Shadowing Practice: A 5½ minute video on accepting the effects of ageing. - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

56 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
I wish people had told me what to expect when I was growing up because I'm still growing up.
2
I grew up in Vancouver.
3
I was born in Ottawa.
4
I was raised in Toronto but I grew up when I got to Vancouver.
5
We came here when I was 15 and a half and boy did I grow up.
6
I got away from the family and the influences of stuffy Toronto, the stuffy Toronto that we lived in.
7
I always depended on education.
8
I valued it.
9
It was valued in my family.
10
To me it was success.
11
It was visible success.
12
I was living in the British properties, four little children born in five years.
13
Built the house around us including me building a lot of it and digging and doing gardening with a
14
shovel and pick seriously it was just ridiculous when you look back
15
but I've always been a doer and I will not quit
16
so I just did everything that had to be done and
17
that I went back got my last child into school and went back to university to do a second degree.
18
And what happened recently is that the shoulder is slipping, the actual shoulder joint.
19
It's as though the glue had dried up in a carpentry sense.
20
The glue's dried up and crumbled and my shoulder slips and
21
when it slips it bites tissue and grabs the nerve and then it bleeds internally.
22
So that's what I have and I have a limited shoulder.
23
Part of the injury, I think, was the years of writing on the blackboard because I've university teaching for years as well as every level literally.
24
And you'll notice that I can want to get my right arm up this high.
25
Right up until this, I would be swimming three times a week.
26
I live right down here, right downtown, so I walk everywhere.
27
I walk to the opera, the symphony, I do all my shopping, I walk for fun.
28
I really miss swimming because I can't, they won't let me right now.
29
I miss tennis terribly.
30
I miss skiing.
31
These sports that were joy to me.
32
I'm in my 84th year and this is something I want to share with people.
33
This is a process of aging.
34
It is nothing other than ordinary, I mean okay a bit extraordinary work with that shoulder
35
but not much more than many other people but this is going to happen.
36
I had a little wish about a week ago thinking I wish people had told me what to expect
37
when I was growing up and I'm really mean growing up
38
because I'm still growing up and if I had known
39
that joints were going to go okay corners go knees hips I never knew my shoulder would.
40
so this is this is a condition that I will live with
41
and I couldn't be happier because if that's the worst I have to handle amazed
42
because I can still use my hand if if I am very careful of my arm because I'm responsible for hurting myself.
43
If I move that arm wrong I create the pain.
44
It's nothing the medical profession can stop for me.
45
I have to stop it.
46
I'm the watchdog.
47
I went down and I said to them, the physiotherapy, I want a supportive
48
structure made out of elastic or leather or whatever like a football pad that holds my shoulder together so it doesn't slip.
49
And the difference when it was on, oh, it's amazing.
50
You can just feel the support.
51
I think the thing that makes me happiest every day is the more I can interact with people, whether they be the kind neighbor that lives in my building
52
or being able to come down here and find the walking group
53
that we went out with on Tuesdays and laugh and sit with them here even for a half an hour.
54
This is my neighborhood and it's part of my joy to be in a neighborhood
55
and this is what keeps me bright, alert.
56
and bothering because otherwise what is my purpose here?

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
Scan QR
Download on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play
FOR YOU

Recommend Video

Asking 80 Year Old Canadians About Their Biggest Regrets in LifeB2
1
268 sentences

Asking 80 Year Old Canadians About Their Biggest Regrets in Life

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
a week in my life | productive, healthy living, relaxingB2
3
151 sentences

a week in my life | productive, healthy living, relaxing

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
SEtalk: What My Grandmother's Kitchen Taught MeB1
40
32 sentences

SEtalk: What My Grandmother's Kitchen Taught Me

American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Physio Reveals: 5 Science-Backed Exercises that Reverse AgingB2
1
232 sentences

Physio Reveals: 5 Science-Backed Exercises that Reverse Aging

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
My 87-Year-Old "Less is More" Skincare Routine | The Beauty Of Being Real & 90’s MemoriesB2
2
223 sentences

My 87-Year-Old "Less is More" Skincare Routine | The Beauty Of Being Real & 90’s Memories

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
VideoB2
1
30 sentences

Video

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Downsizing: Talking Dad into Selling the Family HomeB2
1
31 sentences

Downsizing: Talking Dad into Selling the Family Home

American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
These Women Changed Their Life For The Better | Everything I Gained, Love Me | Channel 4B2
109 sentences

These Women Changed Their Life For The Better | Everything I Gained, Love Me | Channel 4

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
GRIEVING - ALLOWING THE CHUCKLES AS WELL AS THE TEARS WHENEVER APPROPRIATE. PART OF PROCESS.B2
1
113 sentences

GRIEVING - ALLOWING THE CHUCKLES AS WELL AS THE TEARS WHENEVER APPROPRIATE. PART OF PROCESS.

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Adulting in Our 30s - New Habits, Values, & Life Lessons We’ve Learned | AsianBossGirl Ep 291B2
2
918 sentences

Adulting in Our 30s - New Habits, Values, & Life Lessons We’ve Learned | AsianBossGirl Ep 291

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Why Life Really Begins at 40B2
1
221 sentences

Why Life Really Begins at 40

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Thank you for the last five years ❤️C1
1
43 sentences

Thank you for the last five years ❤️

Daily ConversationWorking Adults

About This Lesson

Ready to boost your English speaking practice? This lesson uses a heartfelt video about aging to help you master real-life conversation skills. You’ll practice listening to natural speech, mimicking tone, and understanding everyday vocabulary—all while learning to connect with others through personal stories. It’s a perfect way to learn English with videos, combining language practice with meaningful content.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Stuffy: (adjective) Unfriendly or too formal (e.g., "the stuffy Toronto we lived in").
  • Doer: (noun) Someone who takes action (e.g., "I’ve always been a doer").
  • Internal bleeding: (noun) Bleeding inside the body (e.g., "it bleeds internally").
  • Watchdog: (noun) Someone who monitors a situation (e.g., "I’m the watchdog for my arm").
  • Supportive structure: (noun) A device that holds a body part in place (e.g., "a supportive structure for my shoulder").

Practice Tips: Master the Shadowing Technique

The video’s warm, conversational tone makes it ideal for shadowing—repeat the speaker’s words *immediately* after them to improve fluency and pronunciation. Here’s how: - Start slow: Pause after short phrases (like "I wish people had told me") and mimic the rhythm. The speaker’s pace is gentle, so focus on matching their calm tone. - Emphasize emotion: Notice how words like "amazed" and "joy" are stressed—this adds meaning to your speech. - Focus on connected speech: Phrases like "growing up" or "responsible for hurting" flow together. Practice linking these words to sound more natural. Shadowing helps you "shadowspeaks" like a native—turn passive listening into active learning!

Remember, the goal is progress, not perfection. Even 5 minutes a day with this video will boost your confidence. So hit play, speak up, and let the conversation guide your growth!

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 →