Shadowing Practice: Coco (2017) - Beginning (Part 1) [UHD] - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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I'm not a man.
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Sometimes, I think I'm cursed.
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Because of something that happened before I was even born.
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See, a long time ago, there was this family.
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The papa, he was a musician.
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He and his family would sing and dance and count their blessings.
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But he also had a dream to play for the world.
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And one day, he left with his guitar and never returned.
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And the mama, she didn't have time to cry over that walkaway musician.
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After banishing all music from her life, she found a way to provide for her daughter.
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She rolled up her sleeves and she learned to make shoes.
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She could have made candy, or fireworks, or sparkly underwear for wrestlers,
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but no. She chose shoes.
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Then she taught her daughter to make shoes.
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And later, she taught her son -in -law.
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Then her grandkids got roped in.
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As her family grew, so did the business.
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Music had torn her family apart.
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But shoes held them all together.
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You see, that woman was my great -great -grandmother, Mama Imelda.
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She died way before I was born.
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But my family still tells her story.
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Every year on Dia de los Muertos.
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The day of the dead.
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And her little girl?
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She's my great -grandmother, Mama Coco.
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Hola, Mama Coco.
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How are you, Julio?
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Actually, my name is Miguel.
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Mama Coco has trouble remembering things.
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But it's good to talk to her anyway.
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So I tell her pretty much everything.
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I used to run like this, but now I run like this, and just way faster!
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And the winner is...
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Luchadora Coco!
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I have a dimple on this side, but not on this side.
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Dimple?
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No dimple.
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Dimple?
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No dimple.
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Miguel, eat your food.
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My abuelita, she's Mama Coco's daughter.
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Oh, you're a twig, mijo.
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Have some more.
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No gracias.
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I asked if you would like more tamales.
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Si?
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That's what I thought you said.
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Abuelita runs our house just like Mama Imelda did.
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No music!
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No music!
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No music!
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No music!
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I think we're the only family in Mexico who hates music.
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And my family's fine with that. But me?
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Be back by lunch, mijo.
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Love you, mama!
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I am not like the rest of my family.
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Hola, Miguel.
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Hola!
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Thank you very much!
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Nothing, Miguel!
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Hey, hey!
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Dante!
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Sit down, roll over, shake!
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Fist bump!
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Good boy Dante!
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I know I'm not supposed to love music, but it's not my fault!
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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Practicing with the opening of Coco is like stepping into a warm, storytelling session—perfect for building confidence in conversational English! The dialogue is casual, heartfelt, and full of everyday phrases, making it ideal for shadowing practice (repeating lines aloud to mimic rhythm and tone). Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to sound more natural, this clip helps you master real-world communication. Plus, the emotional context keeps you engaged—you’ll forget you’re learning!

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Let’s break down 3 key structures that make this dialogue shine:

  • Past Perfect Tense: "Because of something that happened before I was even born." This tense connects two past events, showing "before-and-after" relationships. Practice saying it to describe life stories or memories!
  • Modal Verb "Could Have": "She could have made candy, or fireworks..." This phrase talks about unrealized possibilities. Use it to imagine alternatives (e.g., "I could have studied art, but I chose science").
  • Casual Questions & Corrections: "How are you, Julio? Actually, my name is Miguel." The word "actually" softens corrections, a must for polite conversations. Try it when clarifying (e.g., "I thought it was Tuesday. Actually, it’s Wednesday!").

Common Pronunciation Traps

Watch out for these tricky words—they’re easy to mispronounce!

  • "Banishing" (bah-nih-shing): Don’t rush the "sh" sound! Stress the second syllable to avoid "buh-nish-ing."
  • "Luchadora" (loo-chah-DOH-rah): This Spanish loanword means "female wrestler." The rolled "r" is optional, but aim for a soft trill to sound natural.
  • "Dimple" (DIM-puhl): Don’t add an extra "e" at the end! Keep it short and snappy—"dim-puhl," not "dim-pul-ee."

Use a shadowing app to slow down the audio and repeat these words until they feel smooth. Remember, shadow speech is about mimicry—copy the speaker’s pauses and emphasis to nail the rhythm!

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 →