Shadowing Practice: how a real life princess goes to school - Learn English Speaking with Video

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362 sentences

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As I sat in my sports car preparing for the race of a lifetime, my manager Ruth shot me a nervous look.

If your dad finds out, we're dead meat.

Hmm, they're probably giving away some charity award somewhere.

Besides, they already control everything.

This is my way of living my life.

Now sit still.

As I drifted and turned the car around, Ruth was screaming.

Slow down, your Royal Highness.

Oh, come on.

The fun has just begun.

I pumped up the gas and my brand new Ferrari was pushing past the rest of the cars, putting me ahead in the race.

Told you I'd win.

Just then, a big van came out of nowhere and started clicking my pictures.

Time to run.

Hi, I'm Penelope, a real-life princess from Belgium.

Please like and subscribe.

I grew up with really controlling parents.

They planned my daily schedule and made me go to boring meetings

and dinners so I'd be ready for my duties one day.

I wasn't even allowed to go to school or parties with people my age.

My life was miserable.

After what had happened at the race that day, everyone in the kingdom called me the crazy princess.

The media is having a ball.

This is so harmful to our reputation.

Your reputation?

I aced that race.

And they're saying I came in second.

If anyone's reputation is hurt, it's mine.

Enough.

You are next in line to the throne, Penny.

Mend your ways or I'll get you married.

I'm 17.

You can't get me married.

I must be at least 18 according to the rules.

I am the king and I set the laws.

Dad received a call and left before I had a chance to argue any further.

Surely he wasn't serious, right?

The next morning, I was swimming in my private pool when Ruth walked in with William, Prince of Denmark and my childhood best friend.

I got out and hugged him tight.

Wow, you've become prettier over the years.

Wish I could say the same for you.

We laughed and decided to catch up over dinner.

But when I got to the table, I saw him talking to my parents.

And they looked serious.

What's going on?

Penny, darling.

We were just discussing the venue for the marriage.

Oh wow, who's getting married?

Us.

William looked at me, grinning.

And I felt my mind numb.

Suddenly, I found myself dragging William outside.

What the heck was that?

I want to get married to you.

I've always liked you and your parents don't seem to have a problem.

But I do!

I don't want to get married to you or anybody!

I'm 17 for the love of God!

Is that why you're here?

Did my parents put you up to this?

Wait, don't answer that.

I already know.

I turned around and walked off leaving William alone.

And after that day, things just weren't the same.

I avoided William all day long, and it came to a point where I couldn't step out of the house.

It was insane!

Just as I was trying to figure out a way out of this, Ruth told me she was leaving for New York on official duty.

For a year!

You can't leave me!

You're the only one on my side!

Then join me!

Nobody knows you there!

You'd be free to do what you like!

That did sound like a brilliant idea, but I knew Mom and Dad would never allow that.

That didn't mean I couldn't try!

So the next day, I went to their chambers to have a one-on-one.

I want to finish my last year of school in New York.

No one, least of all William, should know where I am.

And why should we listen to you?

You have to if you want me to get married.

If this is the last year of my single life, I'd rather spend it away from all this drama.

After hours of arguing, they finally caved

and agreed to enroll me in one of the best schools in New York under a different name, Mia.

Within a week, I was on a plane to my new life.

But New York was busier than I'd imagined.

If not for Ruth, I would have totally lost my way.

Tired and exhausted, I hit the shower as soon as I reached the hotel.

But just as I entered the bathroom, I saw someone under the sink.

If you're a thief, let me warn you, I know karate.

Really?

I'd love to see that, Jackie Chan.

Don't come up!

I will legit punch you!

I quickly left and grabbed myself a robe.

Come out!

The guy slowly dragged himself out.

And when I saw his face, I almost passed out.

He had to be the most handsome guy I'd ever seen.

If you're done staring, can I leave?

100

I have another job to get to.

101

Not so soon, mister.

102

Do you know what would have happened if I didn't see you?

103

This is a strict violation of human rights.

104

I'm late.

105

Call a protest, light a candle, I don't care.

106

My job's done and he turned around and left.

107

What a jerk!

108

That night, I couldn't get a wink of sleep and woke up feeling annoyed and exhausted.

109

I would have skipped my first day if Ruth hadn't boosted my confidence.

110

As I entered the classroom, I immediately noticed a familiar face, the hot plumber guy.

111

And unfortunately, he was the only one with an empty seat next to his.

112

I'm Asher.

113

What?

114

If you're stalking me, you might as well know my name.

115

You wish.

116

I joined recently.

117

It's my first day explains why you're wearing your skirt inside out.

118

I looked down and he was right.

119

How embarrassing!

120

As if that wasn't awkward enough, Asher was also my lab partner and just the weirdest guy ever.

121

I'd never seen him talk to anyone, and he was always either with his books or playing football.

122

If I tried talking to him, he would awkwardly turn in the other direction.

123

What was up with this guy?

124

A few days later after school, I was happily relaxing in my hotel when someone knocked on my door.

125

Asher!

126

You forgot your list of lab supplies.

127

Uh, thanks.

128

You could have given these to me tomorrow in school.

129

I don't know about you, but this class is really important to me, so don't screw up on these.

130

It's important for me, too.

131

Clearly.

132

Anyway, I'd love to stop and chat, but I'm late for my night job.

133

Unlike you, I have work to do.

134

Did he just call me useless?

135

Asher turned to leave, but I ran behind him.

136

Hey, jerk, I know you think all the world's weight is on your shoulders, but it's not.

137

Everyone has their battles, so don't you dare talk down to me again.

138

I turned around and left, slamming the door in anger.

139

What an absolute piece of work this guy was.

140

When I told Ruth about him, she had the weirdest thing to say.

141

Maybe he has a crush on you.

142

What?

143

No, the guy hates me for some reason, and he's such a prude.

144

Gosh, he gets on my nerves.

145

And yet, somehow all we've done is speak about him.

146

Whatever.

147

A few days later, we had a surprise literature test, and I aced it.

148

But I saw Asher sulking in the corner.

149

And later, during an experiment, he screwed up badly and spilled everything on the counter.

150

His mind was clearly somewhere else.

151

Are you okay?

152

Yeah, I'm fine.

153

Just do your thing.

154

Fine, dude.

155

I was just asking.

156

I'm sorry.

157

I didn't mean that.

158

It's just that I've scored miserably on my literature paper.

159

If I don't get this right, I'll lose my chances of ever getting a scholarship.

160

What's a scholarship?

161

Asher gave me a confused look before explaining it to me.

162

I had no idea that people struggled so much to get a good education.

163

For the first time ever, I felt lucky to be born rich.

164

Fine, I'll help you.

165

You will?

166

Yeah, but you'll owe me one.

167

And you'll stop pissing me off.

168

Deal?

169

Deal.

170

Soon after, Asher and I started with his classes in my hotel room.

171

And he was worse than I thought.

172

My love is like a red, red rose.

173

It blooms in June.

174

Who talks like that?

175

Ahem.

176

Now take my hand, look into my eyes, and say it again.

177

And try not to sound like a robot.

178

Asher took a deep breath and did exactly what I asked.

179

But just when he took my hand, I felt a weird rush in my body.

180

My love is like a red red rose that's newly sprung in June that's sweetly played in tune.

181

How was that?

182

Wow, that was brilliant.

183

Yeah, cool.

184

That was um, good.

185

Pretty awesome actually.

186

My heart was racing faster than ever.

187

What was this heart-pounding rush?

188

I'd never felt anything like that before.

189

Asher and I were still holding hands when the door flung open and I saw William standing there.

190

I leave you for a month and I already have competition.

191

But why this peasant?

192

William, what the heck are you doing here?

193

I came to check up on my girl.

194

Oh shut up, I thought we were over this.

195

Just leave me alone.

196

I won't let you go this easy to love.

197

William tried to take my hand, but Asher interrupted him.

198

I don't think Mia needs you here.

199

Now if you don't want your butt kicked, I suggest you leave.

200

Her name's Penelope.

201

If you like a girl, at least get her name right.

202

I'm leaving now, but this isn't over.

203

After William left, Asher turned to me, confused.

204

What was he talking about?

205

Asher looked at me confused as I told him the whole story.

206

Whoa, that's insane.

207

You're an actual princess?

208

Yeah.

209

I'm sorry, I just wanted to live like a normal person for once.

210

Suddenly, I felt my hand on his, and my stomach erupted with butterflies.

211

I hope you won't throw me in the dungeons for being a jerk to you before.

212

I just might, if you annoy me again.

213

After that day, Asher and I got a lot closer.

214

He promised not to tell anyone about me, and I promised to help him with acing his literature tests.

215

Once we got talking, I learned that we had a lot in common.

216

My parents are too busy in their own world.

217

I was always ambitious, and they had no money.

218

So I figured out a way to make it on my own.

219

Now, I love being independent.

220

I wish I could make my life the way I wanted.

221

You can.

222

All you gotta do is be brave. From here.

223

As he laid my hands on his chest, I could feel his heart pounding.

224

Fast and hard.

225

I was falling for him.

226

And I knew he felt the same way when he asked me to be his date for the Halloween party.

227

Life was good.

228

Except William was always around me.

229

And that was kind of annoying.

230

When I told my parents about him, they were actually supportive of his behavior.

231

You should be happy he loves you so much.

232

I suggest you come back and let go of this foolish adventure.

233

Why did they hate me so much?

234

One day before the party, when I walked into school, I saw William waiting for me on his knees and a life-size bouquet.

235

Beautiful flowers for my beautiful date.

236

I'll pick you up at 8 tomorrow.

237

No need, I already have a date. Who?

238

That peasant from the hotel?

239

Come on, you deserve a prince like me.

240

Only royalty can match royalty, and you know that.

241

That's enough, William.

242

You were my childhood friend, and I respected that for as long as I could, but I'm done.

243

Teach your lessons on royalty to my parents who love you so much, but leave me out of it.

244

You'll regret this.

245

Yeah, whatever.

246

That evening as I got dressed, I got a text from William that he was leaving, and I couldn't be happier.

247

Good riddance.

248

When Asher came to pick me up, I was shocked to see him stepping out of his car looking like an absolute dream.

249

We entered the party dressed as Cinderella and Prince Charming, and people couldn't stop gushing over how amazing we looked together.

250

The mood became better when the song shifted to a slow number.

251

You look beautiful tonight.

252

Just tonight?

253

I fell for you the day I saw you, and I never stopped liking you.

254

Is that why you were so rude to me?

255

It was a way of keeping my feelings under control.

256

I thought you'd distract me from my goals, but I was so wrong.

257

Asher pulled me closer till our faces were inches apart, and he gently kissed me on my cheek.

258

And suddenly the song changed again, and we lost our moment.

259

Let's get out of here.

260

I'd like that.

261

Asher took my hand and took me to the school rooftop, overlooking the entire city of New York.

262

It was beautiful.

263

Penny, I know you're a princess, and I would never be able to match your status.

264

But will you date me and make me the happiest person on earth?

265

It was a dream come true to meet a guy like Asher, and I was the happiest I'd been in a long time.

266

But just as I was about to say yes, the door of the roof crashed open and suddenly I had people taking my pictures left, right and center.

267

Is he your new boyfriend, Penelope?

268

Will you leave the crown to get married to him?

269

Show us the ring!

270

I wanted to leave, but there was no way out.

271

Just then, I caught a hold of one of the guys with the camera.

272

Who sent you?

273

Tell me now or I'll destroy your career.

274

The guy got scared and told me he got an anonymous tip from someone named Asher.

275

No way!

276

I immediately started looking for Asher when I saw him taking money from one of the media people.

277

How could you betray me?

278

Penny, listen to me.

279

This isn't what it looks like.

280

I'm not blind!

281

I just saw you taking money from him.

282

If you needed money, you could have just asked.

283

You're worse than William.

284

At least he didn't lie.

285

Asher tried to stop me, but I was too heartbroken to stop.

286

Soon after, I called Ruth and asked her to get me on a private plane back to Belgium.

287

I wanted her to come along, but her work in the States wasn't over yet.

288

As soon as I landed, the driver took me to the hospital and not the palace.

289

What's happening?

290

Where are we going?

291

You'll find out soon enough, your Royal Highness.

292

My heart was beating nervously as the security led me to a private room

293

and saw Dad with a thousand machines beeping over his head.

294

Dad, oh my god, what happened?

295

Penny, you're a sight for sore eyes.

296

I turned to Mom and she told me that Dad had been unwell for quite some time.

297

When he learned that I was dating someone out of royalty, he just couldn't take it.

298

I'm sorry, Dad.

299

I let you down.

300

But I've learned my lesson.

301

I'll do everything you say.

302

I just want you to take over the crown and get married to William.

303

He's perfect for you, honey.

304

Even though I didn't agree with Dad, I nodded with a heavy heart.

305

The news of my marriage and coronation spread like wildfire.

306

Mom planned a major event inviting all the royal families of the world.

307

As I stepped into my wedding gown, I could feel my heart sinking.

308

Asher was the love of my life, but I had to make the sacrifice in the name of my family.

309

I was walking down the aisle when Ruth came running into the church.

310

Stop!

311

Stop the wedding!

312

Ruth, what are you doing?

313

I have to do this.

314

For Dad, for...

315

Stop being dramatic.

316

He doesn't love you.

317

He's only after your money.

318

Ruth told everyone how after I'd left, she went back to the hotel to get the rest of my stuff and ran into William.

319

But he told me he'd left.

320

That's exactly what I was wondering too.

321

So I followed him to a club and saw him making out with random girls.

322

She went on to tell how William's parents were practically broke and they wanted to marry their son off to recover money.

323

That's not true.

324

She's lying.

325

He was the one who tipped off the media about you. For money.

326

I looked at William who had turned pale as paper.

327

Spill the truth.

328

Now!

329

Fine.

330

I did it and I'm not sorry.

331

How could you choose that peasant over me?

332

I'm royalty.

333

I slapped his face hard.

334

I swear to God, if you say royalty one more time, I will have your sorry butt arrested.

335

Now, if you have an ounce of shame, take your parent and get out.

336

When I reached the palace that night, Mom and Dad were more than apologetic.

337

And it was decided, I'll take the throne with or without the husband.

338

But before that, there was one more thing I had to do.

339

Ruth, I already know.

340

Here's your ticket.

341

Go get him.

342

I hugged her and left immediately for New York and booked the same hotel.

343

When I reached the room, I loosened the sink and asked specifically for Asher.

344

Excuse me?

345

Anyone home?

346

I'm in here.

347

Hand me the screwdriver, please.

348

Ma'am, could you come out, please?

349

Sure.

350

Let me just...

351

Oh!

352

Penny, what are you doing?

353

Get out of there.

354

Are you hurt?

355

Probably not as much as I hurt you.

356

I'm sorry for not trusting you.

357

Ruth told me how William manipulated the situation.

358

I was just paying them to get rid of them.

359

I know that now.

360

So, you think you can forgive me?

361

Or, I'd rather order you since I'm the queen and all, so...

362

Asher pulled me in for a kiss, and it was everything I'd hoped for.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “how a real life princess goes to school”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Asher, William, Ruth. This video has 362 sentences and 3068 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:08. The speaker talks fast, about 190 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
royalty noun	/ˈɹɔɪəlti/	The rank, status, power or authority of a monarch.
annoy verb	/əˈnoɪ̯/	To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds.
ace noun	/ˈeɪ̯s/	A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game.
sink verb	/ˈsɪŋk/	To descend or submerge (or to cause to do so) into a liquid or similar substance.
exhaust verb	/ɪɡˈzɔst/	To draw or let out wholly; to drain completely.
spill verb	/spɪl/	To drop something so that it spreads out or makes a mess; to accidentally pour.
heck	/hɛk/	Hell.
hug verb	/hʌɡ/	To cling closely together.
throne noun	/θɹəʊ̯n/	An impressive seat used by a monarch, often on a raised dais in a throne room and reserved for formal occasions.
scholarship noun	/ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/	A grant-in-aid to a student.
butt noun	/bʌt/	Body; self.
drag verb	/dɹæɡ/	To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.
pound noun	/ˈpaʊ̯nd/	A unit of weight in various measurement systems.
apologetic adjective	/əˌpɑləˈd͡ʒɛtɪk/	Having the character of apology; regretfully excusing.
awkwardly adverb		In an awkward manner; with discomfort or lack of coordination.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
turn around verb		To physically rotate (usually around a vertical axis) for a half turn (180 degrees), a whole turn (360 degrees), or an indefinite amount.
come out verb	/ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/	To be discovered; to be revealed.
figure out verb		To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
find out verb		To discover, as by asking or investigating.
get out verb		To leave or escape.
get out of verb		To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.
check up on verb		To examine or inspect something in order to determine its condition; to check out.
come along verb		To accompany.

Sentences worth repeating

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

Is that why you're here?
Did my parents put you up to this?
If you're done staring, can I leave?
Do you know what would have happened if I didn't see you?
Did he just call me useless?

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 I don't get this right, I'll lose
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has just begun · you've become · I've always liked
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	wasn't even allowed · is hurt · be born
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was screaming · was pushing · was swimming

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 100 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'd, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: throne /θɹəʊ̯n/, thief /ˈθiːf/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: scholarship /ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/, coronation /ˌkɔɹəˈneɪʃ(ə)n/, foolish /ˈfuː.lɪʃ/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, ambitious /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/
Long words — get the stress right: apologetic /əˌpɑləˈd͡ʒɛtɪk/, coronation /ˌkɔɹəˈneɪʃ(ə)n/, manipulate /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/, miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/, violation /ˌvaɪ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like royalty, annoy, ace.

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: how a real life princess goes to school - 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?