Shadowing Practice: How Do You Heal From Trauma? | Unfiltered Stories - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
201 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hi, my name is Cameron Michael
2
and I am here today to tell my boyfriend Nicholas how my past traumas
3
and experiences have been poorly affecting me in our relationship today.
4
In the past, I was definitely not treated well by men, either in relationships or just men in my life.
5
I have been abused sexually by a man.
6
I just kind of always accepted that that's how it was.
7
And I always knew that I deserved better and wanted better
8
and now finally dating Nicholas I have gotten that
9
and he's an amazing boyfriend
10
But what's weird is I feel like I'm inadequate at times I'm worried
11
that now that I am finally receiving the love
12
that I've always wanted to receive
13
that I feel like I'm not good enough for it I feel like
14
if I mess up or if I'm imperfect in any way
15
that I maybe won't deserve him and that he will leave
16
So my secret is
17
that I don't feel like I deserve good love I'm scared to tell him that I actually don't feel sufficient enough.
18
I feel like there's a lot of other women
19
and men in relationships similar to mine where they are finally accepting good love but feel like they don't deserve it.
20
And I really wanted to maybe help some other people, give guidance, or maybe even just have them feel like they're not alone in this.
21
We are boyfriend and girlfriend and we've been dating for about nine months now.
22
We've met on Instagram.
23
Shout out to IG.
24
Shout out to Instagram.
25
He's a photographer and I was modeling at the time.
26
I wanted to do a photo shoot with her pretty much straight off the bat.
27
She was my type.
28
I didn't like him at first.
29
Oh.
30
We were just friends for like at least a month.
31
I thought that he was too good to be true, so I was like, there must be something wrong with him.
32
I was like, he's too nice, he's too funny, and too sweet to be like, normal.
33
So there must be something wrong.
34
Our first date was actually at this sushi spot.
35
When you shoved chopsticks up your nose on the first date.
36
See, this is where I thought that we were gonna be friends only, so I was like, oh, it's okay, I can be weird and shoved chopsticks up my nose.
37
That's what made me really, really like you.
38
Aw, that was a selling point.
39
That was a selling point, yes. Where do I start?
40
Well, I wanted to come here with you today because there's something that I haven't told you, even though we talk a lot about this kind of stuff.
41
As you know, I've been through some things in the past, past traumas, other bad relationships,
42
and I had never been fully treated right by a man, obviously other than my father, but in a romantic way until you.
43
And as you know, I'm so grateful for that.
44
But it's kind of affected me poorly in ways that I never had expected.
45
I know that I've struggled with self-worth in the past after my molestation as a kid.
46
I feel like I've overcome that a lot.
47
I've really worked on it a lot, like I've told you before.
48
I can totally see that you've worked on it.
49
I have.
50
But it's just like therapists and people always told me that after going through trauma like that,
51
that you will continue maybe to meet other men that aren't going to treat you very well.
52
Just after you accept that once, you keep accepting it.
53
But now that I'm with somebody that treats me amazingly, and now that I'm with you, and I am not, like, prepared for it, I feel like.
54
I got you.
55
You're so worthy.
56
Even though I tell you that, you might not think that of yourself, that you're so worth my time, my energy.
57
You're just worth spending time with, and I enjoy every second of it.
58
Thank you.
59
I just wanted to, like, be open and tell you about it, just because it helps me to have you know.
60
You know you can tell me anything.
61
I know.
62
In my other relationships, I always felt like I deserved better than them, just because they, even some of them, weren't horrible people.
63
You know, I'm not going to say that all my exes were bad, but I always felt a lack of love and a lack of care and a lack of support there.
64
People always have told me, told me, oh, you deserve somebody who treats you amazingly.
65
And I accepted that, and I was like, yeah, you're right.
66
And now that I'm here with somebody who does treat me amazingly, it's like I'm so unused to it.
67
And it's so different from anything I've experienced
68
that it's like kind of causing me to trip up and feel things that I've never felt before,
69
caused by probably my traumas in the past and just insecurities and anxieties.
70
Does that molestation affect anything?
71
It's hard to tell how much it does, but I mean, I was pretty young too, so it's pretty much like formed me to who I am now.
72
And you know, at a young age when that's happened to you, you kind of accept that men, you know, can have their way and abuse you and mistreat you.
73
And even though you overcome it and you rise above it
74
and you realize that that's not the case and
75
that you're gonna stand up to anyone that tries to do anything similar to you,
76
it makes you feel like an object and like something that has value solely based in perfection or beauty or sexiness.
77
And it's really something
78
that I've realized has been affecting me in this relationship where you deserve to have a woman that's like that, beautiful and amazing and sexy all the time.
79
If you were perfect, then to me that's not so perfect.
80
I don't want you to be perfect.
81
I love your imperfections, your little imperfections.
82
I just worry that like some of my imperfections might not be perfect for you, you know?
83
Like what?
84
Do you mind explaining?
85
When we're on set or when we bicker, it's usually because I'm trying to control things or have OCD symptoms going on.
86
I sometimes wonder how much of that you can handle.
87
Well, I wonder the same thing too.
88
How much can you handle when I do the same thing to you?
89
Really?
90
Yeah.
91
Well, I can handle a lot.
92
I can handle a lot too.
93
I think it balances out.
94
There's kind of something wrong if you're acting too sweet the whole time.
95
But like what
96
if I'm having a bad phase where it's really hard for me to move past the anxiety of messiness
97
or not having a hold on everything in my life?
98
I know that that affects you negatively at times.
99
Not negatively.
100
I understand.
101
We talk about it.
102
And sometimes you just need your space.
103
I think I either should ask you if you want to talk or if you don't want to, that's fine.
104
I know you'll come to me at some point.
105
It's just about like communication.
106
Yeah.
107
I can tell when you're not feeling 100% yourself.
108
I don't know if it's your facial expressions or the way you're moving, but I just, I can tell when something's like quit a little bit off.
109
You're not like 100% the Cameron Michael.
110
I want to help, but I know that you need your space at the same time.
111
Are you shocked by what I told you or does it make sense?
112
I'm a little shocked but yet it does make sense.
113
It's funky because I do feel like I distance myself
114
and I get quiet and I push you away but at the same time that's like when I need you the closest.
115
I get that.
116
It's really very contradictory.
117
You know obviously I come off as a confident person
118
and I like to have people think that I'm confident because I am sometimes.
119
I just feel like a lot of the time though I'm not
120
and I'm afraid that if you see that I'm a fairly insecure person a lot of the time.
121
I don't want you to see me as somebody that thinks they're unattractive or somebody that thinks that they're less than worthy.
122
I do push you away because I feel like maybe
123
if I'm around you more and if I keep acting poorly around you, then the more you're going to see my flaws and that I don't want that, so I'd rather have you at a distance.
124
But then at the same time, I need you to give me love and support
125
and help me to get to a better phase and to get to a better mindset.
126
Since my childhood trauma, I've kind of built up walls around myself.
127
And a lot of the time I've put on a really strong front so that people don't see, you know, what's going on behind the wall.
128
I like people to think that I'm confident because I feel that I have more worth when I'm a confident, strong person.
129
And that when I drop that wall and when I show the insecurity and the vulnerability that it makes me weaker.
130
I mean, being confident 24-7 is pretty difficult to do.
131
You're not the only one experiencing this.
132
Like, your parents have been together for 37 years.
133
They know each other's flaws, and you can't just hide it for your whole life.
134
At some point, it's gonna happen.
135
Like, we're gonna talk about something, and then we're gonna find out something new about each other.
136
You can't just hide it.
137
I know, but there's still fear surrounding showing that to you.
138
I get that.
139
Yeah.
140
When I see you not fully confident or insecure, I kind of feel how you feel in a way.
141
I guess like this is kind of like where my fear about talking to you about this comes from.
142
Do you feel like I'm less valuable to you when I'm insecure?
143
Less valuable?
144
Not at all.
145
I still love you just as much.
146
It's not like, I love you a little less when you're insecure, not at all.
147
In fact, I want to love you even more.
148
It just, it kind of hurts me to see you that way.
149
And I want to help you, but I don't know if you're ready to talk about it yet.
150
So it's not that you're hiding anything from me, it's just, are you ready to talk about it?
151
I never mean for it to be like a secret, it's more of like something that I want to be ready to talk about with you.
152
You know, obviously there's not much that you can like do or say that's gonna change it and that's okay, it's just like having you know that and be aware of it and you telling me,
153
you know, that it's okay to show that to you, it just helps a lot.
154
So I guess all
155
that I ask for you is just keep doing what you're
156
doing everyone talks a lot about you know you really deserve somebody
157
that treats you right and that loves you and supports you properly
158
but they don't talk about how sometimes when you're not used to receiving
159
that how difficult it can be to receive it and
160
if I can in any way help somebody that's feeling the same way
161
that I am or that you are I mean that I would just make this so much better.
162
Not only am I being helped and is our relationship being helped, but others as well.
163
So glad that you told me that today.
164
And I hope in the future you tell me what's on your mind and let me know if I'm doing anything wrong.
165
And if I'm not, just tell me.
166
And then I'll be there for you whenever you need me.
167
Thank you for being receptive. Of course.
168
Appreciate it.
169
I love you.
170
I love you more.
171
Come here.
172
I love you so much.
173
Oh, my goodness.
174
I was not prepared for that.
175
Honestly, like, the biggest thing I'm feeling right now is just, like, relief.
176
And I just feel so much better having, like, gotten it off my chest and opened up.
177
Hearing how receptive he was and how sweet and supportive is, like, it's quite amazing.
178
I didn't expect anything different, to be honest, because Nicholas is wonderful.
179
But sometimes it can shock you, like, how many people will love and support you when you're going through something that you wouldn't expect.
180
And that's really why I came here today to share this with you guys
181
because I don't want to just help myself in my relationship with Nicholas, but if anyone else is keeping something in that they're feeling,
182
whether it's involving mental health or something that they need to get off their chest, I just really want to encourage people to share that
183
and to open up because you will be shocked by how many people will love and support you through it.
184
And sometimes all you need is just to feel a little less alone in what you're experiencing, what you're feeling.
185
Sometimes there's no big cure for anything except for conversation.
186
And today that's really how I felt what I was sharing and talking with Nicholas about.
187
It's not something that I think is going to be cured, but something that is going to be helped by open discussion and by feeling supported.
188
And I hope that I can do the same for him as well.
189
And all I want to do now is just keep living
190
and loving him and supporting him and helping him to feel better as well.
191
Mental health is one of those things that people don't like to talk about a lot but everyone struggles with.
192
And if there's one thing that we can achieve today, it's to destigmatize that and make that more normal.
193
I want this to be something that everyone can talk about with their friends without feeling ashamed or embarrassed.
194
I mean earlier today I was feeling nervous
195
and embarrassed about what I was going to share
196
and as soon as I did I just felt so much comfort
197
and love and support and it's This is not something
198
that we should hide away from it's something
199
that we should walk into grateful And if there's one thing
200
that I can give you guys from my story that I shared with Nicholas today It's that you're not alone.
201
Thank you so much and I love you
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
📺 Same Channel
✨ Recommend Video
B21
188 sentences
relationships are hard.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
327 sentences
TikTok’s Cutest Relationship Was a Nightmare
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C11
33 sentences
No 1
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
883 sentences
for ambitious women: how to let go of perfectionism & build your dream life ft. Gaby Ulloa
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
146 sentences
he's not the one
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
67 sentences
16 Personalities' Inner Monologues When They Like Someone
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
45 sentences
Kristen Bell Explains There Is No Shame In Feeling Anxiety & Depression
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
402 sentences
reddit stories and minecraft to watch while you're doing something else
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
31 sentences
He made me feel safe. Then the abuse began #shorts #abuse #redflags
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
177 sentences
Justin Bieber's Powerful Testimony: How Jesus Saved Me
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
530 sentences
The Evolution of Boris & Jessica | Couples Therapy
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 201 sentences and 2474 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:12. The speaker talks fast, about 203 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 86% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| trauma noun | /ˈtɹɔm.ə/ | Any injury to the body of a living thing. |
| shock noun | /ʃɔk/ | A sudden, heavy impact. |
| insecure adjective | /ɪnsəˈkjʊɹ/ | Not secure. |
| poorly adverb | /ˈpʊɹ.li/ | In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort. |
| amazingly adverb | /əˈmeɪzɪŋli/ | In an amazing manner; in a way that causes amazement; wonderfully. |
| anxiety noun | /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/ | An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event. |
| grateful adjective | /ˈɡɹeɪtf(ə)l/ | Of a person or their actions, feelings, etc.: expressing gratitude or appreciation; appreciative, thankful. |
| cure verb | /kjɔː/ | To restore to health. |
| worthy adjective | /ˈwɝ.ði/ | Having worth, merit, or value. |
| overcome verb | /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/ | To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of. |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| embarrassed adjective | /ɪmˈbæɹ.əst/ | Having a feeling of shameful discomfort. |
| negatively adverb | In a negative manner; so as to be damaging or not positive. | |
| shove verb | /ʃʌv/ | To push, especially roughly or with force. |
| flaw noun | /flɔ/ | A crack or breach, a gap or fissure; a defect of continuity or cohesion. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| open up verb | To open. |
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. |
| come off verb | To become detached. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| get off verb | To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it. |
| mess up verb | To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss. |
| stand up to verb | To object to or interfere with the actions of (someone seen as bullying, pushy, or controlling). |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | we've been dating · has been affecting |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have been · have been abused · have gotten |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was definitely not treated · have been abused · being helped |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | somebody who treats · somebody who does |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 98 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: worthy /ˈwɝ.ði/, therapist /ˈθɛɹəpɪst/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shock /ʃɔk/, shout /ʃaʊt/, shove /ʃʌv/, sufficient /səˈfɪʃənt/, facial /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: amazingly /əˈmeɪzɪŋli/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, photographer /fəˈtɑ.ɡɹə.fɚ/, inadequate /ɪnˈædəkwɪt/, vulnerability /ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪlɪti/
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 trauma, shock, insecure.
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.