Shadowing Practice: NF - Fear / Traduction Française - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Hello darkness, my old friend.
2
Hello.
3
Knocking at my door again.
4
Begging me to come outside.
5
Let you back into my life Now usually I'd be strong enough.
6
To lock the doors and keep 'em shut But not today, I'm desperate.
7
So go ahead and come on in.
8
So go ahead and come on in So go ahead and come on in.
9
OCD is worse than ever, hands are bleeding, maybe I should take the pill stone.
10
Know what's going on with me, some days I actually think I might be schizo.
11
Frantic, probably not, but even writing this is making me begin to spiral, oh God.
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Made a promise to myself I wouldn't let the fear back in, but then I did though.
13
Told the world that I was sick of running, then went back to running, what a joke.
14
Disappointed at me too, I thought I finally had finally made a breakthrough,
15
guess not It's the same song that you all sing me before Darkness holds out its hand,
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then we walk to the floor Every decision made, is it mine anymore?
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Like a puppet with strings, I just don't have a choice What's the truth?
18
What's a lie?
19
Help me God, help me Lord Lost my hope, lost my will, lost my joy,
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lost a friend, lost my hope, lost my faith, lost my voice.
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Standing back watching my man shine burn to ash while I...
22
Is this what you wanted?
23
Is this what you wanted?
24
Make all my hopes and my dreams come to life just to lay them to rest Is this what you wanted?
25
Is this what you wanted?
26
Give me a false sense of peace just to show me what people are doing Is this what you wanted?
27
On the verge, on the edge Is this what you wanted?
28
Petrified, scared to death Is this what you wanted?
29
Crain to God, desperate Is this what you wanted?
30
What you wanted?
31
Is this what you wanted?
32
Hanging on by a thread Is this what you wanted?
33
Empty heart, nothing left Is this what you wanted?
34
Breaking down, spiraling Is this what you wanted?
35
What you wanted?
36
Is this what you wanted?
37
Standing back in my head is shining into a spot.
38
Is this what you wanted?
39
What you wanted?
40
Is this what you wanted?
41
Go against the edge of the guy.
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Is this what you wanted?
43
Starting.
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Is this what you wanted?
45
What you wanted?
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “NF - Fear / Traduction Française”. This video has 45 sentences and 411 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:26. The speaker talks slowly, about 93 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. 24 of its 45 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 |
|---|---|---|
| desperate adjective | /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹɪt/ | In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire. |
| darkness noun | /ˈdɑɹk.nɪs/ | The state of being dark; lack of light; the absolute or comparative absence of light. |
| shine verb | /ʃaɪn/ | To emit or reflect light so as to glow. |
| spiral noun | /ˈspaɪɹəl/ | A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point. |
| thread noun | /ˈθɹɛd/ | A cord formed by spinning or twisting together textile fibers or filaments into one or more continuous strands, typically used in needlework. |
| disappointed adjective | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/ | Defeated of expectations or hope; experiencing disappointment; let down. |
| string noun | /stɹɪŋ/ | A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together. |
| knock verb | /nɑk/ | To rap one's knuckles against something, especially wood. |
| scare verb | /skɛɚ/ | To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way. |
| pill noun | /pɪl/ | A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication. |
| breakthrough noun | /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/ | An advance through and past enemy lines. |
| puppet noun | /ˈpʌpɪt/ | Any small model of a person or animal able to be moved by strings or rods, or in the form of a glove. |
| bleed verb | /ˈbliːd/ | To shed blood through an injured blood vessel. |
| verge noun | /vɜːd͡ʒ/ | A rod or staff of office, e.g. of a verger. |
| frantic adjective | /ˈfɹæn.tɪk/ | In a state of panic, worry, frenzy, or rush. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come on in verb | Synonym of come in (“to enter”). | |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| break down verb | To stop functioning. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| hold out verb | To hold (something) out; to extend (something) forward. | |
| stand back verb | To maintain distance. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'd, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thread /ˈθɹɛd/, breakthrough /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/
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 desperate, darkness, shine.
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.