Shadowing Practice: Learn English with DESPICABLE ME - Learn English Speaking with Video
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- Girls.
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I want you to meet Mr. Gru.
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He's going to adopt you.
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And he's a "Dantist." Yeah!
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I got your leg!
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I got your leg!
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Okay, that's enough, little girl.
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Let go of my leg.
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Come on.
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Oh, higher!
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Higher!
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Wow!
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How dare you move them?
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Is there a command?
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Some man -stick spray?
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Crowbar?
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Oh, no. Okay, girls, let's go!
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I'm Xenia, your real -life English fluency coach, and today we are learning English with a sweet and hilarious 2010 movie, Despicable Me.
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So, Gru is a washed -up supervillain.
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This means that he was once successful and famous, but he's not anymore.
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So, he comes up with a plan that will put him back in the spotlight.
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He's gonna rob the moon.
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However, first he has to steal a shrink ray, so as we saw at the start, he adopts three young girls to help him.
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But there is a problem.
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This supervillain has absolutely zero experience with children.
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He lives in a dark lair, full of dangerous weapons and inventions, not exactly a kid -friendly environment.
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So let's break down what happens when he tries to establish some ground rules.
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Here's how the lesson will work.
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Then I'll teach you the most useful expressions, grammar and pronunciation.
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And finally, you'll test yourself by watching again without subtitles.
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And I'll be asking some quiz questions to make it more challenging.
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So let's do this!
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As you can see, I have provided everything a child might need.
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Alright.
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Uhh, okay.
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As I was saying, hey, off!
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Somebody broke that.
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Okay, okay.
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Clearly we need to set some rules.
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Rule number one: you will not touch anything.
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Uh, what about the floor?
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Yes, you may touch the floor.
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What about the air?
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Yes, you may touch the air.
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What about this?
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Where did you get that?
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Found it.
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In that hilarious first scene where Gru adopts the girls, we already have some great advanced expressions to learn.
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And if you want to remember these expressions forever so you can confidently and naturally use them in your next conversation,
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whether at work or with friends, let me share It's our magic flashcards on the real -life app.
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They use science to bring back words for review right when you're about to forget them.
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That way expressions like "washed up", "in the spotlight", "lea", "let go" and "set some rules" will stick in your head like super glue.
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You'll speak much more like a native.
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Check it out for free right now with the link in the description.
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Now let's actually learn all of these everyday expressions.
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It's a release of grip.
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Let's start off with a common phrasal verb.
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"Let go" means to stop holding on to something or someone.
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It's super common in everyday English.
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You might hear "You need to let go of the past and move forward" or "Let go of me".
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Check out this other real -life example: "Impatience is fear of the present." Let go of desire.
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Let go of fear.
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be in the present release the grip is a more formal way of saying let go
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when you have a grip on something you're holding it tightly to release means to let something go
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or set it free This phrase is often used in instruction manuals like "release the grip slowly to avoid injury".
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As Gru is an evil genius, he often uses advanced technical language like this.
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And this is part of the movie's humor because it contrasts with how most people speak to children using simpler, cuter language.
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We see him continue treating the children like a technical problem he needs to solve. in the next line.
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Alright, let's break down these few advanced words.
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A command in this context would be a specific word or instruction that makes something happen, like a computer command.
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Gru is wondering if there's a magic word that makes children let go.
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In the tech world, you might hear, what's the command to shut down the system?
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This is also common when training a dog.
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You might say, your puppy knows basic commands, like sit and stay.
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cooking.
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It's an oil spray you put on pans so food doesn't stick to them.
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The irony here is that Gru wants something to make Agnes not stick to his leg, treating her like food stock to a pan.
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Clearly he knows nothing about kids.
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This is a crowbar.
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It's used to lift heavy objects off the ground or open things by force, often used in construction or breaking into places.
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Alright, before we move on to the next clip, I want to help you understand fast speaking natives and speak more naturally and clearly yourself with something called Connect to speech.
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That's how natives cut, reduce and link words together in fluent speech.
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Listen to how Agnes says this: I got your leg!
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I got your leg!
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So she didn't say a clear "got your" - she said it like: "gotcher".
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This happens because when we have a word ending in "t" followed by a word like "you" or "your", it morphs into a "ch" sound.
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got your becomes got her.
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Your speaking will only get better with lots of practice, so listen again and try to say that just like her.
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Now let's jump forward a bit to when Gru arrives home with the girls and is giving them a tour.
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As you can see I have provided everything a child might need.
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ever need to give presentations or explain something to someone.
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When you say, as you can see, you are directing someone's attention to something visible, basically saying, look at this evidence right in front of you.
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For example, in a business meeting, you might hear, as you can see from the graph, sales increased dramatically last quarter.
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Check out this example.
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"Okay, clearly we need to set some rules." When something is obvious to everyone, you can use the word "clearly" to emphasize that fact.
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Like, "You're clearly tired, you should go to bed." Which means I can see you're tired, it's obvious.
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And here's another example.
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"Are you a ghost?" "No, it's complicated." "But clearly you're not a human." And what does Gru want to do?
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He wants to set some rules.
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This means to establish rules that everyone must follow.
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Parents set rules for their kids, teachers set rules for their classrooms, and apparently supervillains set rules for… Adopt the children!
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Rule number one: you will not touch anything.
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Alright, let's pause here for a grammar moment because This is important.
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Notice that Gru says you will not touch anything instead of You're not gonna touch anything.
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What's the difference?
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When we use Will for future actions, it often sounds more formal, commanding, or like a threat.
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It's perfect for rules, warnings, and official statements.
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You'll often see this on signs like: "Trespassers will be prosecuted" or "Smoking will activate the fire suppression system".
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On the other hand, going to is more casual and conversational.
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It's used for plans or predictions based on evidence.
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Like, I'm gonna watch a movie tonight.
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Or, look at those clouds, it's gonna rain.
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So, Gru uses will here because he's trying to sound authoritative and establish firm rules.
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He's basically saying, this is what's gonna happen. and Earth.
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So let's peel apart their meaning.
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The floor is the surface inside a building that you walk on.
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For example, I dropped my keys on the floor.
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The ground is the surface outside that you walk on, dirt, grass, pavement.
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If you have a picnic outside, in most cases, you'll see it on the ground.
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Earth has two meanings.
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I'm sure you know it's the planet we live on, with a capital E, but it's also dirt.
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For example, we plant the seeds in the earth.
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We had another great example of connector speech in this scene.
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Check this out.
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What about the floor?
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Natives use this question "what about" all the time, and usually you'll hear it pronounced this way.
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When it is between two vowel sounds in American English, it morphs into a D sound.
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This happens with "what" and it's connected to "about", so it's not But...
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What about?
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What about?
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And we heard this two more times in the scene.
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What about the air?
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What about this?
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Cool, right?
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Now you try!
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Listen to those three lines again and practice saying this question just like a native.
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What about the floor?
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What about the air?
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What about this?
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What about the floor?
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What about the air?
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What about this?
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you Moving on, let's hear what Gru's second house rule is.
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Okay, rule number two, you will not bother me while I'm working.
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Rule number three: you will not cry or whine.
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Or laugh, or giggle, or sneeze, or burp, or fart.
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Thank you.
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So no annoying sounds.
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Does this count as annoying?
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Very.
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I will see you in six hours.
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Okay, don't worry.
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Everything's going to be fine.
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We're gonna be really happy here.
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Right?
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Agnes?
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Okay, rule number two: you will not bother me while I'm working.
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"To bother someone" means to disturb, annoy, or interrupts them when they're trying to do something.
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It's a super common word in everyday English.
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You can use this term to be polite, like "sorry to bother you, but do you have a moment?" It's worth noting that bother is pretty mild.
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It's not as strong as harass or annoy, so it's safe to use it in most situations.
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Check out these examples.
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It doesn't help it.
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- Admire your teddy bear.
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- Rule number three, you will not cry or whine.
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Or laugh, or giggle, or sneeze, or barp, or fart.
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So no annoying...
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sounds right wow gru just listed basically every sound a child makes whining is
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when someone complains in an annoying high -pitched voice think of it as complaining
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but in the most irritating way possible check out this example you're going to be my deputy trainees come on Stop whining.
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You kids are soft.
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You like discipline.
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What do you think giggle means?
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To laugh very loudly at something hilarious, to laugh quietly, usually because something is funny in a silly way, or to make fun of someone.
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That's right, little kids giggle a lot.
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You might giggle at a funny text message or when someone tickles you.
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Finally, let's tackle these body function words because they're surprisingly useful.
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Sneeze is what happens when your nose and throat suddenly react to something,
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By the way, people usually say "bless you" or "gesundheit" after someone sneezes.
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You can also use it as a verb.
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the pepper made me sneeze children think burping is hilarious a burp is
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when gas comes up from your stomach
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and out through your mouth usually after drinking soda
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or eating too fast in some cultures burping after a meal
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is actually considered polite in english -speaking countries though you usually say excuse me
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if you burp accidentally and probably i don't need to explain this,
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like pass gas if you want to be more polite.
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Does this count as annoying?
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Very...
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When you ask if something counts as something else, you're asking whether it fits into a particular category.
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Let me give you more examples.
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Does this count as formal wear?
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Does coffee count as breakfast?
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Or does watching a movie count as English study?
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The answer can be a simple yes or no, or like grew sarcastic response here, very, meaning yes that definitely counts as annoying.
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And before we wrap up the lesson, I have a final bit of connected speech to teach you.
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Everything's going to be fine.
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We had another instance of the tap T we saw earlier here.
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Instead of "to", Margot says "d" and she links all three words: "going to be".
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"going to be".
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Often this would reduce even more to "gonna be".
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Check out this example: "It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay, he's gonna be fine." You've done awesome today!
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Now comes the most important part of the lesson:
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you will test everything you learned today by watching all the clips again without subtitles.
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For an extra challenge I'll also ask you some quiz questions and if you had trouble remembering some of these new expressions,
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well our real life app will help you with that.
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After learning these expressions confidently and naturally next time you have an English conversation.
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So gather for free right now with the link in the description.
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you you Girls, I want you to meet Mr. Gru.
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He's going to adopt you.
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And he's a "Dentist." What?
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I got your leg!
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I got your leg!
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Okay, that's enough!
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Little girl!
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Let go of my leg!
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Come on!
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Oh!
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Hiya!
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Hiya!
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Wow!
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How did I move them?
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Is there a command?
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Some manstick spray?
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Crowbar?
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Uh...
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Bye.
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Okay, girls, let's go.
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As you can see, I have provided everything a child might need.
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Which of these is not an appropriate situation to use as you can see?
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When presenting data in a meeting?
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When showing someone physical evidence?
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When talking about your personal feelings?
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Bye.
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Alright.
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Uh, okay.
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As I was saying...
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Hey!
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Oh!
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Somebody broke that.
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Okay, okay.
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Clearly we need to set some rules.
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Rule number one: you will not touch anything.
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True or false?
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You will not do this and you're not gonna do this mean exactly the same thing and can always be used interchangeably.
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"Will not" is more formal and commanding, perfect for rules, while "not going to" is more casual and conversational.
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"Uh -huh, what about the floor?" "Yes, you may touch the floor." "What about the air?" "Yes,
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you may touch the air." "What about this?" "Ahhh !" "Well, did you get that?" "Found it !" Fill in the blank.
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Sorry to "hmmm" you, but could you help me with this?
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Okay, rule number two,
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you will not bother me while I'm working.
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Rule number three, you will not cry or whine or laugh, or giggle, or sneeze, or barp, or fart.
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Match the definition to the word.
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When someone complains in an annoying, high -pitched voice, Thank you.
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When you laugh quietly at something silly.
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When you let go of something you are holding.
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So no no no annoying sounds, right?
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Does this count as annoying?
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Very.
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Write a sentence using "does this count as" about something in your daily life.
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Share your example in the comments.
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For example, does scrolling through social media at 2 :00 AM count as relaxing?
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you Bye.
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I will see you in six hours.
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Okay, don't worry.
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Everything's going to be fine.
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We're gonna be really happy here, right?
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Agnes?
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I had so much fun teaching you with this hilarious movie.
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And if you want to understand fast -speaking natives without getting lost, without missing the jokes and without subtitles, we help you do it with two new lessons every week.
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Hit the subscribe button
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and bell down below to join our community of our 10 million global citizens and you won't miss a single new lesson.
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Oh yeah!
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Today we're learning English with the hilarious animated movie Madagascar.
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In this film, a full friend
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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?
Practicing English by engaging with entertaining content like Despicable Me is a fantastic way to improve your speaking skills. This animated film presents a unique blend of humor and emotion that keeps viewers captivated while also providing a context for everyday English expressions. By mimicking the characters, you can enhance your fluency and confidence in speaking. Additionally, using a shadowing app can further support your learning process, as it allows you to repeat phrases and sentences at your own pace, refining your verbal skills while absorbing the nuances of spoken English.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Let's delve into some key structures from the scene where Gru meets the girls. Understanding these expressions can elevate your conversational abilities:
- "You will not touch anything." – This imperative form is often used to establish rules. It's direct and commanding, common in both spoken and written English when setting boundaries.
- "What about the floor?" – This question demonstrates how to seek clarification. It’s an excellent structure to use in conversations when discussing rules or guidelines.
- "He’s going to adopt you." – This future construction (using ‘going to’) is crucial for discussing plans and intentions. Practicing such future phrases can prepare you for various conversational scenarios.
- "I got your leg!" – This playful expression showcases how to convey excitement or humor in speech, providing insight into idiomatic language that adds personality to your conversations.
Common Pronunciation Traps
When watching Despicable Me, pay attention to certain words and phrases that might be challenging to pronounce. The character's accents and the playful tone also present excellent learning opportunities. Here are some tricky areas to focus on:
- "Dantist" – This peculiar pronunciation of 'dentist' can serve as a reminder of language playfulness in films. Emulating this can improve your English pronunciation.
- "Ground rules" – The 'gr' and 'r' sounds might present difficulties for non-native speakers. Practicing these through a shadowing technique helps reinforce clarity.
- "Lair" – This word can be mispronounced. It's important for learners to focus on vowel sounds to ensure crystal-clear communication.
- "Kids and children" – The use of both terms varies in conversational context. Mimicking native speakers can help you grasp the subtleties of pronunciation and usage.
Utilizing a shadow speak method while watching can greatly enhance your adaptability in everyday conversations, ensuring you encounter and practice these tricky expressions and words frequently.
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 provided · You've done |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be prosecuted · is actually considered |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might need · may touch · might hear |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most useful · the most irritating · the most important |
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.