Shadowing Practice: Oliver Tree - All That x Alien Boy [Official Music Video] - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 26 sentences and 301 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:39. The speaker talks slowly, about 82 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• overrated /ˌəʊvəˈɹeɪtɪd/ (adjective) — Given an undue amount of credit for quality or merit in a field; not necessarily related to popularity.
• grey /ɡɹeɪ/ (adjective) — Commonwealth standard spelling of gray.
• ignore /ɪɡˈnɔː/ (verb) — To deliberately not listen or pay attention to.
• sharp /ʃɑɹp/ (adjective) — Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded.
• cloud /ˈklaʊ̯d/ (noun) — A visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air.
• extraordinary /ɪksˈtɹɔːrdɪn(ə)ɹi/ (adjective) — Out of the ordinary; exceptional; unusual.
• spider /ˈspaɪ̯dɚ/ (noun) — Any of various eight-legged, predatory arthropods, of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs to catch prey.
• mama /ˈmɑmə/ (noun) — Synonym of mother (“a female parent”).
• flesh /flɛʃ/ (noun) — The soft tissue of the body, especially muscle and fat.
• collapse /kəˈlæps/ (verb) — To break apart and fall down suddenly; to cave in.
• eagle /ˈiːɡəl/ (noun) — Any of several large carnivorous and carrion-eating birds in the family Accipitridae, having a powerful hooked bill and keen vision.
• float /fləʊt/ (verb) — To be supported by a fluid of greater density (than the object).
• glove /ɡlʌv/ (noun) — An item of clothing, covering all or part of the hand and fingers, but usually allowing independent movement of the fingers.
• specimen /ˈspɛsɪmɪn/ (noun) — An individual instance that represents a class; an example.
• trench /ˈtɹɛnt͡ʃ/ (noun) — A long, narrow ditch or hole in the ground; either manmade, or formed naturally through erosion or tectonic plate movement.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• play out (verb) — To play (a game etc.) to its conclusion.
• fall back (verb) — To retreat.
• look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
• look away (verb) — To ignore something; to pretend not to have seen or noticed something; to avoid dealing with something.
• run through (verb) — To summarise briefly.
• stand up (verb) — To rise from a lying or sitting position.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sharp /ʃɑɹp/, flesh /flɛʃ/
• Long words — get the stress right: overrated /ˌəʊvəˈɹeɪtɪd/, extraordinary /ɪksˈtɹɔːrdɪn(ə)ɹi/, tyrannosaurus /tɪˌɹænəˈsɔːɹəs/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like overrated, grey, ignore.