Shadowing Practice: John Krasinski interviews Steve Carell on Some Good News [FULL INTERVIEW] - Learn English Speaking with Video
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152 sentences
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on a personal note this week actually brought a whole lot of good news
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because it marked 15 years since this haircut was born that's right it was the 15th anniversary of the office
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and for more on
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that story we go
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now to our entertainment correspondent steve correll steve is this working thank god for nancy
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i literally just saw nancy like your mom be like hold on let me just
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welcome to this highly produced show i like your sign thank
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you very much my daughters did it by the way
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so beautiful this will be the graphic at the bottom of this of perfect i love it how are are you, man?
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I'm well.
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How are you doing?
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I'm good.
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This is what happens when I self -isolate.
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We're both looking dapper.
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This is how I am 24 -7.
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I admire the fact that you are dressing up like this every day.
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They say that's one thing that you should do.
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You should always, you know, in these days of isolation, we should be, you know,
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showering and taking care of ourselves and exercising and we're wearing suits
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and doing those i guarantee you
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that the bottom half of what you have on does not match the top i am definitely wearing jams
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if anybody remembers
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oh my god um so steve this week marked a huge anniversary for you
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and i um we were on a little show called the office
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and it turned 15 years old this week i mean i was a waiter
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when i got that job i was 23 years old i was a waiter
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and after the pilot i went back to waiting tables
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because i was sure nothing was going to happen with it
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and uh and we all kind of came into it with
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that vibe i remember none of us had done anything huge um
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we were in this sort of it felt like we were
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in a rep company like we were just doing theater every week with the same people different um shows
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and i also remember the crew was unreal i am
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so ridiculously spoiled in every job i've gone to since
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because i i you know that's the only downside for me is
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that i was shown how good
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it really can be on the first go around in a good way it sets the bar really high totally
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that we want it to be um at least in certain ways equal to
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that i don't know if it ever will be but uh yeah
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For me, it was my film school, theater school, everything all at once.
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People ask me now, how the hell did you become a director?
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Still don't know.
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Still answering that question for myself.
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But the office for me was film school, which I don't think a lot of people know,
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is that door in the office that never opened in any of the episodes.
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The reason why it never opened is because that was the writer's room.
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And I'll never forget in those first episodes, whether it was Diversity Day or, you know, any of the first few of the pilot as well
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but you'd have six to ten people burst out of
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that door like a clown car after you did the take
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and be like that was amazing keep
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that line do this other thing now we'll reverse these now you say
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that line and oh my god we're so lucky
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and like go back into the room
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and i remember just thinking is this what the creative process is all about yeah
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it was everything it was everything and and just such a special moment i just love that people celebrating 15 years because,
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for me, I will celebrate that forever.
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I mean, people always ask this question, so I have to ask you, do you have, not one, obviously, but in your top memories,
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what were some of your favorite memories?
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All of our exchange around the micro -flat -screen TV.
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I finally broke down and bought myself a plasma TV.
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Check it out.
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The episode, Dinner Party, where you said, and when people come over, you just, and it only moved that far?
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I don't think I've ever done that far in my life.
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The articulating screen.
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Check this out.
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Folds.
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Oh, this is a wall!
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Sorry.
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Oh, my God.
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I think most of the memories have to do with things that we shared as a cast.
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You know, when we were doing
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Fun Run, and it was about 105 degrees outside and everybody was just dying.
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I mean, it was really, it was a hot, terrible day outside.
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Fettuccine Alfredo.
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Time to carbo -load.
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I remember when you did the episode where you played
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Santa and were very upset that Phyllis was already Santa.
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And so you were asking people to come sit on your lap and Brian, thank God, was chosen to sit on your lap.
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That's the other time in my life I don't think I've laughed harder when he sits down and you say, what would you like?
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And your air goes out and you went, what would you like?
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And I'll never forget you saying, just say toys.
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Just say toys.
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What would you like for Christmas, little boy?
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I don't know.
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I didn't know you were going to ask me that.
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What did you think was going to happen?
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I didn't know.
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Nobody's ever let me sit on their lap before.
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All right, just say some toys, please.
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I was supposed to be the button of the scene where they cut to me and I did a gym face.
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I was never there.
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I was physically never there.
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But because by the time they got to the swish pan to me, I was out.
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I was either on the floor or I had left the room.
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Part of what was so much fun about it is that everybody in the cast was rooting for everybody else.
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People would step back when it was time for other people to shine and celebrate it.
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Like, when you came in as Dwight that day,
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it was like, it was crazy watching Jim do Dwight.
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And you're a very good impressionist in general.
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I don't think it's something people know.
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Michael!
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Oh, that's funny.
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Michael!
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And then also, at the same time, the most emotional I've ever been on a set, certainly.
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I know we've talked about it, but I was sort of hoping that they wouldn't do your scene and my scene,
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the episode where you leave, last.
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I think you and I counted, I think it was either 17 or 19 takes where there wasn't an audible word that came out.
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It was just, it was just action, and then you and I going, I think we should just say the goodbyes for tomorrow, at lunch.
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Oh, okay.
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And then tomorrow, I can tell you, What a great boss you turned out to be.
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Best boss I ever had.
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That was a hard one.
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That was really, that was tough.
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That was brutal, but it was, again, to everything you were saying, it was that idea of family.
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You were literally, you were leaving summer camp, you were leaving home, you were leaving all these things all at the same time,
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and those massive emotions
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of knowing that this would be the end of something
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that was uh you know uh sort of a monolith in
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ways in your life some of my most fond memories uh personally
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or professionally are entwined and connected with
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that it wasn't even at the end i think we were like five
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or six seasons in and i remember you saying to the cast you said
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guys no matter what we go on to do we will always be known for this show whether even
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if you win an Oscar or do something crazy like
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that you'll always be remembered for this show and what an honor
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that is people come up to me all the time
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and say you know you'll always be Jim
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and I went thank God for
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that yeah yeah there's really no downside to it at all it's it's great I mean what
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if if this is what we are all remembered for
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which probably will be the case what a great thing to be remembered for it's pretty yeah
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I'm honored as well
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and listen I know everybody's talking about a reunion hopefully one day we just get to reunite as people
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and just all get to say hi i mean just to see your face is
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so great i miss you a ton man it's
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so good to see you and thank you
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so much for doing this we are uh trying to start a news network just for good news and
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and boy are you good news you make me smile
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that's for sure um next time we do this i will put on I'm going to put on a suit
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and I'm going to do and
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and it's going to be a little more in character right great
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and I'm going to be you know I will be your special correspondent whatever
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you want me to to cover from the greater
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Los Angeles area you've got it there it is you're our local
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Los Angelian correspondent today you're our entertainment correspondent
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but who knows the sky's the limit for you I really think
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you're going to make something to yourself I love you and I can't wait to see you very soon.
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Say hi to Emily.
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Love you guys.
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Who's that?
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Goodbye.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “John Krasinski interviews Steve Carell on Some Good News”. This video has 152 sentences and 1611 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:49. The speaker talks at a natural 164 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| correspondent noun | /ˌkɔɹ.ɪˈspɑn.dənt/ | Something which corresponds with something else; counterpart. |
| toy noun | /tɔɪ/ | Something to play with, especially as intended for use by a child. |
| theater noun | /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/ | A place or building, consisting of a stage and seating, in which an audience gathers to watch plays, musical performances, public ceremonies, and so on. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| waiter noun | /ˈweɪ̯təː/ | A male or female attendant who serves customers at their tables in a restaurant, café or similar. |
| downside noun | /ˈdaʊnˌsaɪd/ | A disadvantageous aspect of something that is normally advantageous. |
| guarantee noun | /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ | Anything that assures a certain outcome. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| reverse noun | /ɹɪˈvɝs/ | The opposite of something. |
| physically adverb | /ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/ | In a physical manner. |
| graphic adjective | /ˈɡɹæfɪk/ | Drawn, pictorial. |
| emotion noun | /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/ | A person's internal state of being and involuntary physiological response to an object or a situation, based on or tied to physical state and sensory data. |
| jam noun | /ˈd͡ʒæm/ | A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts |
| shine verb | /ʃaɪn/ | To emit or reflect light so as to glow. |
| burst verb | /bɜːst/ | To break from internal pressure. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| break down verb | To stop functioning. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. | |
| come up to verb | To approach. | |
| dress up verb | To put on special or fancy clothes. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How are you doing?
- They say that's one thing that you should do.
- What did you think was going to happen?
- Nobody's ever let me sit on their lap before.
- I don't think it's something people know.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was born · was shown · was chosen |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | i've gone · I've ever done · I've laughed |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 38 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: theater /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/, monolith /ˈmɑn.əˌlɪθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, shine /ʃaɪn/, isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/, swish /swɪʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: correspondent /ˌkɔɹ.ɪˈspɑn.dənt/, isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/, articulate /ɑːɹˈtɪk.jə.leɪt/, ridiculously /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs.li/, fettuccine /ˌfɛtəˈtʃiːni/
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 correspondent, toy, theater.
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.