Shadowing Practice: #Slow #English #Listening for #Beginners (A1-A2) - My Roots - Ep. 21 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners.
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Today's topic is my roots.
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After the story, I will ask you some questions to check on your understanding.
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Don't worry if you don't understand everything.
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Just focus on the key information. Are you ready?
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Let's begin.
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I was born in Chicago.
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Chicago is a big city in America.
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It is in the state of Illinois.
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Chicago has many tall buildings and a beautiful lake called Lake Michigan.
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My parents are from Sicily, a beautiful island in Italy.
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It is in the south of the country.
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When I was a child, my home was special.
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My mother cooked Sicilian food.
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We ate pasta, arancini and cannoli.
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Arancini are rice balls with cheese inside.
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Cannoli are sweet pastries with cream.
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My father spoke Italian at home.
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He wanted me to remember the language.
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We had photos of Sicily on our walls.
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I saw pictures of the blue sea, of the green mountains, and of the old buildings.
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My mother woke up early every morning.
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She made coffee in a small pot called mocha.
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The smell of coffee filled our house.
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My father read Italian newspapers.
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He listened to Italian radio.
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They wanted to keep our culture alive in America.
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On weekends, we visited my grandparents.
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They lived in a small apartment in an area of Chicago called Little Italy.
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Many Italian families lived there.
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My grandmother told me stories about Sicily.
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She talked about her childhood in the small village.
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She showed me how to make traditional food.
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I learned to make pasta by hand.
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My grandfather played old Sicilian songs on his guitar.
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He sang with a deep, warm voice.
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Sometimes other Italian families came to visit.
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They brought food and wine.
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They talked in Italian and laughed a lot.
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At school, I had American friends.
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I spoke English with them.
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I ate hamburgers and pizza.
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American pizza is different from Italian pizza.
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I watched American shows.
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I celebrated American holidays, like Thanksgiving and Halloween.
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I felt American when I was at school.
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But at home, I felt Sicilian.
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I learned Italian words.
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I learned about Sicilian history.
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Sicily has a long history with many different cultures.
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My parents said, never forget where you come from.
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This was very important to them.
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In the summer, my family went to the beach in Chicago.
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My parents always said, the beaches in Sicily are more beautiful.
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They showed me pictures of the clear blue water and white sand.
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I dreamed of seeing these beaches one day.
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When I was 10 years old, we visited Sicily for the first time.
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We stayed for one month.
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We visited my aunts, my uncles, and my cousins.
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They were so happy to see us.
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They gave us many gifts.
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We ate big family dinners that lasted for hours.
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The food was amazing.
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Fresh vegetables, seafood, and delicious desserts.
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In Sicily, I saw the places from my parents' stories.
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I saw the village where my mother was born.
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I saw the school where my father studied.
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I saw the church where they got married.
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Everything felt familiar, even though it was my first visit.
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After that summer, we visit Sicily every few years.
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Each time, I felt more connected to the island.
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I loved the warm weather, the friendly people, and the relaxed lifestyle.
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When I was in high school, some friends asked me about my family.
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They were interested in my Sicilian roots.
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I felt proud to be different.
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I brought Sicilian cookies to school parties.
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I taught my friends Italian words.
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They thought that it was cool that I had two cultures.
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I went to university in Chicago.
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I studied business.
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During those years, I became more American.
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I was very busy with my studies and work.
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I visited my parents less often i spoke italian less frequently
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but i still loved sicilian food and traditions when i was 30 my parents decided to go back to Sicily.
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They missed their homeland.
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They missed the warm weather, the food, and their old friends.
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They bought a small house in their hometown.
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I stayed in Chicago.
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I had a good job there.
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I visited them every summer.
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I loved the beaches, the food and the people.
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Sicily felt like a second home to me.
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I started to think about my own identity. Was I American?
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Was I Sicilian?
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I felt connected to both places.
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Five years ago, I made a big decision.
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I moved to Sicily too.
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It was not easy.
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I had to find a new job.
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I had to improve my Italian.
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I had to make new friends.
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But I felt that that was the right choice for me.
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Now I live in a small town near Palermo.
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Palermo is the capital of Sicily.
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I work as an English teacher.
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Many people in Sicily want to learn English.
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I speak Italian every day now.
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Sometimes I make mistakes, but people are patient with me.
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I eat fresh local food, fruits and vegetables from local farms,
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fish from the Mediterranean Sea.
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My apartment is small, but it has a beautiful view of the sea.
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In the morning, I drink my coffee on my balcony.
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I watch the fishermen bring in their boats.
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In the evening, I walk along the beach.
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I meet friends at local cafes.
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Life is slower here than in Chicago, but I enjoy it.
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I have made many friends in Sicily.
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Some are locals who have lived here all their lives.
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Others are people like me who moved here from different countries.
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We share our experiences and help each other.
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Sometimes I miss Chicago.
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I miss the tall buildings.
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I miss the snow in the winter.
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I miss the busy streets and the energy of the city.
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I miss my old friends and my favorite restaurants.
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When I feel homesick, I call my friends in America or make American food at home.
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But Sicily feels like home now.
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The local people call me the American, but they accept me as part of their community.
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I understand my roots better now.
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I see why my parents and grandparents loved this island so much.
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I appreciate the history, the traditions and the values.
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I am both American and Sicilian.
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My two cultures make me who I am.
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I speak two languages.
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I know two different ways of life.
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I can see the world from two perspectives.
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This is a special gift.
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In the future, I want to create a small business that connects America and Sicily.
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Maybe a shop that sells Sicilian products in America,
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or a service that helps America discover Sicily.
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I want to be a bridge between my two homes.
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Every morning I wake up grateful for my journey.
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I am grateful for my parents who kept their traditions alive.
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I am grateful for my two homes and my two cultures.
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I am grateful for the chance to understand my roots and grow new ones.
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Now, let's check on your understanding.
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Answer these questions. Where was I born?
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I was born in Chicago in America. Where is Sicily?
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Sicily is a beautiful island in the south of Italy.
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What's my job now?
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I work as an English teacher.
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Why did my parents move back to Sicily?
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They missed their homeland, the warm weather, the food, and their old friends.
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How do I feel about having two cultures?
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I feel it is a special gift to have two cultures.
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I can speak two languages and see the world from two perspectives.
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If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done a very good job.
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Keep working and see you next time.
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Bye-bye.

Context & Background

This episode of slow English listening focuses on the speaker's roots, highlighting their upbringing in Chicago and the influence of their Sicilian heritage. The speaker shares personal anecdotes that capture the essence of their family life, traditions, and the gradual blend of American and Italian cultures. Through vivid imagery and relatable experiences, this dialogue serves as a valuable resource for beginners (A1-A2 level) looking to enhance their English listening skills while connecting with cultural narratives.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I was born in...” - A simple way to share personal information.
  • “My parents are from...” - Useful for discussing family backgrounds.
  • “I learned to make...” - Great for sharing skills or hobbies.
  • “At home, I felt...” - Helps express feelings about different environments.
  • “I celebrated...” - A phrase to talk about traditions and holidays.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively use this video for English speaking practice and improve your shadow speech, follow these steps:

  1. Watch and Listen: Begin by watching the video without subtitles. Focus on the speaker's pronunciation and intonation.
  2. Read Along: Watch the video again with subtitles. This will help you connect spoken words with their written forms.
  3. Pause and Repeat: Use a shadowing app or pause the video after each sentence. Repeat what the speaker says, mimicking their rhythm and tone.
  4. Practice in Sections: Break the transcript into smaller sections. Practice each section until you feel comfortable, then move on to the next.
  5. Record and Compare: Record your voice while you shadow the speaker. Compare your pronunciation with that of the speaker to identify areas for improvement.

By regularly engaging with content like this, you can leverage the power of shadowspeak to enhance your language fluency. The combination of storytelling and slow-paced pronunciation makes this video ideal for learners who seek to learn English with YouTube.

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.