Shadowing Practice: Just Say Yes! - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
Holly Schenk.
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120 sentences
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Holly Schenk.
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Good morning, your honor.
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Good morning.
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Your lawyer?
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My husband.
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Oh, I thought he was a lawyer.
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No. Moral support.
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Moral support?
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Oh, I think it's a little bit more than that.
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Hope so.
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No, I think.
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I know every time I stand next to my wife for moral support,
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I end up paying.
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I don't think anybody's going to be paying on this one,
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but maybe I'm wrong.
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Wow.
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I don't know.
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Inspector Carrick is the prosecutor.
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He's pretty tough.
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What do you think, Inspector?
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Is she gonna pay?
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I think he's gonna pay,
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Your Honor, no matter what happens.
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Either way.
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Okay, this is a very serious offense.
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It's no parking, 8 to 10.
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And you were there at nine o'clock in the morning on Williams Street.
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So what do you want to tell me about it?
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You have photographs.
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I have a photograph.
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Oh.
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It says no parking on particular days,
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but not the day that I was there.
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So I was there on July 1st. All right.
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Hello.
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She did get a nice picture,
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but this isn't the sign,
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and this wasn't the reason why she got that violation.
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You see.
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So, Holly, you're presenting to me a paper sign on a tree that says there'll be no parking because of street sweeping.
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Yes.
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I can't say that five times in a row.
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Street sweep, it's tough.
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So I have to take my time.
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Street sweeping.
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And it says that between April 28th and July 12th
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at certain times that you would not be able to park between 10.30 at night and seven o'clock in the morning.
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Only between those hours, because you would otherwise be allowed to park there after 10.30, right?
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So that sign just refers to those hours.
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Yes.
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I want you to say five times in succession, street sweeping.
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Can you do that?
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Street sweeping, street sweeping, Street sweeping, street sweeping, street sweeping.
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See?
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Not bad.
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I was planning on like a triple fine here,
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but now I asked for it, right?
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All right.
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Nevertheless, not withstanding that sign,
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there was another sign that says no parking eight to 10.
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Not where I was.
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Well, the city is required to have one sign per block.
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So you, Holly, I think you just kept looking until you saw a sign that says,
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well, let me see, I can use this one as an excuse.
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That was exactly in front of where I was parking,
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in front of a friend's house,
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and I never saw another sign.
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I don't know where, it could have been down three blocks or something,
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but I didn't see it.
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Sue, what is your first name?
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John.
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John.
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John, usually in cases like this,
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the court has to make a determination about whether someone's telling the truth.
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And to make that determination,
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we have to decide whether or not their reputation in the community is one for truth and veracity.
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So I suspect you've been married for a while.
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I am.
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49 years.
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And she's a very truthful person.
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What did you expect?
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You expected you to say anything different?
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That's why they've been married for 49 years.
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Okay, the sign's misleading.
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Thank you.
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At any rate, you were there at nine o'clock in the morning.
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What's the secret to a long marriage, John?
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Say yes a lot more than no.
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We had someone appear before the court and they were talking about being married for a long period of time.
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And I jokingly said that,
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you know, I've been married over 50 years,
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so I jokingly said that when we're with friends and they'll say,
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my wife looks younger than I do,
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so they'll say, oh, how long have you been married?
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And I usually say, oh,
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we've been married over 50 years.
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I say, oh, we've been happily married for five years.
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And they say, oh, is this your second or third wife?
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No, it was my first wife,
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been happily married for five.
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So I told that story to this couple that was before us.
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And she turned to him and says,
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we've been happily married for 44 years.
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She says, is that right?
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And he says, yes, dear.
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You got it.
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We've been happily married for 43 years, right?
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Yes, dear.
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I'm not gonna ask you,
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John, if you've been happily married because I know you're gonna say yes.
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Thank you.
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Anyway, based on the explanation,
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Howie, the matter's gonna be dismissed.
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Thank you very much.
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Have a great afternoon.
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Good luck.
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Good luck.
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Thank you, Your Honor.
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Thank you.
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Hi Nova!

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Context & Background

The dialogue presented in this video captures a light-hearted yet serious courtroom scene. The speaker, Holly Schenk, is addressing a traffic violation case, with her husband providing moral support. The interplay between the various characters, such as the judge and the prosecutor, creates a relatable yet educational setting for English learners. This context allows learners to grasp legal vocabulary and everyday language nuances. Engaging with such dialogues enhances your listening and comprehension skills, which is essential for those preparing for tasks like the IELTS speaking practice.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Moral support” - A term used to describe emotional or psychological assistance.
  • “I don't think anybody's going to be paying on this one” - A phrase expressing skepticism about a financial penalty.
  • “Street sweeping” - A specific term related to city maintenance that also introduces the concept of parking regulations.
  • “No parking” - A common phrase that English learners encounter in urban settings.
  • “This is a very serious offense” - A phrase that can be used to underscore the importance of a particular action or rule.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve your speaking skills through this video, utilize the shadowing technique. Here’s how to implement the shadowspeak method:

  1. Watch the Video First: Familiarize yourself with the actors' voices and intonations without speaking along. Pay attention to their emotions and how they respond to each other.
  2. Listen Carefully: Listen to the dialogue again, focusing on individual phrases. Notice the flow of speech and the connections between words.
  3. Repetition: Use the shadow speech technique by playing a segment of the video, then pausing it just before a character speaks. Repeat their lines aloud, trying to mimic their pronunciation and tone.
  4. Contextual Understanding: Reflect on the meanings of the phrases. Understanding their use in a courtroom context enriches your vocabulary and prepares you for various conversational situations.
  5. Practice Regularly: Incorporate this practice into your daily routine. Aim for a minimum of 10-15 minutes of shadowing daily using different videos to enhance fluency. Using platforms like learn English with YouTube allows you to explore a range of topics and contexts.

By following these steps, you will not only boost your confidence in speaking but also enrich your vocabulary, making you more prepared for various real-life scenarios and language tests like the IELTS speaking practice.

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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