Shadowing Practice: Sally's Phone | Human Interest | Bookworms Starter | BrE - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Chapter One Morning
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It is Thursday morning.
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Sally is in bed.
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Suddenly.
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Ring, ring.
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Her phone is ringing.
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But where is it?
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Sally gets out of bed and looks in her bag.
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No phone.
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She looks under the bed.
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No phone.
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Then she looks behind the door there is her phone
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Sally picks up her phone and answers it hello
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Sally it's Andrew Andrew is Sally's boyfriend he has got a lot of money and a beautiful and expensive car.
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Andrew, it's only seven o 'clock.
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Don't forget, Sally.
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We're meeting Michael tonight.
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It's an important evening because Michael's my new boss.
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Wear your blue skirt, Sally.
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I like that skirt.
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I must go now.
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See you at half past six.
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Bye. But Andrew.
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Bye.
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I can't wear the blue skirt, Sally thinks.
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It's dirty.
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What can I wear?
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Sally is having breakfast with her mother and her brother Jack.
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I'm going out tonight, Sally tells her mother.
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Andrew and I are meeting his new boss.
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Andrew, Jack says.
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Oh, be quiet, Jack, Sally says.
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Andrew is very nice to me.
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Nice, Jack says.
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Sally, I want a sandwich.
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Yes, Andrew.
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Sally, I don't like your hair.
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No, Andrew.
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Sorry, Andrew.
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Sally.
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But then Sally stands up and Jack runs out of the room.
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Sally gets on the train.
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There are a lot of people on the train.
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Most of them are talking on their phones.
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John, John, get up and go to work.
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It's late.
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Have you got my money.
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I need it today.
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I must have it today.
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Remember, go to the supermarket tonight.
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Don't forget.
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And Sally is listening to Andrew.
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Sally, meet me at six o 'clock, not at half past six.
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OK?
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OK, Andrew.
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But my blue skirt - I must go, Sally.
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Bye.
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Then the train goes into a tunnel.
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The people on the train cannot talk on their phones.
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They must talk to the other people on the train.
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Hello, Max.
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How are you?
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Oh, hello, Graham.
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I'm very well.
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Where are you working now, Lucy?
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I'm in a new office in Bank Street.
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Those are nice shoes, Jane.
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Thank you, Mary.
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After three minutes, the train comes out of the tunnel.
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Everyone talks on their phones again.
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Hello, John, are you out of bed now?
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Now Sally is at work.
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She is talking to her friend Claire.
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And she tells her about Andrew, Michael and the blue skirt.
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It's okay, Sally, Claire says.
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Let's go out at lunchtime.
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We can find a new skirt.
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You can wear it tonight.
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Later, Claire and Sally are having coffee with Louise.
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She works with them.
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Ring, ring.
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It is Andrew again.
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Hi, Sally.
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Look, meet me at the Bar Bogart, not the Cosmo Bar.
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Okay?
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The Bar Bogart is nearer.
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Bye.
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Bye.
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Bye, Bogart, Claire says.
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Hmm, that's nice.
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Huh, Louise says.
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Forget him, Sally.
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Who needs men?
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Do this, do that.
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Go there, don't go there.
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It is one o 'clock.
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Sally and Claire are looking at skirts do you like this one
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Sally Claire says yes it's beautiful
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but I never wear red do you like red Claire asks yes I do
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but Andrew doesn't well Claire says it's a beautiful skirt you like red?
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What do you want to do?
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Sally buys the skirt.
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Claire goes back to work, but Sally wants a coffee.
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She goes into a cafe.
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She buys a coffee and sits down.
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Then she phones her mother.
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Hi, Mum.
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I've got a new skirt.
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It's beautiful.
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I want to wear it tonight.
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What colour is it?
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It's red.
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That's nice.
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Red is a good colour for you, says her mother.
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Next to Sally, Paul is finishing his coffee.
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He phones his friend and talks to him.
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Then he stands up.
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The bag with a red skirt falls on the floor.
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Oh, I'm sorry, Paul says.
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He puts down his phone and picks up the bag.
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Here's your bag.
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That's okay, Sally says.
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Thank you.
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She smiles.
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What a nice smile, Paul thinks.
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Paul picks up his phone and goes out of the cafe.
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Sally finishes her coffee.
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She picks up her bag and her phone and goes back to work.
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Chapter 3 Afternoon
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Paul is in his office.
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Ring, ring.
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What's that noise?
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Paul thinks.
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He answers the phone.
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It is Andrew.
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Hello, Sally.
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It's not Sally.
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It's Paul.
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Paul?
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Paul who?
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Where's Sally?
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Who's Sally?
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There's no Sally here.
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Huh?
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Andrew finishes the call.
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Paul wants to phone his mother.
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He finds Mum on the phone and presses the button.
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Hello, Mum.
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It's Paul.
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Paul?
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Who's Paul?
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I'm not Paul's mum.
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I'm Sally's mum and Jack's mum what's happening Paul thinks what number is
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that he asks it's oh seven eight three four nine one 839.
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I'm very sorry, Paul says.
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It's the wrong number.
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That's okay, Sally's mum says.
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What a nice voice, she thinks.
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Sally is at work.
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Ring, ring.
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What's that noise?
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Sally thinks.
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She answers the phone.
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Hello?
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Is Paul there?
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No, I'm sorry, this...
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Can you give a message to him?
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This is his sister Catherine.
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There's a party at my house tonight.
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It's my birthday, but I...
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Eight o 'clock, okay?
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Bye.
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Sally talks to Claire and Louise.
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I've got a message for Paul, but who's Paul?
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Do you know a Paul, Claire?
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she asks.
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No. What's the message?
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Claire asks.
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It's his sister Catherine's birthday, and she's having a party tonight.
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Do you think it's a wrong number?
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Yes, I think it is, Claire says.
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Hey, Sally, Louise says, put on your red skirt and go to the party.
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Forget Andrew.
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Paul talks to a friend at work.
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This is Sally's phone and Sally's got my phone. But who is Sally?
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I don't know, says Paul.
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Why don't you phone her?
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What's my number?
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Paul asks.
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I don't know my number.
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Why not?
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Because I never call my number.
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Paul phones his mother.
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Mum, what's the number of my phone?
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Why do you want your phone number, Paul?
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Because Sally's got my phone.
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Who's Sally?
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His mother asks.
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I don't know, but she's got my phone and I've got her phone.
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I don't understand.
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I know, says Paul.
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It doesn't matter.
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Have you got my number?
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Here it is.
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0781 644834.
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Thanks, Mum.
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Paul phones Sally.
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Hello, Sally.
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This is Paul.
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Paul?
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Are you Catherine's brother?
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Sally asks.
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Yes, that's right.
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And I've got your phone.
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My phone?
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Oh, wait a minute.
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The Café Cuba at lunchtime.
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The bag on the floor?
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Yes, that's right.
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Well, we need to change phones.
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OK.
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Where are you now, Paul?
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In College Road.
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I work there.
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I work in Manchester Street.
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Can we meet in Queen Square?
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Sally asks.
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OK.
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What time do you finish work?
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At half past five.
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Let's meet in Queen's Square at a quarter to six, says Paul.
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Phone me then.
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OK, Paul, says Sally.
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Chapter Four Evening
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It is half past five.
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Sally puts on her new skirt.
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Do you like it, Louise?
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She asks.
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Oh, yes.
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It's very nice.
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It is twenty to six.
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Paul arrives in Queen Square.
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He looks for Sally.
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Is that Sally?
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He cannot remember.
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He phones Sally.
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Hello, Sally.
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It's Paul.
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I'm in Queen Square.
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Hello, Paul.
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I'm coming.
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There are lots of people in Queen Square, and many of them are talking on phones.
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Which is Paul?
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Sally cannot remember.
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She phones Paul.
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Paul, have you got black hair?
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No, I haven't.
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Good, Sally thinks.
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Have you got a book in your hand?
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asks Sally.
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No, I haven't.
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Good, Sally thinks.
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Sally cannot find Paul. Where are you, Paul?
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I'm near the trees.
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Sally goes across the square to the trees. Are you Paul?
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Sally says.
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Paul looks at Sally.
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She's beautiful, he thinks.
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Yes, I'm Paul.
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He's nice, Sally thinks.
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I'm Sally.
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So, we meet again.
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I'm sorry about your phone, Sally.
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Here it is.
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That's OK.
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Here's your phone, Paul.
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Sally, would you like a drink?
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I want to say sorry.
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OK, but I haven't got much time.
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Paul looks for a bar.
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Let's go to the blue moon.
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We can have a drink there.
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Paul and Sally are at the blue moon.
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Sally sits down at a table.
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Paul brings their drinks.
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Here's your drink, Sally.
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And I'm sorry about your phone.
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Forget it, Paul.
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it doesn't matter.
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Oh, I've got a message for you.
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It's from your sister Catherine. From Catherine?
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What is it?
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She says that it's her birthday today and there's a party at her house.
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Oh, no, Paul says.
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I always forget birthdays.
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What can I do?
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Sally looks across the square.
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Near the trees, a woman is selling flowers.
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Buy some flowers for your sister and take them to the party, she says to Paul.
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Of course, that's the answer.
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Look, Sally, do you want to come to the party with me?
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Catherine always has good parties.
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Well, I...
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Sally says, oh, I must tell you,
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Paul says, I've got a message for you from Andrew.
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He says, it doesn't matter, Paul, says Sally.
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I don't want the message.
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I would like to go to the party with you.
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But I must do something before we go.
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Sally takes her phone out of her bag and turns it off.
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In the bar Bogart, Andrew phones Sally.
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Sally Sally does not answer.
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Sally?
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says Andrew.
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Sally!
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Answer me!
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Sally and Paul leave the blue moon.
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That's a nice skirt, says Paul.
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I like red.
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Sally smiles at him.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Sally's Phone”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Sally, Paul, Andrew, skirt, Claire. This video has 320 sentences and 1591 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:55. The speaker talks slowly, about 80 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 56 of its 320 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 |
|---|---|---|
| skirt noun | /skɚt/ | A separate article of clothing, usually worn by women and girls, that hangs from the waist and covers the lower torso and part of the legs. |
| clock noun | /klɑk/ | A chronometer, an instrument that measures time, particularly the time of day. |
| flower noun | /ˈfloʊɚ/ | A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens… |
| tunnel noun | /ˈtʌn(ə)l/ | An underground or underwater passage. |
| cafe noun | /ˌkæˈfeɪ/ | A convenience store, originally one that sold coffee and similar basic items. |
| arrive verb | /əˈɹaɪv/ | To reach; to get to a certain place. |
| shoe noun | /ˈʃu/ | A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom part composed of thick leather or plastic sole and often a thicker heel, and a softer upper part made of… |
| sandwich noun | /ˈsæn(d).wɪd͡ʒ/ | A dish or foodstuff where at least one piece, but typically two or more pieces, of bread serves as the wrapper or container of some other food. |
| supermarket noun | /ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/ | A large self-service store that sells groceries and, usually, medications, household goods, and/or clothing. |
| lunchtime noun | /ˈlʌnt͡ʃtaɪm/ | The time or hour at or around which lunch is normally eaten. |
| nearer adjective | /ˈnɪɹɚ/ | Less distant; comparative form of near: more near. |
| chapter noun | /ˈt͡ʃæptɚ/ | One of the main sections into which a published work is divided, especially a book. |
| smile verb | /ˈsmaɪl/ | To have (a smile) on one's face. |
| noise noun | /ˈnoɪ̯z/ | Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant. |
| colour noun | Commonwealth and Ireland standard spelling of color. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. |
| put down verb | To insult, belittle, or demean. |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What do you want to do?
- Can you give a message to him?
- Do you think it's a wrong number?
- Why don't you phone her?
- Mum, what's the number of my phone?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | is ringing · We're meeting · is having |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | must go · must talk · need to change |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 40 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: supermarket /ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/, twenty /ˈtwɛnti/ [-ɛɾ̃i]
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 skirt, clock, flower.
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.