Shadowing Practice: Oliver Tree - Hurt [Official Music Video] - 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 “Oliver Tree - Hurt”. This video has 13 sentences and 169 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:35. The speaker talks slowly, about 107 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 2 of its 13 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 9 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ignore verb | /ɪɡˈnɔː/ | To deliberately not listen or pay attention to. |
| mood noun | /muːd/ | A mental or emotional state, composure. |
| selfish adjective | /ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/ | Holding one's own self-interest as the standard for decision making. |
| demon noun | /ˈdiː.mən/ | An evil being resident in or working for Hell; a devil. |
| vicious adjective | /ˈvɪʃəs/ | Violent, destructive and cruel. |
| attitude noun | /ˈætɪˌtud/ | The position of the body or way of carrying oneself. |
| hurt verb | /hɝt/ | To cause (a person or animal) physical pain and/or injury. |
| unless | /ɪnˈlɛs/ | Except on a specified condition; if not. |
| somebody | /ˈsʌmˌbədi/ | Some unspecified person. |
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 | you've been let |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | you've been let |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was fucking |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | They're acting |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 15 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: selfish /ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/, vicious /ˈvɪʃəs/
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 ignore, mood, selfish.
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.