; for an infinite amount of time. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hand down verb | To transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor. |
| walk away verb | To withdraw from a problematic situation. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've ever felt · I've ever wanted |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | won't tear · I'll do · won't ever change |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 34 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'd, don't, won't. 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 sweat, tear, angel.
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.