Shadowing Practice: Michael Jackson - Human Nature (Official Audio) - 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 “Michael Jackson - Human Nature”. This video has 50 sentences and 316 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:28. The speaker talks slowly, about 71 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 32 of its 50 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| shake verb | /ˈʃeɪk/ | To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly. |
| bite verb | /baɪt/ | To cut into something by clamping the teeth. |
| babe noun | /beɪb/ | A baby or infant; a very young human or animal. |
| stare verb | /stɛɚ/ | To look fixedly (at something). |
| induce verb | /ɪnˈduːs/ | To lead by persuasion or influence; incite or prevail upon. |
| nighter noun | Someone or something who does something for a certain number of nights | |
| sleepless adjective | /ˈsliːpləs/ | Characterized by an absence of sleep: wakeful. |
| everywhere adverb | /ˈɛv.ɹi.(h)wɛɹ/ | In or to all locations under discussion. |
| strange adjective | /stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/ | Not normal; odd, unusual, surprising, out of the ordinary, often with a negative connotation. |
| shoulder noun | /ˈʃoʊldɚ/ | The part of the human torso forming a relatively horizontal surface running away from the neck. |
| nature noun | /ˈneɪ̯.t͡ʃəɹ/ | The way things are, the totality of all things in the physical universe and their order, especially the physical world in contrast to spiritual realms and… |
| touch verb | /tʌt͡ʃ/ | To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with. |
| dream verb | /ˈdɹim/ | To see imaginary events in one's mind while sleeping. |
| begin verb | /bɪˈɡɪn/ | To start, to initiate or take the first step into something. |
| village noun | /ˈvɪlɪd͡ʒ/ | A rural habitation of size between a hamlet and a town. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| look out verb | To be vigilant and aware often as an imperative to alert a person to danger. |
| reach out verb | To extend one's hand(s) forward; to reach for something. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm looking · I'm watching · I'm dreaming |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna lie · gonna say |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shake /ˈʃeɪk/, shoulder /ˈʃoʊldɚ/
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 shake, bite, 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.