Shadowing Practice: Intermediate English Listening Practice | Childhood Memories - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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I am sure you will understand everything I say in this video using intermediate leveled English
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for beginners to advance to the next level.
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First, I'll tell you my story slowly,
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and then I will repeat it naturally.
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No matter if you're a beginner, intermediate listener, or advanced listener,
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you will learn something new with this video.
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So, today I was having a live on TikTok and I saw myself in the camera.
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I noticed this curly hair right there.
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I hadn't seen this curly hair in a long time.
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It's like it has a mind of its own.
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It does whatever it wants to do,
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no matter what I try to control it.
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It's uncontrollable.
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It's probably been about five years since I last saw it.
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When I was 17 years old, I shaved my head.
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I think I looked pretty cool.
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So I remember I kept on shaving my head every time it grew out a little bit.
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I shaved my head for a couple years until I decided to let my hair grow out.
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I kind of missed my long hair.
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I missed going to the beach and leaving with curls from the salty ocean water.
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I missed feeling my hair blowing in the wind.
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And I especially missed my mom braiding my hair.
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I love to have my hair braided.
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It's the best feeling.
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Once I started letting it grow, it grew slowly.
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It went through awkward stages as well.
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Stages where I couldn't control it or even put it in a ponytail.
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It was puffy, curly I'll show you guys some pictures here my hair wouldn't
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fit into a bun either a bun up until a
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year ago my hair finally started fitting into a bun and
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And now my hair is actually back to the length that I normally had it my whole life.
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Since I was a little girl, I had long hair.
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My mom loved my long hair.
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So when I shaved my hair off, my mom was very sad.
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My hair is finally the same length as it was my entire life.
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That's why you can see this curl is back.
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And it felt very nostalgic.
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I remember this curl.
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I remember it in school photos.
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I remember trying to straighten it with a curling iron every morning before going to school.
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And you might wonder why a curling iron and not a straightener.
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I didn't have a straightener.
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We only had a curling iron, so I had to try and straighten it with the curling iron.
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I remember looking at this curl in the mirror every day at school,
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in elementary school, middle school, high school, and now it's here again.
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It hasn't gone anywhere.
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It made me feel like a little girl again.
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It made me feel connected to every version of myself.
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Sometimes it feels like that version of me,
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the version of me that had curly, crazy hair, is so distant,
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far away, like she's a different person than the person I am now.
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But seeing my curl reminded me that she's still there.
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That little girl with the crazy hair, the uncontrollable hair.
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I feel like a person's hair says a a lot about them.
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Don't you think?
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Every person that I know that has messy hair,
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no matter if it's curly or straight or wavy,
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has an unpredictable side to them.
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They are free.
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I feel like it's because usually things that make you feel free also make your hair messy.
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Like swimming, like running, like jumping, like dancing.
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I feel like anything that makes your hair messy is worth doing.
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So mess up your hair as much as you can.
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Do you have any distinguishable features that define you in your hair,
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in your eyes, maybe your nose?
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maybe your eyebrows, your legs,
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your fingers, anything that brings you back to your younger self,
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that reminds you of past times, speaking of your younger self.
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How could I be the confident,
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loud, adventurous woman I am without my dad?
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The person who taught me to be resilient.
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The person who pushes me to be a better person every day.
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Happy Father's Day, Dad.
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Anyways, this girl reminds me of my spontaneous,
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adventurous, daring, happy, authentic self.
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Tell me, what part of you makes you feel like yourself?
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A curl? Could be, maybe.
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It's so uncontrollable.
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It's just always there and it will always be there.
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All right, well that's my story.
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I really appreciate talking to you guys.
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You know I love making videos like these.
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I know you guys really appreciate these stories and it makes me happy because they're my favorite kind of videos to make.
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So, like this video if you enjoyed and you want more videos like this
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and be sure to subscribe so you can learn English with me every day.
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I'll see you next week.
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Never stop learning.
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Bye!
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So today I was having a live on TikTok and I saw myself in the camera.
90
I noticed this curly hair right there.
91
I hadn't seen this curly hair in a long time.
92
It's like it has a mind of its own.
93
It does whatever it wants to do, no matter what I try to control it.
94
It's uncontrollable.
95
It's probably been about five years since I last saw it.
96
When I was 17 years old, I shaved my head.
97
I think I looked pretty cool.
98
So I remember I kept on shaving my head every time it grew out a little bit.
99
I shaved my head for a couple years until I decided to let my hair grow out.
100
I kind of missed my long hair.
101
I missed going to the beach and leaving with curls from the salty ocean water.
102
I missed feeling my hair blowing in the wind.
103
And I especially missed my mom braiding my hair.
104
I love to have my hair braided.
105
It's the best feeling.
106
Once I started letting it grow, it grew slowly.
107
It went through awkward stages as well.
108
Stages where I couldn't control it or even put it in a ponytail.
109
It was puffy and curly.
110
I'll show you guys some pictures here.
111
My hair wouldn't fit into a bun either, a bun, up until a year ago.
112
My hair finally started fitting into a bun.
113
And now my hair is actually back to the length that I normally had it my whole life.
114
Since I was a little girl, I had long hair.
115
My mom loved my long hair.
116
So when I shaved my hair off, my mom was very sad.
117
My hair is finally the same length as it was my entire life.
118
That's why you can see this curl is back.
119
and it felt very nostalgic.
120
I remember this curl.
121
I remember it in school photos.
122
I remember trying to straighten it with a curling iron every morning before going to school.
123
And you might wonder why a curling iron and not a straightener.
124
I didn't have a straightener.
125
We only had a curling iron, so I had to try and straighten it with the curling iron.
126
I remember looking at this curl in the mirror every day at school, in elementary school, middle school,
127
high school, and now it's here again.
128
It hasn't gone anywhere.
129
It made me feel like a little girl again.
130
It made me feel connected to every version of myself.
131
Sometimes it feels like that version of me, the version of me that had curly, crazy hair, is so distant,
132
far away, like she's a different person than the person I am now.
133
But seeing my curl reminded me that she's still there.
134
That little girl with the crazy hair, the uncontrollable hair.
135
I feel like a person's hair says a lot about them.
136
Don't you think?
137
Every person that I know that has messy hair, no matter if it's curly or straight or wavy,
138
has an unpredictable side to them.
139
They are free.
140
I feel like it's because usually things that make you feel free also make your hair messy.
141
like swimming, like running, like jumping, like dancing.
142
I feel like anything that makes your hair messy is worth doing.
143
So mess up your hair as much as you can.
144
Do you have any distinguishable features that define you in your hair, in your eyes, maybe your nose,
145
maybe your eyebrows, your legs, your fingers?
146
Anything that brings you back to your younger self, that reminds you of past times, speaking of your younger self.
147
How could I be the confident, loud, adventurous woman I am without my dad?
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The person who taught me to be resilient.
149
The person who pushes me to be a better person every day.
150
Happy Father's Day, Dad.
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Anyways, this girl reminds me of my spontaneous, adventurous, daring, happy, authentic self.
152
Tell me, what part of you makes you feel like yourself?
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A curl? Could be, maybe.
154
It's so uncontrollable.
155
It's just always there and it will always be there.
156
All right.
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Well, that's my story.
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I really appreciate talking to you guys.
159
You know I love making videos like these.
160
I know you guys really appreciate these stories and it makes me happy because they're my favorite kind of videos to make.
161
So like this video if you enjoyed and you want more videos like this
162
and be sure to subscribe so you can learn English with me every day.
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I'll see you next week.
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Never stop learning.
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Bye.
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Bye.

About This Lesson

In this intermediate English listening practice, you will delve into the theme of childhood memories through a personal story about hair and family connections. This narrative will help enhance your listening skills as it progresses from a slower pace to a more natural conversational speed. You will practice understanding both vocabulary and emotional nuances while engaging with relatable content that many learners can connect to. Whether you are aiming to learn English with YouTube or prepare for IELTS speaking practice, this session offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on your own experiences while improving your language abilities.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Curly hair - A type of hair that forms into spirals or waves.
  • Controllable - Able to be managed or directed.
  • Nostalgic - A sentimental longing for the past.
  • Braiding - The act of weaving strands of hair together.
  • Ponytail - A hairstyle in which the hair is pulled back and tied at the back of the head.
  • Awkward stages - Phases that are difficult or uncomfortable, especially in growth or development.
  • School photos - Pictures taken of students during school, often as a memory of their school years.

Practice Tips

To effectively utilize the shadowing technique while engaging with this video, start by listening to the first part of the story at a slower pace. As you listen, try to mimic the speaker's intonation and rhythm to enhance your speaking skills. Repeat phrases after the speaker to practice pronunciation, and feel free to pause when necessary. When the speaker moves to a more natural speed, challenge yourself to keep up without losing the essence of the content. This method will not only improve your listening but also help you express yourself more fluently in conversations. Remember, the key is to embrace the emotional context of the story; sharing experiences can enhance your IELTS speaking practice as well! By shadow speaking, you reinforce learning and develop a more authentic speaking style. So grab a notepad, get comfortable, and make your English practice session both enjoyable and fruitful!

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.