Shadowing Practice: They are a generous couple. - Learn English Speaking with Video
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77 sentences
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1
Hey, what are you doing?
2
Oh, figuring out our wedding plans.
3
That's funny.
4
We were doing the same thing.
5
Yeah.
6
It's really crazy.
7
I had no idea how expensive this stuff was.
8
It is really pricey.
9
This is going to cost you a lot of money.
10
I heard the weddings are like a $40 billion a year industry.
11
It does seem like this money could be put to better use.
12
Are you serious?
13
How would you feel if we gave all the wedding money to charity and we just got married at City Hall?
14
I think it would make me want to marry you even more.
15
May I help you?
16
Yes.
17
We're here to make a rather sizable donation to the children.
18
Well, any contribution, large or small, is always appreciated.
19
Well, I think you're going to appreciate the crap out of this one.
20
Well, this is very generous.
21
I was cleaning this morning, and I found this.
22
I don't know if you want to use it, but...
23
I actually won't be wearing a dress at all.
24
We took the money we were going to spend on a wedding, and we donated it to a children's charity.
25
That's crazy!
26
I'm sorry.
27
I just, I can't imagine giving up my one wedding day like that.
28
This is really nice for you, but I've made my decision.
29
What I really want is a great big wedding.
30
Oh, yay!
31
But you already gave all the money to charity.
32
Well, I'll just ask for it back.
33
I'm seriously asking for the money back?
34
It's for our wedding day.
35
Are you here to make another donation the same day?
36
We want it back.
37
Excuse me?
38
That money was for a big wedding that we thought we didn't want, but it turns out we do.
39
So you're asking us to refund your donation to the children?
40
Yeah.
41
Yeah, I'm sorry.
42
I am.
43
But, you know, this wedding's just really important to me.
44
Hey, it's none of my business.
45
Well, hey, at least you're getting a proper wedding.
46
Yeah, I really do.
47
You know, I had nothing growing up.
48
Just like the kids I took the money from.
49
No, no, I see where this is going.
50
Look, I can't have a wedding with this money now.
51
It's tainted.
52
All right, fine.
53
We'll give the money back.
54
We're back.
55
Are you here to take more money?
56
Because I think what you're looking for is an ATM.
57
No, no, we're here to give the money back.
58
It's all about the children.
59
Although, it's also about the wedding.
60
All right, here.
61
No. Oh, God.
62
Okay, look, enough.
63
I'm going to make this decision for us.
64
No, what do you think we should do?
65
You know what?
66
It's not your decision anymore.
67
What?
68
On behalf of the children of New York, I reject your money.
69
But we're giving you this.
70
Yeah, and I'm giving it back to you.
71
Consider it a contribution.
72
Well, this is very generous.
73
Please, take the check, go have a great wedding and a wonderful life together.
74
That way we can save up, come back in a few years, and make an even bigger donation.
75
And when you do, make sure you ask for Brian.
76
Oh, is that you?
77
No.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “They are a generous couple”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: wedding, donation, charity, decision, giving. This video has 77 sentences and 542 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:17. The speaker talks fast, about 238 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 13 of its 77 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 |
|---|---|---|
| donation noun | /doʊˈneɪʃən/ | A voluntary gift or contribution for a specific cause. |
| charity noun | /ˈtʃæɹɪti/ | An organization, the objective of which is to carry out a charitable purpose. |
| contribution noun | /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/ | Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole. |
| generous adjective | /ˈd͡ʒɛn(ə)ɹəs/ | Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not petty; kind, magnanimous. |
| behalf noun | /bɪˈhæf/ | The interest, benefit, or wellbeing of someone or something. |
| marry verb | /ˈmæɹi/ | To enter into the conjugal or connubial state; to take a husband or a wife. |
| donate verb | /ˈdoʊˌneɪt/ | To make a donation; to give away something of value to support or contribute towards a cause or for the benefit of another. |
| refund noun | /ɹɪˈfʌnd/ | An amount of money returned. |
| pricey adjective | /ˈpɹaɪsi/ | Expensive, dear. |
| sizable adjective | /ˈsaɪzəbəl/ | Fairly large. |
| excuse verb | /ɪksˈkjuz/ | To forgive; to pardon; to overlook. |
| wedding noun | /ˈwɛdɪŋ/ | A marriage ceremony; a ritual officially celebrating the beginning of a marriage. |
| appreciate verb | /əˈpɹiː.ʃi.eɪt/ | To be grateful or thankful for. |
| consider verb | /kənˈsɪd.ə/ | To think about seriously. |
| clean adjective | /kliːn/ | Free of dirt, filth, or impurities (extraneous matter); not dirty, filthy, or soiled. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| save up verb | To accumulate money, especially for a specific, planned expenditure. |
| turn out verb | To end up; to result. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Hey, what are you doing?
- May I help you?
- I'm seriously asking for the money back?
- Are you here to take more money?
- No, what do you think we should do?
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 | could be put · is always appreciated |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | were doing · was cleaning |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | are you doing · you're asking · you're getting |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | is going to cost · you're going to appreciate · I'm going to make |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 21 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, we're, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: donation /doʊˈneɪʃən/, contribution /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/, appreciate /əˈpɹiː.ʃi.eɪt/
- Long words — get the stress right: contribution /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/, appreciate /əˈpɹiː.ʃi.eɪt/, seriously /ˈsɪɹ.i.əs.li/
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 donation, charity, contribution.
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.