Shadowing Practice: 2693 - Back to the Future! How to Connect Over Classic Films - Learn English Speaking with Video
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360 sentences
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1
Great Scott, Lindsay.
2
Here we are again.
3
You sound like the doc.
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Is that the doc that said that?
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Doc Brown?
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Yes.
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How many times have you seen Back to the Future, Lindsay?
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Many times.
9
I'm not as much of a nerd when it comes to Back to the Future as many people are.
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What are you saying?
11
I am a huge nerd.
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I've seen it so many times.
13
But mostly when I was a kid, right?
14
We had a limited number of VHS tapes or movies recorded off of television, and this was one of them.
15
Well, there's something comforting about it.
16
It's just, I don't know, came out in the late 70s, 80s, I think.
17
80s, I think.
18
Yeah.
19
And it's just like people know the phrases and that's why we're talking about this today.
20
Our listeners need to know some of the phrases, right?
21
Exactly.
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If you haven't seen it, you should definitely watch it.
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And we quote it a lot.
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I hear it quoted.
25
And so we're going to share some of the quotes and what they mean.
26
And then yes, definitely go watch the movie and you can also be throwing these quotes into your conversations.
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Yeah.
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Or at the very least understanding why someone just, just quoted, you know, right back to the future.
29
And yeah, so good.
30
Cause that's also fun too.
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If you're watching a TV show or having a conversation and someone makes a pop culture reference, it's fun to be in the know, to like know what they're referring to for sure. For sure.
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So yeah, definitely see the movie if you haven't seen it yet.
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it's with Michael J.
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Fox and who else famous I think Christopher Lloyd is Doc Brown
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and I'm trying to remember the name of the woman that plays his mom
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I can't think what it is but she's a pretty well known actress as well and yeah great show, great cast and there are three part one,
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two, and three, I like them all but the first one, the original is definitely the best yeah for sure
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so we kind of have two and we're just going to give you I like
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that we just have we have a few oh we have
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more than two we have five don't we how many do we have we have five phrases five quotes
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that you might hear that you could use
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and this is gonna be interesting I'm excited to dive into these
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because a couple of these I did not realize were from this film
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that are just more like used generally
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and I think a lot of people don't even know
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that the line originated from this film really interesting I mean it really permeated the culture, I think, for sure.
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And that's why you said at the beginning of the episode, Great Scott.
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Great Scott.
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This is a fun one.
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Doc Brown, he's like the professor who invents time travel.
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He says this a lot.
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Whenever he's surprised, he says, Great Scott.
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It's really fun.
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So you'll hear people throw this just if they're shocked or surprised, they'll say this.
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They usually know they're quoting Back to the Future.
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And if you say they're like, Oh, Back to the Future, they're going to love that you like caught the reference.
57
Yeah.
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Well, this is very timely actually by the way because wasn't he supposed to have traveled to 2025 or 26
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i feel like that was the future but he went to the future yeah and it was this year check
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anyways let's do a role play aubrey
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so all right you want to go first say i just
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found out my cousin won a million dollars on a game
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show great scott that's incredible yes i would be really tickled
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if you said that right if you throw in a back to the future reference to respond to my exciting news.
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That's just really fun.
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I actually think I didn't know that that was back to the future either.
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I didn't know.
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I didn't know.
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That's funny, but you've heard people say it, right?
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Yeah.
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Yeah. Of course. Of course.
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Yeah.
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I just thought it was just one of the things people say.
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Well, guys, we're learning something new every day on the show, including your co -hosts here.
75
Guys, go over to YouTube.
76
If you want to watch us on YouTube, this is another way to learn.
77
If you feel like you learn better visually, it's a great option.
78
This episode and all episodes of All Ears English will be on there.
79
So type in All Ears English and hit subscribe.
80
Okay, good.
81
Absolutely.
82
Yes.
83
Leave a comment.
84
It's a great place to ask questions for future episodes or let us know if you loved an episode.
85
Leave a comment right there on the YouTube video.
86
Yeah.
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Now this next one, it's everywhere, right?
88
Hello, anybody home?
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What's the right intonation here, Aubrey?
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Help me out because I haven't seen it as much as you anybody home think yeah i think
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but often that will be shortened right they'll remove
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because mcfly marty mcfly is the younger um character
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and this is biff tannen
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that says it he's like the evil character the bad guy in the film right
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and what it means is like use your brain the answer should be obvious
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so often we'll short it too my dad would say hello anybody home and that Like, are you thinking?
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Are you like looking?
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Right.
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Yeah.
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Or sometimes it's shortened to hello, McFly.
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Right.
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You hear that sometimes?
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Or think, McFly, think.
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Yes.
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Any of this.
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There's all these little variations.
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And what we're really saying is like, use your brain.
108
Yeah.
109
It's like a playful, lighthearted way of kind of pointing out to someone that they're like, maybe not thinking something through.
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Yeah.
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And it's everywhere.
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I mean, I don't know whether this was specifically meant to be a reference to uh the back to the future
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or whether it was just said but i remember a few times even on the New York City subway, you know how the announcers on the subway are famous for being super mean?
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Yes.
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They would say when you live there, you probably experienced it.
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They would say like, hello, doors are closing.
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Hello.
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Right.
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And they would scream at you.
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I'm really curious because now people will just be like, hello, that goes everywhere.
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I wonder if that was originally in this film or who knows it could have come from somewhere else, but either way it did really permeate the culture
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and we still will hear that
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but it was really big in like the 90s i think
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yeah it's still out there for sure let's do a role plan show our listeners
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because this one i think is the most common any right
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uh permutation of this is super common absolutely um all right
127
so here we go have you seen my sunglasses anywhere uh
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you're wearing them on your head oh wow hello anyone home think mcfly think yeah yeah hello mcfly
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so good so good all right all right this next one i don't really know
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so tell me about this okay this is fun
131
so biff again says in the film why don't you make like a tree
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and get out of here and he's made fun of it's a called a malapropism
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when you use the wrong word right it's this
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unintentional humorous misuse of a word because he should say leave the expression is
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or leaf frilly right make like a tree
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and leaf was this like you know kind of a joke
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phrase in maybe 70s 80s we don't really use it anymore interesting
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but so he should have at least said and leave
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or even leave and he says get out of here
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so it just makes him look unintelligent right to like mess up this expression
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and he was kind of
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that character like you said the bully the you know the villain of the show a little bit right
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so you want to poke fun at him you want him
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because he was he also was meant to be a character
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that was not extremely intelligent and so this is one way they showed
146
that was having him mess up this expression right okay all right let's do a reply
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so okay it's midnight I have work tomorrow all right everybody make like a tree
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and get out of here
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so we'll quote Biff's mistake right people will still you know we don't really say make like a tree
150
and leaf anymore
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but I will hear this sometimes we're like referring to this funny joke of him messing this up in a movie.
152
I love this.
153
And then this next one, oh, well, it's very inspirational.
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I didn't know it came from Back to the Future.
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If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
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And I guess George McFly was Marty's dad.
157
Is that right?
158
Exactly.
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But when Marty goes back, goes to the past, they're like the same age.
160
So they kind of become like buddies and George doesn't know that he's Marty's dad.
161
Right.
162
So, but what was interesting, I saw this on kind of like the list of the most often quoted phrases from Back to the future.
163
I was like, wait, is this really from back to the future?
164
So I looked into it a little bit.
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And this phrase was not a common established expression or idiom before back to the future.
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So it's this iconic pop culture quote that was written specifically for this film in 1985 by these screenwriters, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis.
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And before that film, all we had that we would say was where there's a will, there's a way.
168
And they didn't want to use that.
169
They wanted to come up with something like new and specific for the film.
170
And now I feel like I hear this everywhere.
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I say this, it's crazy that it wasn't said before this film.
172
That's really cool to know that, that it was sort of invented, created, put into the mainstream culture by Back to the Future.
173
I love that.
174
And it is so positive and encouraging.
175
Let's do a little role play or role play where you don't hear it.
176
Okay.
177
I don't know if I can get into that program.
178
I mean, you've worked hard all year.
179
If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
180
Yes.
181
Yeah.
182
So people definitely say this, they don't know that they're quoting Back to the Future actually, because it's just been adopted into our language.
183
Yeah.
184
Same with the hello thing.
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Hello.
186
It is a little rude sometimes, by the way.
187
We should go back to that and just make sure it's clear.
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That's a good point.
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Depending on your tone of voice.
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You would say it to friends, right?
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Hello.
192
Like it's very, you're mocking someone for not using their brain, for not noticing something.
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So it is kind of rude it would only be among friends.
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If they also tease you, then you could do it.
195
Siblings.
196
Yeah.
197
Or, you know, New Yorkers on the subway.
198
I mean, you know, the subway, the people that work on the subway are notorious for being a little gruff at times, but that's New York.
199
That's why we love it.
200
Right.
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Exactly.
202
Yeah.
203
Hey, quick question.
204
Do you want to feel more confident when you speak English?
205
If so, we made a free guide for you.
206
It'll help you avoid those common mistakes and start speaking more naturally in real conversations.
207
Go grab it in the description below.
208
And if this is helpful for you, make sure that you like and subscribe.
209
We're here five times a week to help you connect in English.
210
All right, Aubrey, we are at number five now.
211
So what is it?
212
Yeah, this is our last one.
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So Doc Brown says this.
214
He says, your future hasn't been written yet.
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No ones has your future is whatever you make it
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so make it a good one and yeah it means your future is not fixed right?
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Your choices matter and they will affect what happens in the future.
218
So it's rare that we'll hear this entire thing, but versions of it, right?
219
You might hear your future hasn't been written yet, or your future's not set.
220
Your future is what you make it.
221
And so some versions of that phrase might've existed before back to the future.
222
Um, but yeah, now that we use it, like it was in the movie.
223
Yeah.
224
Jeez.
225
I'm feeling inspired to rewatch back to the future.
226
I feel like it's been too long
227
and i just saw it as a kid
228
and i would like to bring my perspective now to the
229
movie you know right i just re -watched it with my kids
230
and in my opinion it definitely holds up it was just as entertaining as
231
when i watched it as a kid oh 100 all right
232
here's a role play i'm worried i'm too old to start
233
over no you're not your future hasn't been written yet your future is whatever you make it
234
so make it a good one oh yeah this is funny it's a little cheesy if you give the whole thing, right?
235
Well, you know, the 70s, the 80s were a little cheesy, right?
236
It was a little cheesy.
237
We just owned it.
238
We're like, we're going to be cheesy and it's okay.
239
Yeah, just own it.
240
It's better.
241
It's better than where there's a will, there's a way, right?
242
For the number four, at least.
243
Yeah.
244
We don't say that much anymore, right?
245
I would, you know, you're going to hear it, especially maybe in older movies, but we don't say that much anymore.
246
All right, let's do a quick role play.
247
So here, Aubrey, you are telling me about a major life change you're making.
248
Yes.
249
Yes.
250
All right.
251
I'll start us out.
252
I finally did it.
253
I quit my job and started that business I've always been talking about.
254
That's amazing.
255
Oh, great Scott.
256
That's amazing news.
257
Also, the local newspaper wants to feature my store in an article.
258
Oh, that'll be awesome for getting the word out.
259
Just goes to show if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
260
Yes.
261
I'm starving actually.
262
Want to go grab dinner?
263
Absolutely.
264
Let's make like a tree and get out of here.
265
I would seriously be just like tickled pink if someone used that phrase in a conversation.
266
Let's make like a tree and get out of here.
267
Cause that's very clearly a nod to back to the future, right?
268
That person has seen back to the future and is intentionally quoting it.
269
And also great Scott.
270
That's another one where most people who say that they know that's from back to the future.
271
Interesting.
272
Okay.
273
Really good.
274
So, so yeah, you said you quit your job and started a business and I said, great Scott, that's amazing news.
275
And you have to say this with some enthusiasm, guys, obviously.
276
You can't just say, great Scott.
277
Right.
278
You have to have some life in your voice and act a bit surprised, right?
279
Because it is expressing a bit of surprise, a bit of enthusiasm.
280
And it's interesting because the more serious you are about that, the stranger it will be because you're saying something that's so playful, right?
281
So you kind of have to add that tone in your voice that's like, I know I'm quoting a movie and I'm being a little silly, right?
282
If you're like, great Scott, that's amazing news.
283
Almost like if you imitate Doc Brown's voice or he's like an older scientist, right?
284
Yeah.
285
I think your version of it is better.
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Say it again.
287
Let's do that line again.
288
When I say it, okay, you be me and I'll be you.
289
I finally did it.
290
I quit my job and started that business I've always been talking about.
291
Great Scott.
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That's amazing news.
293
Yeah.
294
That's much better.
295
That is the right intonation.
296
Yeah, you're almost like impersonating Doc Brown in the funny way that he said it, right?
297
Yes, 100%.
298
I love that.
299
I love that.
300
So guys, watch this movie if you haven't for sure.
301
And then what else did we use here?
302
So then you said, you know, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
303
And again, this someone might know they're quoting Back to the Future if they've seen the film a lot, or you might just hear someone say this and they don't realize that that line was made for that movie.
304
It's so true.
305
Yeah, exactly.
306
It would be fun to be a screenwriter, wouldn't it?
307
To write these lines.
308
That'd be so fun.
309
It really would.
310
But I'm impressed by screenwriters.
311
They're so clever.
312
There's so much clever writing.
313
Like, not just anyone could do that.
314
It's difficult. For sure.
315
And then you said, I'm starving.
316
Let's go grab dinner.
317
And I said, absolutely.
318
Let's make like a tree and get out of here.
319
So again, specific for this movie okay exactly and just really tickles me
320
that line all of these lines really I really hope
321
that you guys will you know watch this film quote this film because it's
322
so fun you're going to hear them like you said Lindsay
323
the biggest thing here is recognizing the reference other you know
324
native speakers who have seen this film you're going to hear them make these references
325
and usually when someone quotes a movie like this it's fun for them
326
if someone realizes it and you know
327
if you could say like i see what you did there
328
or like oh back to the future just something where you're recognizing
329
that what movie they're quoting yes and we've done other episodes on
330
that uh how to nod to that right how to show
331
that you get it right yes maybe we need a new episode updated episode on
332
that maybe next time coming up in the next couple of
333
weeks uh guys go check out 2692 get super excited about this mega fantastic episode.
334
Yes.
335
That's so great.
336
Just scroll up.
337
That was the last episode.
338
If you want to know how to use super mega ultra, you know, naturally in conversation, don't miss that one.
339
Yeah.
340
And just for a takeaway, I mean, this is the shortest shortcut.
341
The quickest shortcut to connection is quoting movies.
342
And so you show people that maybe you've both seen the movie, you both enjoyed the movie.
343
It creates instant connection.
344
Aubrey, don't you think?
345
Yes.
346
I love it.
347
Americans love to connect over films and people all over do, right?
348
So this is going to be a really fun way to connect with someone if you recognize their movie quote, or if you can quote a movie that they've seen.
349
Yes, I love it.
350
Huge.
351
All right, good stuff.
352
We'll see you very soon, Aubrey.
353
Thanks for talking about Back to the Future.
354
Maybe we'll talk about another movie soon.
355
This is really fun, this kind of episode, I think.
356
Let's do it.
357
Awesome.
358
Thanks, Lindsay.
359
See you next time.
360
All right, bye.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “2693 - Back to the Future! How to Connect Over Classic Films”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: movie, film, hear. This video has 360 sentences and 3248 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:03. The speaker talks fast, about 202 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| subway noun | /ˈsʌbˌweɪ/ | An underground railway, especially for mass transit of people in urban areas. |
| cheesy adjective | /ˈt͡ʃiːzi/ | Of or relating to cheese. |
| accomplish verb | /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/ | To finish successfully. |
| screenwriter noun | One who writes for the screen, who writes drama for film or television; especially a professional who knows the conventions appropriate to such work. | |
| tickle verb | /ˈtɪkl̩/ | To touch repeatedly or stroke delicately in a manner which typically causes laughter, pleasure and twitching. |
| biff verb | /bɪf/ | To punch or hit. |
| intonation noun | /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/ | The rise and fall of the voice in speaking. |
| permeate verb | /ˈpɝmiˌeɪ̯t/ | To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; applied especially to fluids which pass… |
| shortcut noun | /ˈʃɔːtkʌt/ | A path between two points that is faster than the commonly used paths. |
| shorten verb | /ˈʃɔɹtn̩/ | To make shorter; to abbreviate. |
| starve verb | /stɑɹv/ | To die because of lack of food or of not eating. |
| listener noun | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast. |
| playful adjective | /ˈpleɪfl̩/ | Enjoying play; sportive; prone to playing frequently, in the manner of a child or young pet (viz. puppy or kitten). |
| invent verb | /ɪnˈvɛnt/ | To design a new process or mechanism. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| mess up verb | To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss. |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
| come out in verb | to be afflicted by (a visible disruption of the body) |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What are you saying?
- I've seen it so many times.
- That's funny, but you've heard people say it, right?
- Are you like looking?
- Aubrey, don't you think?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've always been talking |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've seen · haven't seen · you've heard |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | would be really tickled · will be shortened · was just said |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 102 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/, intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/, shortcut /ˈʃɔːtkʌt/, shorten /ˈʃɔɹtn̩/, permutation /ˌpɝ.mjʊˈteɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
- Long words — get the stress right: intonation /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/, enthusiasm /ɪnˈθuziæzəm/, impersonate /ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/, malapropism /ˈmæləpɹɑpˌɪzəm/, originate /əˈɹɪd͡ʒɪneɪt/
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 subway, cheesy, accomplish.
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.