Shadowing Practice: Babysitting the Neighbours' Kids: Bedtime Battles - Learn English Speaking with Video
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35 sentences
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1
Hi! Thanks so much for doing this tonight.
2
No problem! I've been looking forward to it, actually.
3
Okay, quick rules. Bedtime is eight o'clock, no exceptions.
4
And if they ask for ice cream, the answer is no.
5
Got it. Eight o'clock, no ice cream. Easy!
6
Ha, you haven't met them at bedtime yet.
7
Okay, guys, it's eight o'clock. Time for bed!
8
What? Your mom always lets you stay up until nine?
9
Hmm, I'm not sure that's true...
10
Um, hey... sorry to call. Is this a bad time?
11
Not at all. Oh no, what's happened?
12
Nothing bad! It's just... they won't go to sleep.
13
It's half past eight, and they're still jumping on the sofa.
14
Seriously? Did they tell you they can stay up late?
15
Yes! They said you always let them stay up until nine.
16
Ha! Nice try. That has never been true.
17
So what should I do? I've tried asking nicely.
18
Okay, here's a trick. Turn it into a game.
19
Tell them it's a race to get into bed.
20
Whoever gets into bed first chooses the bedtime story.
21
Oh, that's clever! I'll try it right now.
22
Okay, listen up! We're having a race!
23
If you get into bed first, you choose the story!
24
Ready, set... go! Wow, look at you two run!
25
Right, let's see. Once upon a time...
26
Wait, are you both asleep already? Really?
27
I haven't even finished the first sentence!
28
Wow, it's so quiet! Are they really asleep?
29
Yep, since quarter to nine. Your trick worked perfectly.
30
Oh, I'm so relieved. Did they get any ice cream?
31
Well... they asked, of course. Three times!
32
And? Please tell me you said no.
33
Don't worry, I said no. I just had some myself!
34
Ha! Okay, you can definitely come back next week.
35
Deal! But next time, I'm bringing my own ice cream.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Babysitting the Neighbours' Kids: Bedtime Battles”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: cream, ice, eight, bed, bedtime. This video has 35 sentences and 304 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:11. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 12 of its 35 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 14 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bedtime noun | /ˈbɛdtaɪm/ | The time or hour at which one retires to bed in order to sleep. |
| trick noun | /ˈtɹɪk/ | Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle. |
| asleep adjective | /əˈsliːp/ | In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting. |
| whoever | /huˈɛvɚ/ | Who ever: an emphatic form of who. |
| exception noun | /əkˈsɛpʃən/ | The act of excepting or excluding; exclusion; restriction by taking out something which would otherwise be included, as in a class, statement, rule. |
| clever adjective | /ˈklɛv.ɚ/ | Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept. |
| nicely adverb | /ˈnaɪs.li/ | Precisely; with fine discernment or judgement. |
| sofa noun | /ˈsoʊ̯fə/ | An upholstered seat with a raised back and one or two raised ends, long enough to comfortably accommodate two or more people. |
| relieve verb | /ɹɪˈliːv/ | To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of. |
| cream noun | /kɹiːm/ | The butterfat or milkfat part of milk which rises to the top; this part when separated from the remainder. |
| jump verb | /d͡ʒʌmp/ | To propel oneself rapidly upward, downward and/or in any horizontal direction such that momentum causes the body to become airborne. |
| quiet adjective | /ˈkwaɪ̯.ət/ | With little or no sound; free of disturbing noise. |
| perfectly adverb | /ˈpɝ.fɪk(t).li/ | With perfection. |
| sentence noun | /ˈsɛn.təns/ | The judicial order for a punishment to be imposed on a person convicted of a crime. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| stay up verb | To remain awake; to not go to bed. |
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| listen up verb | To listen closely; to pay attention. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I've been looking forward to it, actually.
- Ha, you haven't met them at bedtime yet.
- Your mom always lets you stay up until nine?
- Did they tell you they can stay up late?
- Wait, are you both asleep already?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't met · has never been · I've tried |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | they're still jumping · We're having · I'm bringing |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | won't go · I'll try |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, haven't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like bedtime, trick, asleep.
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.