Shadowing Practice: How to use Money | The Fixies | Cartoons for Children - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Fixies Shhh!
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Money!
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Hello?
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Uh-huh?
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Fire!
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Can you help me, please?
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Sorry, Farida.
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I need to go to, uh, the warehouse right away.
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But I helped you yesterday, didn't I?
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Well, I helped you the day before that.
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Yeah, well, what about last week?
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I helped you three times, remember?
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Well, I...
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Last week, I helped you three times, remember?
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Why?
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You helped one another when it was time to.
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I don't see why you have to count.
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Course not, Dula.
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You asked for the most help from all of us.
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I do not, Verda.
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Look how Elisa helps Professor Eugenius.
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And she doesn't argue with him.
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Of course not.
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She's in love with the Professor.
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Actually, it's her job.
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And for helping the Professor, she gets money.
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Hmm, money.
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That's a smart idea.
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Money constantly moves from one hand to another.
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A person does his job at work, and in exchange he gets money for it.
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He can use the money to buy things he wants, like clothing or food.
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Or he can pay somebody else for the hour.
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Like getting a ride from a taxi driver, a haircut from a hairdresser, or a computer repaired by a technician.
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All people take part in this circulation of money.
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But unlike people, Fixies don't use any money.
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We do just fine without it.
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From now on, we'll do it like people do it.
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If you work for somebody, they give you money for it.
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And if you need some help, then you pay.
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And that'll stop the arguing.
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And all the false accusations.
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And those are for Simka and Dolph.
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Now it's all fair.
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What is this?
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Money.
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What are we supposed to do with it?
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You don't know?
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You pay for someone to help you.
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I don't like this new idea at all. At all.
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Maybe we should give them our money so they'll stop arguing.
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I've got a cooler idea.
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Hey!
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Who needs money around here?
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Cause we've got it!
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Now there's enough for everybody! Where are you?
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We're in here!
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This is all your fault, Fire!
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And your fault!
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No, it's the money!
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That's whose fault it is!
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He's right!
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That's why we were fighting!
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And we didn't even fix the printer!
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Money is nothing more than just paper.
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Although money is printed in strict secrecy, we still know something about the process.
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The paper used for money is made out of cotton and linen.
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It's stronger than normal paper made out of wood, which means it doesn't rip as easily, even if you fold it thousands of times.
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The ink used for printing money is special too.
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It won't rub off the paper or fade in the sun.
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And that's not all.
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The ink has secret additives that can only be seen if you look at the money under a special light.
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This helps protect people from fake money.
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It is for the same reason that watermarks, metal strings, and teeny tiny writing is also used on money.
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This writing is very hard to read unless you happen to be a fixie.
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I hope I didn't say more than I should have.
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Well, all done.
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It's time for a test.
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But what are we going to print?
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A word with real value.
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Yeah, something really precious.
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No, it's not money.
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Right, it's so much better.
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Friendship!
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Teeesh!
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92, 93, 94, 95, 96,
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97, 98, 99, 100, and 101, 102, 103, 104, and 100 and...
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Nolik!
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Hey, come on!
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Tom Thomas promised to give me a ride outside on his bicycle.
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I gotta get going.
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Lucky you.
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I'd love to ride on a bike.
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Yeah, it would be a lot of fun.
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You're not allowed to go.
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Why can't we?
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Tom Thomas isn't your friend, alright?
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He only invited me.
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If you want to take a ride on a bicycle, then go find your own human friend who invites you.
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Well, Tom Thomas, you ready to go?
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We can't.
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There's no way we can ride this.
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The tire's got a hole.
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I try to fill it, but the air comes out.
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Well, then what should we do?
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I thought you'd know what.
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You're the fixie here.
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We, I mean, I didn't study it yet.
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Hang on!
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Pula, Gidget, wait a sec.
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We found a hole in one of the tires of the bicycle.
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Hmm, you mean the one that only gives rides to friends?
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Don't be like that.
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Please help me out.
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I thought Tom Thomas was only a friend of yours.
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Uh, why don't you go and ask him yourself?
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It could be your friend too.
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For thousands of years, wheels have been helping people all over the world.
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The wheel's ancestor is a lock.
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People would put logs under heavy loads to move them.
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Then people came up with the idea of slicing the log and connecting the slices with an axle.
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And there it was, the wheel!
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Wheels made life more convenient.
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Later came wheels with spokes, metal rims, and rubber tires.
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Soon people were wheeling around the world in and on all sorts of vehicles.
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Potters, mills, clocks, there are just so many different uses for a wheel.
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And with the steam train, steamboat, and cars, wheels spread all over the world.
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They even reach the planet Mars.
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The wheel really is one of the simplest and yet most amazing of all human inventions.
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Whew, it's off.
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So what's next?
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Now you take out the inner tube.
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You mean this rubber thing?
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Yeah, that's your inner tube.
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There's a hole there somewhere.
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Pump it up, Tom Thomas.
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Then we can see where the air's coming out.
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That's not a good way to find the hole, Nolik.
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Why isn't it good?
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Cause the hole might be really tiny.
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Then how do you find it?
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To find it, we need water.
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How come?
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Yeah, how come?
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Now I get why we need water.
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There!
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See those tiny bubbles?
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Yeah, do you see them?
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That's the air from inside of the tube.
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That means the hole is right there.
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Nolik, you're a genius.
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Hurray!
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Here's the hole I found.
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Look!
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Will you let me put on the glue?
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In my pocket mat, I have just the right kind for this.
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The hole is right here.
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Right where I found it.
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But first, we have to make sure that the rubber is dry.
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Looks like it's dry.
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Then let's put the glue on.
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It's all fixed.
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Tideesh!
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All right, it's ready to go.
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Hooray!
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Digitoola, you coming with us?
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I don't know.
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We weren't invited.
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I'm sure he'll invite you.
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Right, Tom Thomas?
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Of course I will.
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We're friends, aren't we?
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Let's get going!
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See the wheels spinning round
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Through the cities and towns It is rolling
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Spinning wheel Spinning round Spinning wheel It just keeps on going See the wheel spinning round Through the valleys
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and hills It is zooming Spinning wheel Spinning round Spinning wheel It just keeps on moving See the wheel spinning round
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On the road to the dreams we are chasing Spinning wheel,
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spinning round Spinning wheel, it just keeps on racing La-la-la-la-la-la!
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La-la-la-la!
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La-la-la-la-la-la-la!
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Adesa, do you want a cracker?
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Wow, Tom Thomas!
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Who is that?
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Simka, Nolik, this is Adesa.
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My dad brought him from Africa.
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I can't believe it!
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You've got a real parrot!
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Can he talk?
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My dad said that he can.
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But I haven't heard him yet.
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Well, let's see if he can.
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Okay, say, Adisa's a good bird.
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No, he should learn my name.
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That would be awesome.
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Adisa say, Nolik.
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That's my name.
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He doesn't want to talk about you, Nolik.
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Hmm, maybe he doesn't know how to speak human language.
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Check it out!
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It looks like he knows how to speak dog.
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No, Nolik.
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He doesn't know any languages at all.
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Then how can he talk?
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Parrots can repeat many of the different sounds that they hear.
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For instance, a dog's bark or the ring of the phone.
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Parrots can also mimic words or even hold sentences of human speech.
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But parrots don't understand the meaning of the words they are saying.
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They just repeat them like a music player.
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Hey!
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Hello!
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Hey!
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Hello!
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That's why you won't be able to have a real conversation with a parrot, even if it's the kind of parrot that can talk.
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Alright, then let's have him repeat something.
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Hey, Adisa!
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Tideesh!
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It's the Fixies' special signs!
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Say it!
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Fixies have a special sign.
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Tideesh!
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My dad is back!
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Let's hide, quickly!
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Hi there!
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Well, how's it going?
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You two talking to each other yet?
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I can't get him to say anything at all.
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You can't?
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Hmm.
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Adisa, how are you?
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Adisa's a good parrot!
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He wouldn't say anything before!
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Eh, he's used to talking around me.
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Adisa's a good parrot.
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Nolik, that's my name!
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Hmm whose name is Nolik?
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Uh, no he was saying he's got no luck in this game.
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What kind of game?
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Let's hide!
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Quickly!
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Hide!
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Uh, we were playing hide and seek.
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With the parrot?
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Uh huh.
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Whew!
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Fixies have a special sign!
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Oh!
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Oh!
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Fixies have a special sign!
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What?
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Fixies?
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A special sign?
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Uh, no. It was physics.
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It's a special science.
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That's what we're studying about right now at school.
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You know, how special physics is.
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Wow, that's impressive.
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Um, well, keep up the good work, son.
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Whew.
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The ability to repeat what humans say is not something unique to only parrots.
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Crows, starlings, and other animals can do it too.
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And besides animals, there are also machines that can repeat human speech.
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For instance, when you call somewhere and hear, leave your message after the tone.
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What you're hearing is a voicemail machine using a recorded voice to answer the call.
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Another example is the voice on trains and buses that is used to announce the stops.
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Those voices are usually recordings that are repeated over and over.
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Today, there are also artificial voices on computers, tablets, and smartphones that can read text and say it out loud.
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But even if a machine knows what you are saying, it can't know why you are saying it.
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Only people can figure that out.
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And Fixies, of course.
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Huh?
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Tom Thomas, you're a hero!
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You really wiggled your way out of that one!
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And Adisa, bear parrot, he almost gave up our secret!
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Be careful with that parrot!
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I get it.
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Adisa, listen you, forget everything we said.
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And don't ever say no words, okay?
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Yeah, nothing about the Fixies at all!
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Yeah, so if you meet a Fixie, please, don't let their secret out.
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Got it?
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Oh, he's nodding.
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Looks like he understands.
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Let's get out of here so he'll forget about us as soon as possible.
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Shhh!
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So if you meet a Fixie, please, don't let their secret...
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Ow!
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Taddeesh, taddeesh, taddeesh!
About This Lesson
In this lesson, learners will practice their English speaking skills by engaging with a fun and educational dialogue from the cartoon "The Fixies." The focus will be on the concept of money and its role in everyday transactions. By listening to the conversation, learners will gain insight into how individuals perform jobs in exchange for money, which in turn is used to buy goods and services. Practicing this dialogue will enhance your pronunciation, intonation, and understanding of everyday vocabulary, making it an excellent opportunity for IELTS speaking practice.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Money: Currency used to buy goods and services.
- Job: A task or role for which a person is paid.
- Help: To assist someone in completing a task.
- Exchange: The act of giving something and receiving something in return.
- Pay: To give money for a service or product.
- Argue: To express differing opinions verbally, often in a heated manner.
- Fair: Treating people equally without favoritism.
- Circulation: The movement and exchange of money within an economy.
Practice Tips
To maximize the benefits of this lesson, consider using a shadowing app to enhance your shadow speech skills. Shadowing involves listening to the audio and repeating what you hear in real-time, which is an effective technique for improving pronunciation and fluency. Pay close attention to the speed and tone of the dialogue in this episode of "The Fixies," as it offers a playful yet engaging context for practicing English.
As you listen, aim to match not only the words but also the rhythm and emphasis the characters use. This will help you develop a more natural speaking style. If the pace feels challenging, you can slow down the audio initially, slowly increasing the speed as you grow more comfortable. This technique is especially beneficial for learners preparing for language assessments like the IELTS, as it fine-tunes both listening and speaking capabilities.
In summary, leveraging shadow speak through methods like shadowing will provide you with a competitive edge in your language learning journey, helping you navigate everyday conversations with ease.
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.