Shadowing Practice: Mayday Plane Crash Song: Counting Star (remake) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Mayday Plane Crash Song: Counting Star”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: counting, baby, Dreaming, dollars, lie. This video has 30 sentences and 436 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:13. The speaker talks slowly, about 103 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| sink verb | /ˈsɪŋk/ | To descend or submerge (or to cause to do so) into a liquid or similar substance. |
| flash verb | /flæʃ/ | To cause to shine briefly or intermittently. |
| asleep adjective | /əˈsliːp/ | In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting. |
| swing verb | /ˈswɪŋ/ | To rotate about an off-centre fixed point. |
| physically adverb | /ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/ | In a physical manner. |
| bold adjective | /ˈbəʊld/ | Courageous, daring. |
| bunny noun | /ˈbʌni/ | A rabbit, especially a juvenile one. |
| vine noun | /ˈvaɪ̯n/ | Any plant whose stem requires support and which climbs by tendrils or twining. |
| drown verb | /dɹaʊn/ | To die from suffocation while immersed in water or other fluid. |
| dollar noun | /ˈdɑ.lɚ/ | Official designation for currency in some parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and elsewhere… |
| burn verb | /bɝn/ | To cause to be consumed by fire. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| burn down verb | To cause (a structure) to burn to nothing. |
| take out verb | To remove. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been losing · I've been praying · I've been playing |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been · I've learned |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is sold |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | we'll be · we'll become |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 52 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, we'll, 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 pray, lesson, sink.
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.