Shadowing Practice: My Life With 10 Sisters Crazy! - Learn English Speaking with Video

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266 sentences

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Hi, everyone.

I'm Elizabeth, but you can call me Ellie.

Not Lizzie, please.

And yeah, you read that right.

I have more than 10 siblings.

Wanna know how?

Stick around and strap on your seatbelt, cause it's gonna be one crazy rollercoaster ride.

My life was pretty amazing.

My mom and my little sister

Rose were my world.

Rose and I did everything together, even though we had a five -year age gap.

Rose was the funniest, and she always knew how to cheer me up when I was feeling down.

Look, Ellie, I'm a walrus.

Feed me before I get hungrier and I eat you.

Ellie, I have something for you.

Pull my finger.

I knew exactly what was gonna happen, but I still did, just so I could hear her laugh.

Since mom was always busy with work or new business ideas, I ended up being a mom to Rose.

Our mom loved us more than anything, but she wasted a lot of her money on failed business ideas.

I wish she had more time to spend with us instead.

One day, Mom had a fun idea and took us to work with her and handed

Rose a spray can, saying how she wanted to decorate her boss's car for a surprise.

Wait, something wasn't right.

Why are we doing this?

Mom, we could get in trouble.

Come on, it's gonna be fun.

Rose, do it.

Just then, I saw the security guards come out of Mom's office and they caught her.

Turns out, Mom had stolen money from the office and was fired and wanted to get back at her boss.

Mom was taken away, but her charges were lessened because her boss felt sorry for us.

She was going to be away for some time, but would do some community service afterwards.

And that's how at 14, I got put in a foster home with Rose, who was just 9, because of Mom's foolishness.

Of course, I was very angry with Mom, but now I had to focus on a goal.

Take care of Rose and do everything in my power to make sure our family was back together soon.

But nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

We were shuffled to a couple of foster homes, but I learned to just roll with it.

One family were legit angels, but the other ones were just in it for the money.

Even the house was so bad, Rose thought the water stains on the walls were drawings.

Since I wanted to give

Rose everything she could want, I started some side hustles to make some cash.

I did it all.

Dog walking, babysitting, barista, waitress, you name it.

You see, I was extremely smart.

Not just academically, but also street smart.

And I learned things quickly.

But on the day I turned 15, we were sent to a new foster home.

And this place changed my entire life.

For good, for bad, you'll find out soon enough.

Oh, before I forget the most important part, like and subscribe.

Okay, let's get back to it.

Our new foster family was Kate and Adam and their daughter Juliana.

Kate was an old friend of mom's, and she was an interior designer.

A freaking good one.

Their entire house looked like it belonged in a magazine.

Adam was a pediatrician and got along really well with children.

Juliana was a couple of years younger than me, but older than Rose, and always had the biggest smile on her face.

She was over the moon when we moved into her home.

We used to see each other when we were young, and she was always friendly with Rose.

I'll never forget our first night at the new foster home.

Ellie, you hear the footsteps?

Is that a ghost?

Come on, Rose.

There's no such thing as ghosts.

Ugh, I'll go check, okay?

No, don't.

What if it gets you?

I'm your big, strong sister.

There's no way it can get me.

Ah, ghost!

I felt my soul leaving my body.

It was Kate.

I found out the next day that she sleepwalks.

Oh, okay.

But it was kind of creepy.

Hey, say what you want about sleepwalkers.

But at least they always follow their dreams.

You get that?

Oh, I'm so funny, ain't I?

Yeah, you are.

After that day, I saw how well

Rose got along with Juliana.

She was the happiest she'd ever been, and I was happy too.

So I went back to focusing on my goal.

I wasn't at home a lot because of the part -time jobs, and I would get back home late.

But one night, I found Rose crying.

What's wrong?

Did something happen?

My tummy hurts so much, Ellie.

I began screaming, and Kate ran into our room.

We rushed her to Adam's clinic and found out it was an allergic reaction.

And I saw red.

Did you give her shellfish for dinner?

Didn't you see the documents before you decided to foster us?

How could you?

I'm sorry.

It was an honest mistake.

Rose, baby, I'm so sorry.

I didn't mean to.

What if something worse happened?

100

But it didn't, thanks to you.

101

Now, let Rose rest and we can head home together, okay?

102

I stayed by Rose's side the entire time.

103

And once she was fine,

104

Rose made me apologize to Kate for being so rude and told me how nice she was with her all the time.

105

She does so much for us, so much more than mom.

106

Her words made me realize that maybe I did let my emotions get the best of me.

107

So the next morning, I walked over to Kate and Adam's room to apologize, but as soon as I got to the door,

108

I noticed Kate and Juliana whispering.

109

As soon as they saw me, they went totally silent.

110

That was weird.

111

After that, I'd often see them talking like they had something to hide.

112

Sure, I was curious, but it wasn't like I really cared or anything.

113

But when Rose also joined in, I was super suspicious.

114

Hey, Rose.

115

What's going on?

116

What's with all the whispering?

117

Oh, nothing.

118

Really?

119

I saw Juliana whisper something, and then you laughed.

120

Tell me, too.

121

I want to laugh, too.

122

Or is there some huge secret?

123

It was just some dumb boy stuff.

124

You sound like a mom trying to be BFFs with her daughter.

125

See you later, alligator.

126

Trust me, there's no big secret.

127

The secret was the last thing on my mind because I was really worried about my little sis.

128

She seemed like she was drifting away from me.

129

She was spending more and more time with Juliana, and it was like she totally forgot me.

130

One time, Rose was up in Juliana's room talking all night, and the next day, when I tried to talk to Rose,

131

she totally avoided my question.

132

Gosh, Ellie, chill out.

133

You're coming off like a helicopter parent.

134

Yeah.

135

Chill, Ellie.

136

Yeah, Daddy.

137

Please chill.

138

Saying that, they both started laughing.

139

What the heck was even that?

140

I was starting to feel like Juliana might have been a bad influence on her, and I knew I had to talk about this to mom.

141

I miss you, mom.

142

Everyone's acting so weird.

143

Rose, too.

144

I can't wait for everything to get back to normal.

145

Did you find a job?

146

Can we move back in with you soon? About that.

147

No, I don't have a job yet, but I do need your help with something.

148

Could you lend me some money?

149

I need to pay back that ex -boss a little at a time, but since I don't have a job right now.

150

I did lend mom the money, but that was when I had a brilliant idea.

151

I suggested she come and work at the coffee shop with me.

152

She agreed, and it took me a couple days, but I finally convinced my boss.

153

I could spend time with her and forget about how

154

Rose was behaving at home.

155

And the boss liked how well I worked and promoted me to assistant manager as well.

156

But the minute I got back home, Kate came running and hugged me.

157

OMG, it's so late.

158

Are you mad?

159

Mad?

160

Not at all.

161

I was worried, kiddo.

162

You know Adam's out looking for you, but thank God you're all right.

163

I'll let Adam know.

164

Someone worrying about me when I was home late?

165

That was a first for me.

166

It's nothing, Kate.

167

Just some schoolwork.

168

But I appreciate you being concerned for me.

169

I'll call you from now on if I go late.

170

Pinky promise?

171

Yeah, pinky promise.

172

I didn't tell Kate and Adam about all my part -time jobs, just the coffee shop.

173

I didn't want them to worry about me working too hard.

174

Kate and Adam made me feel like a kid again.

175

Kate would drop us all off at school every day

176

and had this habit of hugging us before we went inside the school.

177

At first, I found it weird because I wasn't used to that much display of affection, but after some time, I really liked it.

178

But I did not tell Kate, cause like, come on, mom's hugging you at your school gate every single day?

179

You know.

180

It had been just two weeks with Kate and Adam, and I sometimes wish they were my real parents,

181

but I knew it was just a fantasy.

182

As my foster parents, they sure had love for Rose and me, but even if they wanted to adopt

183

Rose, they'd never consider adopting me.

184

It's hard for an older teen to get adopted, so I had to focus on getting my real family united.

185

I had to work hard,

186

save money, and give it to my mom so she could get a place to live and we could all be together.

187

But nothing ever goes according to plan, does it?

188

One day, the guidance counselor at school called me to tell me about a once -in -a -lifetime opportunity.

189

Your grades are off the charts, and there's an amazing school across town that would be perfect for someone as smart as you.

190

Not only will they let you skip a grade, but you'll have the chance of getting into the best university with a full scholarship.

191

You gotta take this opportunity, Ellie.

192

Well, that offer was something I could only dream of.

193

I couldn't take it.

194

I wasn't going to move away from Rose.

195

So, I told the teacher no. But that was just the beginning of a bad day.

196

Later that day, I got a call from the coffee shop when I was at another part -time job.

197

And boy, did my boss sound furious.

198

When I got there, however, what I saw shocked me.

199

Mom was arrested again.

200

What the heck is going on, Mom?

201

I found money missing for days at the cash register, and it turns out she was stealing the money.

202

He's lying, Ellie.

203

I didn't.

204

Do you have any proof it was actually her?

205

I shouldn't have asked, because the CCTV clearly showed

206

Mom stealing the money.

207

I couldn't believe she'd do something like this again.

208

And when my boss fired me too for bringing her in, I finally snapped.

209

What is your problem?

210

Do you know how hard I work to make our lives better for you and Rose?

211

Why can't you be a normal mother?

212

Why can't you be like Kate?

213

Don't you want to be with us?

214

Your daughters?

215

Wow.

216

Before mom could reply, she was taken away and I was frozen to the spot.

217

I did everything I could to make sure

218

Rose and I were back with mom, and this whole time, she didn't even want us.

219

I felt like my world was crashing down.

220

This is just great.

221

I didn't know what to do.

222

I was out of options.

223

But then, I decided to ask Kate and Adam to adopt

224

Rose, and I could manage on my own.

225

Rose was thriving with them.

226

I didn't want to take it away from her.

227

When I got home that night, I could hear music inside.

228

It sounded like a party.

229

Just as I was about to enter, Kate stepped outside.

230

Ellie, you made a pinky promise, girl.

231

Is everything all right, honey?

232

And that's when the dam broke.

233

I told Kate everything that had happened, and how my mom didn't want me and Rose.

234

Kate, I know teens are hard to raise, so I'll just leave.

235

Please, just take care of Rose and adopt her.

236

Ellie, take a deep breath.

237

I know it was a tough day for you, but never think that we would let you go.

238

We love you.

239

Adam and I saw how much you love your sister, so there's no way we would ever separate the two of you.

240

We are adopting you both, and Juliana and I love you.

241

Rose looks up to you so much.

242

Don't forget that.

243

OMG, what?

244

This is too much to take in.

245

Um, but lately, I feel like a third wheel when I'm at home.

246

All the whispering, it's like Juliana and Rose, they always have their own thing going on.

247

I guess she likes Juliana more now.

248

Yep, because they had their reason for that.

249

Come on in.

250

Surprise!

251

It's my birthday.

252

I didn't even remember it.

253

Yeah, because you worked too hard.

254

So Juliana and I decided to throw you the awesomest birthday party ever.

255

Do you like it?

256

I wanted the.. perfect birthday party for my big sister.

257

I, I love it.

258

Thank you so much.

259

I was stuck in the past trying to keep my old family together.

260

I missed out on how amazing my new family was, but not anymore.

261

After all the paperwork was settled, it was official.

262

We were Kate and Adam's daughters.

263

I have an incredible family who adores me.

264

Yeah, sure, we have fights and arguments, but the love, it's strong.

265

Oh, and I took up the offer at the school across town after the four of them forced me to,

266

after Rose assured me that she was going to be more than fine.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “My Life With 10 Sisters Crazy!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Rose, mom, Kate, Juliana, Ellie. This video has 266 sentences and 2381 words to shadow. The speech runs for 10:37. The speaker talks fast, about 224 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 40 of its 266 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
foster verb	/ˈfɒstə/	To nurture or bring up offspring, or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child.
adopt verb	/əˈdɑpt/	To take voluntarily (a child of other parents) to be in the place of, or as, one's own child.
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…
ghost noun	/ɡoʊst/	A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.
steal verb	/stiːl/	To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it.
chill verb	/tʃɪl/	To lower the temperature of something; to cool.
hug verb	/hʌɡ/	To cling closely together.
apologize verb	/əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/	To make an apology or excuse; to acknowledge some fault or offense, with expression of regret for it, by way of amends
heck	/hɛk/	Hell.
lend verb	/ˈlɛnd/	To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
finger noun	/ˈfɪŋɡɚ/	A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb, and the corresponding part, irrespective of including a thumb, in many other…
rush verb	/ɹʌʃ/	To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully.
chart noun	/t͡ʃɑɹt/	A map illustrating the geography of a specific phenomenon.
gate noun	/ˈɡeɪ̯t/	A doorlike structure outside a house.
shock noun	/ʃɔk/	A sudden, heavy impact.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
find out verb		To discover, as by asking or investigating.
get back verb		Return to where one came from.
get back to verb		Return to (an activity)
take away verb	/ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/	To remove something and put it in a different place.
turn out verb		To end up; to result.
come off verb		To become detached.
come on in verb		Synonym of come in (“to enter”).
end up verb		To bring to a conclusion.

Sentences worth repeating

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

Why are we doing this?
Ellie, you hear the footsteps?
What if it gets you?
Why can't you be a normal mother?
Don't you want to be with us?

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	was fired · was taken · were shuffled
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was drifting · was spending · was starting
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the funniest · the most important · the biggest
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form	started laughing · consider adopting

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 53 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, thrive /θɹajv/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: rush /ɹʌʃ/, shock /ʃɔk/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, scholarship /ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/, suspicious /səˈspɪʃ.əs/
Long words — get the stress right: apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, helicopter /ˈheliːˌkɔptə(ɹ)/, academically /ˌæk.əˈdɛm.ɪk.ə.li/, alligator /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/, pediatrician /ˌpidi.əˈtɹɪʃ(ə)n/

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 foster, adopt, whisper.

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: My Life With 10 Sisters Crazy! - 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?