Shadowing Practice: R.E.M - Losing My Religion (Lyrics) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 21 sentences and 279 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:06. The speaker talks slowly, about 68 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:

• spotlight /ˈspɒtˌlaɪt/ (noun) — A bright, directional light or lamp, especially one used to illuminate the focus or center of attention on a stage.
• knee /ni/ (noun) — In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.
• slip /ˈslɪp/ (verb) — To lose one’s traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction.
• pale /peɪl/ (adjective) — Light in color.
• confession /kənˈfɛʃən/ (noun) — The open admittance of having done something (especially something bad).
• whisper /ˈ(h)wɪspɚ/ (verb) — To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the…
• laugh /læf/ (verb) — To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and…
• sing /ˈsɪŋ/ (verb) — To produce musical or harmonious sounds with one’s voice.
• plate /ˈpleɪ̯t/ (noun) — A slightly curved but almost flat dish from which food is served or eaten.
• blind /ˈblaɪ̯nd/ (adjective) — Unable to see, or only partially able to see.
• fantasy /ˈfæntəsi/ (noun) — That which comes from one's imagination or the act of imagining things.
• dream /ˈdɹim/ (verb) — To see imaginary events in one's mind while sleeping.
• consider /kənˈsɪd.ə/ (verb) — To think about seriously.
• corner /ˈkɔɹnɚ/ (noun) — The point where two converging lines meet; an angle, either external or internal.
• religion /ɹɪˈlɪd͡ʒ.ən/ (noun) — Belief in a spiritual or metaphysical reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• keep up with (verb) — To manage to remain beside or just behind someone or something that is moving away from one.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 8 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, haven't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

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 spotlight, knee, slip.