Shadowing Practice: Sasha Alex Sloan - Older (Lyric Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

18 sentences

If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.

I used to shut my door when my mother screamed in the kitchen I'd turn the music up,

get high and try not to listen to every little fight

Cause neither one was right

I swore I'd never be like them But I was just a kid back then The older I get,

the more that I see My parents aren't heroes, they're just like me And loving is hard,

it don't always work You just try your best not to get hurt I used to be mad,

but now I know Sometimes it's better to let someone go It just hadn't hit me yet,

the older I get I used to wonder why, why they could never be happy

I used to close my eyes and pray for a whole nother family Where everything was fine,

one that felt like mine

I swore I'd never be like them But I was just a kid back then The older I get,

the more that I see My parents aren't heroes, they're just like me And loving is hard,

it don't always work, you just try your best Not to get hurt I used to be mad,

but now I know Sometimes it's better to let someone go It just hadn't hit me yet The older I get

The older I get, the more that I see My parents aren't heroes, they're just like me And loving is hard,

it don't always work You just try your best, not to get hurt I used to be mad,

but now I know Sometimes it's better to let someone go It just hadn't hit me yet,

the older I get

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence

IPA PracticeMaster every sound

VocabularyBuild your word bank

Vocab GameLearn while playing

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

FOR YOU

Recommend Video

22 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Sasha Alex Sloan - Older”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: older, heroes, loving, mad, hurt. This video has 18 sentences and 277 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:33. The speaker talks slowly, about 108 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 9 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
pray verb	/pɹeɪ/	To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to a deity or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc.
scream verb	/skɹiːm/	To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, sharp outcry, or shrill, loud cry, as in fright or extreme pain; to screech, to shriek.
hero verb	/ˈhɪɹ.oʊ/	To act as a hero (brave person; role model; or protagonist).
swear verb	/ˈswɛɚ/	To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.
kitchen noun	/ˈkɪt͡ʃ(ə)n/	A room or area for preparing food.
hurt verb	/hɝt/	To cause (a person or animal) physical pain and/or injury.
wonder noun	/ˈwʌndɚ/	A sense of awe, astonishment and curiosity, inspired by unexpected events, novel experiences and inexplicable circumstances, sometimes accompanied by surprise…
shut verb	/ʃʌt/	To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
neither	/ˈnaɪ.ðɚ/	Not either (used with nor).

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to shut · used to be · used to wonder
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	your best

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 15 contractions and reduced forms, such as aren't, don't, hadn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

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 pray, scream, hero.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Sasha Alex Sloan - Older (Lyric Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Download App

Sasha Sloan - Dancing With Your Ghost (Lyrics)

Oliver Tree - Hurt [Official Music Video]

Taylor Swift - Never Grow Up (Taylor's Version) (Lyric Video)

Maximillian - Beautiful Scars (Official Video)

Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud (Official Music Video)

Lukas Graham ~ 7 Years (Lyrics) #song #lyrics #trending

Who Gets Our Days? — NAYR Kairo | “Why’d You Stay?” (Official Lyric Video)

Mattyeux, Princess Chelsea - Sometimes (Official Music Video)

Mariah Carey - Without You (Official Lyric Video)

Cry On My Shoulder | Super Star | Lyrics

Passenger | Let Her Go (Official Video)

KATSEYE (캣츠아이) “My Way” Lyric Film