Shadowing Practice: A POWERFUL MOMENT... The Courtroom Fell Silent After This - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Good morning, sir.
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119 sentences
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Good morning, sir.
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Mr. Manzo.
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Yep.
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You have a red light violation.
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Yep.
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On Pleasant Valley Parkway.
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Do you remember this?
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Well, in fact, I went and investigated four or five times.
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I was wrong, no question about it.
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I made a right-hand turn,
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and that's the first violation I've gotten in 72 years of driving.
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Really?
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Yep, look up my record.
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I'm going to look it up.
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Yep.
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Now, Mr. Manzo, I'll ask you a question.
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Monitor here indicates that you are 93 years old.
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Right.
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World War II veteran.
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Spent 29 months in the Pacific, okay, without coming back.
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And came back alive.
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Where were you in the Pacific?
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I was in the Navy.
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You were in the Navy?
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Yep.
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How long did you serve?
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I served three years.
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1943, February on my 17th birthday,
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I joined the Navy and I didn't come back for three years.
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And the truth of the story is,
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I can tell you a little story if you've got a few minutes.
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I want to hear it.
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I joined the Navy when I was 16 years old.
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I went up to Federal Hill Holy Ghost Church.
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I got my birth certificate.
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I forged it.
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I made myself 17 years old.
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And I went down to the recruiting station.
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I joined the Navy.
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Everything went fine until two weeks later the policeman in the Navy come up
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and they wanted to arrest me because I forged my birth certificate.
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But I waited another year and I left Mount Pleasant High School and I went to the Navy.
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And I spent three years,
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29 months in the Pacific.
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Every battle that was in the Pacific, I was there.
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I was in it.
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I received letters from people every day and I received a number of letters from veterans
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who actually send me checks and the purpose for them sending me checks is to help other veterans.
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Now, I would really dismiss your case outright anyway.
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I would dismiss it.
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It's not going to go on your record,
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but I'm not going to have you pay anything of this.
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But I have a gentleman who sent me a check for $50,
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and he wants me to—he said his father was a World War II Navy veteran.
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And please use this to honor him in his service as a veteran.
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And you were a World War II Navy veteran as well.
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So I'm going to use this check.
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This is from Anthony Christensen.
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And Mr. Christensen is from, looks like Panhandle, Texas.
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Tell me about your experiences during the war.
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Well, I was on board ship,
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a big ship, a battleship,
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and we were in many,
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many battles, many of them.
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The worst one I seen was Iwo Jima. That was a...
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That was terrible.
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We lost more Marines in that invasion,
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and I think any other war outside of the Battle of the Bulge.
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That was the worst activities.
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You couldn't believe how bad that was.
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You were there?
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I was there.
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Yes, I was.
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I was in every battle in the Pacific from 1943 to 1945.
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We didn't miss one.
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Not one.
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And they were brutal.
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Well, you have been known as the greatest generation,
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and you were the greatest generation.
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And you said something earlier.
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Second World War brought about a sense of patriotism in this country that we have not seen since.
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Right.
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But there was such strong patriotism that here you were,
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a 16-year-old boy, and you wanted to go and fight for your country.
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So much so that you even forged a document to try to get into the service to go and protect the country.
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And I got caught. But you went back.
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I went back a year later, right on my birthday.
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I joined the Navy.
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And within three or four months I was out in the Pacific.
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My father was an immigrant.
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Came into this country at 18 years old.
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He couldn't get a job, things were tough.
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He joined the army and he went into World War I.
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He was there for 18 months and he survived.
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He came home.
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And that's how he became a citizen.
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They should build a monument to your family between your father in World War I and you and all your cousins.
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My uncles.
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And your uncles in World War II.
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Unbelievable.
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And they all came back.
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We all came back.
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Yep.
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Every one of them.
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I can't thank you enough for your service.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Good luck to you.
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You're welcome.
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And that 93 judge, he's got a wonderful head of hair, too.
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I've got to commend him for that.
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Well, I remember when the judge had a nice head of hair, too.
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Oh, he still does.
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He still does.
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This is the courtroom of Judge Frank Caprio,
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where people in cases are met with compassion,
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A different kind of judge.
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A courtroom like no other.
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This is Caught in Providence.

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Context & Background

The dialogue in the video showcases a courtroom scenario where Mr. Manzo, a 93-year-old World War II veteran, confronts a red light violation. The conversation captures Mr. Manzo's life experiences, his military service, and the recounting of personal history. This context serves as a rich backdrop for English learners seeking to enhance their speaking skills through realistic dialogue. Understanding the nuances in legal and personal narratives can be pivotal in grasping conversational English and building vocabulary.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Do you remember this?” - A great way to prompt someone’s memory in conversation.
  • “I made a right-hand turn.” - Useful when discussing driving or navigation.
  • “I was wrong, no question about it.” - A strong phrase to admit mistakes, valuable in many contexts.
  • “I want to hear it.” - Shows interest in what the other person is saying, enhancing engagement in conversations.
  • “Everything went fine until...” - Excellent for narrating events or stories, helping to structure thoughts clearly.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve your English speaking practice using this video, follow these steps to tackle the dialogue through shadow speech:

  1. Listen Actively: Start by watching the video once without repeating. Focus on the tone and intonations of the speakers.
  2. Segment the Dialogue: Break down the conversation into manageable parts. Focus on Mr. Manzo’s responses, as they contain rich language and emotion.
  3. Practice Shadowing: Play short clips and repeat after the speaker. Pay close attention to pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. For instance, how Mr. Manzo proudly shares his story.
  4. Record Yourself: Use a voice recorder to capture your shadow speak. Compare your pronunciation with Mr. Manzo’s to note areas for improvement.
  5. Engage in Role-play: Find a speaking partner and reenact the dialogue. This exercise will enhance your conversational skills and build confidence in real-life situations.

By immersing yourself in this structured shadowing approach, you will not only improve your English pronunciation but also gain insights into storytelling and personal narratives. Engaging with such content enriches your vocabulary and prepares you for various speaking scenarios.

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.

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