Shadowing Practice: 25 Phrases You Need to Understand TV Shows and Movies - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
380 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Have you ever been watching your favorite TV show, movie, or Netflix series and you hear a phrase or some words
2
that you know but you don't understand how it's being used in the show?
3
In today's English lesson, I'm going to teach you 25 phrases
4
that will help you as an English learner understand what the speakers are actually saying when you watch your favorite sitcom, your favorite drama, maybe a reality show.
5
These phrases are constantly used in television and shows online.
6
So these phrases will help you understand the speakers.
7
I'll teach you how to actually use these in your own conversations
8
and I'll teach you some mistakes that you should avoid when using these phrases.
9
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to actually use television shows and movies to learn more English and to follow along with the speakers better.
10
Let's get started with this lesson and make sure to visit EnglishWithKayla.com if you're interested in joining my monthly course.
11
All right, let's get started.
12
The first phrase is a reaction.
13
Let's talk about some reactions and some emotional phrases that you'll hear constantly used in shows and movies first.
14
The phrase is, no way.
15
No way, no way, no way.
16
So I use this in my everyday life, but it's very dramatic, so you'll hear it a lot in television shows and movies as well.
17
So if someone says, I just won a million dollars, you might say, no way this can show excitement.
18
or if you say, no way, this can mean disbelief.
19
So even though this is a very simple phrase, no way, it can express a lot of different things.
20
So this phrase, it can be used in a very simple way in your everyday life just to express
21
that you're excited by something.
22
Even if you're just chatting with a friend and they say, oh yeah, I got a small raise at work the other day, you might say, oh, no way, that's awesome.
23
no way can express excitement or disbelief.
24
Someone might say some really disappointing or really sad news like my dog died last week.
25
You might say oh no way I'm so sorry to hear that.
26
It's your disbelief because it's shocking it's maybe sudden
27
but you're not saying like I don't believe you you're just saying I'm in disbelief
28
or you know it's very surprising tragically to hear that.
29
This next phrase it can be used in a similar way.
30
The phrase is get out of here.
31
Get out of here.
32
Get out of here.
33
This can mean you are really surprised, again, by some news, or it can mean that you are, you know, saying that they're kidding,
34
they're joking, like, you don't think they're telling the truth.
35
Someone might say, oh, I was at a coffee shop the other day and Taylor Swift walked in.
36
You might say, get out of here.
37
That was not Taylor Swift because she's such a big celebrity.
38
Like, you don't believe them.
39
Or you might use the phrase as, get out of here, meaning like, I'm so excited to hear this news.
40
I totally believe you here.
41
So it's a really similar phrase in the fact that you can use it in different ways, again, to express different emotions.
42
And this phrase is not typically rude.
43
It doesn't mean like, literally leave.
44
It's just an expression.
45
It's just an idiom, meaning like, are you kidding?
46
I can't believe you.
47
That's shocking or it's exciting.
48
This next phrase I think is used a majority of the time in television shows and movies.
49
I don't actually say this in my real life.
50
It's very dramatic.
51
It's something that you would write a character saying, but keep in mind because you'll need to know it if you're watching the show and your favorite character says this.
52
The phrase is, give me a break.
53
Give me a break.
54
The classic example that I can think of
55
that this phrase would come up in is if a student in a television show said, oh, I did my homework, but my dog ate it.
56
you might say, give me a break, meaning like, that's ridiculous.
57
I don't believe you.
58
Like, give me a break from this silly thing that you're saying.
59
So if you don't believe someone's excuse or explanation, or if you see this in a television show, they'll say, give me a break.
60
Like, please don't lie to me.
61
It's kind of sarcastic.
62
Like, I don't believe you at all.
63
Give me a break.
64
This next phrase is very common on shows and movies, but I also use this one all of the time in my daily life.
65
If you are frustrated with something, you might use the phrase, you've got to be kidding me.
66
You've got to be kidding me.
67
So, I, as a mom, will make food for my kids that they love.
68
They have eaten the food many times.
69
Let's say it's like chicken nuggets or let's say they say they love grapes
70
and I get this food and I give it to them and then they say, I don't like this.
71
Now, I try not to act way too frustrated, but I'll say in my head, like, you've got to be kidding me.
72
Like, you just ate that yesterday or you just ate that last week.
73
If you're a parent or if you're around kids, you will probably understand this, but it's just, like, frustration.
74
Like, I can't believe it.
75
I can't believe, like, you're doing this frustrated thing.
76
Or let's say you're at the airport
77
and all of a sudden you're about to get on your airplane and leave and it says it's cancel.
78
You might say, you've got to be kidding me.
79
Like, why is this happening?
80
I'm in disbelief.
81
I'm very frustrated.
82
So you would not use this phrase for excitement.
83
You would really only use it for frustration or being annoyed at something.
84
This last very emotional phrase I'm going to teach you is one
85
that again can be used for either excitement or kind of frustration or,
86
you know, disbelief the phrase is are you serious be serious are you serious
87
so you can really change the tone here
88
so you have to listen carefully when an english speaker uses this phrase
89
when someone says are you serious it means like are you
90
are you being for real are you true you are using this phrase especially on a show or in a movie, to be like, is this real news?
91
I don't believe it because either it's really good or it's really bad.
92
Like, they have cancer.
93
Are you serious?
94
You're very disappointed.
95
You're very sad.
96
You're hoping that's not true.
97
But typically, you know, when you're using this phrase, you're using it in a real conversation.
98
Or some might say, I just won $10,000.
99
You'd be like, are you serious?
100
So this is another very flexible phrase.
101
In everyday life, if I ask someone, hey, can we talk?
102
It just means like, do you have time to talk?
103
Or like, could we, you know, move away and have a private conversation?
104
In a television show or a movie, I swear they always use the phrase, we need to talk, to introduce a very serious conversation.
105
It's kind of to let the audience know that they're about to have a very serious conversation.
106
So this is used very frequently on shows and movies.
107
If someone on a show or in a movie says, honey, we need to talk.
108
We need to talk.
109
It means they're about to have a very serious conversation that might create some tension.
110
So usually it's kind of starting an argument or it's going to be something that the other person doesn't like.
111
Maybe they're even going to break up if it's a romantic relationship with the other person.
112
Honey, we need to talk.
113
I can't be with you anymore.
114
So it would be a very serious phrase in a television show or in a movie.
115
This isn't a neutral phrase, especially if it's used on shows or movies.
116
It's very serious and usually it's negative news.
117
But in real life, I might say to my husband, hey, can we talk for a second?
118
I'll just be kind of going over the plan of the day or just telling them about something that's important.
119
It doesn't mean that it's necessarily bad in real life.
120
On shows, when people are expressing their feelings, you might hear them use the phrase, it's complicated.
121
It's complicated.
122
It's very complicated.
123
It's a very dramatic phrase.
124
It's definitely used more often in shows and in movies.
125
In real life, sometimes people, when they start dating and they don't know for sure yet if they're a girlfriend, boyfriend, you know, they haven't totally committed,
126
they might say, oh, it's a little bit complicated.
127
But it's not used so seriously like it is on television.
128
So when people say it's complicated, it usually means their feelings are difficult to explain or the relationship with someone is difficult to explain.
129
And I think that writers on movies and television shows use this phrase so often because by saying it's complicated, it just means that they're not explaining all the details right now.
130
So they might just use it for brevity to make things quicker when they're having a conversation in a movie.
131
In real life, if you say, yeah, I'm over it, it just means you're not worried about it anymore.
132
You're not going to have any more bad feelings about something.
133
I'm over it.
134
It's fine.
135
Like, I'm not disappointed anymore.
136
In television, you know, again, it's a very dramatic phrase.
137
Like, I'm over it.
138
They're very, very dramatic about it.
139
It just means that you've moved on and you don't care about something anymore, especially if something deeply affected you in the past.
140
For instance, like a breakup from a relationship, you might say, I'm over him or I'm overheard.
141
Or in real life, you know, you might have some disappointing news.
142
Maybe you didn't get the job that you wanted and you're disappointed about it for a few days, but you might say, well, I'm over it now.
143
I'm already applying to new jobs.
144
To say I'm over something in television and movies, it means you have moved on emotionally.
145
You're not so distraught over anything anymore.
146
And in real life, it just means like we're not disappointed and we don't care anymore.
147
This next phrase is very similar.
148
Get over it.
149
Get over it.
150
If you tell someone to get over it, it means don't dwell on something.
151
Don't worry about it.
152
Don't keep thinking about it.
153
Just move on.
154
So like you need to get over the relationship.
155
This means you need to stop thinking about your last breakup or you need to get over this person.
156
Like stop being with them.
157
Okay.
158
So this phrase, I will say it's kind of equivalent or it's equal to telling someone to relax.
159
It's not actually going to help a situation.
160
It's not going to make a person relax by saying, just relax, like, just get over it.
161
It can be kind of rude in real life to say, like, just get over it.
162
It means, you know, you're kind of not really acknowledging the person's feelings and you're being kind of rude.
163
In television shows and movies, if two people are having an argument, one person might say, well, just get over it.
164
Like you're kind of being rude in this situation.
165
And of course, on shows are going to be extra dramatic, especially if they're yelling at each other and use this phrase and get over it.
166
A similar phrase is it's no big deal or it's not a big deal.
167
Jim, it's not a big deal.
168
Not a big deal.
169
If you say this to someone again, you're telling them, don't worry about this.
170
Don't be upset about it.
171
It's not a big deal.
172
It can be really rude to say this like, well, stop, you know, complaining about it.
173
It's not a big deal or stop crying about it.
174
It's not a big deal.
175
Again, this is used in a really rude way.
176
In real life, we actually use this in a more polite way.
177
Let's say someone is at your house and they spill a little bit of coffee and they're really worried about it.
178
They're profusely apologizing.
179
They're saying, I'm so sorry.
180
You might say, it's no big deal.
181
It's not a big deal.
182
Don't worry about it.
183
So here you're actually just being polite with the phrase like, don't, you know, be so distressed.
184
It's not a big deal.
185
I'm not upset with you.
186
But on shows and in movies, this is used as a really dramatic way to say like, you know, you shouldn't have your feelings so hurt by something.
187
It's not a big deal.
188
Usually in real life, this phrase is kind and comforting.
189
These next phrases are kind of interesting.
190
I took these phrases from when there's a problem in a show or there's a very dramatic moment.
191
Again, in shows and movies, you're going to hear the English speakers speak way more dramatically than they would in real life.
192
And that includes the phrases.
193
These phrases are very dramatic.
194
The first phrase is, what have you gotten yourself into?
195
Joel, what have you gotten yourself into?
196
So this is when we are asking someone, like, how did you get into this problem?
197
Like, this problem is very big.
198
How did this happen to you?
199
So maybe in a crime movie, someone might, you know, start committing crimes or they might get involved with something very illegal and a person might say,
200
what have you gotten yourself into?
201
Like, this is very big trouble.
202
It's a very big problem.
203
A lot of times in my real life, I use this phrase.
204
I might say, oh, what have I gotten myself into?
205
If I commit to something that's a bigger responsibility than I originally thought.
206
All around, this phrase is only used if someone has created a situation
207
that is hard to manage or they have created a problem for themselves.
208
It's not used when, you know, you could do something with someone else.
209
It's only on you when you say, what have you gotten yourself into?
210
It's only on the person you're asking.
211
And like I said, sometimes I ask myself, oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into?
212
Especially if I start like a project that is just way more work than I originally imagined around my house, especially if I start, you know,
213
painting a room and all of a sudden I'm sweating and I'm like, this is a bigger project.
214
This is more work than I thought I might say.
215
What have I gotten myself into?
216
One really ominous or warning phrase that you'll hear in some of your favorite television shows, especially if it's a drama, is you're in trouble.
217
You're in trouble.
218
It's just kind of a warning phrase that there's going to be consequences, especially in crime shows.
219
You know, If you do this, you're going to be in trouble.
220
You're going to be in big trouble.
221
In real life, I feel like we don't use this phrase as much.
222
It is pretty dramatic, but occasionally you'll hear someone say like, hey, if you don't work hard, you're going to be in trouble.
223
Like, you're not going to get this done.
224
It doesn't mean trouble with the law or like actual consequences that someone's imposing, but like more so natural consequences.
225
Like if you don't study hard, you're going to be in trouble when it comes to the test.
226
So it means like you're not going to do well.
227
Again, sometimes when we just feel very defeated, when things are going very wrong and everything's disorganized, in our real life we'll just say,
228
oh this is such a mess, this is a mess.
229
It means that you're in a situation that has become disorganized or is not working out the way you wanted it to.
230
In a television show, people will say, this is a mess, this is a mess.
231
When, you know, relationships are kind of broken or people are fighting.
232
It's used in a very dramatic way.
233
Of course, if you're talking about how clean something is, you could use this phrase very literally to say this is a mess.
234
But I would say it's almost more common to say this is a mess when things are, you know, being problematic and disorganized in your life.
235
Another phrase that's definitely more used on shows is you're in deep trouble or we're in deep trouble.
236
How can I get it?
237
Okay, we're definitely in deep trouble.
238
This means that there is a very, very serious problem.
239
This goes a step further than just saying, oh, I'm in trouble.
240
If you have, you know, some consequences or something bad is going to happen,
241
or let's say in a show they are stranded in a desert
242
or stranded on a boat and they have no way of contacting people, they could say, we're in deep trouble.
243
So deep is just an emphasis word here for trouble.
244
Sometimes in shows when two people are having a very heated or very emotional conversation, someone will say, don't make this worse.
245
Like if two people are about to break up and one person says, please, you can't leave me.
246
Like I'm so sad, whatever.
247
The other person might say, don't make this worse
248
or don't make this any harder please don't make this worse it's a very dramatic phrase meaning don't create like additional
249
emotions or problems for me now we're at our phrases
250
that are just our everyday casual phrases the first phrase is
251
hang on hang on hang on hang on hang on hang
252
on hang on in our real everyday life means hey just
253
wait just wait for a second very casual in a television show it'll be hang on, I need to think, or hang on, I need to process this emotion.
254
So again, we're thinking about how we're using these in a dramatic way on television shows and in movies.
255
And a lot of times in movies, if there's a dramatic moment when someone is waiting to be saved by another person, let's say they're literally hanging on a cliff,
256
they're about to drop, they're about to fall, or, you know, they're in some sort of danger, the person who is trying to save them might say,
257
hang on, like, don't fall or try to stay alive.
258
You know, they're saying, wait, like, hang on.
259
A lot of times when there's a wedding in a movie that needs to be stopped, you might hear someone saying, hang on, stop the wedding.
260
Like, that means, wait, like, don't get married.
261
I'm going to profess my love, something like that.
262
So, this phrase, it's very fun to learn how to use this phrase in a dramatic way.
263
And of course, I just use it in my everyday life to mean like, oh, wait a second.
264
Hang on, before we leave, I need to do this.
265
That means just wait.
266
Another phrase that's used just as commonly and casually is give me a second.
267
This means just wait very briefly.
268
In movies, it will be like give me a second.
269
I need to think.
270
Same dramatic way it's used instead of just saying like I need to think or please wait.
271
We're using it in a more dramatic way in shows and in movies.
272
And of course, my kids always take this literally as, it's been one second, but it really just means wait briefly, please.
273
A very common response when someone says, like, do you want this or do you need something?
274
You might say, I'm good.
275
I'm good.
276
I'm good.
277
This means I'm fine or no thank you.
278
It's used just as the same in television shows and in movies.
279
It's one of the most common American responses to something like, oh, hey, can I help you?
280
No, I'm good.
281
Thanks.
282
And this just means I'm okay.
283
I'm fine.
284
In shows, it can be used a little bit dramatically.
285
Like, are you all right?
286
Like after someone has a fall or an accident or crash or something, they might say, I'm good.
287
I'm good.
288
Meaning I'm fine.
289
In my everyday life, when someone says any, you know, some sort of argument or they make some sort of point and I'm going to accept that, like I'm not going to argue with them.
290
It sounds like it makes sense.
291
I might say, fair enough, fair enough.
292
And again, this is used in the exact same way on shows as well.
293
That's fair enough.
294
Meaning whatever argument or whatever point the person made, you can accept without any sort of argument or talking back at all.
295
If you use this phrase in a show or even in your everyday life, it's not meaning that you agree with them.
296
Like you would, you know, say
297
that they're whatever they just said like makes sense like let's say someone says oh I can't come to dinner
298
because I have to work you're disappointed
299
and you're thinking like maybe you could take off work
300
or somehow you could you know come later or whatever it might be
301
but you're not going to argue with them
302
because there's really no points you might say fair enough
303
so it's not that you completely agree but you're not going to argue
304
and it makes sense all right the last phrases in this lesson These are such television show and movie phrases.
305
The first phrase is, you owe me one.
306
You owe me one.
307
So when someone does a favor and a show for someone that they really had to be talked into, they're helping someone out and they didn't really want to do it,
308
they will often say, you owe me one.
309
Like, you owe me a favor since I really didn't want to do this.
310
And it's just showing in the television show or in the movie that the person, you know, had to be convinced to do something against their will, basically.
311
And now they're saying, you owe me a favor.
312
But instead, we use this phrase, you owe me one.
313
If someone is messing with you, it means they're kind of pulling a prank or they're just kind of joking with you.
314
Many times in your real everyday conversations or on a show or movie, someone will be kind of playfully like pulling a prank on someone.
315
They might say, oh, like, you didn't know, Like, we have to work Saturday, Sunday, all day.
316
And they'll be like, really?
317
I didn't know we had to work all day.
318
Like, that's terrible.
319
And the person might say, no, I'm just messing with you.
320
Like, I'll see you on Monday.
321
I'm just messing with you.
322
So again, it's just kind of like you're pulling a prank on someone
323
or you're telling them something that isn't true just to kind of have a joke
324
or just to kind of make the person worried for a minute.
325
That's what we refer to as messing with someone in English.
326
I can picture a movie where someone is like, yeah, you can take my car, like just be really careful.
327
And then they come back and they say, oh, I actually dented up your car.
328
They might say, what?
329
Are you serious?
330
And the person would say, no, I'm just messing with you.
331
Meaning like, I just am pulling a prank on you.
332
I didn't really damage your car.
333
If you don't believe something in English, you can use this next phrase.
334
You can say, I don't buy it.
335
I don't buy it.
336
It just means I'm not convinced.
337
I don't believe it.
338
I think this person is lying or they are not telling the full truth
339
or they're kind of being dramatic or saying something that isn't quite true.
340
So this could be something small like a person who is chronically lying.
341
They're chronically late, meaning they're always late.
342
They would say, well, I was late because of traffic.
343
Like, it wasn't my fault.
344
You might say, I'm not buying it.
345
You're late every single day.
346
Or sometimes in television shows or movies, someone might be flaunting their wealth they might have a lot of designer clothing and bags and one person might say, I don't buy it.
347
I don't think they actually have that much money.
348
So it just means you're being very skeptical of something when you say this phrase.
349
This last phrase, it's definitely kind of cheesy.
350
It's more corny.
351
We don't use it in our everyday life a ton.
352
It's more of a show or movie phrase.
353
The phrase is don't push it.
354
Don't push it.
355
So a classic conversation in a show would be like a kid being like, can I stay out till midnight?
356
And the parents say, well, you can stay out till 10.
357
And the kid might say, how about 11?
358
The parents might say, hey, don't push it.
359
This means like, don't try to take advantage of us, you know, giving you a late year curfew or don't try to push the boundaries here.
360
The same could be said if someone's like asking for money and they say, hey, can I borrow $10?
361
The person says, sure.
362
And they'll say, how about 20 actually?
363
And the person might say, hey, don't push it.
364
Meaning like, I've already been generous.
365
I've already been kind.
366
Don't try to take advantage of me.
367
So this phrase, it's definitely used more in shows and movies than in your real life.
368
Next time you watch a show or you're watching a movie, look for these phrases.
369
You'll hear them all the time.
370
I tried to pick out the most common ones that I could think of.
371
If you have more, let me know in the comments and I'll teach them in an upcoming video.
372
And always, please make sure to visit my website, englishwithkayla.com.
373
You can find my lessons there in my monthly membership.
374
I'll go beyond what I just teach in the video.
375
I'll give you the PDF resources.
376
I'll give you a quiz and you have the opportunity to ask questions there as well.
377
Thank you again for watching.
378
I'll see you guys in the next lesson.
379
Make sure to check out the one on screen if you're in the mood to keep learning English with me.
380
Goodbye!
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B21
15 Important English Phrasal Verbs
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
Learn English Useful Phrases for Daily Conversation watching Gilmore Girls
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B28
18 Natural English Phrases You’ll Actually Use in Conversation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B119 English Sentences That Make You Sound Like a Native
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
C12
19 Phrases Native English Speakers Use Every Day
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B12
19 Phrases Native English Speakers Use Every Day
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B1Adjust Your Ears to Fast English
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B261 English Phrases to Sound More Natural & Confident
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B1Strong English Words You Should Be Using
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B1188 sentences
Learn English with Movies: 10 Phrases You Won’t Learn in Textbooks
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
1444 sentences
Day 2: Speak English in 30 Days | 100 Most Common English Words Used in Daily Life
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
21 sentences
3 Phrases To Keep A Conversation Going #communicationskills
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
111 sentences
12 Emotional English Phrasal Verbs: lash out, storm off, sink in...
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
679 sentences
Learn 75 English Phrases You'll Actually Use in Real Life | Slow English (A2-B1)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B15
8 sentences
You absolutely have to know this expression in English! 🧠🚫
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
264 sentences
How to Talk About Movies and TV Shows in English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
A232 sentences
Shadow English | 20 Active Listening Phrases
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
341 sentences
"How to Talk About Your Feelings in English Like a Native | Learn English With Podcasts
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
611 sentences
Go On, Go Through, Go Ahead & Go For It - Speak English Naturally | Speaking Practice
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1660 sentences
Daily English Conversations to Learn Common Idioms | Improve English Skills in 30 Minutes Everyday
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
A22
30 sentences
English Podcast: 20 English Phrases with "Smile" | Easy English for Beginners
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “25 Phrases You Need to Understand TV Shows and Movies”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: phrase, movie, television, dramatic. This video has 380 sentences and 4467 words to shadow. The speech runs for 22:44. The speaker talks fast, about 197 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 86% 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| disbelief noun | /dɪsbɪˈliːf/ | An unpreparedness, unwillingness, or an inability to believe that something is the case. |
| rude adjective | /ɹuːd/ | Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous. |
| frustrate verb | /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ | To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired. |
| prank noun | /pɹæŋk/ | A practical joke or mischievous trick. |
| consequence noun | /ˈkɑn.sɪ.kwəns/ | An effect; something that follows a cause as a result. |
| excitement noun | /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/ | The state of being excited (emotionally aroused). |
| disorganized adjective | /dɪsˈɔːɡənaɪzd/ | Lacking order or organization; confused; chaotic. |
| frustration noun | /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The feeling of annoyance at impossibility from resistance or inability to achieve something. |
| emotion noun | /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/ | A person's internal state of being and involuntary physiological response to an object or a situation, based on or tied to physical state and sensory data. |
| relax verb | /ɹɪˈlæks/ | To make something loose. |
| chronically adverb | In a chronic manner, or to a chronic degree. | |
| breakup noun | /ˈbɹeɪk.ʌp/ | The act of breaking up; disintegration or division. |
| disappoint verb | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt/ | To sadden or displease (someone) by underperforming, or by not delivering something promised or hoped for. |
| strand noun | /ˈstɹænd/ | Each of the strings which, twisted together, make up a yarn, rope or cord. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get over verb | To overcome. |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| break up verb | To break or separate into pieces. |
| stay out verb | To spend time out of one's house. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| going over noun | An inspection, examination, review, or investigation. |
| move away verb | To go away from a place, especially when permanently changing one's residence. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- It's just an idiom, meaning like, are you kidding?
- You'd be like, are you serious?
- Joel, what have you gotten yourself into?
- How did this happen to you?
- What have I gotten myself into?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you're around kids, you will probably |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have eaten · you've moved · have moved |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are frustrated · are stranded · be saved |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | person who is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 221 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: frustration /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, casually /ˈkæʒuəli/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: disorganized /dɪsˈɔːɡənaɪzd/, problematic /ˌpɹɑ.bləˈmæt.ɪk/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/
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 phrase, disbelief, rude.
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.