Shadowing Practice: Dakota Johnson Explains Her Missing Tooth Gap - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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-Hey, I have to talk to you about something, because there's been some headlines about you last couple of days.
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-Hey, I have to talk to you about something, because there's been some headlines about you last couple of days.
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Do you know what I'm talking about?
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-Yeah. It's really stressing me out.
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-Well, your fans are upset, because, apparently, everyone's broken-hearted that the gap in your teeth is not there anymore.
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And fans are heartbroken. People are upset.
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No one knows what to say. What is going on?
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What -- The gap is gone? What's up?
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-Yeah. Well, first of all, the fact that this is a newsworthy event in our world right now is pretty Chaka Khan to me.
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-Chaka Khan. -Chaka Khan.
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-Yeah, why is everyone upset?
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-Well, so I had a permanent retainer since I was like 13, and it was just glued to the back of my teeth.
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And I was having a lot of neck problems recently, so my orthodontist -- she decided that it would be a good idea to take it off and see if my jaw sort of expanded.
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And it helped me, and my gap closed by itself.
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And I'm really sad about it, too.
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-Now, wait, wait. Hold on a second.
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First of all, you got to walk me back.
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Your neck bothered you, and so that's what made you take the retainer out of your mouth?
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Like, is that a thing? Has anyone ever heard of that?
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-Yeah. That is a real thing. Yeah.
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-So if your neck bothers you, it might be your teeth?
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-Well, as you grow as a human being, your...
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-Uh-huh. -...your skull expands and your jaw and your teeth move.
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You know, your teeth don't look like they did when you were a baby.
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-They do, actually. I was born...
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I was born with veneers. -Oh. Cool. Cool.
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-I broke this tooth. This one is fake.
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-Let me feel it.
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-It's not going to feel different.
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It feels like a tooth. -Not if you go like this.
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Can you hear that? -It sounds like a tooth.
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-It's like when knock on a hollow part of a wall.
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-Is that one fake, too? -Are they both fake?
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-All my teeth are fake. Yeah, actually.
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This one might be fake, as well. Yeah. That's weird.
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-Yeah. -But let me tap on your tooth.
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-Okay. -You don't have any nails. -Yeah. I don't have any nails.
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I know. I took them off before the show.
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I want to talk to you -- -Anyway, hold on.
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This is really important. -Yeah.
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-I'm sad about my gap tooth, too.
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So I'd really appreciate some privacy in this time -- -Wait. What?
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First of all, don't demand -- don't demand -- Don't clap for that. Don't demand or clap.
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You demand some privacy? -Yeah.
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-I think it looks beautiful.
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-Well, I have to deal with a whole new world of problems.
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-No. -Getting food stuck in my tooth.
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-That's your new thing?
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-Yeah, because before, it would just slide right through.
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-So your whole life has changed, and you're dealing with it, as well.
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-Yeah. -Just as much as the public and your fans are dealing with -- -Yeah, but it's going to come back.
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-The gap will come back? -Yeah.
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-How? -Other retainers.
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-So you're gonna get a retainer to split your tooth -- -The world of dentistry is so advanced -- -Wait. Are you serious about this?
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Because, what if -- Dude, what if you come back, you get a gap, and then your neck hurts?
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Then what? Then where do we go? Back to the drawing board.
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-No, because we're gonna do it in a really holistic, sort of, like, osteopath-- -Don't even talk to me about this.
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Hey, I do want to -- I have a story I want to bring up.
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And I don't even want to talk about it.
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But I heard this rumor that you used to make reservations at a dinner -- dinner reservations at a restaurant under a famous person's name.
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Do you know what I'm talking about?
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-Mm-hmm, yeah.
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-You used to call up and say you have a table for George Clooney.
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-Yeah. -Why?
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-Because I wanted to go to the good restaurants when I was growing -- when I was in high school.
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-Do you know George Clooney? -No, I don't.
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-So, wait. You would call up and go, "Hey, table for four, George Clooney"?
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-Yeah, 'cause nobody else is named George Clooney.
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Also, it works every time. Try it.
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-I should actually try, yeah.
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-Next time you can't get into a restaurant -- -I can't get into any restaurant, yeah.
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-But I used to do that when I was a teenager.
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-And you'd call up and say George -- And then what would happen when you'd show up?
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-I'd say, "He's going to join us later." It'd be, like, a bunch of kids.
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-Does George know that you do this?
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-Well, I met him a couple of years ago.
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We were traveling to the Toronto Film Festival and we happened to be on the same plane.
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And I was like, "Hi. I'm Dakota." And he's like, "Oh, I've heard of you.
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I know what you do." -"I know what you do," is what he said?
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-Yeah. He was like, "You call and you use my name.
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It's okay." -He really did that?
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-Yeah. -So he said it's okay?
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-Yeah. -So you continued to do it?
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-Yeah. -Yeah. Why not?
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I think it's fun. -All the time.
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-Let's talk about your movie, "The Peanut Butter Falcon." -Yeah. -Tell me about this.
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And what is the movie about, for anyone watching.
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-"The Peanut Butter Falcon" is about a young man with down syndrome who escapes a nursing home to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
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-And is this -- Who is the actor?
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-His name is Zack Gottsagen.
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-It was his first film, is that correct?
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-It was his first feature film, yeah.
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He had made one kind of smaller film before.
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-Did you get to -- It's him and Shia, right?
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-Him and Shia LaBeouf. -Shia LaBeouf.
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-Yeah, the other Shia. -Is there two Shias?
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-No. -No. That's the name I use to get reservations, by the way.
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-Yeah. -Table for two, Shia LaBeouf.
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How was it working with Shia? He's a little...
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He's a little reckless a little bit, wasn't he?
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-I think that, sometimes, on occasion, he can be a little reckless.
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However, on this film, Zack, who is the other star of the film, is a really incredible person.
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He's the most pure and loving and genuine, nonjudgmental human being I've ever met in my life.
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And he totally changed my world and totally changed Shia's world, too.
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And the three of us became really close.
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They became very, very close.
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And it kind of totally shifted things for Shia, I think.
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-Oh, good.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This engaging conversation featuring Dakota Johnson offers rich material for english speaking practice. Observing a natural exchange between hosts can enhance your listening skills while providing opportunities to mimic and imitate real-life conversations. By practicing with this video, especially notable for its focus on a relatable topic—personal appearance and health—you can develop confidence in speaking about everyday experiences. Incorporating this into your IELTS speaking practice can prepare you for discussing personal topics fluently.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the dialogue, several grammatical structures and expressions are particularly useful for English learners:

  • Present Perfect Tense: Johnson mentions, "I've had a permanent retainer since I was like 13." This structure is used to discuss experiences or actions that are relevant to the present.
  • Indirect Questions: The host asks, "Is that a thing?" which subtly changes the tone and politeness of the inquiry, practicing a softer approach in conversation.
  • Conditionals: Johnson implies, "If your neck bothers you, it might be your teeth." This presents a cause-and-effect relationship, common in discussions about health and well-being.

Using these structures in your daily conversations can help you sound more natural and fluent in English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice shadowing the video, pay attention to some tricky pronunciations and rhythms that may influence your speaking:

  • “Chaka Khan”: The way Dakota uses this name has an emphasis that might be unfamiliar. It's essential to recognize the rhythm and intonation of proper names, especially in casual speech.
  • “Bad” and “Good” Sounds: Notice the distinction in how she says, "bad" with a clear /æ/ sound. Many non-native speakers can mix this up with a more centralized vowel sound.
  • Colloquial Expressions: Phrases like “your whole life has changed” can be challenging. The blending of words in natural speech may alter familiar sounds, making shadowing practice with this video essential for mastering pronunciation.

Utilizing these tips while engaging in shadowspeaks or similar techniques can boost your fluency and help you overcome common pitfalls in pronunciation.

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.

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