Shadowing Practice: Bullying - The Pool Party - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Sage, you need to get out of here and clean the pool!
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Yeah, Mom, I will as soon as I'm done getting ready.
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Hey, Willow, what time are you coming over?
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I don't know, Sage.
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Don't know what?
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Look, I know you really want me to come, but I just don't think it's gonna work out.
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Is this about Regina and the other girls?
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Look, this pool party is going to be a great way to get all of us together.
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Once you get to know them, and they know you...
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I think I know them well enough.
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Regina says rude stuff on my Instagram all the time.
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Yeah, yeah, she's just joking around.
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She doesn't actually mean it.
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Once you really get to know her, you'll love her.
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I promise.
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You gotta come.
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Please?
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Okay, I'll see you there.
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Yes, you're the best.
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Just relax and be yourself.
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They're gonna love you.
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See ya.
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Anyone want to get in?
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Eh, not right now.
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I don't want to get my hair wet.
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I like taking pictures with the water in the background.
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Hey, look who it is.
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What's she wearing?
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Why are you wearing that?
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Aren't you going to swim with us?
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I wasn't going to stay long.
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Fine, but you're not off to a very good start.
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Hey, Regina.
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Looks like someone didn't get the memo.
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We're going to be swimming, you know.
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I told her.
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It's alright.
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We didn't want to see you in a bathing suit anyway.
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Mean!
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We're just joking with you.
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Don't get all weepy on us.
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Weeping Willow.
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You girls getting in?
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Eventually.
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Whatcha got there?
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Cupcakes!
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Hey Willow, how you doing?
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I haven't seen you in a while.
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I'm doing alright.
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Tell your mom I said hi.
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You'll love my mom's cupcakes.
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Yeah, but my waist won't.
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I can't be eating cupcakes.
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I've got Instagram photos to post.
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Yeah, my Instagram was blowing up last time I was at the pool.
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The water was cold, but my Insta was steaming.
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I wouldn't do that if I were you.
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If I shouldn't be eating cupcakes, you really shouldn't, because you're already packing on the pounds.
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I can't believe you just said that.
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What?
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I'm just saying what everyone's thinking.
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Look, now she's gonna cry.
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I'm gonna cry.
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Wait, wait.
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Here, take one.
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Come on.
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Take one.
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You didn't!
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Oh my gosh.
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Willow, wait.
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Willow, stop.
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Where are you going?
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This is why I didn't want to come over, Sage.
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Do you get it now?
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You didn't even try to be friends with them.
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You came here just planning to leave.
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Did you even see what they did to me?
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Okay, that didn't go the way I wanted it to, but maybe we could try again?
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You're joking, right?
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Why do you want to be friends with them anyways?
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Hey, Snitch.
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Looks like your pool party was a big hit on Instagram.
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I know, right?
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People are saying the funniest things.
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Did you see that one post that Ned did with Willow on the one side
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and that demented girl from the ring on the other?
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My favorite was the squid bird one.
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Oh, hey.
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Speak of the devil.
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I guess now's my chance to apologize.
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Apologize?
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You'll see.
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Hey, everybody.
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I know that everyone's seen the video of me pushing Willow in the pool by now, and I've been meaning to apologize for a while now, but I haven't had the chance until now.
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Hey, Willow.
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I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for like touching you in the pool
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and making you look like a big idiot I hope you can accept my apology Do you forgive me?
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Wow, rude What do you girls think?
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So rude Sage, what do you think?
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Yeah, I mean, you were just trying to be nice You should have just accepted your apology Alright, see you guys next time.
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Did she ever tell you what was going on with her?
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Yeah, well that's teenage girls for ya.
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Hey, I just got off the phone with Willa's mom.
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Willow's mom.
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She said she's, I don't know, depressed is maybe the right word?
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Do you know anything about it?
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I mean, she's not the most popular girl at school.
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I'm really glad you included her the other day.
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I know you've met a lot of new friends, but it was really nice of you to think of Willow, too.
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What did Willow's mom say she's been acting like?
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I don't think I should get into the conversation.
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Come on.
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She said she's not eating.
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She barely comes out of her room.
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She's falling behind in several of her classes.
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I really think she could use a good friend.
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Wait, wait.
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Here, take one.
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Come on.
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Take one.
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Regina, why don't you give Willow a break?
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Give her a break?
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Give her a break?
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say hello to instagram
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I'm not concerned.
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I'm not concerned.
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I'm not concerned.
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I'm not concerned.
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They can go through the...
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Aww.
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Hey!
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Where are you going?
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Shhh.
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Alright.
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What was that all about?
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Regina?
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You seem to think it's funny.
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I guess she just didn't like the song we were singing.
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What song?
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It's just a silly song from a cartoon.
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Like, what's there to get so upset about?
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Sage, you want to tell me what's going on?
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No. All right, then take out last night's homework assignment.
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Can you believe she walked out of class like that yesterday?
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Weeping Willow.
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Literally weeping this time.
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I think you guys can, like, lay off a bit.
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Lay off of what?
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Willow.
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I mean, you've been picking on her for the last week.
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Yeah, and last week's been amazing on Instagram.
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What else do you want us to post about?
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I don't know, something new, maybe?
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Okay, so Sage has had enough of the whole Willow jokes.
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What do you guys think?
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I mean, for me personally, I'm just getting started.
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Maybe we go find a cliff to push her off or a train or something?
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Let me know in the comments down below.
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Please excuse the interruption.
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Brittany, Regina, Sage, please report to the office.
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Wonder what this is all about.
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So, you're probably wondering why I called you down.
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I had a talk with Willow today, and what little I could get out of her had something to do with you three. So, what's going on?
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I don't know, Mrs. Rowan.
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I mean, we invited her to hang out with us the other day.
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Yeah, we were just trying to be nice because she doesn't really have that many friends.
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You ever try to be friends with someone and you just like don't click?
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Like you're two completely different people?
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Exactly.
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That's what it's like with Willow.
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She's like really weird and depressing.
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She brings it on herself, really.
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I think she's just mad because she can't be one of us.
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That's not it.
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She doesn't want to be one of you.
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She's just a kid trying to get through high school like the rest of us, but she won't leave her alone.
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What do you mean by that?
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I don't know.
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I guess I don't know what else to call it besides...
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bullying.
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Bullying?
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That's a strong word.
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Well, what do you call it when you throw somebody in a pool with all their clothes on?
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Or compare them to a fat hippo?
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Or live stream a mock apology of them on social media?
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Never giving them a break for a week and a half straight?
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Sage, what are you doing?
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We were just joking around.
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Tell her, Sage.
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Why don't you tell me more about this?
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Joking around.
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Hey.
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Your mom said you went for a walk.
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Thought maybe I'd find you here.
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We got called down to the office today.
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And I told Mrs. Rowan everything that happened.
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Britt and Regina are pretty mad at me, so...
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I'm sorry about everything.
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I should have stuck up for you sooner, but instead I just played along. Can you forgive me?
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Remember when we were kids we would throw our sticks into the creek?
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Things are simple, but...
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Who says things can't be simple still?
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I'll stand up and I'll fight for you No matter what they may put me through You won't stand alone
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Side by side we'll do what's right Whatever it takes till we win the fight You won't stand alone
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If your friend is being bullied and you're one of the bullies, be honest.
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You know in your heart that your friend is being bullied and humiliated.
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Have the courage to speak up.
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Tell the group of bullies, quit picking on her and leave her alone.
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Apologize to your friend and say, I'm sorry.
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I should have stuck up for you sooner.
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Will you forgive me?
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I'll stand up and I'll fight for you No matter what they may put me through
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You won't stand alone Side by side we'll do its right
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Whatever it takes till we win the fight You won't stand alone I'm gonna go to the place where I'm going

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Bullying - The Pool Party" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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 →