Shadowing Practice: My Family Tragedy! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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45 sentences
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1
It was just like a regular night.
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I was in the kitchen cooking something for my sister.
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I hear a ring, the doorbell ring, and I see a police officer outside, and I let him in.
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He asked my parents, and I said, sure, I'll go get them
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and as i bring them out he the police officer was very persistent of letting my sister
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and i go upstairs as we go upstairs you know how kids are being nosy
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or whatever so as we do that we go in the bathroom
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and we we are very very quiet the police officer tells my parents
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that i'm sorry to tell you this
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but your son has been murdered last night in his apartment
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when i tell you that that is one of the hardest moments of my life
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that i will never forget because i hear it every single day I hear
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that sentence I hear that phrase every single day in my head
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but you also hear your parents screaming you also hear your sister screaming I hear
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that every single day in my head you know my mother she pulled herself together
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and she told my sister and I to go upstairs
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and pray pray pray pray pray pray all that night I prayed all
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that morning I prayed and through the rest of the week we had to make phone calls
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and reservations and stuff for my brother's funeral
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and I want to thank god for having a strong support system
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because i don't think i could ever get through something like
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that if i didn't have family later
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that week i started thinking wow i'm gonna have to see
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my brother my older brother in a casket i thought i
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wouldn't be able to see this like like what 50 years from now he's like 70 60 years old
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or something like that but not now at the tender age of 22 years old
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so i was contemplating on seeing him in the casket
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but you know this is going to be the last time I see my brother
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so I had to I had to see my brother it was emotional yes I did cry
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but I had family behind me that was the main part of me
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getting through the situation was my family I see my brother laying handsomely in the casket my mother tearing up
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and kissing him on the forehead my father was disappointed he was sad
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that his only son was murdered and my sister she didn't want to see him
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but you know i mean she's a kid so i mean
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that makes sense three months later yes i still have my days
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and i'm sad and my mom she cries every day my dad doesn't talk about
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that much my sister talks about him sometimes
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but you know i think about my brother every single day we forgive the people
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that hurt him yes we do
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but you know the moral of the story is you know your family
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and friends you never know when they're gonna pass away
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so just always leave them on a good note always say
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you love them always joke with them always have fun with them you know even
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if you argue get over it it's not worth arguing with somebody because you never know when they might pass away
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Let's go with it again.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “My Family Tragedy!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: hear, pray, sister, brother, casket. This video has 45 sentences and 569 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:10. The speaker talks fast, about 180 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| casket noun | /ˈkæs.kɪt/ | A little box, e.g. for jewellery. |
| upstairs adverb | /ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/ | Up the stairs; on or to a higher floor or level. |
| scream verb | /skɹiːm/ | To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, sharp outcry, or shrill, loud cry, as in fright or extreme pain; to screech, to shriek. |
| contemplate verb | /ˈkɑn.təmˌpleɪt/ | To look at on all sides or in all its aspects; to view or consider with continued attention; to regard with deliberate care; to meditate on; to study, ponder… |
| doorbell noun | /ˈdɔɹ.bɛl/ | A bell, buzzer, or chime device mounted on or adjacent to a door's exterior, meant to be rung by a visitor to announce one's presence. |
| handsomely adverb | /ˈhæn(t)səmli/ | Regarding a person's action: in a handsome or good-looking manner. |
| forehead noun | /ˈfɔɹ.hɛd/ | The part of the face above the eyebrows and below the hairline. |
| persistent adjective | /pəˈsɪstənt/ | Obstinately refusing to give up or let go. |
| reservation noun | /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/ | The act of reserving, withholding or keeping back. |
| tender adjective | /ˈtɛn.dɚ/ | Sensitive or painful to the touch. |
| forgive verb | /fɚˈɡɪv/ | To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
| pass away verb | To die. | |
| get over verb | To overcome. | |
| tear up verb | /ˈtɛəɹ ˈʌp/ | To tear into pieces. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | has been murdered · was murdered |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna have · is going to be · gonna pass |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | had to make · have to see · had to I |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll go · will never forget |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, didn't, gonna. 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.
- 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 casket, upstairs, scream.
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.