Shadowing Practice: A poor worker suddenly became rich after finding the diary of someone who had died - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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The story opened with Matthew, a perpetually single young man, deeply absorbed in finishing his first novel, titled Someone From Behind.
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He was a struggling orphan, dreaming of becoming a renowned writer.
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His greatest hope was that his novel would be accepted by a publisher, transforming his life and financial situation.
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Day after day, he worked as a daily laborer, assisting with a cargo truck.
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His job involved the endless task of loading and unloading all sorts of goods, from food and clothing to restaurant waste,
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and sometimes even moving college students' belongings.
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One day, while making a delivery to a university campus, Matthew coincidentally spotted a famous novelist giving a seminar to literature students.
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The writer, Alice, appeared young and beautiful.
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Matthew immediately felt an attraction.
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It was a clear case of love at first sight.
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However, as he was enjoying gazing at Alice, his friend abruptly snapped him back to reality, reminding Matthew that they were just common laborers.
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Matthew then shrugged it off and went back to work.
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Days later, Matthew received the long-awaited reply from the publisher.
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Unfortunately, his novel was rejected, crushing his hopes in a matter of seconds.
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Undeterred, he called the publisher to ask which parts of his writing were unappealing.
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He hoped to revise his novel, but the call was immediately disconnected.
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The very next day, Matthew was back at work, assigned to clean an apartment.
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Its elderly tenant had passed away two days prior.
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The apartment owner explained that the old man had rented the place for 35 years, living alone without any family, and no one had ever visited him.
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They were instructed to take some furniture to a charity, while the remaining items should just be thrown away.
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Inside the old man's bedroom, Matthew saw it was filled with books, newspapers, and various other odds and ends.
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This clearly indicated the deceased had been fond of reading and writing.
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Matthew quickly began putting the items into plastic bags.
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He discovered the late old man's name was Leon.
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He also found a photo of a young Leon, who was once a soldier and had fought in Algeria.
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Suddenly, a dusty, leather-bound book tumbled from the top of a cabinet, startling him.
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Curious, he opened it.
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It turned out to be Leon's personal diary from his time as a French soldier in Algeria.
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Matthew immediately recognized the exceptional quality of the writing.
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It vividly recounted Leon's life, from his first kill to his profound anxieties on the battlefields of Africa.
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Back at home, Matthew still struggled to write a new novel.
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He couldn't figure out how to create a story that could truly move readers.
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Then, an idea sparked.
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He would write a novel based on Leon's diary.
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It chronicled Leon's life as a soldier, describing a terrifying atmosphere where the sky turned dark, hands were red with sin,
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and how he wrestled between harsh orders and his own conscience, especially as women and children also became victims in that Algerian conflict.
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After days of rewriting Leon's story, carefully changing the original character names, the novel was finally complete.
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However, Matthew was unsure what title would fit this tale.
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He eventually found inspiration in a powerful phrase, Algerian sands blackened by blood.
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He then titled his new novel, Black Sand.
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The very next day, while working, Matthew received a phone call from the publisher.
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They told him his novel, Black Sand was excellent and invited him to a meeting.
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Matthew was overjoyed that his novel had been accepted.
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However, since the story was not entirely his own idea,
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he meticulously noted down all the important moments from Leon's diary so he could explain the narrative smoothly to the publisher.
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After memorizing everything, he burned the diary, outwardly claiming the story as entirely his original work.
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Unbeknownst to him, a major misfortune was about to haunt him for the rest of his life.
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Matthew finally met the publisher, who was thrilled with his writing.
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He praised Matthew's writing style and the novel's deeply moving story, saying it transported readers right into the battlefield.
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Coincidentally, Matthew saw Alice there, who was also reviewing the novel.
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Matthew, still smitten, approached her.
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Alice seemed unfazed, not recognizing him.
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She commented that Black Sand was an excellent novel, far exceeding her expectations.
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Just then, a bookstore owner called out to Matthew and congratulated him.
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Alice suddenly realized that the man she had been talking to was Matthew, the author of Black Sand.
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This, of course, impressed her.
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Three years later, Matthew had become a renowned author.
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His novel was a huge bestseller, bringing him considerable income.
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Even better, Alice was now his girlfriend.
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She invited him to meet her wealthy parents, Alain and Helen, who lived in a luxurious mansion on the beach.
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There, Alain proudly showed off his collection of rare French royal-era weapons.
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Afterward, Alice took Matthew for a walk along the coast
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and even showed him a shed where she used to play hide-and-seek with her father as a child.
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While spending his dear time with Alice, his publisher suddenly called.
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Matthew had violated his contract.
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It had been three years since Black Sand was released, and Matthew had not submitted a new novel.
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His fans were waiting for more work, and his contract obliged him to produce new material.
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Yet he had not sent a single page.
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In his room, Matthew was utterly frustrated.
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He could not write a good novel because, deep down, he knew he lacked the natural talent.
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To make matters worse, his royalties were now being withheld by the publisher
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because he had not fulfilled his contract to produce a new novel.
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The contract stipulated at least two novels per author for royalties to continue indefinitely.
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Then Stanislaus, or in short, Stan, Alan, and Helen's slightly arrogant godson, came to visit and met Matthew.
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They had a few drinks.
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From his demeanor, it was clear Stan had a crush on Alice and was not happy about Matthew being her boyfriend.
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The next day, Matthew still struggled with what to write.
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He revisited his first rejected novel, Someone From Behind, and gave it to Alice for her review.
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He didn't tell her it was his own work, instead claiming the publisher had sent it to him for review and, feigning busyness, asked Alice to read it to gauge her reaction.
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Shortly after, Stan arrived and chatted with Matthew.
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Stan boasted about his extensive knowledge of Algeria, where his father had served, and expressed his awe that Matthew, despite never having been there,
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could write such a detailed and atmospheric account of the war in black sand.
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However, Stan consistently sought weaknesses to corner Matthew, even remarking that Alice's standards for an ideal man were very high, which made Matthew uncomfortable.
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That evening, Alice told Matthew that the writing he'd given her was terrible.
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She couldn't even finish it because it was so uninteresting, and she was certain no publisher would accept such a novel.
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Matthew silently seethed, disappointed with himself.
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Days passed.
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At breakfast, Matthew received a call from the bank.
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His credit card had exceeded its limit, and they demanded immediate payment.
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Matthew panicked.
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His account was empty because his royalties were withheld due to breaching his contract with the publisher.
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He couldn't write another novel as good as Black Sand, which only added to his stress and self-doubt.
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Desperate, he faked an accident and went to the hospital, claiming he had been attacked by robbers.
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This was a lie to prevent Alice and her family from realizing he was actually stressed and self-harming himself.
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Meanwhile, Stan seemed to sense something suspicious about Matthew.
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Back home, the publisher relentlessly hounded Matthew for the new novel manuscript, but Matthew only offered empty promises.
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He hadn't even written a single paragraph.
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On the other hand, Alain, Alice's father, seemed worried about his future son-in-law.
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He informed Matthew that a letter for him had arrived.
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When Matthew opened it, he found a photograph of Leon, the diary's owner, who Matthew believed was dead.
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Time passed.
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Matthew visited a bookstore with Alice for a fan signing event.
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Suddenly, a man approached, claiming to be a friend of Leon and saying that Matthew had misused a dead man's diary.
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The man, identified as Arno, demanded $500 million as hush money, threatening to expose to the public that Black Sand was not Matthew's original work.
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The next day, Arno called, demanding the money.
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Matthew asked for time, explaining that his account was empty.
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Arno then revealed he knew Alice and her family were hanging out in the yard, implying he had been spying on their house.
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Matthew, cornered, promised to give Arnaud a very expensive pistol from Alain's collection.
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Unbeknownst to Matthew, Stan was standing behind him, overhearing the conversation about the pistol.
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Later that night, it was time for Matthew to steal that collector's pistol.
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He used Alain's golf glove and broke a window to make it look like a burglary.
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The next morning, the police finished investigating the supposed break-in at Alain's house.
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Matthew and Alice suggested installing an alarm system.
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Meanwhile, Stan, suspicious of Matthew's conversation from the day before, bravely ventured to search Matthew's room.
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At the same time, Alice and her father went for a walk on the beach for some fresh air, with Matthew opting not to join them.
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Back in Matthew's room, Stan discovered a wooden book box.
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At the same time, Matthew walked in and found Stan holding the pistol he had hidden.
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Stan immediately attacked Matthew, declaring that he would never have Alice.
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In a desperate struggle, Matthew hit Stan on the head with the pistol.
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Tragically, Stan died from that head wound, leaving Matthew bewildered.
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His intention was never to kill.
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Moments later, Alice's voice echoed from a distance, prompting Matthew to quickly hide Stan's body in the closet, along with his belongings.
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As he cleaned himself, Matthew noticed Stan's scratch marks on his neck, which he then covered with a collared shirt.
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Soon Elaine and Alice arrived, wondering why Stan had left so abruptly without saying goodbye.
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Alice tried to call him, which made Matthew panic.
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He quickly silenced Stan's phone and sent a text message to Alice, claiming Stan had left due to an urgent matter.
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That evening, they all had dinner together when suddenly something dripped from the ceiling onto the dining table.
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Matthew immediately feared it was blood from Stan seeping through, but it turned out to be only his own fear.
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The liquid was actually blood from his nosebleed.
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Alice tried to help him but Matthew refused and left the table, rushing to check the closet.
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To his relief, there was no red liquid leaking or pooling on the floor.
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Shortly after, Alice came to check on Matthew bringing her dog.
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The dog began barking intensely at the closet door, which angered Matthew slightly and he told Alice to leave immediately.
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Later that night, as everyone slept soundly, Matthew retrieved tools from his in-law's shed.
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He wrapped Stan's body in a mat, and with his slender build, he exerted all his strength to push the bundle from the upper floor.
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He then carried it to the beach, planning to sink the body.
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Matthew found heavy metal weights to submerge Stan in the sea, and the gruesome scenario finally began.
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After successfully executing his plan, Matthew rushed back, but strangely, the boat's engine stalled.
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Soon, a Marine police patrol boat appeared on the water.
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Panicked, Matthew immediately dove to the seabed, fearing discovery, and swam desperately toward the shore.
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The morning sun had already arrived.
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Matthew hurried back home before the household woke up, wanting to appear as if he hadn't gone anywhere.
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He quickly got into bed, but Alice was already awake and silently wondered where Matthew had been all night.
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Later that afternoon, Matthew woke up and looked for Alice, thinking she might be at the beach, And sure enough, Alice was engrossed in reading a novel.
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She was startled to see a wrapped bundle floating by the rocks.
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However, it was just Matthew's nightmare.
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He then took a refreshing shower and quickly handed the stolen collector's pistol to Arnaud.
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Arnaud was thrilled, knowing the antique pistol's high value.
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He then revealed he was Leon's son.
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He had never visited his father when Leon was alive, but now that his father's diary had become a best-selling novel, he was claiming kinship and extorting money from Matthew.
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Upon returning home, Matthew was shocked by Alice's changed demeanor.
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She accused him of cheating the previous night, which Matthew vehemently denied.
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Alice also pointed out numerous calls on Matthew's phone, assuming they were from another woman, when in fact they were from Arnaud.
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Matthew desperately tried to explain that she was the only woman he loved.
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He had always dreamed of her since the very first sight, but he was no one back then.
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Then Black Sand changed everything.
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They started to get to know each other, and that was the happiest day of his life.
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Matthew finally confessed that he wasn't a great writer and that the novel wasn't truly his.
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He had only been afraid that if Alice knew the truth, she would leave him.
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But to his relief, Alice still loved Matthew, even knowing he wasn't the brilliant writer she had believed him to be.
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Their love, she said, was true and needed no reason.
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They reconciled and spent the rest of the day together.
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Days later, Matthew found inspiration to write a novel about his own story.
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It began with his past as a nobody, his falling in love with a high society girl, his intense struggles, and everything that had happened in his life,
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including the murder and the lies he had experienced.
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Of course, he changed all the character names so Alice and everyone else wouldn't suspect it was his real story.
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Matthew wanted to prove that he could write a good novel with his own hand, while Alice continued to encourage him never to give up.
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Finally, the novel was complete.
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He titled it False Pretenses and confidently wrote his name as the author.
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However, when he went to find Alice on the beach, he instead saw that the police had discovered Stan's body in the sea.
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Panic surged through him.
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His problem seemed endless.
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The police soon arrived at their house and informed the residents that skin had been found under Stan's fingernails, suggesting Stan had scratched his assailant.
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The police requested that every member of the household including neighbors and anyone known to Stan, undergo a DNA test in Paris on Sunday.
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As if that wasn't enough, Arnaud called Matthew again, demanding more money.
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Matthew grew increasingly frustrated.
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He was in a dilemma.
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If he took the DNA test, he would surely be caught for Stan's murder and sent to prison.
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He began frantically thinking of a way to escape this impossible situation.
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The next day, Alice and her parents left to meet Stan's parents in Paris for the funeral.
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Matthew couldn't join them, feigning a meeting with his publisher.
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He then gave Alice the novel about his life story, asking her to read it, and promised to meet her in Paris for the DNA test on Sunday.
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It was time for his meeting with Arnaud, who continued to extort money from him.
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Matthew planned to harm Arnaud by inserting a coin into the seatbelt buckle slot, hoping to disable it.
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Arnaud, feeling superior, threatened to harm Alice and her family if Matthew didn't give him the money, even planning to take antique items from their home himself.
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Matthew, now utterly disgusted, crashed the car into some rocks.
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Fortunately, Matthew survived, but Arnaud had perished.
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His seatbelt clearly failed.
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Matthew then conceived a desperate plan to escape the DNA test and imprisonment.
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He moved Arnaud's body to the driver's seat and put his watch, wallet, and phone on him, hoping everyone would believe Matthew himself had died.
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The risk, of course, was that he would be presumed dead and could never live with Alice again.
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To ensure the scenario's perfection, he doused the car and the body with gasoline and set them ablaze.
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Matthew then vanished, with the entire world believing he had died in the accident.
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Two days later, Matthew watched the news from a hotel, seeing reports that he, the phenomenal author of Black Sand, had tragically died in a car crash.
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Two years passed.
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Matthew had reverted to his old self, working as a junk hauler.
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He had come to terms with the fact
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that he was not a great writer and that this was perhaps his true fate.
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For him, it was better to be an ordinary person than to be famous in rotten prison.
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Though his wages were meager, his life was finally peaceful, free from the burden of living a lie.
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Soon rain fell, drenching the city streets.
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As he walked past a bookstore on his way home, Matthew was stunned to see his own photograph displayed prominently.
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The novel about his life, false pretenses, which he had given to Alice, had been accepted by a publisher and was now a bestseller across Europe.
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Not only that, but he also saw Alice inside with a baby who was in fact his own son.
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Matthew looked devastated, unable to embrace his adorable child.
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Suddenly Alice glanced toward the door and the story ended.
Why practice speaking with this video?
This video provides a compelling narrative about Matthew, a young laborer who discovers a soldier's diary that ultimately transforms his life. Engaging with this story offers not only an absorbing context but also the opportunity to practice speaking skills through various emotional and dramatic settings. As you listen and attempt to repeat key passages, you can improve your English speaking practice, particularly by using shadow speak, which mimics the speaker's tone and rhythm. By practicing along with the dialogue, you enhance your understanding of emotional nuances, enabling you to express similar sentiments in your conversations.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The transcript contains several insightful grammatical structures and expressions that can elevate your English speaking skills. Below are a few examples:
- Use of Past Simple Tense: "Matthew received the long-awaited reply from the publisher." This sentence illustrates how to convey completed actions, which is crucial for storytelling.
- Descriptive Adjectives: "perpetually single," "famous novelist," and "deeply absorbed." These adjectives enrich the narrative and allow learners to describe situations more vividly.
- Conditional Structures: "If his novel were accepted..." Such phrases are useful for discussing potential outcomes, enhancing your IELTS speaking practice.
- Complex Sentences: "While making a delivery to a university campus, Matthew coincidentally spotted a famous novelist." This structure enables you to connect ideas and create more sophisticated sentences in English.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you shadow the speaker in this video, pay attention to the following tricky words and phrases that are often mispronounced:
- “diary”: Ensure you stress the first syllable, pronouncing it as /ˈdaɪ.əri/.
- “publisher”: Focus on the correct pronunciation: /ˈpʌb.lɪ.ʃər/, stressing the first syllable.
- “Algerian”: Be cautious of this word; it’s pronounced /ælˈdʒɪər.i.ən/, with a soft 'g'.
- “emotions”: Practice the stress on the second syllable: /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃənz/.
By honing in on these pronunciation pitfalls, you can refine your accent and increase comprehension in spoken English, making you a more confident speaker capable of navigating similar emotional narratives. Regular practice, especially through techniques like shadow speech, will enhance your fluency and articulation.
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.