Shadowing Practice: Hilda - Best Johanna Moments - Learn English Speaking with Video

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215 sentences

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The truth is there's lots to do in Trollberg.

In fact, there's a big parade this evening with floats and decorations and lights and loud music.

People in weird costumes.

I suppose that sounds cool.

I've never seen a proper parade before.

Why don't we go down and watch it together?

You might find the city more fun than you think.

It still can't match the wilderness for interesting creatures.

Oh, no?

I see a few interesting creatures right over there. Where?

Yeah, that'd be so cool.

Oh.

How do you find your way around here?

Every street looks exactly alike.

You know, some people think that about rocks.

That's crazy!

Every rock is different.

Well, the city is like that too.

Take those houses, for example.

Look at the doors.

That one's a nice deep red.

And that one's white with windows on it and a knocker.

And that one's rustic with a wood finish, which I quite like.

I see what you mean.

They're similar, but they've all got their own personality.

And that's just the start.

There's different chimneys and lampposts and different cars and plants breaking out of the pavement.

You see?

You're getting it already.

Er, don't get me wrong.

Trillberg's still less interesting than a rock.

But it's close.

I know you miss the wilderness, Hilda, but I promise, Trillberg is a pretty cool place to grow up, too.

I liked it anyway.

I'm sure it'll be great.

Sorry if I've been a bit of a brat.

And I'm sorry I put the raven out.

It's okay.

I should have told you about it.

But I know you don't like me making friends with creatures.

Hilda, I love that you can make friends with all manner of things.

I just think you ought to be open to befriending humans as well.

I am.

But those kids just weren't a good fit.

They threw rocks at birds, Mum.

Hmm.

In that case, I'm proud of you for not making friends.

Oh, look!

It's Frieda's parents.

Perhaps we should go say hi.

Good idea.

But I'll say hi.

You say nothing.

Are you talking to yourself?

No, I'm talking to...

Ah, yeah.

Yeah, I am.

Hello, I'm Joanna, Hilda's mother.

Oh, Hilda.

You're the ones who lived out in the wilderness?

Yep.

Of course, that explains it.

Hilda, are you all right?

You were crying out in your sleep.

An adventurer never cries out in her sleep.

What are you doing in David's bedroom?

Hilda, I know you meant well, but what were you thinking?

I thought I'd found a way to give you guys a lucky break, that's all.

Well, that's.. that is very sweet.

But also deeply terrifying.

What's left on the list?

The most important thing.

Snacks.

It's just overnight, Mum.

It's good to have options.

What have you done with all those snacks I bought?

I thought you said you were having trouble getting them in the bag.

I did.

I left them right there.

They're not here now.

Well, where did they go?

Did someone eat them?

Did you eat them, Mum?

No!

Did you eat them? Did you eat them?

How far are the city walls?

If I could get him outside, maybe they'd let him go.

Follow me.

Jellybean!

Everyone, seat belts.

Danny Dean!

Here, I've got something for you.

I finally found my sewing kit, so I thought I'd make an addition.

Look, I'm sorry that I pressured you about getting badges.

I already know that you're the kindest, bravest, most selfless girl it is possible to be.

You don't have to prove anything.

Thanks, Mum.

Mwah.

Wow, the kitchen's looking tidy.

100

Tontu's storing some stuff in nowhere space for me.

101

It's really freed up a lot of cupboard room.

102

Just look at these surfaces.

103

Everything's changed, hasn't it?

104

Yes, but it's the way of the world for things to change.

105

It wasn't for nothing.

106

We'll always have our memories of this place.

107

I'm sorry about all the mess around the house.

108

I'll be better about cleaning up after myself.

109

Really.

110

That's good, because if you aren't, Greela will get you. Who?

111

I'm only joking.

112

It's an old winter tale about an ogre who comes after naughty children on the night the Sonstansil tree lights up.

113

Do you think I'm naughty?

114

Of course not, sweetheart.

115

You're a good girl.

116

Sure, you do the wrong thing sometimes, but we all do.

117

That doesn't make us bad people, it just makes us people.

118

Hmm.

119

Papa!

120

Papa!

121

BABBA!

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BABBA!

123

BABBA!

124

BABBA!

125

RUN!

126

I don't think we'll both fit under there.

127

Don't worry.

128

Me and Twig will be warm enough.

129

I don't know how much longer I can bear this place.

130

Don't you normally like this sort of thing?

131

I mean, it's nice to be in peril when I know you're waiting for me at home with a nice dinner.

132

Or a freshly baked cake.

133

Or you want to watch a movie, with hot chocolate of course.

134

It's sort of unnerving that you're here.

135

But pleasantly unnerving, right?

136

Mum?

137

Yeah?

138

I'm sorry. About everything.

139

You don't need to be.

140

I do about some things.

141

Just don't hide things from me, okay?

142

If you don't tell me what's going on, then how do I know you're safe?

143

That's kind of worrying for a mum, you know.

144

You really don't wish I was different?

145

I wish I knew what in the world you were thinking sometimes.

146

And I'll admit that being your mum has some unique ups and downs.

147

But I wouldn't swap it for anything.

148

She shouldn't have to make...

149

Please, can you just...

150

Oh, you stupid, stupid!

151

Hey, I'm sorry.

152

I didn't mean to shout.

153

I...

154

Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay.

155

I've got you.

156

Shh, come on.

157

Papa!

158

You stay back.

159

No, mum, it's okay.

160

I just found my daughter and I won't let you take her from me again.

161

Another one!

162

Put that thing away!

163

That's my daughter! Is it?

164

Are you sure?

165

Perhaps she was once, but how can we be certain she's anything but the bloodthirsty monster she appears to be?

166

Ready to turn us at any moment?

167

I'm telling you, put that thing down or I'll take it off you.

168

And render me defenseless?

169

Good Lord!

170

I've bewitched you with the troll magic!

171

I'll take that!

172

I can't let this happen.

173

Hilda, wait.

174

This is my fault.

175

I can speak to them.

176

Please, let me try.

177

Go.

178

What do we do?

179

There's only one way out of here.

180

What?

181

Everybody, copy me.

182

Wait!

183

What?

184

You'll be fine.

185

Just hop on a walk.

186

Do you remember how to catch all the fish?

187

I think so.

188

We're putting them back, okay?

189

Hilda's not gonna be impressed if she comes back to find you roasting one of those on a stick.

190

I'm so cute, Anna!

191

What do you say we celebrate with a road trip and go camping? When?

192

Tomorrow.

193

It's finally supposed to be nice out.

194

Are you feeling all right, Mum?

195

We'll have an adventure, just the two of us.

196

The three of us.

197

You want to try?

198

Sure, why not?

199

Oh.

200

I can't hold on!

201

Don't let go of me, Mom!

202

Never!

203

I found so much here.

204

I've regained my past.

205

But I'm not going to rob you of your future.

206

Our future.

207

You mean...

208

I feel like I gained and lost grandparents in a day.

209

We haven't lost anything.

210

There was a part of me that would have stayed there forever.

211

But at least we know that they are there now, watching over us.

212

Hi!

213

Whoa.

214

Huh?

215

It's the car's running!

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “Hilda - Best Johanna Moments”. This video has 215 sentences and 1275 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:33. The speaker talks at a steady 110 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. 44 of its 215 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
wilderness noun	/ˈwɪldɚnəs/	Uncultivated and unsettled land in its natural state inhabited by wild animals and with vegetation growing wild; (countable) a tract of such land; a waste or…
papa noun	/ˈpɑːpə/	Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
parade noun	/pəˈrɑd/	Synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive orders, or especially for inspection at set times.
snack noun	/snæk/	A light meal.
naughty adjective	/ˈnɔːti/	Mischievous; tending to misbehave or act badly (especially of a child).
adventure noun	/ədˈvɛn.t͡ʃə/	A feeling of desire for new and exciting things.
bedroom noun	/ˈbɛdˌɹum/	A room in a house, apartment, hotel, or other dwelling where a bed is kept for sleeping.
deeply adverb	/ˈdi(ː)pli/	To a deep extent or degree; very greatly.
belt noun	/ˈbɛlt/	A band worn around the waist to hold clothing to one's body (usually pants), hold weapons (such as a gun or sword), or serve as a decorative piece of clothing.
nowhere adverb	/ˈnoʊ.(h)wɛɹ/	In no place.
brave adjective	/bɹeɪv/	Strong in the face of fear; courageous.
tale noun	/ˈteɪl/	A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.
overnight adverb	/əʊvə(ɹ)ˈnaɪt/	During or throughout the night, especially during the evening or night just past.
costume noun	/ˈkɑsˌt(j)um/	A style of dress, including garments, accessories and hairstyle, especially as characteristic of a particular country, period or people.
alike adjective	/əˈlaɪk/	Having resemblance or similitude; similar; without difference.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
clean up verb		To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy.
go down verb		To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.
grow up verb		To mature and become an adult.
light up verb		To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten.
mess around verb		To fiddle idly.
stay back verb	/steɪˈbæk/	To remain (at work, school, organisation, country, etc.) after normal hours
watch over verb		To guard and protect.

Sentences worth repeating

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

Why don't we go down and watch it together?
You're the ones who lived out in the wilderness?
Do you think I'm naughty?
Don't you normally like this sort of thing?
You really don't wish I was different?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if you aren't, Greela will get
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've never seen · I've been · have you done
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	were crying · were you thinking · were having
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should have · ought to be · should go

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 73 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shout /ʃaʊt/, decoration /ˌdɛkəˈɹeɪʃən/, freshly /ˈfɹɛʃli/
Long words — get the stress right: decoration /ˌdɛkəˈɹeɪʃən/, adventurer /ædˈvɛn.t͡ʃɚ.ɚ/

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 wilderness, papa, parade.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: Hilda - Best Johanna Moments - Learn English Speaking with Video

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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?