Shadowing Practice: Obama raps Eminem's "Lose Yourself" - 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
B2Eminem - Lose Yourself
B2Obama's mic toss after zinging Trump while stumping for El-Sayed goes viral
B2Barack Obama's Victory Speech
B2UNSEEN 2Pac: 1995 CNN Tapes
B2Michelle Obama on embracing her own ambition and fighting despair | Wild Card
B2K-pop star RM gives heartfelt speech ahead of SFMOMA opening
B2Dave Chappelle Roasts Donald Trump 😂 | Hilarious & Savage Political Comedy!
B2FULL SPEECH: Barack Obama MOCKS Trump, Blasts Iran War at Fiery Georgia Rally With Ossof | AC1G
B2Full Interview: Eminem about Kamikaze, MGK's diss, Joe Budden, Tyler the Creator and more (2018)
B2El-Sayed: "I'll go through a metal detector if you'll sit for a lie detector"
C1President Reagan's Farewell Address to the Nation — 1/11/89
B2Eminem rhymes the word orange | 60 Minutes Archive
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Obama raps Eminem's "Lose Yourself"”. This video has 8 sentences and 77 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:36.
Key vocabulary in this video
14 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lifetime noun | /ˈlaɪf.taɪm/ | The duration of the life of someone or something. |
| rally noun | /ˈɹæli/ | A public gathering or mass meeting that is not mainly a protest and is organized to inspire enthusiasm for a cause. |
| knee noun | /ni/ | In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank. |
| palm noun | /pɑm/ | The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand or other primate hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers. |
| sweater noun | /ˈswɛtɚ/ | A knitted jacket or jersey, usually of thick wool, worn by athletes before or after exercise. |
| bomb noun | /bɑm/ | An explosive device used or intended as a weapon, especially, one dropped from an aircraft. |
| weak adjective | /wi(ː)k/ | Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability. |
| calm adjective | /kɑm/ | Peaceful, quiet, especially free from anger and anxiety. |
| drop noun | /dɹɑp/ | A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own rounded shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid. |
| heavy adjective | /ˈhɛv.i/ | Having great weight. |
| opportunity noun | /ˌɒp.əˈtjuː.nɪ.tɪ/ | A chance for advancement, progress or profit. |
| notice verb | /ˈnoʊ.tɪs/ | To become aware of; to observe. |
| surface noun | /ˈsɜː.fɪs/ | The external boundary of an object or body. |
| arm noun | /ɑɹm/ | The portion of the upper human appendage, from the shoulder to the wrist and sometimes including the hand. |
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 | have done |
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 lifetime, rally, knee.
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.