Shadowing Practice: Tom Odell - Another Love (Lyrics) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Tom Odell - Another Love”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: tears, sing, cry. This video has 25 sentences and 293 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:03. The speaker talks slowly, about 72 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
11 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tear verb | /tɛɹ/ | To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate. |
| flower noun | /ˈfloʊɚ/ | A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens… |
| string noun | /stɹɪŋ/ | A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together. |
| rude adjective | /ɹuːd/ | Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous. |
| sing verb | /ˈsɪŋ/ | To produce musical or harmonious sounds with one’s voice. |
| hurt verb | /hɝt/ | To cause (a person or animal) physical pain and/or injury. |
| stupid adjective | /ˈstjuːpɪd/ | Lacking in intelligence. |
| spring noun | /ˈspɹɪŋ/ | An act of springing: a leap, a jump. |
| somebody | /ˈsʌmˌbədi/ | Some unspecified person. |
| somewhere adverb | /ˈsʌm.wɛɹ/ | In an uncertain or unspecified location. |
| tired adjective | [ˈtaɪ̯ɚd] | In need of some rest or sleep. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take off verb | To remove. |
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 been |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | won't flower · I'll use · I'll be |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 21 contractions and reduced forms, such as wanna, I'll, I'd. 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 tear, flower, string.
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.
















