Shadowing Practice: Kendrick Lamar - luther (Official Audio) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
Same Channel
Recommend Video
C1Melanie Martinez - DISNEY PRINCESS (Official Audio)
C1Not Like Us
B27 Years - Lukas Graham | Helions Cover (Lyrics/Vietsub)
B2Lana Del Rey || Off to the Races || (Lyrics)
C1Superman
B2JENNIE, Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis - Damn Right (Official Lyric Video)
B2I Wonder
B2Mia Martina feat. Waka Flocka - Beast (Official Video)
C1A$AP Rocky - Everyday (Official Video) ft. Rod Stewart, Miguel, Mark Ronson
B2Tems "Higher" (Live Performance) | Open Mic
B2Sam Hunt - Take Your Time (Official Music Video)
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Kendrick Lamar - luther”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: mine, poppin, comin. This video has 30 sentences and 363 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:46. The speaker talks at a steady 131 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| concrete adjective | /ˌkɑnˈkɹit/ | Real, actual, tangible. |
| strictly adverb | /ˈstɹɪktli/ | In a strict manner. |
| babe noun | /beɪb/ | A baby or infant; a very young human or animal. |
| sympathy noun | /ˈsɪm.pəθ.i/ | A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another. |
| flower noun | /ˈfloʊɚ/ | A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens… |
| settle verb | /ˈsɛtəl/ | To determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc). |
| stretch verb | /stɹɛt͡ʃ/ | To lengthen by pulling. |
| mercy noun | /ˈmɝsi/ | Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another. |
| outdoor adjective | /aʊtˈdɔː/ | Situated in, designed to be used in, or carried on in the open air. |
| skip verb | /skɪp/ | To move by hopping on alternate feet. |
| wrist noun | /ɹɪst/ | The complex joint between forearm bones, carpus, and metacarpals where the hand is attached to the arm; the carpus in a narrow sense. |
| clown noun | /ˈklaʊ̯n/ | A slapstick performance artist often associated with a circus and usually characterized by bright, oversized clothing, a red nose, face paint, and a brightly… |
| flop verb | /flɑp/ | To fall heavily due to lack of energy. |
| ache verb | /ˈeɪk/ | To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed. |
| fella noun | /fɛ.lə/ | Used as a general intensifier; a pfella. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| take away verb | /ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/ | To remove something and put it in a different place. |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 22 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'd, I'm, wanna. 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 concrete, strictly, babe.
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.