Shadowing Practice: Learn English with Disney's SOUL — Following Your Dream - Learn English Speaking with Video
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What's your dream?
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What do you live for?
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Well, in Pixar's soul, Joe Gardner's dream is to become a famous actor.
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jazz musician.
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I...
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sorry, I zoned out a little back there.
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Joe Gardner, where have you been?
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I've been teaching middle school band, but on the weekends I got a suit.
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- I-- - Get a suit, Teej, a good suit.
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Back here tonight, first shows at nine, sound checks at seven.
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We'll see how you do.
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- In today's lesson, we'll learn advanced English vocabulary and pronunciation, but we'll also explore how
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so often the people who love us most are the most critical when we attempt to pursue our dreams, and also the power of vulnerability.
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Let's kick off our lesson breaking down that incredible moment where Joe kills it during his audition with Dorothea Williams' Jazz Quartet.
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"Uh, sorry, I zoned out a little back there." When you zone out, you stop paying attention to what's happening around you,
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because you're lost in your own thoughts or daydreaming.
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You might zone out during a boring class, or when your grandfather is telling you a story about his youth.
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Here's another example: I think I zoned out around the middle part.
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Can you tell the middle part again?
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Similarly, we can say that you are in the zone.
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You are focused and performing at your best which might happen with a skilled musician or athlete, for example.
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In fact, in Seoul, they show the zone as an actual place in between the physical and spiritual worlds.
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Envy, I think you're really in the zone.
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Take the wheel, I'll be right back.
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And you might not like— You should play a song, Schneebly.
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Okay, I will sing it for you.
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But let me just get in the zone.
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All right, let's analyze an interesting use of grammar in this next line.
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Joe Gardner.
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Where have you been?
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So Dorothea isn't literally asking about Joe's physical location.
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So what does she mean?
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When someone asks, "Where have you been?" in this context, they're really saying, "Why haven't I heard about you before now?
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You're so talented." It's a way of expressing surprise that someone this good has been unknown or overlooked.
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For example, When a new artist releases an incredible album, fans might say, "Where have they been all my life?" By the way,
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I really want you to feel like you're killing it with your English.
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If you're like most learners though, you probably feel lost about how to do this.
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Maybe you feel like you're too busy to dedicate enough time to study
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or you feel like you've been stuck at the same level forever.
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So let me share with you a method to go from being a lost
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insecure English learner to becoming a confident natural English speaker even
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if you only have 10 to 15 minutes per day watch a short lesson with a tv series movie celebrity
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or podcast practice vocabulary with smart flash cards which use science to help you remember new words forever
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speak the new words in real conversation so you feel confident using them in any situation the
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super easy for you to do this on the RealLife English app.
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Stop just recognizing and forgetting new words and start being able to actually speak them.
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And you can try it for free right now.
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Just click the link down in the description.
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I love Dorotea's use of slang in this next line.
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I've been teaching middle school band, but on the weekends I - You got a suit?
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I...
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Get a suit, Teach.
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Teach is casual slang for teacher.
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It's short and informal.
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Kind of like how people might call a doctor "doc".
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And we also heard her use connected speech there.
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That's how we natives cut, reduce, and link our words together in fluent speech.
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Listen to her again.
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Get a suit, teach.
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So when a T is between two vowels in American English, we usually change it to a soft sound like in water or butter.
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So we heard this twice here.
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Got a suit.
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Got a suit.
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Got a suit.
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Get a suit.
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Get a suit.
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Get a suit.
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Get a suit.
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Now you try.
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Listen to Dorote again and try to say that just like her.
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And then she used an advanced word that is useful for musicians.
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A good suit.
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Back here tonight, first shows at 9, sound checks at 7.
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A sound check is when musicians test all the audio equipment before performance to make sure everything sounds right.
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They check microphone levels, instrument volumes, and make sure the sound system is working properly.
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Alright, so earlier in the movie, Joe got offered a full -time position as a teacher at the school he works at.
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Theoretically, this is a great opportunity because it offers security: a stable salary, benefits.
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However, it's not Joe's dream.
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And then he gets this incredible opportunity with Dorothea's band.
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But with all the excitement of finally achieving his dream, he zones out, has an accident, and dies.
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Fast forward, Joe makes his way back to Earth in a cat's body and with a new soul, 22, in his body.
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His mother finds out about him playing with Dorothea's band and is not happy.
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So the next two clips we'll watch are from a heart -wrenching scene where 22, in Joe's body, confronts his mother about the importance of being a jazz musician to him.
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Let's watch the first part.
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- Yeah.
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So much for being done chasing after gigs, huh?
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- I'm sorry.
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I hope that cat isn't supposed to be some kind of peace offering.
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Come, come on.
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Just say you rescued it.
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Um, no, it's mine.
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I rescued it.
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Hmm.
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Too bad you can't rescue your career.
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Oh.
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Just ask her nicely if she can fix my suit.
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So, Mom, is there any way you can fix this?
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Wow!
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I don't need to see that.
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I know, embarrassing, right?
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So, You'll fix it?
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No. What?
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How long are you gonna keep doing this, Joey?
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You tell me you're going to accept the full -time position, then instead I hear you've taken another gig.
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Tell her that this one is different.
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This one's different.
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Does this gig have a pension?
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Health insurance?
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No?
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Then it's the same as the other ones.
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It's like you can't even be truthful with me anymore.
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Fine, we'll get the suit off the rack somewhere.
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My mom has never understood what I'm trying to do with my life.
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Fine, we'll get a suit off the rack somewhere.
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My mom has never understood what I'm trying to do with my life.
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22!
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Just say - Can I run away now like you usually do?
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No, not this time.
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Repeat after me.
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Joe's mom starts off with a really useful expression: So much for being done chasing after gigs, huh?
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So much for is used when something you expected or hoped for doesn't happen.
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It's like saying, "Well, that didn't last long," or "There goes that idea."
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Listen to this example: "But I have to be rescued by my true love !" Not by some ogre and his pet!
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Well, so much for noble Steve. Who cares?
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So much for serenity.
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A gig is a single performance or job, especially for musicians.
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But a freelancer might also use this.
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For example, I got a gig designing the website for a local bakery.
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So much for being done chasing after gigs, huh?
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When you're chasing after something, you're running after it, trying to catch it.
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So Joe has been running around trying to get music work instead of settling into a stable career.
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His mom is clearly tired of this, so she says that maybe he's brought a peace offering.
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"I hope
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that cat isn't supposed to be some kind of peace offering."
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A peace offering is a gift you give to someone that you've upset or argued with, hoping to restore the relationship.
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It's your way of saying, "I'm sorry, let's be friends again," like in these examples.
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"After a fight, he brought me flowers as a peace offering." I always had a tense relationship with her, so I baked her cookies as a peace offering.
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For Joe's mom, it's really important that he have a job that offers security with benefits like health insurance or a pension.
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"How long are you gonna keep doing this, Joey?
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You tell me you're going to accept the full -time position, then instead I hear you've taken another gig." "Tell her
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that this one is different." "This one's different !" "Does this gig have a pension?
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Health insurance?" A pension is money that a company or the government pays you regularly after you retire from working.
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It's basically your income when you're too old to work anymore.
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Joe's mom is asking the important practical question.
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Would this music geek provide long -term financial security?
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Of course, most one -time music performances don't offer pensions.
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Those usually come with stable full -time jobs.
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She's making a point.
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No, then it's the same as the other ones.
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It's like you can't even be truthful with me anymore.
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Have you ever heard of word formation?
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This is super valuable to learn about because it's like a trick that can add thousands of new words to your vocabulary.
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Let's look at an example in the next line.
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It's like you can't even be truthful with me anymore.
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So take the noun "truth" and add the suffix "full"
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which means "full of" and you get the adjective "truthful" - full of truth, honest.
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This pattern works with many words.
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Beauty becomes beautiful.
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Care becomes careful.
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Wonder becomes wonderful.
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Pain becomes painful.
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If you want to learn more about how to master word formation to add thousands of new words to your vocabulary, check out this podcast lesson we did.
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We'll link it down in the description.
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Then Joe, N22, says something that is shocking to his mom and her colleagues.
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"Fine, we'll get the suit off the rack somewhere.
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My mom has never understood what I'm trying to do with my life." When you buy clothes off the rack, you're buying ready -made clothing in standard sizes from a store,
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not custom -made or tailored specifically for you.
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It's cheaper and faster, but less special.
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Since she's a seamstress, her son saying he'll get a suit "off the rack" is insulting to her entire profession.
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We also had a great example of connected speech there.
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My mom has never understood what I'm trying to do with my life.
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So we had two more examples of that American tea.
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First, what I'm becomes what I'm.
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What I'm.
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Then to becomes da.
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Da.
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And we drop the G in trying and link those last words together.
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trying to do.
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Trying to do.
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Let's put it all together.
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what I'm trying to do.
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what I'm trying to do.
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You need lots of practice to become a fluent speaker, so listen to Joe again and try to say that just like him.
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My mom has never understood what I'm trying to do with my life.
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My mom has never understood what I'm trying to do with my life.
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you So, continuing with the scene, we'll see Joe get vulnerable with his mom, probably for the first time in his life.
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"Mom, I know we've had some rough times.
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But you're right.
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I can't be truthful with you.
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Because it seems like no matter what I do, you disapprove." "Look, I know you love playing." "Then how come except for church you're the happiest when I don't?
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I finally land the gig of my life and...
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You're upset.
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You didn't see how tough being a musician was on your father.
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I don't want to see you struggle like that.
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So dad could pursue his dreams and I can't?
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Your father had me.
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Most times this shop is what paid the bills.
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So when I'm gone, who's gonna pay yours?
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Music is all I think about.
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From the moment I wake up in the morning to the moment I fall asleep at night.
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You can't eat dreams for breakfast, Joey.
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Then I don't want to eat.
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This isn't about my career, Mom.
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It's.. it's my reason for living.
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And I know Dad felt the same way.
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I'm just afraid that if I died today, that my life would have amounted to nothing.
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Chauwei.
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you Oh.
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Let's make this work instead.
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you That's my dance.
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Thank you, Mom.
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Ray would have been so proud of you, baby.
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Like I've always been.
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Now that was some heart -wrenching vulnerability.
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Mom!
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I know we've had some rough times.
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But You're right.
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I can't be truthful with you.
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Rough times means difficult periods or challenging experiences when times are rough and things are hard, maybe financially, emotionally, or in relationships.
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Here's another example.
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Okay, listen, we both know that my theater's been going through some pretty rough times lately, but as the saying goes, For every cloud, a silver light!
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We've got - Hold on right there, Buster.
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And actually, there's a cool expression that means the opposite smooth sailing.
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Should be smooth sailing from here.
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Because it seems like no matter what I do, you disapprove.
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Now to disapprove means to have a negative opinion about something to think it's wrong or bad.
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When someone disapproves of your choices, they don't support them, or think you're making a mistake.
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Listen to these examples.
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And you disapprove of your daughter marrying my godson.
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I do.
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And that's another example of word formation.
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This makes it prove negative.
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Here's some other examples.
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Agree?
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Disagree?
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color, discolor.
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Embark, disembark.
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honest, dishonest.
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Notice we usually say disapprove of something not just disapprove something.
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No matter what I do, you disapprove.
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Look, I know you love playing.
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Then how come except for church, you're the happiest when I don't?
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I finally land the gig of my life and...
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You're upset.
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What do you think "land a gig" means?
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to fall while performing?
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to successfully get a job or opportunity? to cancel a performance.
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Perfect!
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To land something means to successfully obtain it especially after effort or competition.
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It's like a fish landing on a hook, or a plane landing safely.
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When you land a job, gig, deal, or opportunity, you got it.
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Listen to these examples: Lauren, what's going on?
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I landed a full -time teaching position in Springfield.
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After looking for work, For a while, I finally landed a two -year contract in London.
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Let's practice some more connected speech.
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You didn't see how tough being a musician was on your father.
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I don't want to see you struggle like that.
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So often in English, when we have an N and T sound together, we drop the T sound like in "international"
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or "20." You probably already know "want to" becomes "wanna." We also drop the T in DON'T, Don't wanna.
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I don't wanna.
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I don't wanna.
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And earlier in the scene, we had another great example of this pattern.
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It's like you can't even be truthful with me anymore.
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You'll hear this all the time.
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Can't even becomes can even.
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Can't even.
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It's frustrating because "can't" sounds just like "can." But here's two things you can look for to tell the difference.
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The context.
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Obviously an affirmative "can" would not make sense in this sentence.
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the pronunciation.
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The firmative can usually reduces to couldn't.
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Can In the negative "can't" we always keep the "a" sound.
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Can't.
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Can't.
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Alright, now you try.
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Listen and repeat those two lines from Joe's mom.
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I don't want to see you struggle like that.
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I don't want to see you struggle like that.
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It's like you can't even be truthful with me anymore.
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It's like you can't even be truthful with me anymore.
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Now this next line is typical advice you probably hear from a practical mom or dad.
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Music is all I think about.
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From the moment I wake up in the morning to the moment I fall asleep at night.
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You can't eat dreams for breakfast, Joey.
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Then I don't want to eat.
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So, Joe's mom is using a metaphor to say you can't survive on dreams alone.
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You need practical things like money to buy actual food.
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It's just a creative way of saying, be realistic.
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You can use this pattern with anything that won't sustain you.
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You can't eat compliments for breakfast.
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Praise is nice.
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But it doesn't pay rent.
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You can't eat Instagram likes for breakfast.
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Social media fame doesn't necessarily equal real success.
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Alright, check out a final useful expression.
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"This isn't about my career, mom.
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It's my reason for living." And I know Dad felt the same way.
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I'm just afraid that if I died today, that my life would have amounted to nothing.
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So amount to something means to add up to or result in something.
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When your life amounts to something, it means it has significance or value.
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When it amounts to nothing, it means it's meaningless or worthless.
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Hey man, this is so relatable, so human.
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Don't we all fear that our life will amount to nothing?
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You can use this in other contexts too.
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Let's say...
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Jack Nicholson, decided that he wanted to know what people truly thought of him, whether his life had actually amounted to anything.
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So he fakes his death.
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and stages his own funeral.
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In the end to a stunning trial that riveted the public
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and amounted to revelations of deep -seated corruption in the Swinton Police Department.
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I don't think the Count's accusations amount to anything more than vague charges.
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This vulnerable confession finally helps Joe's mother understand.
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For Joe, music isn't just a hobby or career choice.
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It's his entire reason for being alive.
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And in that moment, she chooses to support her son's dream by offering to tailor his father's suit for him, connecting Joe to the very person who gave him his dream.
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Alright, hopefully you didn't zone out there.
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Let's see what all of your hard work today has amounted to.
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It's time to test your English by watching those scenes again without subtitles, and I'm going to make it a bit more challenging by also asking you some quiz questions.
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Amen.
320
"Uh, sorry, I zoned out a little back there." Which of these people looks like they are zoning out?
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Heh, heh, heh.
322
Joe Gardner.
323
Where have you been?
324
I've been teaching.
325
Middle school band.
326
But on the weekends I - You got a suit?
327
I...
328
Get a suit, Teej.
329
A good suit.
330
Back here tonight, first show's at 9, soundcheck's at 7.
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We'll see how you do.
332
You see your friend eating a huge burger and fries the day after they told you they are starting a new diet.
333
You could tell them Disapprove of that diet.
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smooth sailing that diet.
335
So much for that diet.
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I'm not sure if I can.
337
So much for being done chasing after gigs, huh?
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- I'm sorry.
339
I hope that cat isn't supposed to be some kind of peace offering.
340
A peace offering is: a gift to apologize, a donation to charity, a treaty between countries.
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I'm not sure if I can.
342
Come on.
343
Just say you rescued it.
344
Um, no, it's mine.
345
I rescued it.
346
Hmm.
347
Too bad you can't rescue your career.
348
Oh Just ask her nicely if she can fix my suit.
349
So, Mom, is there any way you can fix this?
350
Wow!
351
I don't need to see that.
352
I know, embarrassing, right?
353
So, You'll fix it?
354
No. What?
355
How long are you gonna keep doing this, Joey?
356
You tell me you're going to accept the full -time position, then instead I hear you've taken another gig.
357
Tell her that this one is different.
358
This one's different.
359
Does this gig have a pension?
360
Health insurance?
361
No?
362
Then it's the same as the other ones.
363
It's like you can't even be truthful with me anymore.
364
Fine, we'll get the suit off the rack somewhere.
365
My mom has never understood what I'm trying to do with my life.
366
Fine, we'll get a suit off the rack somewhere.
367
My mom has never understood what I'm trying to do with my life.
368
22!
369
What did you do?
370
Just say - Can I run away now, like you usually do?
371
No. Not this time.
372
Repeat after me.
373
Mom, I know we've had some rough times. But...
374
You're right.
375
I can't be truthful with you.
376
Because it seems like no matter what I do...
377
Your boss does not believe you worked on a project in the correct way.
378
They.. of how you did the job.
379
you They disapprove of how you did the job.
380
You disapprove.
381
Look, I know you love playing.
382
Then how come except for church, you're the happiest when I don't?
383
I finally land the gig of my life and...
384
You're upset.
385
You didn't see how tough being a musician was on your father.
386
I don't want to see you struggle like that.
387
So dad could pursue his dreams and I can't?
388
Your father had me.
389
Most times this shop is what paid the bills.
390
So when I'm gone, who's gonna pay yours?
391
Music is all I think about.
392
From the moment I wake up in the morning to the moment I fall asleep at night.
393
You can't eat dreams for breakfast, Joey.
394
Then I don't want to eat.
395
What does Jo's mom mean when she says, "You can't eat dreams for breakfast"?
396
Dreams don't provide realistic needs.
397
You should never give up on your dreams.
398
Breakfast is more important than dreams.
399
I'm not sure if I can do this.
400
This isn't about my career, Mom.
401
It's my reason for living.
402
And I know Dad felt the same way.
403
Thank you.
404
I'm just afraid that if I died today, That my life would have amounted to to nothing.
405
Joey...
406
you Oh.
407
- Yeah.
408
Let's make this work instead.
409
That's my dad's.
410
Thank you, Mom.
411
Ray would have been so proud of you, baby.
412
Like I've always been.
413
- All right, I hope that you had a lot of fun learning with Disney's soul.
414
I hope that it touched you emotionally and that it inspired you to become a better English speaker.
415
And if you want to understand fast speaking natives without getting lost, without missing the jokes, and without subtitles, be sure to hit that subscribe button and the bell down below
416
because we help you to do this with two fun new lessons every single week.
417
11 million learners around the world that subscribe to us cannot be wrong.
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And if you're really ready to take your English to the next level, the best way to do that is is by learning with this very lesson over on the RealLife app, and you can get started for free with the link down in the description.
419
Or if you're sticking with us here on YouTube, you might want to check out this other lesson that we recently did with Soul Next.
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- Okay.
421
Okay.
422
I'm a cat.
423
I can make this.
424
Thank you.
425
Okay, come on.
426
You're doing great.
427
Keep going.
428
Keep going.
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Is Your Dream in a Jar? 🏺 | Learn British English Through Story
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
Why practice speaking with this video?
Practicing English speaking through engaging content like Pixar's Soul offers unique benefits for learners. One primary advantage is the ability to immerse yourself in authentic dialogues that reflect real-world conversation dynamics. Joe Gardner's journey captures the essence of pursuing dreams, which resonates with many learners. By mimicking the characters, you enhance your English speaking practice, improving your fluency and confidence.
Additionally, this video encourages vulnerability and self-exploration, crucial elements in engaging discussions. By repeating Joe's memorable lines, such as his audition experiences, you can master the nuances of expression and intonation. Using cultural references from popular media, you can make your English practice both enjoyable and relevant. This method of learning, often referred to as shadowspeak, allows you to grasp pronunciation and flow more effectively.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the video, several key grammatical structures and expressions stand out that can enhance your speaking skills:
- “Where have you been?” - This phrase expresses surprise and is a colloquial way to acknowledge someone's talent or absence. Understand its contextual meaning for effective conversations.
- “I zoned out a little back there.” - This expression highlights distraction and is useful for discussing attention shifts in conversations.
- “Get a suit, Teej.” - This informal command showcases the use of imperative verbs, which are essential in spoken English for direct communication.
Integrating these expressions into your own speech can significantly improve your conversational abilities. Practicing such grammar in context allows you to use phrases that feel natural and conversational.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you practice with Soul, pay attention to specific words and accents that can be tricky for English learners:
- The phrase “killing it” might be pronounced quickly and can sound like “killin’ it.” Ensure you practice this to sound more fluent.
- Notice the rhythm and intonation in expressions like “Uh, sorry, I zoned out...” Understanding the pauses and emphasis is crucial for natural speaking.
- When repeating words or phrases, such as “suit,” focus on the vowel sounds, as this can alter your pronunciation accuracy.
Incorporating these aspects into your practice sessions will greatly improve English pronunciation and overall speaking proficiency. Don’t forget to make use of shadow speech techniques for replicating these sounds accurately!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been teaching · has been running · theater's been going |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have you been · has been · have they been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | you've been stuck · being done · is used |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who love · person who gave |
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.