Shadowing Practice: My Son Smashed My TV 📺 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
I walked in on my son, throwing his controller at the TV in rage.
2
Screw this video game!
3
The screen smashed as the whole thing toppled onto the floor.
4
I gripped my head, because I'd just bought that TV last night and was so excited to use it.
5
That TV was $800.
6
I stormed over.
7
You're saving up and replacing it.
8
But he looked up at me, still smashing the controller against the carpet.
9
I'm not paying for anything.
10
If you try to make me, I'll call CPS and say it's child abuse.
11
I laughed.
12
Try me.
13
I shoved the lawnmower into his hands and pushed him outside.
14
Don't come back until you have $800.
15
I shut the door, but he just stood there, smirking, typing on his phone.
16
I was about to walk back out when suddenly my doorbell rang.
17
A woman stood in a suit with a clipboard while he fake cried behind her.
18
We have a report about forced child labor.
19
I gripped my head and explained everything, but she shook her head.
20
You shouldn't traumatize a child for a TV.
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This is your final warning.
22
My son laughed from behind her, and I gritted my teeth as he walked inside.
23
Told you I'd call CPS.
24
He walked up to play his video games while I sat on the couch, staring at my smashed TV.
25
That's when I got the idea.
26
I walked to his room and pulled the Nintendo Switch from his hands, then started boxing up his video games.
27
He screamed, What are you doing?
28
So I told him, Since you won't work for it, I'm selling your games.
29
He shot up, You're not selling my games.
30
He swung his fist, punching me in the face.
31
But he was only 11 and couldn't hit hard, so I just carried the box down.
32
He cried as I stuffed everything he loved into my trunk.
33
You have to learn one way or another, son.
34
I came back three hours later after selling his games, but while hauling my brand new $800 TV up the driveway, my son came running with the same woman, but this time an officer was here too.
35
My blood ran cold as I put the TV down and asked what's going on, but he was already pointing his finger.
36
My dad sold my video games for this TV.
37
Arrest him.
38
The officer looked at me, and the woman immediately wrote on her clipboard, this is grounds for removal.
39
I gripped my head in disbelief, but the officer then turned to my son.
40
Wait, selling your games isn't a crime.
41
You told me he hit you.
42
He started walking back to his car, and my son instantly went red.
43
He flailed his fists in the air and kicked my car in anger.
44
The bumper dented, and that's when I had enough.
45
Officer, can I press charges on him for destruction of property?
46
My son immediately gripped his head.
47
But I'm your son.
48
I shook my head.
49
No, you're not.
50
I turned to the woman with the clipboard.
51
Can you place him in a foster home?
52
I don't want him anymore.
53
She quickly wrote something down, then nodded.
54
I hauled my brand new TV through the door
55
and sat down to watch it while the officer put my screaming son in the squad car.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “My Son Smashed My TV 📺”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: officer, gripped, walked, selling, clipboard. This video has 55 sentences and 555 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:22. The speaker talks fast, about 235 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| grip noun | /ˈɡɹɪp/ | A hold or way of holding, particularly with the hand. |
| smash verb | /smæʃ/ | To break (something brittle) violently. |
| shake verb | /ˈʃeɪk/ | To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly. |
| 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. |
| controller noun | /kənˈtɹoʊlɚ/ | One who controls something. |
| fist noun | /fɪst/ | A hand with the fingers clenched or curled inward. |
| haul verb | /hɔl/ | To transport by drawing or pulling, as with horses or oxen, or a motor vehicle. |
| 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… |
| anger noun | /ˈæŋɡə/ | A strong and unpleasant feeling of displeasure, hostility, or antagonism, usually combined with an urge to yell, curse, damage or destroy things, or harm… |
| destruction noun | /dɪsˈtɹʌkʃən/ | The act of destroying. |
| removal noun | /ɹɪˈmuː.vəl/ | The process of removing or the fact of being removed. |
| swing verb | /ˈswɪŋ/ | To rotate about an off-centre fixed point. |
| foster verb | /ˈfɒstə/ | To nurture or bring up offspring, or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child. |
| punch noun | /pʌnt͡ʃ/ | A hit or strike with one's fist. |
| instantly adverb | /ˈɪnstəntli/ | At once; without delay. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| save up verb | To accumulate money, especially for a specific, planned expenditure. |
| shoot up verb | To grow taller or larger rapidly. |
| walk in on verb | To enter suddenly or unexpectedly while something is happening; to intrude or interrupt by entering. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You're saving up and replacing it.
- I'm not paying for anything.
- That's when I got the idea.
- Wait, selling your games isn't a crime.
- Can you place him in a foster home?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 15 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: smash /smæʃ/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, destruction /dɪsˈtɹʌkʃən/, shove /ʃʌv/
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 grip, smash, shake.
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.