Shadowing Practice: Learn English With Barack Obama - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Ah yeah!
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Get ready to laugh!
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In this lesson we're learning English with Barack Obama, ex -president of the United States on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
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By the way, if you're new here, every week we help you to understand fast speaking natives just like Obama, without getting lost, without missing the jokes and without subtitles.
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Like Hiroyuki who says that our lessons have helped him to understand his favorite movies without subtitles.
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simple.
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Just hit that subscribe button and the bell below so you don't miss any of our new lessons.
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So when you're at home, can you-- like, can you run down to the kitchen in your underpants in the middle of the night if you're hungry?
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I mean, I could.
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I don't.
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You don't.
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No. Is there someone in the kitchen At all times, like, if you wanted a sandwich in the night, Would you have to wake someone up?
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Yeah, I wouldn't wake somebody up to have a sandwich.
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You're allowed to go in the refrigerator on your own?
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I am.
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I am.
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There's a refrigerator and there's silverware.
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When was the last time you actually cooked?
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Uh, no, it's been a while since I was like, it has been a while.
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I won't lie about that.
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Do you ever drive?
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I cannot drive.
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I mean, I'm able to drive.
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Is it because you don't have a birth certificate?
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In Kenya, we drive on the other side.
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So when you're at home, can you run down to the kitchen in your underpants in the middle of the night if you're hungry?
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silly.
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However, the reason he's asking these questions is probably
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because people might often wonder to what extent a president goes
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through the same routine a normal person does in his or her everyday life.
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Does he actually ever make himself a sandwich?
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Does he drive himself somewhere when he needs to?
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Does he cook his own food?
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So the first question is whether he goes, particularly at night and in his underpants, to the kitchen for a sandwich when he's hungry.
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So underpants are these.
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He says "run down to the kitchen,"
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which is the same as "go to the kitchen." Let's see how people use this in these other examples.
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You know it's fine Manny, I can run down the store right now and get a stupid jeweler.
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AJ, don't scream at him, it was an honest mistake.
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So you know in horror movies, when the girl's like, "Oh my god, there's something in the basement, let me just run down there in my underwear and see what's going on in the dark." And you're like,
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"What is your problem?" Call the police.
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You're allowed to go in the refrigerator on your own?
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I am.
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I am.
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There's a refrigerator and there's silverware.
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If you're allowed to do something, you have permission to do it.
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Alright, let's prepare for the day tonight.
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Here's the things you're not allowed to talk about: love, poetry, music, or passion.
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Again, with presidents, the question is whether they must have official staff do everything for them. if he wants.
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If you do something on your own, you do it without any help.
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Listen to me!
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I need to do this on my own.
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If I fail, I fail.
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If I pass, I pass.
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Do you get it?
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This is different from "to be on your own," which means that you're alone.
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Oh, for God's sake, he's on his own for two days and he joins a gang.
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Silverware is a word that refers to knives, forks, spoons, etc. made of steel or other materials.
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Example: Can you put the silverware on the table?
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What was the last time you actually cooked?
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Uh, no, it's been a while since I was like...
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It has been a while.
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It has been a while.
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A while is an unspecified period of time.
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When we say "it's been a while," we mean that a long time has passed since you last did something.
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We usually follow this up with "since." It's been a while since I read an actual newspaper.
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Missed that sound.
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This is also something you can say when you meet someone you haven't seen in a long time.
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- Well, hey, Sheldon, it's been a while.
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Bye.
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Uh, no, it's been a while since I've been a while.
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I won't lie about that.
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"I won't lie" or "I'm not going to lie" is a phrase
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that we say when we want to emphasize that we're being honest.
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Your cake was way better than mine, I'm not gonna lie.
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I won't lie, the movie was better than I expected.
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Do you ever drive?
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I cannot drive.
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I mean, I'm...
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I'm able to drive.
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When we say that we know how to do something, we often use the verb "can".
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So if you say "I can swim", you're saying that you're able to do it.
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As seen here, it can be ambiguous at times.
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In this clip, this can mean different things.
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For example, that he isn't allowed to drive, or that he does not know how to drive.
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has the ability to do so, but probably because of security reasons, as a president he was not permitted to drive vehicles.
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Hey, would you like to understand natives no matter how fast we speak?
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And wouldn't you like to be able to watch your favorite movies and series without the subtitles?
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Well, our Fluent with Friends course can help you a ton in reaching your goal
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and having a lot of fun along the way.
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You will learn alongside the first two seasons of the TV series Friends, which various academic studies show is the best series out there for learning English.
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and you get PDF power lessons, vocabulary memorization software, access to our Fluency Circle global community, and so much more.
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and you can try it for free right now with our three -part masterclass.
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What are you waiting for?
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Just click up here or down in the description below to learn more and sign up.
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We look forward to meeting you inside. Is that actually, actually...
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Is this because you don't have a birth certificate?
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Yeah, exactly.
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There used to be rumors that Barack Obama was not born in the US, and therefore he could not be president.
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Some allegations stated that he was born in Kenya, which is where his father is from.
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In just a few short weeks, Donald Trump's stance on where President Obama was born has, well, evolved.
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From this: The reason I have a little doubt, just a little, just a little, is because he grew up and nobody knew him.
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To this: I want him to show his birth certificate.
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To this: I'm saying it's a real possibility, much greater than I thought two or three weeks ago,
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than he has pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics. And beyond politics.
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weeks Trump's poll numbers have gone from this to this nearly doubling in less than a month.
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I suspect that some of my critics back home are suggesting that I'm back here to look for my birth certificate.
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That is not the case.
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Obama later released a copy of his birth certificate that showed he was born in Hawaii.
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So in this clip, they're joking about this funny and ridiculous incident.
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We're now going to focus on some of the connected speech in this clip.
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Jimmy starts off this interview saying: When you're at home, Can you distinctly hear "at" in that utterance?
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Can you say it without over pronouncing it?
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"At" is a structure word, and most times we say it in its weak form.
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So we don't say "at", we say "uh".
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Let's take a look at some examples.
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Yeah, well at least I didn't suck at customer relations.
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Then he says: I won't lie about that.
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Here the T gets reduced to the point it almost loses all its presence.
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So this sounds like "I won't." The rest sounds like "lie about that." This T, because it's before a TH sound, isn't pronounced.
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Let's listen to these two sentences again and take the chance to mimic how they say it.
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I won't lie about that.
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I won't lie about that.
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I won't lie about that.
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I won't lie about that.
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- Actually, the last time I drove, a former staffer came by and he comes through the south lawn.
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And he's got one of these new electric cars at the time they were new.
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Yeah.
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And he was very excited about it.
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I said, "Well, let's try it out." So I...
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I just grabbed his keys and we just go out, it's parked right in front, and I start circling the South Lawn.
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And the Secret Service, no matter what you do, do not let him out.
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And they were pretty upset.
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They call you renegade, right?
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They do.
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Yeah.
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Because you're tooling around in an electric car.
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Chopping speeds of 30 miles an hour.
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I think we have 35.
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Yeah.
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If you have to go to the dentist, do you go to the dentist?
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No. Dentist comes to me.
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Dentist comes to you.
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You have the chair and the tools and you spin on the floor.
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Everything is all there set up.
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Everything is there.
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Yeah, in the basement.
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I didn't know.
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I showed up, I said, you know, I think, you know, I've got a cap that's loose.
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Sir, here we are.
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Do you reset the clocks when daylight saving time happens?
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No. Somebody else does that for me.
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Somebody does that for you.
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Will you get rid of daylight saving time?
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Or at least get rid of the part where we have to wake up earlier, you can leave the other one.
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Well, see, this is a California thing, because you guys are always getting sun.
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Yeah.
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In the East Coast, You don't mind losing that hour because that's a signal that spring is here.
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We only care about ourselves.
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Actually the last time I drove a former staffer came by and then he comes through the the south lawn and
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A staffer is a member of a staff.
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He's referring to the White House staff, which is the group of people who work in this institution.
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Look, look, I talked to corporate about protecting the sales staff, and they said they couldn't guarantee it if there's downsizing, okay?
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But there's no downsizing, so just don't...
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Bottom line.
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Do I need to be worried?
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- Mm -mm.
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Maybe.
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Now he says "former staffer" because this person doesn't work in the White House anymore.
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At the moment of this interview, Barack Obama was the President of the United States.
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Nowadays, we could say that he's the former president and that the current president is Donald Trump.
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A lawn is a common part of American House.
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It is the area of grass in front of one's house.
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For example, the chore of cutting this grass is called mowing the lawn.
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So, the South Lawn refers to the area of land to the south of the White House.
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By the way, did you notice how he starts telling this story in the past?
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"A former staffer came by." However, then he switches to the present tense, even though he is talking about a past event?
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"And then he comes through the south lawn." Have you ever wondered why a native might do this?
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Well, we explained this in our recent lesson with Finding Nemo.
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You can watch that and learn how to tell a story in English after you finish this lesson.
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And he was very excited about it.
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I said, "Well, yeah, let's try it out." If you're excited about something, you're very enthusiastic and eager.
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We say excited about something and excited to do something.
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Let's check out these examples with each.
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What's going on?
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We're just really ex...
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excited about this charity event that we have to go with.
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"Her?" "What are you doing here?" "Your hair is sweating." "That's because I'm excited to see my friends.
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Let's go buddy." To try something out means to try, use, or consider something in order to make a decision or form an opinion about it.
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And the Secret Service, no matter what you do, do not let him out.
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The United States Secret Service is the body of law enforcement tasked with protecting the nation's leaders and their families.
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We use "no matter what" to say that you will definitely do something or not do something, as is the case here.
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I support her decision.
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That's what good detectives do.
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They have each other's back.
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No matter what.
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Hey, would you like to learn more with ex -President Obama?
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Well, we have a hilarious lesson that you're going to love with him and President Trump,
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that you can watch after you finish this video by clicking up here or down in the description below.
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Honey, you're not pathetic.
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You're just.. you're sad.
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Yeah, I mean, people do stupid things when they're upset.
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Oh, my God.
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If I had a nickel for every guy, I wish I hadn't...
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In this case, a renegade is someone who is rebellious and acts unconventionally.
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As you may know, Obama is famous for not doing things traditionally thought of as typical behavior for a president.
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We can see this just by the fact that he participated in a comedy program like Jimmy Kimmel Live, or roasting Trump in this other lesson we did with him.
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Because you're tooling around in an electric car.
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The phrasal verb "to tool around" means to drive around in a casual
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or fun manner rather than to arrive at some destination.
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As a verb, to top means to reach a maximum limit.
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So if a car tops the speed of 30 miles per hour, it means that the maximum speed that a car can reach is 30 miles per hour.
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What they mean here is that Obama probably didn't drive over 30 miles per hour, as he was just driving around the property of the White House,
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which is actually quite responsible of him, despite what the Secret Service thought.
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He jokes that he thinks they actually hit 35, meaning they achieved 35 miles per hour.
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Oh, speaking of good news, somebody just hit 100 Twitter followers.
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- You got the whole chair, everything is all there set up.
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- Everything is there.
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- Yeah, in the basement.
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I didn't know.
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Set up is a very common phrasal verb that means to arrange, organize, or prepare.
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We need to set up a meeting.
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We also say that something is set up, meaning it is prepared or ready to be used.
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Obama is saying that the White House has a dentist chair set up in its basement.
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The basement is the room or area in a building that is under the level of the ground.
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Do you reset the clocks when daylight saving time happens?
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No. The phrasal verb we've just seen, "set up," derives from the verb "set," which is even wider in uses and meanings.
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One of such uses is to say the phrase "to set a clock," meaning to change
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or adjust the time in a clock.
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Reset means to set again.
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Let's explore some different uses of this verb.
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Man, I've never seen you work this hard at anything ever.
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It's because I care so much.
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I set an alarm for 5 a .m.
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Every time I wanted food, I rebooted my sister.
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Are you ready to reboot?
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When I feel a food craving, I would dunk my head into ice water and reset my brain.
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Watch me.
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Woo!
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"Will you get rid of daylight saving time?" If you get rid of something, you throw it away or don't use it anymore.
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Well, I just can't believe that she and I are about to get rid of all of our stuff.
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Her whole life is down there.
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No, I wouldn't think of it like that.
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We really need to get rid of this stuff, so do you want this crap or not?
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Daylight's savings time is the practice of advancing clocks during warmer months
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so that darkness falls later each day according to the clock.
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So, when you're at home, can you, like, can you run down to the kitchen in your underpants in the middle of the night if you're hungry?
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I mean, I could.
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I don't.
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You don't.
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No. Is there someone in the kitchen at all times?
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Like, if you wanted a sandwich in the night,
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Would you have to wake someone up?
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Yeah, I wouldn't wake somebody up to have a sandwich.
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You're allowed to go in the refrigerator on your own?
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I am.
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I am.
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There's a refrigerator and there's silverware.
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When was the last time you actually cooked?
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-No, it's been a while since I've been here.
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-It has been a while.
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I won't lie about that.
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- Do you ever drive?
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I cannot drive.
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I mean, I'm...
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I'm able to drive?
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Is it because you don't have a birth certificate?
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Exactly.
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In Kenya, we drive on the other side of the street.
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Actually, the last time I drove, a former staffer came by, and he comes through the south lawn.
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And he's got one of these new electric cars at the time they were new.
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Yeah. And, uh...
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And he was very excited about it.
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I said...
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Well, yeah, let's try it out. So I...
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I just grabbed his keys and we just go out, it's parked right in front, and I start circling the South Lawn.
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And the Secret Service, no matter what you do, do not let him out.
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And they were pretty upset.
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They call you renegade, right?
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They do.
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Yeah.
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Because you're tooling around in an electric car.
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Chopping speeds of 30 miles an hour.
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I think we have 35.
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Yeah.
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If you have to go to the dentist, do you go to the dentist?
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No. Dentist comes to me.
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Dentist comes to you.
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You have the chair and the tools and you spin on the floor.
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Everything is all there.
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Everything is there in the basement.
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I didn't know.
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I showed up.
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I said, you know, I think, you know, I've got a cap that's loose.
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Sir, here we are.
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Do you reset the clocks when daylight saving time happens?
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No. Somebody else does that for me.
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Somebody does that for you.
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Will you get rid of daylight saving time?
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Or at least get rid of the part where we have to wake up earlier.
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You can leave the other one.
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Well, see, this is a California thing, because you guys are always getting sun.
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Yeah.
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In the East Coast, You don't mind losing that hour because that's a signal that spring is here.
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We only care about ourselves.
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Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible.
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We actually got a hold of the audio from several phone calls.
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Phone calls between President Obama and President -elect Trump, and I think it's my duty to share these with you.
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Hello, Barack, it's Trump.
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You know those gold medals you give out?
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presidential medal of honor Yeah, can I give them any what I want?
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Learn English with Barack Obama: Master Conversational Fluency
Ever wanted to practice English with a natural, fast-paced conversation? This lesson uses a fun clip from Barack Obama on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to help you understand native speakers, catch jokes, and mimic real-life dialogue. You’ll practice listening, pronunciation, and even casual phrases—no subtitles needed!
Key Vocabulary & Phrases to Master
- Run down: To go quickly to a place (e.g., "I’ll run down to the store for milk").
- On your own: Without help (e.g., "Can you make breakfast on your own?").
- Allowed to: Have permission (e.g., "Are we allowed to use phones here?").
- Silverware: Utensils like forks and spoons (e.g., "Set the table with silverware").
- In the middle of the night: During late hours (e.g., "I woke up in the middle of the night").
Practice Tips for Shadowing Success
Shadowing—repeating lines right after the speaker—is key to nailing pronunciation and speed. Here’s how to use this video: First, watch the clip once to get the gist. Then, play short 5-10 second segments and repeat Obama’s lines immediately. Focus on his casual tone—he’s joking, so mimic the lightness! Use a shadowing app like Shadowspeak to record yourself and compare. For tricky phrases like "run down to the kitchen," slow down first, then speed up. This helps with natural rhythm. If you’re new to shadow speak, start with 2-3 sentences a day. Over time, you’ll notice your pronunciation improving and your ability to keep up with fast speakers getting stronger.
Learning English with YouTube videos like this is a great way to practice real-world conversations. Combine it with a shadowing app to track progress, and you’ll be speaking more confidently in no time. Remember: the goal is to sound natural, not perfect—so have fun with it!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have helped · it's been · has been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | isn't allowed · was not permitted · was not born |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Kenya, which is · staff, which is · someone who is |
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.