Shadowing Practice: Learn English with DESPICABLE ME — Meet Gru Jr. - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Phil Ralph run!
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Thanks guys.
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Ah yeah!
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Today we're learning English with Despicable Me.
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So the clips we'll watch today from the fourth movie in the series, when we meet Gru's son, Gru Jr, are especially useful for parents.
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And wouldn't it be great as a parent to talk about your kids in English with other empathetic parents?
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Or imagine feeling natural sharing about your job in English?
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Well, you can discuss topics just like these right now for free in our new speaking club on the RealLife app.
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Get your membership right now.
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Search for RealLife English in your app store or click the link below
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and I'll tell you more about that in just a little bit.
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Alright now let's meet all the Groo's with a funny scene in their kitchen.
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Who's my favorite husband?
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Did you remember to get the milk?
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Well, yes, they had a few kinds.
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They got the almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, oat milk, goat milk, chocolate milk, half and half powdered and of magnesia.
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What about regular milk?
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No, they don't make that anymore.
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Nope.
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Wait a minute.
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One, two, three girls, one wife, something is missing.
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No, I think that's all of us.
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You know what?
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I keep forgetting.
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This guy There's my boy!
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There he is!
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A coochie coochie coochie coochie!
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Where is daddy's hug?
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Oh, looks like somebody's a little cranky!
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Behind that sourpuss, I know you love your dada!
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Go on, say it!
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Dada!
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Dada!
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Yes, of course he loves you!
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He just doesn't show it on his face!
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Or with his body language.
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Right, Gru Jr., come on.
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Show Daddy how much you love him.
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Oh, I know what will make you happy!
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Mmm, Bahama Medley!
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Look!
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Oh, it's so yummy!
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That really tastes like the Bahamas!
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Alright, let's start off with a hilarious cultural critique.
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Did you remember to get the milk?
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Well, yes, they had a few kinds.
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They got the almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, oat milk, goat milk, chocolate milk, half and half powdered and of magnesia.
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What about regular milk?
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No, they don't make that anymore.
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So in many countries like the USA, there's been a revolution of people switching to alternatives for cow's milk
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because it does not digest well for them or to support animal well-being.
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All of these trendy milk alternatives really do exist on grocery shelves.
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Half and half might not be familiar to you.
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It's half cream and half milk.
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Americans often use it in their coffee.
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And then he even adds milk of magnesia, which isn't a milk at all.
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It's actually a medicine people take for an upset stomach.
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So this is just making fun of this trend to drink milk alternatives.
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There was a bit of great grammar for us to look at here.
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Here, remember is followed by to plus verb.
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Remember to get.
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We use this pattern when we're talking about not forgetting to do something, a task you need to complete.
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Compare that to remember plus verb and ing, which we use when we're recalling a memory of something that already happened.
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For example, did you remember to lock the door?
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A task.
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Did you do it?
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I remember locking the door.
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A memory.
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You're recalling doing it.
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So Lucy is asking if Guru didn't forget this task at the store, not asking him to recall a memory.
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Moving on, we meet the newest member of Guru's family.
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My boy is a warm, affectionate way the parents, especially dads, refer to their sons.
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Now this is not exactly a word you'd find in the dictionary.
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It's baby talk.
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Parents all over the English speaking world make this silly sound
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while tickling or playing with a baby to get them to smile or laugh.
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Now Gru Jr. is not so enthusiastic to see his father.
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Where is daddy song?
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Oh, looks like somebody's a little cranky.
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Behind that sourpuss.
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I know you love your dada.
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Go on, say it.
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Dada.
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Dada.
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Alright, first off, what do you think cranky means?
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Excited and full of energy?
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Irritable and easily annoyed?
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Sleepy and calm?
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Right!
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When someone, like a baby, is cranky, they're in a bad mood.
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This often could be because they're tired, hungry, or just annoyed.
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Think of how a toddler acts right before nap time.
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That's cranky.
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Listen to this example.
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It's not an angel Lilo, I don't even think it's a dog!
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We just have to take him back!
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He's just cranky because it's his bedtime.
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And sourpuss is a fun sounding word.
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This is someone who has a grumpy, unhappy expression on their face.
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Almost like they just bit into something sour, like a lemon.
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Here's an example.
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Oh well well, if it is an old sourpuss.
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My name is Mook.
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Finally, dada is simply the cute, babyish version of daddy or father, usually one of the first words that babies try to say.
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Gru's desperately trying to coax, or gently persuade, grew junior into saying it.
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Now let's practice some native pronunciation, which will help you to understand fast speaking natives better.
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Come on, show daddy how much you love him.
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This is called connected speech.
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It's how we natives cut, reduce, and link our words when speaking fluently.
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And it can make it a real challenge to understand us.
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Pronouns like her, them, and him often have their first consonant sound dropped her,
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er, them, um, him, im.
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So Lucy didn't say love him, she said love him, love him.
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Similarly we could say love her, lover, lover, or love them, love him, love him.
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Your speaking will only improve with lots of practice, so listen to Lucy again and try to say that just like her.
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How much you love them.
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And we heard another great instance of connected speech from Lucy earlier.
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Let's listen to that again in practice.
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What about regular milk?
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Let's look at two patterns with T in American English.
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First, when a word ends in T, we often cut the sound off at the back of the throat.
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So instead of about, we say about, about.
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Then, when a T is between two vowels, it becomes a D sound, like in water and butter.
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All together, it's what about?
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What about?
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Listen again and repeat.
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What about regular milk?
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What about...
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Alright, let's understand what treats Gru was trying to give his son.
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Oh, I know what will make you happy!
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Mmm, Bahama medley!
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Look!
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Oh, it's so yummy!
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Mmm, mmm, mmm!
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That really tastes like Bahamas!
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A medley is a mix or combination of different things blended together.
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Here, it's a fruity Bahamas-themed baby food blend.
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But you'll also hear this word used with music.
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A medley of songs is when a few different songs get mixed together into one performance.
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He says...
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Ah!
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That really tastes like the Bahamas!
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So the joke is that obviously the Bahamas are islands and don't have a taste.
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Once again, it's making fun of trendy foods and advertising.
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You know what else makes a melody?
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When two people from different corners of the world get together and share their unique cultures.
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Honestly, some of the most fascinating conversations I've had were picking the brain of someone from a country I've never been to.
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to really understand that person's perspective on the world.
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So that's another great reason to get your free membership to the Real Life Speaking Club on our app
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that I mentioned earlier.
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Every single day, you get a new fascinating topic that you can discuss with people from all around the world
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in real conversations and become more fluent.
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It's also easier to speak when you know exactly what to talk about, right?
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This really is the best way to get unstuck, to go from intermediate learner to advanced English speaker.
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And if you're nervous about speaking, you can practice the questions with your AI coach first.
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And again, the club is free to join.
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So why don't you start your adventure now with the link in the description and make new English speaking friends today.
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All right, let's watch our next scene where we can see more hijinks or energetic fun between father and son.
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Okay, Daddy is officially exhausted.
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I changed your timer.
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I've got your bottle, your binky, and here are your balloons There you go.
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You like those right?
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All right little bit of me time
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Someone put
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a glitter bomb in my locker.
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Teenagers are the worst.
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Yeah, babies are no picnic either.
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So if you're a parent, there's a lot of useful vocabulary for you to learn in this scene.
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Okay, daddy is officially exhausted.
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I changed your diaper, I've got your buttle, your binky, and here are your balloons.
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There you go.
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These are diapers.
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And this is a binky, or pacifier.
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And fun fact, in British English, a diaper is called a nappy, and a binky is called a dummy.
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Now, every parent needs more of the next expression Gru used.
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Alright, a little bit of me time.
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Me time is time you spend just for yourself, doing something relaxing or enjoyable, away from work, kids, or responsibilities.
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long day of parenting, Gru finally gets a few seconds to just breathe and enjoy a coffee.
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Listen to these examples.
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Please silence all calls, Mina.
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I need some me time.
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I think I just need a little bit of me time.
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You know, maybe sometimes a superhero just wants a little me time.
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Well, Gru's me time does not turn out quite as planned, as Gru Jr. brilliantly starts playing pranks on him.
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Then we see someone has been playing pranks on Agnes too.
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Listen to how she describes this prank.
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Someone put a glitter bomb in my locker.
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Teenagers are the worst.
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Yeah, babies are no picnic either.
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So I'm sure you've seen lockers like this in American movies about high schools.
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And this is a glitter bomb.
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Imagine going to open your locker and hanging up like poor Agnes.
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On a lighter note, if you've never seen Mark Robber's famous video where he pranks thieves with a glitter bomb, it's a must-watch and a great way to practice your English.
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We see that same American tea pattern we saw earlier when Margo says Someone put a glitter bomb in my locker.
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So put a becomes put a put a and glitter becomes glitter
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glitter listen to Margo again
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and repeat someone put a glitter bomb in my locker Someone put a glitter bomb in my locker.
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Yeah, babies are no picnic either.
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So what do you think no picnic means?
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Something that's really fun and relaxing?
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Something that happens outdoors?
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Something that's difficult or unpleasant?
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Awesome!
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So this idiom is pretty straightforward.
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A picnic is supposed to be easy, relaxing, and enjoyable.
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When we say something is no picnic, we mean it's the opposite, hard, or stressful.
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Keep in mind, we only say this in the negative.
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That is, you can't say, it's a picnic, referring to something easy.
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Gru is saying, neither babies nor teenagers are a walk in the park.
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Which, by the way, is another idiom that means the exact same thing.
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This one you can use in the positive.
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Like learning English with these lessons is a walk in the park.
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I hope you've laughed a lot so far.
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Now comes the most important part of the lesson, your test.
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You'll watch all the scenes again, this time without subtitles, and answer some quiz questions.
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Don't worry, I'm sure for you this will be a walk in the park.
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Where's my favorite husband?
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Which sentence is correct?
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Did you remember to get the milk?
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Oh, yes, they had a few kinds.
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They got the almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, oat milk, goat milk, chocolate milk, half and half powdered and of magnesia.
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What about regular milk?
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No, they don't make that anymore.
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Nope.
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Wait a minute.
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One, two, three girls, one wife, something is missing.
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No, I think that's all of us.
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You know what?
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I keep forgetting.
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This guy!
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Oh, ho, ho!
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There's my boy!
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There he is!
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A coochie, coochie, coochie, coochie!
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Where is daddy's hug?
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Oh, looks like somebody's a little cranky.
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If someone is being cranky, they are irritable and in a bad mood, cheerful and playful, very tired and sleepy, about to fall asleep.
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Behind that sourpuss, I know you love your dada.
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Go on, say it.
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Dada.
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Dada.
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Yes, of course he loves you.
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He just doesn't show it on his face.
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Or with his body language.
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Right, Gru Jr., come on.
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Show daddy how much you love him.
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Oh, I know what will make you happy!
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A mix of flavors or music is called a Medley, Rhythm, Rhapsody.
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Mmm!
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Bahama Medley!
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Look!
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Oh, it's so yummy!
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Mmm, mmm, mmm!
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That really tastes like Bahamas!
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Okay, Daddy is officially exhausted.
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I changed your timer, I've got your buttle, your binky, and here are your balloons!
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There you go!
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You like those, right?
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After a long week at work, I really need some... to relax and recharge.
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After a long week at work, I really need some me time to relax and recharge.
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Alright, a little bit of me time.
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Mmm.
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Mmm.
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Mmm.
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Mmm.
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AHHHHH!
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Ugh.
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AHHHHH!
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Ugh.
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Someone put a glitter bomb in my locker.
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Teenagers are the worst.
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Yeah, babies are no picnic either.
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What does no picnic mean?
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Something enjoyable and easy?
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Something difficult or unpleasant?
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A meal eaten outdoors?
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Hi, yeah, I hope that you had a lot of fun learning English with Despicable Me
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and if it's your goal to understand fast speaking natives without getting lost, without missing the jokes and without subtitles,
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we help you to do
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that every single week here on Learn English with TV series with two new lessons with your favorite movies, celebrities, series, and more.
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So hit that subscribe button and bell down below so you don't miss a single new one.
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Over 11 million learners around the world are already finding that this is the most effective channel to get English fluency.
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And if remembering new words for you is no picnic, then I highly recommend
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that you study all the new expressions we learned today with the smart flashcards on the real life app.
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These use science to make new words stick in your brain like super glue.
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It's super fun and easy.
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You can try it for free with the link down in the description below.
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But if you're sticking with us here on YouTube, you might want to check out this lesson next.
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Ah!
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Ah!
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Hey, Kari-do!
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Ugh!
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Ugh...
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Listen!
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I don't want a refund!
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I want the fairy prince!
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Says, please!
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Please, I'm begging you!
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You know what?
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I hope that you can sleep at night, you crusher of little girl's dreams!
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Oh!
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Oh!
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When's the fairy princess coming?
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Any minute now!
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Speaking Goals for This Clip: Talk About Daily Life Like a Native
This scene from Despicable Me helps you hit a key fluency milestone: discussing everyday routines, family, and common frustrations (like grocery shopping!) with natural ease. Whether you’re chatting with other parents or describing your day, the casual dialogue models how to sound relaxed and relatable—no stiff phrases here.
Phrase Bank: Reusable Expressions for Real-Life Chats
- “Did you remember to get the [item]?” – Perfect for checking in with family or roommates.
- “They had a few kinds: [list]” – A simple way to describe options at the store.
- “Looks like somebody's a little cranky!” – Playful language to talk about moody kids (or adults!).
- “Behind that sourpuss, I know you love [person]” – Warm, humorous way to tease someone who’s hiding affection.
- “I know what will make you happy!” – Useful for offering solutions or treats.
Fix Your Weak Spots: Master Rhythm and Pronunciation
The dialogue’s fast, conversational pace is ideal for practicing the shadowing technique—repeat lines aloud right after the speakers to mimic their rhythm and intonation. Pay attention to how “regular milk” is stressed (with a slight emphasis on “regular”) to contrast with the long list of alternatives. This helps with improving English pronunciation of common food terms like “hemp milk” and “half and half.” Use a shadowing site or app to record yourself and compare—you’ll notice how small pauses (like after “Well, yes”) make your speech sound more natural. For extra practice, try “shadow speech” with the grocery list section: speed up as you list the milks to match the character’s playful tone. These tweaks will make your everyday conversations flow smoother, whether you’re talking about kids, chores, or favorite snacks.
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 | there's been · I've had · you've seen |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is followed · is called |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who has · pronunciation, which will |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the newest · the most fascinating · the best |
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.