Shadowing Practice: I Had To Leave My Toxic Boyfriend - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
in eighth grade me
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45 sentences
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in eighth grade me
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and this one guy we were pretty close friends he asked me out one night
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and i didn't really like him that much
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but in all honesty i did not want to hurt his feelings at all
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so i said yeah and we ended up dating for a pretty long time like a year
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and two months throughout like the last month or
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so of our relationship he was just like kind of mean
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to me he was only mean to me whenever his friends were around really
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so I'm assuming he was just trying to show off
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so we broke up people on like snapchat
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and stuff for texting me like oh why did you
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and this guy break up cuz like it was known all
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around school we were kind of like the power couple of the school
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and so I posted on my story we broke up it was kind of a mutual decision
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but we also broke up because he was kind of mean to me
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and would like make fun of the stuff I liked because I liked pretty nerdy things or whatever.
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I had blocked him at this point.
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So he had responded to that story from his sister's account and he pretty much just like laid it all into me.
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Just like, why would you say stuff like that?
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It's not even true.
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I was like, I only said it because people were asking and yeah, it is true.
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Like I tried to stay civil,
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not try to fight with him.
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He ended up calling me just awful things.
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I was really, really upset with that.
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Like that's kind of the first time anything like that's like happened to me before.
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My ex literally told me that i should kill myself
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and nobody would miss me like i was taken aback obviously
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but i was like wow this dude's trying way too hard at this point
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and when i was walking with my friend we hear him yell to me hey like
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and then his friends started laughing and stuff My name is BJ
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and you know BJ can be short for or whatever
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But the thing that really really messed me up me
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and the same friend from before We were walking in the hallway and we didn't really realize but we were walking
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Right in front of my ex and he had pushed past me
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and like slam his backpack into me
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And at this point I was really mad
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So I grabbed onto his handle on his backpack and I had pulled him really hard and I said,
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What the f*** is wrong with you?
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But that wasn't a good idea because
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that got me pushed into an art display case and then I got knocked onto the ground.
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And that was absolutely awful.
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So I guess that's the story of my awful ex.
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I literally jumped off the cliff and had to swim all the way to shore
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because the dog chased us all the way to the end.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This video provides a relatable context for English learners who want to enhance their speaking skills. The narrator shares a personal experience about leaving a toxic relationship, which introduces essential vocabulary related to emotions, conflict, and relationships. By practicing with this video, learners can engage in conversations about difficult experiences, improving both their fluency and confidence. Additionally, utilizing a shadowing app can help in mimicking the speaker's tone and pacing, crucial for effective communication in real-life situations.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

  • Conditional Phrasing: The use of phrases like "if I said it" indicates conditional statements that express hypothetical situations. This is useful in conversational English when discussing possibilities.
  • Direct Speech: The speaker includes direct quotes from their ex, such as "you should kill yourself," which emphasizes emotional expressions and makes the narrative more impactful. Understanding how to incorporate direct speech can enrich your storytelling ability.
  • Reflective Language: The phrase "I was really mad" serves as a reflective expression that captures the speaker’s emotional state. Practicing reflective language can aid in demonstrating personal feelings in conversations, a critical aspect of English speaking practice.
  • Adverbial Modifiers: Words like "pretty close" and "kind of mean" show how adverbs modify meanings. This usage adds nuance to interactions, allowing you to articulate feelings and opinions more precisely.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you explore this transcript, pay attention to specific words and phrases that could be challenging. For instance, the word "awful" may be pronounced with a strong emphasis on the first syllable, making it sound like "AW-fuhl." Additionally, phrases like "What the f***" incorporate slang and expressions that may not align with formal English but are prevalent in casual dialogue. To improve your pronunciation, engage with shadow speech techniques by mimicking the speaker's intonation and rhythm. This will aid in mastering the subtleties of English spoken by native speakers.

In summary, this video is a rich resource for learners to grasp emotional vocabulary, practice speaking in context, and work on pronunciation—all while engaging in meaningful dialogue about real-life experiences. Utilizing these skills can significantly enhance your performance in scenarios like the IELTS speaking practice, where expressing emotions and personal stories can make a positive impression.

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.

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