Shadowing Practice: 169. “I Thought You Were A White Man” - Learn English Speaking with Video

One interesting thing happened yesterday because, again, I just moved into my new place

and I had to get Wi -Fi for my place because I was using just my cell phone.

And to get on my computer and stuff, I was using what we call a hotspot.

You guys probably call it the same thing, but just in case you don't, a hotspot is like when you use your cell phone data

and you turn your cell phone like into a Wi -Fi router

so you can connect other devices to the data on your cell phone

and use the internet that way so I connect my computer to my phone

and I can get on the internet via my computer the problem with

that is the cell phone carrier I had two days ago mint mobile was abso -fucking -lutely trash

in my place the reception was so bad the internet was so slow and it's probably going to sound really privileged, but I don't think of it that way.

I just think my personality type, like I can be very patient in certain circumstances.

I mean, I was a teacher for many years, so you have to be patient, but that's different when I, when it comes to like devices and internet and shit,

I cannot, I cannot deal with slow internet or slow electronics, bro.

It drives me up the fucking

wall bro you want to see me lose my cool like

you may think having never met me listening to this podcast

tony's a cool dude laid back he's chill you know i'm

saying he's got a couple jokes in me you know i'm

saying he's he's a cool guy i fuck with him i like him it's nice but

if you want to see a different side of me give me a slow electronic device with a shitty internet connection

and you will see me lose my shit i promise you it makes me

so it makes me irrationally mad bro i can't lie to you it makes me

so fucking mad so i was like i can't i was doing

that for like a week and a half almost two weeks

and was just like i can't do this anymore i can't

i gotta go get some some wi -fi i'm gonna bite the bullet

and pay for the wi -fi and bite the bullet means

especially

when we're talking about spending money like bite the bullet means like make the decision to spend money on something

that you don't want to spend money on

so i just decided to bite the bullet

and fucking get the wi -fi router

and now life is fantastic i got fast internet on all

my devices i can surf the web i can stream download shit upload shit I can do everything I need to do.

So no more delays when it comes to uploading YouTube videos, because there was no way I was doing that with my cell phone data.

It would have taken six days, you know.

But anyway, speaking of that, I went to the fucking internet store, the T -Mobile store specifically,

yesterday to get this Wi -Fi thing.

And so before I went, I called them on the phone just to do a bit of shopping, let's say.

I was comparing prices of different internet providers and what the benefits

and features are and everything just to make sure I'm getting a good deal or the best possible deal.

So I called a store and I'm asking a lady about the internet plans and switching my phone over to save money.

So now I got T -Mobile, blah, blah, blah.

And then she says, we're located at this place.

We'll be open until this time.

I'm like, all right, cool.

So I go over there.

I do some shopping, get some supplies for my house

and the internet provider place or the cell phone place is right next to

that uh shopping center so i walk over there

and i walk up to the counter

and i ask for the lady by name

because i remember her name i was like yeah yeah we

spoke on the phone blah blah blah she's like okay and

so we get started she's helping me she's setting up my account and everything

and just randomly unprompted it's not like i asked her about

it she was looking down at my phone messing with the settings

and shit she was like you want to know something funny i said yeah sure what

and she was like

when i was talking to you on the phone i thought

you were a white man i looked at her kind of

like kind of puzzled i mean i knew where she was going with it

or where she was coming from but it's just a random thing to say

so i kind of stop and look at her like the fuck

and i was like why

and she said no just just the way you talk like the way you communicate i'm like oh okay all right

now to you listening not being from the i assume you're not from the u .s

if you're listening to this you might be asking yourself what is the point of

that story like why did he tell us that

and what does she mean like why does she think you were a white guy

and this is a very interesting thing about American culture and American English because I don't even know where to start.

I've probably talked about this on the podcast before, but in case you're new here, we're going to revisit this topic because it just happened yesterday and it really made me laugh.

We have this idea in the United States of talking like a white person or talking like a black person,

even talking like a Latino person or an Asian person,

because unlike a country like Brazil that is also multicultural, the U .S is multicultural,

but in a very fragmented kind of segregated way.

just because of the history of our country.

When you think back to when the African slaves were brought over here

and they were really interacting amongst themselves and then with their slave owners, from the very beginning of the United States of America,

things have been divided or segregated.

And what naturally happens when you segregate two groups of people is two distinct cultures develop.

And if you've been listening to the podcast, you know that I've always said culture and language are very hard to separate.

Like the culture of the people determines how the language is spoken.

It determines how the language is used.

It determines slang and expressions and grammar and all those things.

That's why American and British people do not talk the same.

Same language, but we don't talk the same.

I know nothing I'm saying is novel.

I know that this is all obvious to you.

But it's giving context to the story I'm telling you.

So over time, all these centuries, even after slavery was, quote unquote, abolished, you had legal segregation.

So black people weren't legally considered slaves anymore, but were still legally required to remain segregated from white people.

So you had black schools and white schools, black water fountains and white water fountains.

Black people couldn't sit next to white people on the bus, for example.

There was separation everywhere you went, which maintained that division of language and culture in the United States.

And I'm just talking about black and white.

We're not talking about Asians, Latinos, Middle Eastern people or anything like that.

I know much less about those cultures when we're talking about the U .S.

I'm speaking specifically about black and white.

100

and so what happened was black people well really Africans

101

that came over here not only had to learn

102

and speak what a lot of people would call broken English

103

but because of that the English

104

that a lot of black people speak today was heavily influenced by the English

105

that was learned by African slaves hundreds of years ago

106

and then further developed during times of segregation

107

and then further develop just out of pure evolution every language develops over time right or evolves i should say

108

and so that's why you'll listen to a stereotypical white man from the u .s

109

and a stereotypical black man from the u .s

110

and they don't necessarily sound alike a lot of the times

111

because even after segregation ended it's not like everything just mixed together and you got black and white

112

people living amongst each other the way they do in a place like brazil

113

like skin color socioeconomic status culture these things are are fragmented in strange ways

114

that i haven't seen in other countries i could be totally

115

off base maybe it exists in your country as well

116

if it does let me know in the comments because i'm very interested in stuff like this

117

but i'm trying to stay on topic i feel myself rambling what i'm saying is you have an idea

118

that black and white people talk different in the u .s generally speaking

119

generally speaking and so white people are known for talking

120

or speaking what's considered like standard proper american english they enunciate very well they speak very clearly their grammar is good.

121

They don't use too much slang.

122

They speak what's known in the academic world as proper English, good English, professional English, standard English.

123

And again, I'm generalizing because there's plenty of white people that don't fit that description.

124

Just take a trip down south to fucking Mississippi or Alabama or Florida, go up to goddamn Boston or something like that,

125

and you'll see not all white people talk the same

126

because there's regional dialects and accents too but i'm just generalizing across the board and

127

so a stereotypical black person is not known for speaking standard

128

proper american english linguists have even identified a dialect of english that

129

is known as african american vernacular english or black english

130

or ebonics all three of those terms describe the same dialect of english spoken by black americans most black americans

131

And it doesn't sound like proper English or standard English.

132

We have different accents.

133

We have different expressions, slang, even grammar structure sometimes.

134

And it's not that the rest of the country can't understand it, at least completely.

135

It's just that it's different.

136

It's not right or wrong.

137

It's just different.

138

It's not the standard, academically speaking.

139

and so i think like

140

if you listen to the podcast a lot of people most people

141

that give me feedback on this show say it's

142

so much easier to understand me than the average american especially the average black american

143

and i think that's because although i speak and understand black english

144

most of the time my natural way of speaking is like

145

the way i'm talking to you now maybe a little bit faster depending on who I'm talking to.

146

I'll use more slang and expressions depending on who I'm talking to because I'm always keeping my audience in mind.

147

So I'm not going to use a bunch of slang

148

and expressions with you if I know you're not going to understand them

149

or I'm going to have to spend 30 minutes trying to explain it to you.

150

I'm going to just speak in a more standard way so that you understand what I'm saying.

151

So anyway, what this lady was trying to say is you don't sound or talk like the stereotypical black person, especially not one from the South.

152

so on the phone you can't see me

153

and I speak very clearly I enunciate I was very polite as well

154

so in her mind she's like this can't be a black man talking to me not with

155

that voice not with that grammar not with that pronunciation not with uh

156

that communication style you sound like a white dude

157

and to me it's just interesting to think about the cultural aspect of

158

that because even like as a black kid growing up, like kids want to fit in.

159

Kids want to seem cool.

160

They want to do what the other kids are doing.

161

And if you don't talk like the stereotypical black kid from the inner city or something like that, if you're not speaking stereotypical black English,

162

which let's be honest, sounds cooler, especially these days, like hip hop has had such a big influence on the way people talk,

163

the way people dress, the way people think.

164

And so that's why a lot of people will try to imitate that way of speaking because it sounds cool.

165

Like black culture is cool as shit.

166

And so growing up as a black kid, if you don't fit into that mold, even black people will say you talk white.

167

If you're a black kid and you grew up in a decent family, decent neighborhood, and all those things,

168

good education, and you don't speak in the stereotypical black way, black people will have some kind of reservation about that.

169

It's not always hatred -based, but it's almost like they make fun of you for not speaking like a black person,

170

like you're trying to sound like a white person, as if you think you're too good to talk and act and think like black people,

171

which is what you should be doing because you're black.

172

You understand what I'm saying?

173

So a lot of educated black kids who don't talk in that stereotypical way have been told at some point or another, you sound white.

174

You talk like a white kid.

175

You're black white, you know?

176

Describing that idea that

177

because you're speaking standard English and enunciating every word

178

and you don't have a strong accent you're somehow less black

179

and that's fascinating to me as a black kid that's that's never something you want to hear growing up

180

that you sound white but as you get older

181

and you mature you realize on one hand you understand why they say it

182

and on the other hand you're like that's dumb as fuck

183

you know what i mean obviously me talking the way i talk doesn't make me any less black

184

because like it or not this black ain't coming off bro you know what i mean if anything

185

you're you're just one of the i like to think rare individuals that isn't necessarily defined

186

by the color of their skin and the culture that's attached to it and i don't know if this this

187

topic is making any sense to somebody who's not from the u .s

188

because color and ethnicity and culture interact with each other in different ways in other countries

189

so i don't know if this is even landing for you i don't even know

190

if this is making sense to you right now

191

but um it was just something curious that happened yesterday that i wanted to share with you

192

maybe in a future episode we'll dive deeper into

193

that i don't know you guys can let me know

194

if you want to hear me speak more about that

195

but it made me laugh

196

and i was like yeah i'm up This is going to be a good story for the podcast.

197

I thought you were a white man.

198

And I don't even know if I communicated clearly enough how fucking random it was.

199

Like, it was quiet.

200

She's on my phone messing with some shit and doesn't even look at me when she says it.

201

She's like, you want to know something funny?

202

When I was talking to you on the phone, I thought you were a white man and just kept doing what she was doing.

203

And I'm like, okay, nice to meet you, too, ma 'am.

204

But yeah, now you should, I shouldn't say understand,

205

but maybe now it makes a bit more sense why it's much easier to understand me than the stereotypical black American man.

📺 Same Channel

Growing Up with An Abusive Father

University StudentsWorking Adults

✨ Recommend Video

407 sentences

are you still watching?

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

392 sentences

WORK, RELATIONSHIPS AND LIFE TOGETHER | B2 Listening Practice | EP17 #luyennghetienganh

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

545 sentences

WHY YOU NEED TO GET OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE | getting over your fears & anxieties + just doing it!

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

53 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 205 sentences and 2691 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:43. The speaker talks at a natural 171 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
podcast noun	/ˈpɑdˌkæst/	A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on…
bite verb	/baɪt/	To cut into something by clamping the teeth.
slave noun	/sleɪv/	A person who is held in servitude as the property of another person, and whose labor (and often also whose body and life) is subject to the owner's volition…
bullet noun	/ˈbʊlɪt/	A projectile, usually of metal, shot from a gun at high speed.
grammar noun	/ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/	A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general.
topic noun	/ˈtɑpɪk/	A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
accent noun	/ækˈsɛnt/	A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to…
segregation noun	/sɛɡɹəˈɡeɪ̯ʃən/	The act of setting apart and organizing things based upon their characteristics.
necessarily adverb	/ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/	Inevitably; of necessity.
decent adjective	/ˈdiː.sənt/	Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
connect verb	/kəˈnɛkt/	To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
amongst	/əˈmʌŋst/	Denotes a mingling or intermixing with distinct or separable objects. See usage note at amidst.
legally adverb	/ˈliːɡəli/	As permitted by law; not contrary to law.
communicate verb	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/	To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell.
depend verb	/dɪˈpɛnd/	To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
grow up verb		To mature and become an adult.
bring over verb		To cause to change allegiance or point of view.
come off verb		To become detached.
come over verb		To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse.
go over verb		To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.
set up verb	/ˌsɛt ˈʌp/	To make ready for use.
walk over verb		To gain an easy victory.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 92 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: segregation /sɛɡɹəˈɡeɪ̯ʃən/, trash /tɹæʃ/, evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/, reception /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃn̩/, separation /ˌsɛp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: segregation /sɛɡɹəˈɡeɪ̯ʃən/, necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/, communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(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 podcast, bite, slave.

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	were brought · have been divided · is spoken
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've probably talked · have been divided · I've always said

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: 169. “I Thought You Were A White Man” - Learn English Speaking with Video

Growing Up with An Abusive Father

are you still watching?

WORK, RELATIONSHIPS AND LIFE TOGETHER | B2 Listening Practice | EP17 #luyennghetienganh

WHY YOU NEED TO GET OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE | getting over your fears & anxieties + just doing it!

Why Are You Single? - Kitty Flanagan | Melbourne International Comedy Festival

DON’T FALL ASLEEP AT A MATT RIFE SHOW | crowdwork

DEBATE: African Tether Says Black Americans Have Inferiority Complex

[B2] Smartphone Addiction Conversation | English Listening & Speaking Practice

It Only Takes Two Weeks

Listen to How Native Speakers REALLY Talk

He’s always wrong

English with Friends | Season 8 | Idioms, Expressions, Vocab

My Brazilian Wax Horror Story