Shadowing Practice: I Became a Nanny for a Billionaire - Learn English Speaking with Video
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306 sentences
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1
Hi, my name is Helen.
2
I'm 16, and all my life I've dreamed of being rich.
3
I thought, money solves all problems.
4
If you have a lot of money, you can't help but be happy.
5
At recess, my best friend Bri and I were always glued to our phones watching rich bloggers.
6
I want to be like them.
7
But then, I would go home and come back down to Earth.
8
My dad and I lived in a small apartment.
9
Our kitchen and living room were combined.
10
Dad was always sitting at the table looking miserable.
11
Corporations have replaced humans with robots and don't need ordinary workers anymore.
12
I knew all his speeches by heart.
13
They didn't help him get a job, and we barely made ends meet.
14
That's why I worked part-time as a children's entertainer at a mall.
15
I don't even remember how it started, but in a couple of years, I'd become a real pro.
16
I knew how to distract kids, calm them down, and make them laugh.
17
One day, there was a children's party at the mall.
18
I was running around with small kids when I saw a guy and his parents walk in.
19
It was obvious they were rich.
20
Sam, take a picture with the clowns.
21
We need to show everyone that we are ordinary people who go to the mall like everyone else.
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But Sam, that was the guy's name, threw such a massive fit and made everyone's ears ring.
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I'm not going to demean myself like that.
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I'm not a little kid.
25
He pushed the photographer away and continued to yell.
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Of course, everyone started filming him.
27
Sam's parents were panicking as he kept running around and screaming like someone was making him perform on stage in his underpants.
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I don't know why, but I came over and started to clown around
29
and entertain the guy like I did with moody children.
30
And then silence.
31
He froze and stared at me with such shock that I almost burst out laughing.
32
At least that put an end to his temper tantrum.
33
Oh, thank you so much.
34
You're a lifesaver.
35
He doesn't listen to us anymore.
36
They left, and I didn't think much of that incident.
37
It had nothing to do with me.
38
However, a day later, a man in a suit came to our house.
39
Helen, the entertainment agency gave me your address.
40
It turned out that he worked for Sam's parents.
41
The man begged me to come and talk some sense into Sam, who was losing it again.
42
His parents had an important dinner coming up, but Sam locked himself in his room and kept shouting, I'm not going to have dinner with those boring old geezers.
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His parents didn't know what to do.
44
That's why they found me and offered me a tidy sum if I managed to handle Sam.
45
I came to their mansion and was blown away by the sheer size of it, but I didn't have much time to admire it because Sam was running around his room in dinosaur pajamas,
46
screaming and throwing pillows.
47
At that moment, he looked like a moody five-year-old rather than a rich teenager.
48
At first, I didn't know what to do.
49
But then I turned on my kids' entertainer magic.
50
I bet you wouldn't be able to sit through the dinner and stay quiet.
51
What?
52
Let's make a bet.
53
Whoever speaks first is a booger.
54
I don't know why, but he loved the idea.
55
His parents decided to bring me along to the business dinner.
56
Sam and I spent all evening throwing glances at each other, staying silent, and trying to get each other to talk.
57
After the dinner, Sam's parents were beaming with happiness.
58
I was about to leave when Brie called me.
59
Hey, I'm a bit busy.
60
Gotcha, you've lost.
61
Helen is a booger.
62
Ugh, so childish.
63
But Sam's parents surprised me yet again.
64
Helen, we want to offer you a job as Sam's personal assistant.
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Um, what?
66
Be his nanny.
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They immediately added that they would pay me exceptionally well, and I agreed.
68
The truth is, the first few days were hell.
69
Sam was acting like a child and clearly enjoyed driving me crazy.
70
He would deliberately spill the juice and make me clean it up or yell that he was bored.
71
I wanted to give up, but stayed for the money.
72
One day, we went to the reception at the mayor's office.
73
Sam suddenly decided to put on a show.
74
He grabbed a spoon and started to clink glasses with it, demanding attention.
75
What are you doing?
76
You're not my mother.
77
I barely managed to calm him down.
78
A couple of days after that, Sam was supposed to make a speech on stage at an important event at school.
79
Helen, make sure everything goes smoothly.
80
Everything was going well at first, but five minutes before Sam was supposed to go on stage, he burst into tears.
81
I'll forget my words.
82
I'll embarrass myself.
83
Everyone will laugh at me.
84
At first, I froze.
85
I realized that if we didn't go on stage, all would be lost.
86
Sam, listen.
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I'll be in the wings, and I'll help you if you forget your words.
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All you need to do is look at me.
89
It worked.
90
Whenever he stumbled, I would gesture from behind the curtain to prompt him.
91
When Sam finished, the audience even applauded him.
92
His parents beamed like he had just won the Nobel Prize.
93
Over time, I learned how to best handle Sam.
94
All those years of working with moody kids at the mall came in handy.
95
Sam's parents noticed it and raised my salary.
96
Then they got another idea.
97
Alan, transfer to Sam's school.
98
He needs you close.
99
They bought me a new phone, bunch of fancy clothes, and they said they'd pay for everything.
100
I agreed.
101
That's how I entered their world.
102
A private pool, a home gym, restaurant food every day.
103
I felt rich for the first time ever, and I liked it.
104
I was finally living the life I dreamed of when I watched bloggers' videos with Bree.
105
When I came home in the evenings, I saw something completely different.
106
Once, Dad was asleep when I came back.
107
An old board game and canned beans were on the table.
108
I realized that it was Thursday.
109
We always played board games and had beans on Thursday, but I forgot and missed it.
110
I'd been too busy eating shrimp tempura in Sam's hot tub instead.
111
As I looked at Dad, I felt sorry for him, but I couldn't be in two places at once.
112
Meanwhile, I couldn't stop wondering why Sam was the way he was.
113
16, but acting like a little kid.
114
And then, I started noticing that his parents weren't actually involved in his life.
115
They were either busy working or bribed him with gifts.
116
It was easier for them to hire someone than to talk to their own son.
117
He's not going to go far.
118
Sam will always be a child.
119
We don't expect anything from him.
120
I felt bad for Sam and decided to try and change him.
121
Of course, at first, felt like trying to teach a cat how to solve equations.
122
Sam, why don't you clean up your room?
123
He just threw more things on the floor.
124
Look, this is the latest chaos design.
125
Next, I tried to teach him how to cook.
126
Let's fry eggs.
127
He put half a bowl of sugar into the pan and said, the chefs will do a better job anyway.
128
I wanted to bang my head on the table, but didn't give up.
129
Sam wasn't my only problem at the time.
130
Since I was now going to his school, I almost stopped seeing Bree.
131
You completely forgot about me.
132
Do you have a rich boyfriend now?
133
Sam is not my boyfriend.
134
He is a human disaster.
135
My friend didn't believe me, and we had a huge fight.
136
Things at home weren't any better.
137
What have you been up to lately?
138
You're never home.
139
Well, I can't make any money sitting here, can I?
140
I'm working to provide for us.
141
You should get a job too, instead of whining about robots.
142
The way he looked at me made my heart clench.
143
Helen, you've changed.
144
All you care about is money.
145
I left and slammed the door because I didn't know what to say.
146
Things weren't going smoothly at my new school either.
147
My classmates found out that I was Sam's nanny and made fun of him for it.
148
Hey, Helen, it's time to change the baby's diapers.
149
Sam, did she puree your soup?
150
Or are you eating solid foods already?
151
Someone also drew us on the smart board.
152
In the drawing, I was pushing a stroller with baby Sam sucking on a pacifier.
153
Sam was furious when he saw it, but didn't say anything.
154
One day after gym class, our classmates decided to prank us and broke the locks in our lockers.
155
We couldn't get our money or phones, so all we were left with was our sports uniforms.
156
I'll try to open it.
157
It won't work.
158
While we were fighting with our lockers, the classes came to an end and everyone went home.
159
It was raining so hard it felt like the world was coming to an end.
160
Great, now we're stuck here until tomorrow.
161
You want to stay at school at night?
162
No way.
163
We tried to leave, but all the doors had been locked.
164
At that moment, I fell apart a bit.
165
Dang it, why did I agree to this?
166
You're whining like a kid.
167
Come on, I've got an idea.
168
Sam led me through some back rooms and we soon found a small open window.
169
We walked home in the rain and got soaked through.
170
Okay, the truth is, I've been acting like a child on purpose.
171
What?
172
I don't care what people think of me.
173
My goal was to make my parents mad.
174
It was like Sam turned into a different person, a normal guy who was serious and a bit angry.
175
He admitted that he resented his parents because they were always busy and didn't care about him.
176
The only way to get them to notice me is to throw endless tantrums.
177
You could have told me.
178
After that, Sam changed.
179
He no longer put on any shows or threw tantrums around me.
180
I could even say that we became friends.
181
One day, Sam asked me for something.
182
Helen, show me what your life's like.
183
Oh, it's nothing interesting.
184
Our apartment is tiny and my friends can only afford pizza.
185
But he insisted and I had to agree.
186
I brought him to my old school and introduced him to my former classmates.
187
Sam enjoyed it.
188
Mama Mia!
189
Why is it so delicious?
190
Are you serious?
191
Then we came to my friend's party.
192
Sam sat with us in the dirtiest cafe in the neighborhood, listened to our stupid jokes and laughed harder than anyone else.
193
He loved it there.
194
After that, I showed him the mall I used to work at.
195
I want to try it.
196
You want to work as a children's entertainer?
197
Of course I do.
198
Everyone will pay attention to me.
199
Sam loved the simple things in life so much it got me thinking.
200
I never paid attention to how much I had.
201
I had a dad who loved me, even though he was mad at me at the moment.
202
We had our nights where we played board games and ate canned beans.
203
I had friends who didn't care if I was broke.
204
That was what happiness was all about.
205
I started to notice new things about Sam's mansion.
206
The staff there were always smiling, but their eyes looked angry.
207
The students at Sam's school turned out to be hypocrites, too.
208
When they thought I was rich, they tried to get close to me, but as soon as they found out I came from a poor family, they even stopped saying hello to me.
209
Sam, on the other hand, fit into my world perfectly.
210
He got along with my friends, hung out with them a lot, and even got a job as an entertainer at the mall.
211
Funny, isn't it?
212
But one day, it all came to an end.
213
That day, Sam's parents organized a huge reception at their mansion.
214
They invited rich, important people.
215
Everything was impeccable.
216
Then, Sam got on a table.
217
You are all insatiable.
218
Nothing is ever enough for you.
219
Real life is not about your cars or watches.
220
I almost fell over.
221
He talked for a long time.
222
His parents were pale as ghosts.
223
The guests were shocked.
224
It was a huge scandal.
225
Helen, this is all your fault.
226
You're a bad influence on our son.
227
You're fired.
228
That's how my rich life fell apart in a single moment.
229
Only a day ago, I had been sitting by the pool and eating sushi, and today I was back in my tiny room that had paint peeling off the walls.
230
For a few days, I walked around in a daze.
231
At first, I was ashamed of myself.
232
Then I felt sad and finally calm.
233
I spent more time at home again and dad forgave me.
234
You're still my daughter.
235
I'm glad you're home.
236
I got a job working as an entertainer at the shopping mall again.
237
At first, it felt like I was going backwards, but then I realized I miss those kids.
238
Their laughter and even their tantrums.
239
Everything fell into place after that.
240
Bree and I made up after I came up to her and apologized.
241
We can watch our favorite rich bloggers again.
242
However, I had changed on the inside.
243
I no longer believed that money guaranteed happiness.
244
It was the simple things that brought me joy.
245
Sam was the one who made me realize that, a couple of days later, someone knocked on our door.
246
Hi, I'm rebelling, and I ran away from home.
247
Can I stay with you?
248
I hesitated.
249
To be honest, I wanted to say no. I can pay, and I have nowhere else to go.
250
Sam moved in with us and dragged me into new adventures.
251
He had so many ideas.
252
For example, I'd always wanted to go to an IMAX cinema, but couldn't bring myself to buy the expensive tickets.
253
Sam took an old projector and a bed sheet, brought them up to our roof and called our neighbors.
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We had an open-air screening and it was a hundred times better than any cinema experience.
255
Everyone brought food, laughed, and discussed the movie.
256
The atmosphere was amazing.
257
Why is he here?
258
You traded me for a billionaire again.
259
I didn't want to fight and simply introduced her to Sam.
260
To my surprise, Sam said he wanted to transfer to our school.
261
Are you serious?
262
There are no pools or delicacies there.
263
That's even better.
264
Of course, he needed his parents' permission first.
265
Sam asked my dad to pretend to be his father.
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He even forged some papers.
267
And it worked.
268
He was accepted.
269
Can you believe it?
270
Sam quickly built rapport with my dad.
271
They would hang out together and discuss business in the evenings.
272
I hadn't seen my dad so animated in a while.
273
After a couple of days, he even went to work.
274
I looked at the two of them and didn't recognize them.
275
Sam suddenly grew up.
276
All he needed was a push, and he got it.
277
Of course, it didn't last long.
278
A few days later, Sam's parents showed up at our door.
279
Son, come home.
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We can talk about this.
281
They even tried to convince me to become his nanny again.
282
I don't want to be rich anymore.
283
And Sam is no longer a child.
284
He's got this.
285
I wasn't angry when I said that.
286
Sam thanked me and returned home a changed man.
287
I carried on with my life, except now I liked it.
288
I was working as an entertainer and enjoying every moment.
289
I liked the children, their laughter, such a joys like that.
290
I even wondered if I wanted to be a teacher after graduating.
291
Brie and I were hanging out again, even though she still dreamed of being rich.
292
I tried to explain to her that money wouldn't make her happy.
293
You only say that because you haven't truly lived in the lap of luxury yet.
294
Dad changed too.
295
Now he worked instead of whining.
296
I need to show what I'm capable of.
297
Sam, Sam was still a part of my life.
298
We stayed in touch.
299
Sometimes he came over and sometimes we hang out with my friends.
300
One day, he suddenly asked me out on a date.
301
I no longer saw him as that kid who yelled at his parents in dinosaur pajamas.
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Now he looked like a guy I could imagine dating.
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So I said yes.
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The people and moments that make you happy are infinitely more important than money.
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Sam realized that being rich doesn't mean you can avoid growing up.
306
Only having responsibilities makes people grow up.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 306 sentences and 2866 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:10. The speaker talks fast, about 235 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mall noun | /mɔːl/ | A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct. |
| happiness noun | /ˈhæpinɪs/ | The emotion of being happy; joy; elation. |
| mansion noun | /ˈmæn.ʃən/ | A large luxurious house or building, usually built for the wealthy. |
| bean noun | /ˈbi(ː)n/ | Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods. |
| blogger noun | /ˈblɔ.ɡəɹ/ | A contributor to a blog (from weblog) or online journal. |
| yell verb | /jɛl/ | To shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice, especially to express intense emotions such as anger or excitement. |
| moody adjective | /ˈmuːdi/ | Given to sudden or frequent changes of mind; temperamental. |
| shock noun | /ʃɔk/ | A sudden, heavy impact. |
| ordinary adjective | /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/ | Having regular jurisdiction; now only used in certain phrases. |
| solve verb | /sɒlv/ | To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out. |
| robot noun | /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ | An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal. |
| reception noun | /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃn̩/ | The act of receiving. |
| cinema noun | /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/ | A movie theatre, a movie house. |
| burst verb | /bɜːst/ | To break from internal pressure. |
| beam noun | /ˈbiːm/ | Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
| run around verb | To be very busy doing many different things. |
| blow away verb | To cause to go away by blowing, or by wind. |
| burst out verb | To appear suddenly from within something else. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 74 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: mansion /ˈmæn.ʃən/, shock /ʃɔk/, reception /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃn̩/, sheet /ʃit/, luxury /ˈlʌk.ʃə.ɹi/
- Long words — get the stress right: ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/, photographer /fəˈtɑ.ɡɹə.fɚ/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/, deliberately /dɪˈlɪb.(ə.)ɹət.li/
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 mall, happiness, mansion.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were always glued · were combined · was blown |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've dreamed · have replaced · you've lost |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who go · guy who was · friends who didn |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was always sitting · was running · were panicking |
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.