Shadowing Practice: Homeless guy spits some truth. - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Yeah, and so we were...
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Well you asked me if doing prison was the hard part, and I spent over 12 years in prison.
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In 18 years I did 12 total.
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And it wasn't the hard part, it wasn't going to prison, it was getting out and trying to be part of society again.
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Because at one time I was a contractor, I had four employees, three bedroom house, blah blah blah blah blah.
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And I had to lose it all to realize it was just stuff, but still.
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So then when you're done with your time and I discharged my sentence in February 11th of 2011, I got my parole papers signed off.
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I became a citizen again.
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I can actually vote.
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I can actually go in and vote for the president.
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But I can't get a job here or here or here.
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I can't have any apartments because they won't accept felons.
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And I even went through an agency that took felons
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and they'll give a pedophile an apartment before they will me because I had a drug charge.
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I wasn't even dealing drugs.
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I had possession but anybody that has possession drugs.
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They're worried about them selling drugs in their apartments
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So they won't give them one
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but this place would give a pedophile somebody who raped a little baby
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or something and give them an apartment But they wouldn't let me have one
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because of my felony because I had a drug felony
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And it's just a hard part was just becoming part of society again.
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It's like they didn't want me They didn't want me to be part of their society So I just decided fuck it.
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I'm gonna sleep in a tent.
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I'm gonna do what I love for a living
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which is playing music and
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if I just make a little bit of money I'd rather do what I love with a passion
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and make a little money then go back to contract
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and then try to make a lot of money and be part of a society that doesn't even want me no more.
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Fuck them, you know?
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Fuck society.
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That's what I feel.
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Feel that?
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Why did...
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I meet a lot of good people, but I believe there's a lot of good people out there, but for the most part, most people, all they care about is themselves.
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You could be standing there on the corner bleeding and people just drive by you.
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They wouldn't want no part of it.
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They I wouldn't want no part of the trauma.
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There'd be one in 10 that might stop and help.
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You know?
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I walked up to a woman once to ask her what time it was.
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I was pushing the cart, me and my wife were pushing our cart.
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We had all our stuff in the grocery cart.
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I was pushing, I needed to know what time it was.
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So I went up to ask this woman what time it was.
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She was like, oh, get away from me.
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I don't have any money.
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Leave me alone.
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I'm like, I don't want any money.
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She's like, just get away from me.
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Go.
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I'm like, and I'm thinking, what could have this woman been through that she's so terrified of a stranger that she,
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what if my wife was pregnant, her water just broke and I needed help?
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I mean, who knows?
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What if I was having chest pain and I needed her to call 911?
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She didn't care, just get away from me, go.
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I don't got no money, she thought all I wanted was her money.
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I just wanted to know what time it was.
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And it hurt, man, it's like damn.
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People are like- It does hurt.
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And I was like, damn, humanity.
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So many people, what have they been through that makes them
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so terrified of relationships and people that they just don't want nothing to do with nobody?
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It's sad.
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It's really sad.
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I wasn't scared of you when I saw you.
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Well, it's your one in a million, you know?
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I mean, you're actually sitting down and talking to me, you know?
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Most people don't give a damn.
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But it's all right, you know?
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When it comes down to it, I came in this world by myself, and when I die, I'm gonna be the only one in that coffin.
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And so really all I guess that matters is me, I guess.
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I don't know.
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I think people matter, but the more I'm starting to see, less and less.
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You matter, bro.
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I feel that way about you too, man.
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You matter.
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I mean, you care.
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You matter.
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It's sad to see that most people don't.
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It's just sad because there's so much beautiful things in life.
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There's so many beautiful things in life.
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Relationships are beautiful.
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Nobody wants relationships.
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Check this out.
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I've got over 240 some friends on Facebook.
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Most of them I knew from high school.
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I mean, I knew a lot of people.
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I got around, all right?
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240 some people I know on Facebook.
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Most of them I thought were good friends from high school.
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Christmas Day, I Facebook tomorrow and I'm like, hey, it's Christmas, I haven't talked to some of y'all in over 20 years,
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here's my number, call me, let's have a conversation.
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Nobody, and I posted that thing over and over Christmas Day, nobody.
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And I'm talking to people that asked me to be their friend, oh, so and so wants you to be their friend.
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Well, I know this person from high school, sure, I'll be their friend.
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What does that mean?
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What does that mean?
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It means people don't want relationships no more, they're so into their internet and so into their Facebook, They got their faith, this is their idol.
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Internet's become an idol, man.
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It's like, people don't want relationships.
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They want the kind of relationships where they can be who they wanna to be
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and be who they are you know instead of being who they are be who they want to be
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and pretend to be oh yeah I'm six foot four
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and I got dark hair and blue eyes and big shoulders
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but then I can't ever meet this person because I don't look like
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that you know
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and most people on these internet relationships man I even a
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girl my high school sweetheart I got I hooked up with
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her on Facebook contacted her hey man let's meet well she
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gave me her number she's like well look just text me
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I really don't have time for conversations no more she'd rather go text back
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and forth for two hours texting back
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and forth instead of having a 10-minute conversation
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that could have summed it all people don't want conversations they
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want they don't want nothing no more I don't know what they want but this world sucks man
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way do people see it really totally agree I mean
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but I'm just trying to make the world a more better place man a more beautiful place
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and if music and art can do it and somebody appreciates
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that that's all that matters if I can make a difference in one person's life that's all that matters
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you made a difference in my life praise God I mean hallelujah you did well be sitting here with if he hadn't.
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Because you were playing your guitar when I walked up.
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Well, hopefully it's a positive difference.
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We can all make a negative influence in somebody's life, but if we can be a positive difference in somebody's life and make them just think for a minute, maybe there is something worth caring about.
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You know? But I don't know.
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Understanding the Dialogue: A Glimpse into Real-Life English
The video features a raw, heartfelt conversation with a man sharing his struggles reentering society, homelessness, and feelings of isolation. His speech is informal, filled with contractions, slang, and emotional tone—perfect for learning how English is spoken in real, unscripted moments. This type of dialogue helps learners grasp natural rhythm and conversational flow, making it ideal for learn english with videos practice.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "Fuck it": A casual, blunt phrase expressing resignation or defiance (e.g., "I tried to fix it, but fuck it, I'll buy a new one").
- "Give a damn": To care about something (e.g., "Most people don't give a damn about others' problems").
- "Get away from me": A direct way to tell someone to leave (e.g., "She yelled, 'Get away from me!' when I approached").
- "One in a million": Describes something rare (e.g., "You're one in a million for helping me").
- "What's that mean?": A simple way to ask for clarification (e.g., "He ignored my text—what's that mean?").
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video
The shadowing technique works well here, but the speaker's emotional pace and slang require focus. Here's how to practice:
- Listen first: Watch the video without pausing to absorb the tone and rhythm. Notice how he stresses words like "society" and "nobody" to convey emotion.
- Pause and repeat: Use a shadowing app or site to pause after short phrases (e.g., "It wasn't the hard part wasn't going to prison—it was getting out"). Repeat immediately, mimicking his pitch and speed.
- Focus on contractions: He often uses "I'm," "don't," and "they're"—practice saying these smoothly to sound natural.
- Emulate emotion: His frustration and sadness come through in his voice. Try to match that intensity to improve your own expressive speaking.
- Record yourself: Compare your recording to the video. Note gaps in rhythm or pronunciation, then repeat the exercise. Tools like shadowspeak can help analyze your performance.
This dialogue challenges learners to adapt to real-world English, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their speaking skills through authentic content.
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.