Shadowing Practice: I have 2 identities - Learn English Speaking with Video

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258 sentences

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Hi, I'm Zelda from Michigan.

Before I continue with my story, please like and subscribe.

My brain works a little differently than most people's.

When I was in preschool, I thought it was a good kind of different.

I was already teaching myself to read and do math.

I also had a perfect memory.

I could point and remind my parents where certain stores and markets were.

I even helped them remember long Wi -Fi passwords.

But once I got to first grade, I noticed something was off about me.

Every time I talked to someone, they acted like I'd said something weird.

One time, Mom invited a friend of hers over, and I started asking her questions I was curious about.

How'd you get that bald spot?

Have you ever gotten pregnant?

Do you ever pee in what I was saying and left dinner early.

Mom was super embarrassed and Dad tried to tell me that my questions were rude and too personal.

Next time you meet someone for the first time, ask questions like "Where are you from?

What's your job?" Dad gave me a bunch of example questions I could ask, but soon I learned I didn't know how to act around people at all.

And whenever I tried to make friends, I just ended up annoying them, whether I talked too In 10th grade,

I got used to not having friends.

Zelda's like a robot.

What planet did that weirdo come from?

So instead, I studied super hard and became number one in my class.

I won tons of science fairs and awards for school projects.

My whole life was books and homework.

Then one day, something happened totally out of the blue.

Skyler, the most popular guy at school, asked me out.

"It's so fun being in biology class with you.

You're funny and interesting and, hands down, the smartest person I know." I had no idea how to answer, but from that day on, Skyler treated me like a queen.

He bought me jewelry and roses and always wanted to be my lab partner.

Two weeks later, we started dating,

and everyone was super She's gonna ruin him socially.

We were the talk of the school.

Every day, I ask Skylar why he chose me out of all the girls he could have dated.

And he always told me the same thing.

You're different, Zelda.

I like that about you.

Why don't you believe me?

I tried to take Skylar for his word.

So on his birthday, I planned a huge surprise for him.

I googled how to write a love poem.

I spent hours thinking of the most romantic things I could tell Skylar.

Finally, the day arrived.

I brought speakers to school and stood up on a cafeteria table.

Today is my amazing boyfriend's birthday.

Skylar babe, I've written you a poem, as a token of my love.

Your eyes are like starlight, your skin's pale as moonlight.

My sweet Skylar, I went on and on and bowed when I finished.

That's when everyone burst out laughing.

I looked to Skylar, but he was heading out of the cafeteria.

I ran to catch up with him.

Babe, why did you leave?

Don't you love the poem?

I don't get it.

Why did you read it to the whole school?

That was the most embarrassing moment of my life.

Why?

'Cause you're embarrassed of our love?

Embarrassed of me?

That's not what I said.

God, why are you so stupid, Zelda?

Everyone was right about you.

Skylar walked off angrily, and tears filled my eyes.

Why didn't I just.. put the poem in his locker or something.

or read it to him on a date.

I was so sick of being a chronic moron.

I came home early that day from school.

My parents were working in the living room.

Then suddenly, the house started shaking.

We were having an earthquake.

Within a few hours, half of our house was destroyed.

And the next day, the earthquake was all over the news.

Then, all of a sudden, my picture popped up on the TV screen with my first and last name.

And next to last seen yesterday evening after the earthquake.

Uh, Mom?

Dad?

What are they talking about?

I-- I don't know.

What kind of mistake is this?

"The reporters must be talking about another girl !" and used Zelda's picture.

My parents rushed to the computer in their bedroom to Google my apparent "missing report."

But when I checked social media on my phone, I saw I had thousands of notifications.

Kids from school had posted everywhere online how worried they were about me, and how amazing I was.

Best of all, Skylar had posted about me saying he prayed they'd find me.

I'd gone from being totally alone to the most loved person overnight.

Before I knew what I was doing, I walked to my parents' room.

We can't tell anyone this story is fake.

Look what everyone's saying about me.

They love me, for once!

I have to hide in this house and pretend to be missing.

Zelda, that's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

It's not crazy.

My life is hell!

I deserve to have people appreciate me for once.

Pretending to go missing is the only way I can have that.

My parents argued with me for hours.

Then suddenly, we heard a bunch of neighbors outside our door.

I ran to hide in the closet while my parents answered the door.

The neighbors showered them with sympathy.

You two are going through so much with Zelda missing and your home almost ruined.

100

Let us help you out.

101

We'll give donations to repair the damage to your home.

102

I overheard the neighbors offer thousands of dollars in donations.

103

It sounded like enough to pay for the damage.

104

I guess that's why I overheard my parents agree, and why later they told me they were in on my plan.

105

I hid in the basement all day while reporters and journalists came to our house.

106

I was glued to my phone, as more posts about me flooded my newsfeed.

107

Half of them were from Skylar.

108

He was mourning me.

109

I found an old mask in my closet.

110

I dressed all in black and took the bus to school.

111

Skylar was probably crying about me.

112

I had to see it for myself.

113

I walked around the courtyard to see Skylar sitting on the bleachers with his friends.

114

I hid under the steps.

115

Poor Zelda's still missing.

116

Maybe she's writing me another love poem.

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My sweet Skylar, your eyes are like starlight.

118

I told you guys I could get that weirdo to date me for two months.

119

Now pay up.

120

$200 each.

121

I watched in horror as all of Skyler's friend gave him $200.

122

My head was spinning, and I had to keep from crying.

123

I ran from the bleachers and wandered the street for hours.

124

Of course Skyler had never liked me.

125

Instead, he dated me as a joke. For money.

126

I decided then I wasn't going to let Skylar get away with it.

127

The next morning, I started to walk out of the door with my mask on.

128

I was going to find Skylar and let him have it.

129

Zelda, why are you carrying your school backpack?

130

You're not leaving the house, are you?

131

I'm wearing a mask.

132

No one will know it's me.

133

That's ridiculous.

134

You could get this whole family in trouble.

135

This going missing scheme was your idea.

136

I'm still allowed to leave the house.

137

I'm not going to stay cooped up in my room forever. or not.

138

"Zelda, wait.

139

If you're going in disguise, let's at least make it believable.

140

I'll help give you a little makeover." But in the end, we didn't just do a makeover.

141

I decided to completely transform myself.

142

I got a whole new wardrobe, fake eyebrows, eyelashes, and a black wig.

143

But I covered all of it up with a mask and hoodie.

144

When I got to school, a couple of kids approached me wondering who I was.

145

"Uh, are you new here?" "Why are you wearing a mask?" "Because I like wearing masks.

146

I'm like a mugger." at me, bro !" The kids walked away quickly, and I was glad.

147

All I could think about was Skylar.

148

I followed him around the whole day, hiding under stairs and even sneaking into the boys' bathroom.

149

But Skylar just seemed like his normal, popular self.

150

Just a hot guy who'd rejected a dork like me.

151

Maybe I was the problem, not Skylar.

152

Then suddenly, I saw Skylar in the alleyway, smoking giant backpack.

153

I paid you 50 bucks to date that emo girl.

154

You should have paid me a thousand bucks to date that freak.

155

It hit me.

156

Skylar was in a gang.

157

I wasn't the only girl he'd bet on for money.

158

Their backpack was full of loose bills and even some gold jewelry.

159

They were stealing, too.

160

I ran away before anyone could see me.

161

When I got to the cafeteria, all the girls stared at me and started whispering,

162

"That girl's probably wearing a mask and a mask too if I had an ugly face.

163

I felt my skin boil.

164

I'd been this school freak my whole life.

165

I wasn't gonna let it happen again.

166

With that, I unzipped my hoodie to reveal my black dress and black wig.

167

I took off my mask and tossed it to the ground.

168

I could feel all the kids in the cafeteria turn their heads in my direction.

169

And finally, at the corner lunch table, I saw Skylar.

170

He waved me over.

171

Hey there.

172

You new here?

173

Because I think I would have remembered seeing someone as pretty as you.

174

I decided to hang out with Skylar the whole day.

175

I wanted to know everything he'd been up to.

176

All of a sudden, Skylar turned red, and he was dead silent.

177

Had I said something?

178

Had I blown my cover?

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Z, I gotta tell you something.

180

I'm a mess.

181

I've reached rock bottom, especially after I lost my girlfriend.

182

She's missing.

183

I don't think they'll ever find her.

184

Only a girl like you will help me get better.

185

Can you be my girlfriend?

186

Sure.

187

I'll be your girlfriend.

188

Skylar and I spent the entire week together.

189

He could have won the Academy Award for leading a double

190

life he took me on romantic beach walks into crazy expensive restaurants Skylar was sweeter than he ever was when we dated.

191

Then one day, I got really sick and couldn't leave my bed for days.

192

I barely checked my phone and didn't talk to Skylar at all.

193

When I was well enough, I checked online and saw no one had posted about me going missing the past few days.

194

And when I went back to school, I didn't hear my name once.

195

I was waiting in line at lunch next to a couple of girls.

196

I decided to bring the new story up. So?

197

People still remember that missing girl Zelda, right?

198

What missing girl?

199

That missing girl Zelda from the news?

200

She's probably missing for good.

201

What reminded you of her anyway?

202

For once in my life, I couldn't speak.

203

Everyone had forgotten about me.

204

Just like that.

205

People loved me and celebrated me for a bit.

206

And then it was over.

207

I couldn't think straight.

208

I searched the school to go find Skylar.

209

And when I did, he was kissing another girl.

210

That's when I totally lost it.

211

I sprung onto Skylar and tackled him to the ground.

212

You're a cheat.

213

You're a fraud.

214

You're a liar.

215

Skylar tried to fight me off and crowds of kids gathered around us.

216

Get off me, you psycho!

217

You're not going anywhere until you tell the truth.

218

Until you tell everyone here that you're in a gang and you break girls' hearts for money!

219

I pinned Skylar to the ground and he started to cry.

220

Okay, fine.

221

I'm in a gang where people pay us to date girls as a joke or for revenge.

222

We've also stolen money and expensive jewelry.

223

Everyone gasped and started whispering.

224

Some girls Skylar had dated began to cry.

225

else genius if you had actually cared about me you would have been able to recognize

226

that i'm not zi i'm zelda your old girlfriend

227

that you dated for a bet with

228

that i took off my wig zelda what what is happening

229

right now i was never missing okay i hid in my bedroom

230

and lied about it for attention i wanted to feel loved

231

and appreciated for once in my life but it doesn't matter because everyone girl.

232

Kids had gathered all around the courtyard and had heard everything.

233

Some of them were laughing, others were whispering, but wherever I went, I could feel stares.

234

My secret was out and posted everywhere online.

235

I was getting attention again, except bad attention this time.

236

Everyone thought I was a heartless witch, and they were right.

237

How could I do something so selfish?

238

All of a sudden, I saw my parents walking towards me.

239

Someone had called them.

240

Kids started pointing at me.

241

You know what?

242

I get it.

243

I messed up.

244

I'm sorry, okay?

245

I wish I didn't care so much about what everyone thought of me.

246

But I want to be better.

247

And the truth is, I like who I am, even with all my weirdness and my problems.

248

I need to remind myself of that.

249

But both my parents hugged me.

250

"You did the right thing by admitting your mistake, sweetie.

251

And we're sorry we agreed to let you do this.

252

We should have been the responsible ones.

253

We promise we'll always be there for you.

254

And we want you to know we're proud of you.

255

We love you, Zelda.

256

Thanks guys.

257

I needed to hear that.

258

I love you too.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “I have 2 identities”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Skylar, missing, zelda, mask, parents. This video has 258 sentences and 2329 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:26. The speaker talks at a natural 173 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
mask noun	/mæsk/	A cover, or partial cover, for the face, used for disguise or protection.
poem noun	/ˈpoʊ.əm/	A literary piece written in verse.
cafeteria noun	/ˌkæ.fə.ˈtɪ(ə).ɹi.ə/	A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
whisper verb	/ˈ(h)wɪspɚ/	To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the…
jewellery noun	/ˈd͡ʒʊ-/	Collectively, personal ornamentation such as rings, necklaces, brooches and bracelets, made of precious metals and sometimes set with gemstones.
backpack noun	/ˈbæk.pæk/	A knapsack, sometimes mounted on a light frame, but always supported by straps, worn on a person’s back for the purpose of carrying things, especially when…
embarrassed adjective	/ɪmˈbæɹ.əst/	Having a feeling of shameful discomfort.
earthquake noun	/ˈɝθkweɪk/	A shaking of the ground, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults.
bleacher noun	/ˈbli.t͡ʃɚ/	One who, or that which, bleaches.
makeover noun	/ˈmeɪkˌoʊvɚ/	A major change in the use of something, or in the appearance of something or someone; a radical transformation.
overhear verb	/oʊ.vɚˈhɪɚ/	To hear something that was not meant for one's ears.
starlight noun	/ˈstɑː(ɹ)laɪt/	Light emitted from stars.
courtyard noun	/ˈkɔɹt.jɑɹd/	An area, open to the sky, partially or wholly surrounded by walls or buildings.
stare verb	/stɛɚ/	To look fixedly (at something).
donation noun	/doʊˈneɪʃən/	A voluntary gift or contribution for a specific cause.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
take off verb	To remove.
burst out verb	To appear suddenly from within something else.
end up verb	To bring to a conclusion.
get away with verb	To get away, or escape, taking (something) with one.
get off verb	To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it.
go back to verb	To stem from; to originate in.
go through verb	To travel from one end of something to the other.
hands down adverb	without much effort; easily

Sentences worth repeating

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

How'd you get that bald spot?
Have you ever gotten pregnant?
Why don't you believe me?
Don't you love the poem?
You're not leaving the house, are you?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	Have you ever gotten · I've written · I've ever heard
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was destroyed · was glued
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was already teaching · was saying · was heading
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the most popular · the smartest · the most romantic

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 61 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: earthquake /ˈɝθkweɪk/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, sympathy /ˈsɪm.pəθ.i/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: donation /doʊˈneɪʃən/, eyelash /ˈaɪlæʃ/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, socially /ˈsoʊʃəli/, selfish /ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/
Long words — get the stress right: cafeteria /ˌkæ.fə.ˈtɪ(ə).ɹi.ə/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, biology /baɪˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.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 mask, poem, cafeteria.

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: I have 2 identities - 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?