Shadowing Practice: Lesson 29-1 - A Long Time Ago - Learn English Speaking with Video
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75 sentences
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1
Hello!
2
In Washington, D .C., there are many places that bring history to life.
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But people who live here often do not have time to see them.
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They are too busy with work.
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Like me.
6
Hi, Marsha.
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Hi, Anna.
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Have a seat.
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Thanks.
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This was a good idea.
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Working outdoors? is nice.
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Mm -hmm.
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It is.
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Whew.
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I am tired.
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Today was a busy day at work, and I still have work to do.
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Hmm.
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That's too bad.
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How are you these days?
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I'm really busy too, Anna.
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Let's get to work.
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Marsha, look.
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That bus has a photo of Abraham Lincoln.
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That's an advertisement for Forrest Theatre.
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They have a new show.
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They have shows where Abraham Lincoln died?
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Yeah.
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It's a working theater and a museum.
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I love Lincoln.
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You know, Marcia, that advertisement reminds me of something.
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Uh -huh.
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What's that?
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When I was a little girl, when I was a little girl,
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I was not like other children.
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Uh -huh.
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I can believe that.
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I was a tall, serious child.
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At the playground, the other children played silly games.
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They played with dart guns.
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They played on the swings, the slide, and the teeter -totter.
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They also played ball.
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But not me.
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I loved to read serious books about U .S presidents.
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In fact, I wanted to be...
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Don't laugh.
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President of the United States.
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Stop!
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I know, it's a silly childhood dream.
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I'm sorry.
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It's not silly.
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Guess what I wanted to be.
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What?
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When I was a kid, I studied the stars and planets.
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I wanted to fly into outer space.
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You know, Marsha, childhood dreams are important.
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They are.
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And it's good to remember them.
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Hey, I have an idea.
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Let's go.
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Go where?
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Let's go make our childhood dreams come true.
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We're going to the Air and Space Museum, yes?
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No!
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We're going to see a show at Ford's Theater, just like Abraham Lincoln did when he died.
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It's not far from here.
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Uh -huh.
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That's your childhood dream.
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Good point.
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Okay, next week we'll come here and be astronauts.
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Honestly?
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Honestly!
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Tonight, we are seeing a show at Ford's Theatre where a man shot
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President Abraham Lincoln.
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This is history come to life and a childhood dream come true.
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Until next time!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Lesson 29-1 - A Long Time Ago”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Lincoln, childhood, dream, Abraham, played. This video has 75 sentences and 381 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:52. The speaker talks slowly, about 98 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| silly adjective | /ˈsɪl.i/ | Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance. |
| theater noun | /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/ | A place or building, consisting of a stage and seating, in which an audience gathers to watch plays, musical performances, public ceremonies, and so on. |
| advertisement noun | /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzmənt/ | A commercial solicitation designed to sell some commodity, service or similar. |
| remind verb | /ɹəˈmaɪnd/ | To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person). |
| swing verb | /ˈswɪŋ/ | To rotate about an off-centre fixed point. |
| slide noun | /ˈslaɪ̯d/ | An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again. |
| outdoor adjective | /aʊtˈdɔː/ | Situated in, designed to be used in, or carried on in the open air. |
| playground noun | /ˈpleɪɡɹaʊnd/ | A large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and slides). |
| astronaut noun | /ˈæstɹəˌnɔt/ | A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose. |
| dart noun | /dɑɹt/ | A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin. |
| teeter verb | /ˈtitəɹ/ | To tilt back and forth on an edge. |
| totter verb | /ˈtɑtɚ/ | To walk, move or stand unsteadily or falteringly; threatening to fall. |
| whew | /hwjuː/ | An expressive sound made indicating the release of one's inner tension; the release of breath; an expression of relief. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How are you these days?
- I know, it's a silly childhood dream.
- Let's go make our childhood dreams come true.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, we're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like silly, theater, advertisement.
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.