Shadowing Practice: 73K - Learn English Speaking with Video

Did you ever lose faith in your parents, the people you rely on the most?

Well, I definitely have.

Because of my parents, I was living a lie for so long.

They were hiding something that I could never have imagined.

I know my story is strange, but I'll explain from the beginning.

My name is Cassie, but my dad always calls me Princess Cassandra.

My mom passed away a few years ago.

She was really sick.

Cancer.

We cared for her as much as we could, but eventually the illness won and took her from us.

Since then, it was just me and Dad.

It was sad at first.

I remember crying myself to sleep for the longest time.

We lived in a small apartment and enjoyed doing simple things together like watching movies and eating pizza.

My dad always came home late and worked so hard.

But when he came home, he always gave me a big hug and asked, asked, how's my princess?

And then, how's the kingdom?

He always made an effort to be happy around me, smiling and hugging.

It felt good when we were together, sometimes at night.

I would still remember mom and cry, and he would come to my room and tell me it will be okay, and that mom will always be with us in our hearts.

My dad was a humble construction worker.

He's really good with fixing houses and making them look amazing.

If you ask me, he was the best worker in his company.

Life back then was nice and simple.

One day, a few months after things started getting back to normal, my father met this woman, Stephanie.

When he told me about her, he was smiling as if he got some life back into him.

He walked taller and dressed way nicer.

He started hanging out with Stephanie more and more.

I didn't mind, as I was really happy for him that he was finally laughing and happy again.

After a short while, he brought her to meet me at a restaurant.

She seemed okay, I guess.

She wasn't my mom, not by a long shot.

But she did make my dad happy.

I found her a little airheaded and silly.

I couldn't figure out what dad found in her.

But when I looked at him, I saw him smiling outside the house.

That was a rare thing.

almost never happened since mom passed away.

I wanted to see him smile for so long.

I was okay with it, as long as she was making him smile like that.

A few weeks after my dad and Stephanie met, she moved in with us.

But it was so obvious that she didn't like our apartment.

She would always make these sarcastic remarks, if we only had more space, we wouldn't bump into each other so much.

Or comparing us to some of her rich friends, how they had this nice home cinema or a big jacuzzi and we didn't.

Not too long after Stephanie moved in with us, my dad told me that we are moving to another house.

I was shocked.

Moving?

How?

I knew how the world works.

How can we move if we are barely making enough for this place?

For example, sometimes when I ask my dad to buy me stuff, he would tell me he wished he could, but we just don't have the money for it right now.

It looked like he and Stephanie have already decided, and I didn't have any say in the matter.

This was super weird, since until then, we always talked about any major decision and decided together.

We would make a list together with pros and cons, and then make a decision.

I was so hurt that he didn't even ask my opinion, like at all.

Then we all moved together to this big house.

It was huge, with many rooms, marble floors, and those poles inside the house, like a museum.

My dad said, a palace for my princess.

And I was so, so happy.

I ran through all the rooms with hands wide open, counting the number of rooms, and My dad was running after me.

When I got to room number 12, he caught me with his big bear hug and swung me in the air.

That night in my room, I started thinking, and something didn't make much sense.

I knew my father was not that rich.

I saw houses like this in those reality shows, with all the celebrities and other millionaires.

But I was so confused.

How can we suddenly afford this kind of house?

It's impossible.

Everything just looks so expensive.

It even came with furniture and a room just for me, with all the dolls in the world.

When I asked my dad how it was all possible, he smiled and said he got a big promotion at work.

I jumped into his arms and we hugged for the longest time.

I was so happy to hear that.

I didn't really mind our old life.

But this was really amazing.

Since we moved to a new area, I had to move to a new school too.

I was scared of how the kids will be like.

Will they accept me?

Will they ignore me?

I didn't know anyone, and it looked so massive.

They even had swimming pools in the school.

Not to mention the eight tennis courts, baseball, football, and soccer fields, and an absolutely huge gym.

I had to make new friends, join new clubs, know all the shortcuts to get to class.

Everything was new and all, but after a little while, it got easier.

This school was different from my old one.

Everyone here was so fancy, with their nice shoes and expensive makeup.

It was as if I entered one of those Hollywood shows with all the rich kids.

And yes, they gave me a uniform with that skirt and that bow.

It was okay, but I felt like everyone was looking and judging everyone all the time.

It was weird.

And it felt really weird.

They never showed that in the movies.

The other night, I heard my dad and Stephanie arguing in whispers when they thought I couldn't hear them.

Stephanie called my dad cheap and lazy, but that's impossible.

He was never any of those things.

He gave us this amazing house and everything.

We were living like royalty.

That winter, my dad took me aside and told me that we had to move again.

Again, super weird.

We just moved to this big fancy house and now we have to move again?

100

What's wrong with this house?

101

Moving again meant starting over in the new school and, oh my god, I finally started having friends again.

102

And all the clubs I joined, the debate team.

103

Oh no, we have a match next week.

104

It felt as if Stephanie was behind this.

105

Dad wouldn't do this to me.

106

This must be why he was acting so strange.

107

And he didn't ask me, again.

108

I was so angry at her, at him.

109

Why would they do this to me?

110

Why would they rip me from my friends and for the second time?

111

This is unbelievable.

112

And when I told him all of this, he shouted at me for the first time ever.

113

Stop being such a baby.

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We need to move and that's final.

115

I was shocked stiff.

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He scared me.

117

He never behaved like this.

118

He used to be just like a monk.

119

Always happy, always calm.

120

What is happening here?

121

We moved to another big house.

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It was just as big as the first one, but this house had so many gadgets.

123

It was one of those smart houses with remote fireplaces, TVs in the walls or dropping down from the ceiling of every room,

124

and a pool that comes out when you press a button and the courtyard opens up.

125

But none of this meant anything anymore.

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I thought it was all useless toys.

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I was so angry.

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Once again, I had to go to a new school and get a new uniform.

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Everyone looked at me as a new girl again, and I had no one.

130

All my friends were at the other school, and they were so busy with their dances and parades that they completely forgot about me.

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I didn't understand why Dad and Stephanie would put me through this again.

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Don't they know what it's like?

133

It was horrible.

134

It felt as if I'm being ripped apart from the only good thing I had.

135

I felt so lonely.

136

My dad heard me cry, sat by my side, and said real softly, Don't worry, everyone loves you.

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You'll make new good friends again.

138

We had to move because of my work, but I just want the best for you, my princess.

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I don't care, I hate it here!

140

I cried even harder.

141

He then brought me that tasty chocolate filled with peanut butter that I liked so much and asked, Who's my princess?

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Who can do anything?

143

I smiled and agreed with him.

144

He always knew what to say to make me happy.

145

I hugged him so hard.

146

One night, shortly after we moved to the new mansion, it still felt strange, as if it was someone else's home.

147

I heard my dad and Stephanie arguing.

148

Hearing them argue and fight wasn't unusual, but this time, it was really bad.

149

Stephanie was shouting awful things at my dad, how he'll always be poor, how he's a fraud, and how everyone can see right through him.

150

He in turn called her a witch.

151

She took her suitcase and left the house.

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He went after her, but quickly returned.

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What did she even mean?

154

I ran to my room and pretended to be asleep.

155

Their fight ran over and over in my head.

156

Why would she say such awful things?

157

None of them can be true.

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It didn't make any sense.

159

A few weeks after Stephanie left, something very strange happened.

160

I arrived home from school just like any other day

161

and was surprised to see strange people parking their car and entering our house, people I've never seen before.

162

Oh no, we were getting robbed!

163

I grabbed my phone and was about to call the police, but then I saw my dad in the driveway, with our car packed with all our stuff in it.

164

I had no idea what was going on and ran to him.

165

There are people in our house, I screamed, but he acted all casual-like and told me to go sit in the car.

166

I opened the window while he shook the man's hand, and they seemed very happy.

167

The stranger's kids looked happy too and ran into the house.

168

There was a girl, a little younger than me.

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She had the same doll as the ones in my room.

170

Everyone was acting as if everything is normal.

171

But nothing was normal.

172

Why would these people take our house?

173

Why would my dad be so happy about it?

174

I didn't know what to do.

175

My head was spinning.

176

Eventually, my dad entered the car and we drove away.

177

I wanted to ask him about what had happened, but he said, Not now, honey.

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Not now.

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My head was about to explode.

180

I didn't know what to make of it.

181

I remember the fight my dad and Stephanie had back at the house, where she shouted at him that he was a fraud and a liar.

182

A fraud and a liar.

183

We went to a small motel on the road not far from the house and unpacked everything.

184

My dad said to get settled in and went into the shower.

185

When I finally had a moment to myself, I sat on the bed and started crying.

186

Crying so hard, I couldn't stop myself.

187

Was my dad really a fraud?

188

Was he really a liar?

189

What is happening here?

190

None of it made any sense.

191

None of it.

192

My dad came out of the shower and saw me crying.

193

He held me and said he was sorry and that I was not supposed to see that.

194

He said that the business is a little slow now, so we'll stay here for just a little while and wait it out until his next job comes in.

195

He said, My boss, Richard, you remember Richard, right?

196

He said the next house should be ready in just a few weeks.

197

A few weeks came and went.

198

We were still homeless, and I was so angry at my dad that I couldn't even talk to him anymore.

199

Every day when he called me for dinner, I would take the plate and eat in my room.

200

How could I ever speak to him again?

201

How could I ever trust him again.

202

He's a fraud and a liar.

203

And even worse, he lied to me, his princess, or so he said.

204

Eventually, we moved to a small apartment, but it didn't change anything for me at all.

205

I was still angry at my dad and we haven't spoken in weeks by then.

206

I went to a public school in the area.

207

Kids were normal there.

208

It was not as fancy, but everyone was nice and welcoming.

209

I joined the club and made new friends.

210

By now, I was kind of an expert at making new friends

211

and I was telling everyone stories about where I used to live.

212

Everyone loved to hear the stories about the palace with a million rooms.

213

The other day, I came into the kitchen to take something to eat.

214

My dad was working on his laptop and talking on the phone.

215

I overheard him on a call.

216

He was talking on the speaker while working and didn't notice me at all.

217

His boss was pretty much yelling at him.

218

He was so angry.

219

Why is the house not ready yet?

220

Why is he not getting the team to work properly?

221

Why are all the permits not signed?

222

My dad tried to open his mouth to explain, but didn't get a chance to say anything when his boss hung up on him while saying, You're walking on thin ice here, mister.

223

Really thin ice.

224

My dad sat down quietly for a moment, holding his head with his hands, and I heard him weep.

225

He was crying.

226

My dad was crying.

227

I've never in my life seen him cry.

228

Ever.

229

I came to him and asked, What's wrong, Dad?

230

He quickly wiped the tears from his face and said, It's nothing, honey.

231

It's nothing.

232

Just work.

233

I hugged him and he hugged me back.

234

This is the first time I saw him.

235

I mean, really saw him.

236

And we talked.

237

We really, really talked.

238

Thinking about it now, we haven't had a real talk since mom died.

239

He told me how sorry he was for the whole thing with Stephanie.

240

How she wanted to impress her rich friends and feel rich.

241

And how she made him live in the houses he was fixing before the owners came back from their summer homes.

242

He asked if I remembered all the brunches we hosted with Stephanie's friends

243

and told me how she threatened to leave him if he didn't do it.

244

He was so sorry.

245

He said over and over how he felt so lonely and thought he had no choice.

246

I told him I felt lonely too and that he'll always have me and we talked for hours.

247

We got pizza and ice cream and sat down in the living room.

248

He promised he'll never do anything again to make me feel lonely.

249

It was so stupid of him to ever think it was okay to do.

250

And for what?

251

It meant nothing, and I agreed.

252

I guess sometimes adults can be irresponsible, but I couldn't stay mad at my dad any longer.

253

What did you think of my story?

254

Please share your thoughts with me in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe for more.

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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze video bevat 254 zinnen en 2690 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 14:11. De spreker praat snel, ongeveer 190 woorden per minuut, dus reken op verbonden en ingeslikte klanken. 86% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

De 15 moeilijkste woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
hug werkwoord	/hʌɡ/	elkaar omarmen
liar zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈlaɪ.ɚ/	leugenaar, leugenaarster
lonely bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ˈloʊnli/	eenzaam, alleen
shout werkwoord	/ʃaʊt/	schreeuwen
doll zelfstandig naamwoord	/dɑl/	pop
scare werkwoord	/skɛɚ/	bang maken, beangstigen
uniform zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈjunɪˌfɔɹm/	uniform
gadget zelfstandig naamwoord	/ɡæd͡ʒ.ɪt/	gadget
overhear werkwoord	/oʊ.vɚˈhɪɚ/	luistervinken
shortcut zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈʃɔːtkʌt/	sluiproute
fireplace zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈfaɪɹpleɪs/	open haard
suitcase zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈsutkeɪs/	valies, koffer
mister zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈmɪstəɹ/	meneer
sarcastic bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/sɑɹˈkæs.tɪk/	sarcastisch
motel zelfstandig naamwoord	/moʊˈtɛl/	motel

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
pass away werkwoord		overlijden, ontslapen
come out werkwoord	/ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/	uitkomen
figure out werkwoord		uitvogelen, er achter komen
run over werkwoord		te lang doorbijlopen
sit down werkwoord		gaan zitten

Zinnen om te herhalen

Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:

How can we suddenly afford this kind of house?
Why would they do this to me?
Why would these people take our house?
Why would my dad be so happy about it?
Was my dad really a fraud?

Grammatica in deze video

De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:

Structuur	In de video
“Used to” used to + werkwoord — een vroegere gewoonte of toestand die niet meer klopt	used to be · used to live
Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt	have imagined · have already decided · I've never seen
Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet	was shocked · being ripped
Past continuous was/were + -ing — iets dat op een moment in het verleden bezig was	was living · were hiding · was smiling

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 43 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals didn't, couldn't, don't. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

De klanken “sh” en “zh”: shout /ʃaʊt/, shortcut /ˈʃɔːtkʌt/, mansion /ˈmæn.ʃən/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, shoe /ˈʃu/
Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: irresponsible /ˌɪɹ.əˈspɑn.sə.bəl/, millionaire /ˌmɪl.i.əˈnɛə(ɹ)/, unbelievable /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəbl̩/, celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/

Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:

Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: hug /hʌɡ/, courtyard /ˈkɔɹt.jɑɹd/, explode /ɪkˈsploʊd/, behave /bɪˈheɪv/, subscribe /səbˈskɹaɪb/
/æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: gadget /ɡæd͡ʒ.ɪt/, unpack /ʌnˈpæk/, sarcastic /sɑɹˈkæs.tɪk/, mansion /ˈmæn.ʃən/, laptop /ˈlæp.tɑp/
/g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: hug /hʌɡ/, gadget /ɡæd͡ʒ.ɪt/

Zo oefen je met deze video

Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als hug, liar, lonely.

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →

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