Shadowing Practice: Alissa by C.J. Moore - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Alyssa by C.J.
133 sentences
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Alyssa by C.J.
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Moore Alyssa is reading.
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Her father calls to her.
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Alyssa?
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Alyssa?
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Alyssa runs to the door.
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There is a car outside the house.
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Her father is talking to a fat man.
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This is Alyssa.
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She reads all day, her father says.
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The two men laugh.
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Alyssa?
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Her father says.
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My friend has work for you in the city.
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There isn't any work here in the village.
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You must go with him.
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The fat man smiles at Alyssa.
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How old are you? he asks.
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I'm twelve, she says.
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The fat man laughs again.
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Alyssa doesn't like him.
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She doesn't want to go with this man.
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She wants to go to school in the village.
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She likes school.
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She likes reading.
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Your mother is packing your things.
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You must go to the city her father says.
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The fat man gives some money to Alyssa's father.
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Alyssa's father is pleased and happy.
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Alyssa is angry and afraid.
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Alyssa does not want to go with this man, but she must obey her father.
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Alyssa and the fat man arrive in the city.
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They drive to a house.
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A thin man comes to the door.
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The two men talk.
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Here is your room, the thin man says to Alyssa.
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He points to a door under the steps.
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Alyssa goes into the room.
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The room is small and dark.
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It is her new home.
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The next morning, the thin man takes Alyssa into the house.
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This is Alyssa, the man says to his wife.
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She likes reading.
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They laugh.
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Suddenly, the woman shouts at Alyssa.
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You aren't going to read here, she shouts.
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You're going to cook and clean and wash.
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Alyssa works fifteen hours a day.
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The woman shouts at her every day.
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Alyssa is very unhappy.
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She cries every night.
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One day, the thin man says to Alyssa, Pack your things.
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You must go.
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My wife doesn't like you.
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The thin man takes her to a clothes shop in the city.
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The shop owner is a large woman.
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She gives the man some money.
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He goes away.
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He doesn't say goodbye to Alyssa.
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Alyssa works with five other girls.
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They work in a small, dark room.
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The girls work all day.
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They make clothes.
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They work 12 hours a day.
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At midday, they eat lunch.
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After lunch, they rest for ten minutes.
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At night, they sleep on the floor Each month,
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the shop owner gives the girls a little money
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Alyssa buys a book with her money She reads the book after lunch
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The shop owner is surprised The other girls can't read Can you write?
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Can you count?
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The shop owner asks.
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Yes, I can, Alyssa says.
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Come, the shop owner says.
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You are going to work in the shop.
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Alyssa likes working in the shop.
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She serves the customers.
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The customers are rich ladies.
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They buy expensive dresses.
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One of the customers is a tall and pretty lady.
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She always smiles at Alyssa.
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She gives Alyssa small presents.
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One day, the tall lady leaves her purse in the shop.
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Alyssa runs out into the street.
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She runs after the lady.
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Here is your purse, Alyssa says.
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The lady smiles.
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She takes some money from the purse.
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Thank you, she says to Alyssa.
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You are an honest girl.
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Take this money.
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No, no, says Alyssa.
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I don't want your money.
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She runs back to the shop.
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The shop owner shouts at her.
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Don't leave the shop again.
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She shouts.
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I pay you a lot of money.
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I pay you to work.
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I don't pay you to run out into the street.
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Alyssa is angry.
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You don't pay me a lot of money, she shouts.
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I'm a slave here.
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You're an ungrateful girl, the large woman says.
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You have a bed and food and money.
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Do you want more?
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Yes, I do.
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Alyssa says.
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She is crying now.
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Wait.
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A quiet voice says.
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The tall lady is standing at the door.
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Alyssa isn't ungrateful.
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The tall lady says.
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She is an honest girl.
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The tall lady speaks to Alyssa.
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Aren't you happy here?
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She asks.
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What do you want?
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Alyssa says.
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I want to go to school.
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The tall lady turns to the shop owner.
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Alyssa will live in my house, she says.
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She won't work.
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She will go to school.
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You must pay me, the shop owner says.
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No, the tall lady says.
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Alyssa isn't a slave.
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Pack your things, Alyssa, she says.
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We will go home now.
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Alyssa goes with the tall lady.
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She is going to a new home.
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She is going to be happy.

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What You'll Learn from This Video

Practice real-life speaking skills with this engaging dialogue! You’ll master expressing emotions clearly (like "angry" or "afraid") and responding to instructions—key for daily conversations. Plus, you’ll learn to follow a narrative flow, which helps with both listening and storytelling. Perfect for using with a shadowing app to boost your fluency fast!

Listen For These Sounds

The video is full of natural connected speech. Notice how "Alyssa is reading" becomes "Alyssa’s reading" (reduction of "is" to "’s"). Listen for linking in "Her father calls to her"—the "s" in "calls" connects smoothly to "to." Also, "You must go" often sounds like "You mus’ go" (reduction of "must"). These small sounds make your English sound more native, and a shadowing technique can help you catch them quickly.

Say It Like a Native

Mirror the speaker’s rhythm by stressing the right words. In "She reads all day," stress "reads" and "day" to show emphasis. When the fat man asks "How old are you?" the rise in intonation at the end signals a question—copy that to sound natural. Use the shadowing technique: play a short clip, pause, and repeat it immediately, matching the speed and tone. Apps like shadowspeak or shadowspeaks make this easy, turning "learn English with YouTube" into a fun, effective habit. You’ll notice progress in just a few days!

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.