Shadowing Practice: Episode 4 | Braceface | KEEP IT WEIRD - Learn English Speaking with Video

BABY BABY

BABY Something tells me I've been dreaming Of someone who was

never real It seems I've changed a thousand ways I wish I'd look the way I feel Brace me!

My life gets complicated Boyfriend, don't wanna talk about it Teenage, I'll work it out in the end

Brace face, my life gets complicated Boyfriend, don't wanna talk about it Teenage!

A wicked eye in the air!

Great space!

Thunder, thunder, thunderation, We're the Merry Pitford delegation.

When we fight with determination, We create a great sensation!

Woo!

All right!

Whoo!

Ugh.

Yet another example of her pathetic, unrelenting need for attention.

Hope she does the splits again.

Hey!

Ouch!

Look out!

I hated when she does that.

I just heard the best news.

What?

More than anything in the world, what concert are you dying to see?

No. Yes.

Not Vice Grip.

Next month, our city, our concert.

I hate it when they do that.

Oh, my God.

Do you believe it?

This is amazing.

Tickets go on sale Saturday.

We have to be the first in line.

We'll get front row seats.

It'll be the greatest.

Imagine, you and me and the four hottest guys in the universe.

Unreal.

We're sitting so close, I can see the sweat pouring off lead singer Jason Devine.

Wait, I know.

After the show, they're like, why don't you come and meet us backstage?

Then we all hop in their car and cruise to a totally cool club.

You know we're gonna be there.

There was no doubt about it.

That day felt like the official beginning of everything.

All the good parts about being a teenager were finally starting to happen.

What did you just say, Sharon?

I said it's going to be the best concert ever, so I totally, totally have to go.

Hey, Mom, can you drive me to wrestling practice?

Do you mind?

I'm talking about something important.

What could be more important than perfecting my headlock?

Oh, no. Look at the time.

We've got to fly, Josh.

You'll be late for your lesson.

But I'm not finished.

There's just a few details we have to go over.

Go and get your music.

Sharon, honey, this isn't a good time.

Adam, if you want a ride, I'm leaving now.

Come on, Josh.

I'm coming, I'm coming.

Jeez, you're giving me indigestion.

Does that mean I can go?

We'll talk about it tonight.

Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you'd do the dishes.

Thanks, Brout.

Ugh.

Gross.

Mom?

Finished your homework?

Yes.

Okay.

Better get to bed then.

It's getting late.

Hey, I haven't had one of those for a while.

About the concert.

What concert?

I told you all about it at dinner.

Don't you remember?

Sorry, honey.

I was distracted.

Mom, it's really important.

Oh, yes.

The band you like.

The boys with all the tattoos and body piercings.

It's okay if I go, right?

Aren't they the ones who jump into the audience?

Yeah, but it's just for fun.

Anyway, Maria's asking her parents, too.

We're gonna bring our sleeping bags and camp out overnight at the ticket booth so we can get front row seats and...

Whoa!

Wait a minute.

Back up.

There is no way you're lining up overnight to get tickets.

What?

It's out of the question.

You're too young.

Mom, I am not a baby.

Of course you're not, but that whole concert culture, you're just not ready for it.

100

Believe me.

101

Are you saying I can't even go to the concert?

102

That's what I'm saying.

103

I take back that kiss.

104

How unfair can you get?

105

Too young!

106

Can you believe it?

107

Definitely overprotective.

108

Now I'll never see Jason Devine up close.

109

And what's worse, he'll be making gaga eyes at some other girl, sitting in my seat.

110

Extreme bummer.

111

All because of my prison guard mother.

112

Parents.

113

Can't live with them, can't pay for the cell phone without them.

114

Face it, my life is over.

115

Really, Sharon?

116

Don't frown so much, you'll get more wrinkles.

117

The bubonic plague followed trade routes from the east, arriving in Europe in 1348.

118

It appears the plague was passed on through infected rodent feces, much the same way E coli bacteria gets into hamburgers.

119

Rat poo?

120

E coli?

121

Gross.

122

Once afflicted, the only thing a person had to look forward to was a slow, painful death.

123

Mr. Beardsley, um, I don't feel well.

124

High fever and aching limbs was soon followed by oozing pus-filled boils.

125

Excuse me, Mr. Beardsley?

126

Man, oh man...

127

Uh...

128

What are you staring at, you little puke?

129

Oh my god, look at your face!

130

What?

131

What's the matter with my...

132

AAAAAAAH!

133

AHHHHHHHHH!

134

HELP!

135

It's the plague!

136

I've got the plague!

137

The plague passed!

138

Run!

139

Run!

140

Run!

141

Sit down!

142

Right now!

143

Do you hear me?

144

Help!

145

I'm going to die!

146

Oh, no. I think I'm going to...

147

It's the plague!

148

Help!

149

It's the plague!

150

The plague!

151

Run!

152

Run!

153

Run!

154

It's the plague!

155

Psst!

156

Alden, over here.

157

Nina?

158

Oh, Alden, something terrible is happening.

159

Save yourself while there's still time.

160

It's too late for me.

161

Uh, Nina?

162

Figures she'd use this to get in with him.

163

You don't think he buys the plague bit, do ya?

164

Of course not.

165

What's with her?

166

Nothing!

167

Maybe it's smallpox.

168

What day to care for that?

169

I'm doomed.

170

Doomed.

171

Hey, I have your attention.

172

Please, boys and girls, free CDs to anyone who's quiet.

173

Yeah, just kidding.

174

Now down to business.

175

It appears a highly contagious rash is spreading through the school.

176

It is in no way life-threatening.

177

There is no killer virus.

178

I repeat, no killer virus.

179

We've all had a nasty scare today.

180

In order to help us deal with this crisis, I've asked someone to speak with us.

181

She's a psychologist who specializes in trauma counseling.

182

Please welcome Dr. Spitz.

183

Excuse me?

184

Good afternoon.

185

Some of you may know me as Sharon's mom.

186

Hi, Sharon.

187

How embarrassing is this?

188

But today I'm here in a professional capacity.

189

My job is to give you all an opportunity to talk about what happened.

190

Does anyone have any special concerns?

191

Oh, oh, oh, oh, Dr. Spitz!

192

Yes?

193

Do you think I can hide these ugly blotches with my regular cover-up?

194

Or should I buy a thicker concealer?

195

Well, now, that's an interesting question.

196

Of all the psychologists in the world, why'd they have to pick her?

197

Actually, your mom seemed pretty clued in.

198

She could have her own talk show, like Oprah.

199

Sure, she's the perfect mother to every teenager except me.

200

There you are, Sharon.

201

Oh, hi, Dr. Spitz.

202

You were awesome.

203

Thanks, Maria.

204

Gotta fly.

205

See you later.

206

Call me.

207

I thought we might walk home together, if that's okay.

208

I guess.

209

Dr. Spitz!

210

Dr. Spitz, wait!

211

Quick, duck in here.

212

Can I talk to you privately?

213

I suppose so.

214

Sure.

215

Do you mind waiting over there?

216

We'll just be a sec.

217

Who did Nina think she was anyway, muscling me out of the way?

218

There she was, whispering to my mom like she was her best friend or something.

219

Was she asking her about more personal hygiene products?

220

Or how to cultivate an even more annoying personality?

221

Thanks, Dr. Spence.

222

See you Thursday.

223

What was that all about?

224

Oh, Nina's gonna come and see me for private sessions.

225

Somebody please tell me this wasn't happening.

226

My archenemy was seeking out my mother to solve her dumb problems, and at the same time, that very same mother was ruining my life.

227

What was wrong with this picture?

228

Nice moves.

229

Ever heard of knocking?

230

Personally, I find vice grip too juvenile.

231

I mean, pink hair?

232

Please.

233

I don't think I heard anyone ask for your opinion. In fact...

234

You're here, Nina.

235

Good.

236

Come on in.

237

Hi, Dr. Spitz.

238

Thanks again for fitting me in.

239

I know how busy you are.

240

Oh, my, yes.

241

Well, then, right this way.

242

Little miss suck-up.

243

What's she doing here anyway?

244

I don't know.

245

Probably trying to get advice on how to wrap more grown-ups around her finger.

246

Yeah, or how to get Alden to like her.

247

Alden?

248

You think my mom's giving her tips on how to get Alden?

249

She wouldn't, would she?

250

They're probably having a heart-to-heart right now.

251

Oh, Sharon, this could be bad.

252

I have to get to the bottom of this.

253

I know they envy me.

254

She's so lucky, they think.

255

Head cheerleader, A student.

256

But hey, I can't help it if I'm better than they are.

257

Truth is, they work at it.

258

They think it's easy being me.

259

They have no idea of the pressure.

260

Sounds like being popular is important to you.

261

It's the burden I must suffer.

262

Before the whole rash escapade, I took my natural good looks for granted.

263

That's when it hit me!

264

What if I wasn't the most popular girl at Mary Pickford Junior High?

265

What if I was just an ordinary girl with splotches on her face?

266

Do you need something, Sharon?

267

I...

268

Just wanted to tell you, I'll make dinner.

269

How thoughtful.

270

There's these people.

271

They drill holes in their skulls.

272

Say it makes them smarter because more oxygen gets to their brain.

273

I saw it on TV.

274

I remember that.

275

Blood was gushing everywhere.

276

It was awesome.

277

I'm trying to eat.

278

Sharon, thank you for making dinner.

279

Mom, about the concert.

280

Oh, honey, don't start.

281

Please, I'm begging you.

282

Tickets go on sale the day after tomorrow.

283

It's my last chance.

284

Sweetie, I thought we discussed this already.

285

I'm not comfortable with you going to this concert.

286

But everybody's going.

287

Everybody is not.

288

Nina Harper isn't.

289

So is that what you're doing in those sessions?

290

Comparing me to her?

291

I'm just saying, not everybody is going.

292

If you're so interested in Nina Harper, maybe you should ask her to be your daughter.

293

Sharon, for your information, Nina Harper is nothing more than a super sucky, super phony, I'm a cheerleader watching you the splits girl!

294

You know, she really ought to learn how to deal with her anger.

295

I can't believe my mother.

296

She's so...so...so doesn't get it.

297

I get it.

298

What's her problem?

299

How could she not realize how important Vice Grip is to me?

300

Huh?

301

And how could she even sit in the same room as Nina?

302

I wish that rash was the plague, and then Nina wouldn't be around to torment me.

303

But then I'd probably get it.

304

Bet my mom would be sorry then.

305

Come on, Connor.

306

You're being paranoid.

307

Let me in.

308

It's for your own good.

309

The rash isn't contagious anymore.

310

Besides, I've been around lots of people who have it.

311

Tell you what, I'll open the door a crack, but for your own sake, keep your distance.

312

It's about my mom.

313

I'm so mad at her.

314

She doesn't care about anything I care about.

315

But she has all the time in the world to listen to complete strangers, including Nina Harper.

316

You're talking about her work.

317

Why are their pathetic problems more important than mine?

318

For one good reason, they pay her.

319

But she went through childbirth with me.

320

You have a point.

321

Maybe your problems aren't big enough.

322

What do you mean?

323

Face it.

324

You're a normal kid.

325

The worst thing that's ever happened to you was getting braces.

326

No, that's just the worst thing that's happened to me this year.

327

If having bigger problems was gonna get my mom's attention, fine.

328

One thing I knew for sure, I could come up with something a lot better than Nina's all consuming popularity crisis.

329

Cool outfit.

330

Go away, Josh.

331

This is important.

332

Josh?

333

Let me guess, theater arts project, right?

334

Nice to see you two working together for a change.

335

I'll be in my office if you need me.

336

Ah!

337

Urgh!

338

Uhhhhhh...

339

Umm...

340

Ba-ba-meh...

341

Na-kong-pai-ha-o-ya...

342

Now I get it.

343

You're doing a scene from Hamlet, right?

344

The part where Ophelia's going mad.

345

Very believable, dear.

346

Bravo!

347

Ah!

348

Thought you said your mom wouldn't let you.

349

Let's just say I'm taking matters into my own hands.

350

So, are you coming or what?

351

This is way cool!

352

Ha ha ha!

353

Huh?

354

Hey!

355

What's that?

356

Wow, 9.30 already.

357

What are you doing?

358

Well, gotta go, you know, 10 o'clock curfew.

359

What are you talking about?

360

Aren't you staying the night with me?

361

I never said anything about staying the whole night.

362

Are you crazy?

363

My father would kill me.

364

I can't believe you.

365

What?

366

You're gonna stick it out?

367

Of course I am.

368

I thought that was the plan.

369

So we can get front row seats when the box office opens in the morning.

370

Yeah, but I guess I never believed we'd really do it.

371

Fine.

372

Do what you have to do.

373

But I'm not leaving.

374

Sharon Esther Spitz.

375

I was worried sick.

376

How could you?

377

After I explicitly said no. Oh, no. What?

378

I said I don't know why I did it.

379

Maybe we should make an appointment and discuss it, Dr. Spitz.

380

Since when do we need an appointment to talk to each other?

381

Forget it.

382

Does this have something to do with my seeing Nina Harper?

383

Seems to me when people come to your office, you listen to them.

384

But I just get treated like a kid.

385

Because I wouldn't let you go to the concert.

386

I was perfectly fine out there.

387

Nothing would have happened to me.

388

You weren't scared all by yourself?

389

No. Not even a teensy-weensy bit?

390

Well, maybe just a little.

391

And maybe I was being a teensy-weensy bit overprotective.

392

I mean, for the most part, you are pretty responsible. At least you were.

393

I'm sorry, Mom.

394

Me too.

395

And I promise we'll start spending more time together.

396

And we did, because for the next two weeks, I was grounded grounded.

397

Nina's rash cleared up, and with it, so did all her problems.

398

Which was good news, actually.

399

She got her peaches and cream complexion back, and I didn't have to put up with her around the house.

400

Do you know what day it is today?

401

The last day of my sentence.

402

That's right.

403

You're no longer grounded.

404

And to celebrate, I got you a little present.

405

Open it.

406

Oh, yeah!

407

Woo-hoo!

408

This is the ultimate, coolest present you've ever given me!

409

I can't believe it!

410

You're the best!

411

True, they weren't front row seats.

412

And Maria finally ended up getting that rash plague thing and couldn't even come.

413

But I guess I got almost everything I wanted from my mom.

414

Just not exactly the way I imagined.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

The speaker keeps coming back to these words: mom, plague, Nina, Sharon, concert. This video has 414 sentences and 2456 words to shadow. The speech runs for 21:22. The speaker talks at a steady 115 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 81 of its 414 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
plague noun	/plɛɡ/	The bubonic plague, the pestilent disease caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis.
rash noun	/ɹæʃ/	An area of inflamed and irritated skin characterized by reddened spots that may be filled with fluid or pus. Also, preceded by a descriptive word (rare or…
grip noun	/ˈɡɹɪp/	A hold or way of holding, particularly with the hand.
cheerleader noun	/ˈtʃɪə(ɹ)ˌliːdə(ɹ)/	A person, usually a young, attractive female, who encourages applause and cheers at a sports event, and wearing a specially-designed uniform in the official…
coli noun	/ˈkoʊ.laɪ/	Escherichia coli, a Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms.
overprotective adjective	/ˌoʊvɚpɹəˈtɛktɪv/	Excessively protective, wanting to give too much protection (especially to children).
teensy adjective	/ˈtin.si/	tiny
weensy adjective		weeny or tiny; very small.
contagious adjective	/kənˈteɪ.d͡ʒəs/	Easily transmitted to others.
psychologist noun	/ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/	An expert in the field of psychology.
doom noun	/duːm/	Destiny, especially terrible.
scare verb	/skɛɚ/	To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
teenager noun	/ˈtiːnˌeɪ̯d͡ʒə/	A person between thirteen and nineteen years old (inclusive).
pathetic adjective	/pəˈθɛtɪk/	Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; exciting pathos.
thunder noun	/ˈθʌndɚ/	The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
back up verb		To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so.
clear up verb	/klɪəˈɹʌp/	To clarify, to correct a misconception.
come on in verb		Synonym of come in (“to enter”).
come up with verb		To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
cover up verb		To conceal or disguise.
end up verb		To bring to a conclusion.
get in with verb		To become liked or accepted by and/or involved or associated with (especially a group of people)
go away verb		To depart or leave a place.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

What could be more important than perfecting my headlock?
Does that mean I can go?
Aren't you staying the night with me?
You're gonna stick it out?
You weren't scared all by yourself?

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	I've changed · I've asked · I've been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was distracted · was passed · was soon followed
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	someone who was · ones who jump · people who have
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the best · the greatest · the most popular

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 115 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: pathetic /pəˈθɛtɪk/, thunder /ˈθʌndɚ/, childbirth /ˈt͡ʃaɪldˌbɝθ/, thoughtful /ˈθɔːtfəl/, threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: rash /ɹæʃ/, complexion /kəmˈplɛkʃən/, specialize /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/, sensation /sɛnˈseɪʃən/, delegation /dɛlɪˈɡeɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: overprotective /ˌoʊvɚpɹəˈtɛktɪv/, psychologist /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/, archenemy /ˌɑː(ɹ)t͡ʃˈɛn.ə.mi/, indigestion /ˌɪn.dɪˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃən/, delegation /dɛlɪˈɡeɪʃən/

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 plague, rash, grip.

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 →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?