Shadowing Practice: Jackie Brown - end scene - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Keep driving over the night where all them car dealerships is.
2
We're gonna leave this heap in the parking lot to pick up a car to cop something on the mountain.
3
Where's Melanie?
4
Well, that's what I want to tell you.
5
You see, she was bugging me the whole time.
6
She got pissy with me because I wouldn't let her carry the bag.
7
And then she started running her fucking mouth about, you know, like...
8
Because I couldn't remember where the car was parked right away when we came out.
9
So then she got on me about that.
10
Is it this I.A.
11
Lewis?
12
Is it that I.A.
13
Lewis?
14
It's totally fucking with my nerves, man.
15
So what, you left her there?
16
I shot her.
17
You shot Melanie?
18
Twice.
19
In the parking lot.
20
You couldn't talk to her?
21
How can you talk to her?
22
You couldn't just hit her?
23
Maybe, but at that moment, I don't know.
24
You shot her?
25
Twice? Is she dead?
26
I...
27
I...
28
I.. pretty much.
29
What do you mean, pretty much, Lewis?
30
That ain't no fucking answer.
31
Yes or no?
32
Is she dead?
33
I think so.
34
You think so?
35
Tell me, Lewis.
36
She's dead.
37
She's dead.
38
But where'd she shoot her?
39
In the chest and the stomach.
40
If you had to do it, then you had to do it.
41
What we don't want is that bit surviving on us.
42
Anybody but that woman.
43
Lewis.
44
What?
45
Where's the rest of it?
46
How much is that?
47
I don't know.
48
Maybe 40, maybe less.
49
You said 550.
50
Yeah, so you lied, ain't you?
51
You lied about half million ten.
52
Look, man, that's the bag she came out with.
53
She never put a hand in her, neither did I.
54
She came out of where?
55
Out of the bidding room.
56
It went down exactly the way it was supposed to.
57
How long was she in there?
58
A minute.
59
Not even a minute.
60
She came right out.
61
Oh, she's telling me the truth.
62
Listen, I swear to fucking God, man, I swear on my life, she came out with that fucking bag and I took it from her.
63
And then what?
64
And that was it.
65
We went to the parking lot.
66
Well, you shot her.
67
That's right.
68
Louis, you should've known me in the room somewhere to half a million dollars.
69
I worked my ass off to get in waiting for you.
70
Oh, fuck you for asking me that.
71
Hey, another bitch tried to set me up.
72
How could you all?
73
Fuck you, man.
74
Fuck you, brother.
75
How could you fucking ask me that?
76
She didn't ask you?
77
Shit.
78
Pull the car with me.
79
Why'd you ask me that?
80
All right, so where's the gun you shot away?
81
It's in there.
82
What the fuck's that gonna tell you?
83
I could've taken two out already.
84
Thank you.
85
It's Jackie Brown.
86
Well, you know, if she got it, why didn't she take it all?
87
I'd be sure and ask that before I blow her brains out.
88
Well, maybe your feds got it.
89
See, if there was nothing in that bag but them towels, then maybe she didn't get a chance to take the money out of her suitcase and the ATF got it.
90
But she put them books in there to trick her ass.
91
Well, that's why I didn't check it, because the bag felt right.
92
That's right.
93
And then she puts 40 grand or so in there to rub that shit in my face.
94
You know what I'm saying?
95
She wants me to know she ripped me off.
96
I don't know.
97
I don't know.
98
Unless, you know, either she's got it or the feds got it.
99
Or, or, now check this out.
100
What if she gave the money to somebody else first, before Melanie even went into dressing room?
101
Uh-huh.
102
Oh, man, you know what?
103
What?
104
You know...
105
You know who I saw in the dress department?
106
No, tell me.
107
And I didn't think anything of it.
108
No, no, I did wonder what he was doing there.
109
I wondered what he was doing there, but I thought it had nothing to do with us.
110
Like, maybe he's with his wife or his girlfriend.
111
It's a big place.
112
Lewis, Lewis, Lewis!
113
You gonna tell me who you saw?
114
Yeah, Max Cherry.
115
Max Cherry.
116
Max...
117
You see Max Cherry in the dress department where we...
118
Man, look at me when I'm talking to you.
119
You see that motherfucker in the dress department
120
when we about to get a half million dollars and you don't think nothing about him being there?
121
No, why?
122
Do they know each other?
123
Hell yeah, they know each other.
124
He bonded ass out of county.
125
Well, how am I supposed to know that?
126
You know he a bail bondsman, don't you?
127
You know all them motherfuckers is crooked as a barrel of snakes, don't you?
128
Why should I think something's weird if I don't know nothing about them?
129
I don't want to hear no fucking excuses, Moose.
130
I ain't giving you fucking excuses, man.
131
I'm telling you, I don't fucking...
132
I'm giving you fucking reasons.
133
Oh, oh, oh, oh, you gonna tell me the reason you lost every goddamn cent I got in the world?
134
Hey, hey, man.
135
You gonna tell me reasons?
136
You better...
137
Let me tell you the reason, motherfucker.
138
The reason is, your ass ain't worth the shit no more.
139
Well, you better fucking back off, man.
140
What the fuck happened to you, man?
141
Oh, my ass used to be beautiful.
142
Thank you.

Understanding the Dialogue: A Glimpse into Casual, High-Stakes Conversation

The video features a tense exchange between two characters, Lewis and another speaker, discussing a recent violent incident and a botched deal. The dialogue is raw, informal, and filled with colloquialisms, making it a rich resource for learning real-world English. Such conversations mirror the kind of spontaneous, emotion-driven speech you might encounter in daily life or even in IELTS speaking practice, where fluency and understanding of casual language are key.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "running her fucking mouth": To talk excessively or annoyingly. Example: "He kept running his mouth during the movie, so we had to leave."
  • "fucking with my nerves": To irritate or stress someone. Example: "The loud construction is really fucking with my nerves today."
  • "pretty much": Almost or nearly. Example: "I pretty much finished the project, just need to check a few details."
  • "that bit": A derogatory term for a person (here, a woman). Note: Use cautiously as it can be offensive.
  • "you lied, ain't you?": A casual way to accuse someone of lying. Example: "You said you'd be here by 5, ain't you?"

Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video

Shadowing—repeating speech immediately after the speaker—is a powerful technique to improve pronunciation, intonation, and fluency. Here's how to use it with this video:

1. Watch and Listen First

Play the video without pausing to grasp the overall tone and context. Notice the characters' emotions—frustration, urgency, and fear. This helps you mimic the natural rhythm of stressed and unstressed words, a crucial skill for IELTS speaking practice.

2. Break It Down into Short Clips

The dialogue is fast-paced, so split it into 5-10 second segments. Pause after each clip and repeat it aloud, focusing on matching the speaker's pace and intonation. This "shadowspeak" method trains your brain to process and reproduce speech quickly.

3. Focus on Colloquialisms

Pay special attention to phrases like "running her mouth" or "fucking with my nerves." These informal expressions are common in daily conversation but often missing from textbooks. Repeat them until they feel natural on your tongue.

4. Record and Compare

Record yourself shadowing and compare it to the original. Note differences in pronunciation (e.g., "ain't" vs. "isn't") and stress. This helps you identify areas to improve, making your shadowing technique more effective.

Learning English with videos like this one exposes you to real, unscripted language, preparing you for the unpredictability of everyday communication. Whether you're practicing for IELTS or simply want to sound more natural, shadowing these conversations will boost your confidence and fluency.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowshould've known · could've taken
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itwas parked · is crooked

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 →