Shadowing Practice: Learn English with THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA — Andy's Transformation - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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andy's axe lands her dream job as an assistant to miranda priestly the powerful editor -in -chief of runway magazine
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but the dream quickly becomes a nightmare as andy struggles to meet miranda's impossible demands
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while feeling completely out of place in the high fashion world
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in today's lesson we'll watch the scene where randy turns to nigel the magazine's art director for support how hard she's working.
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But instead of sympathy, Nigel tells her that Miranda isn't picking on her, She's just doing her job.
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It's a harsh wake -up call that forces Andy to confront the reality of her situation.
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Wake up call, give credit, pick on.
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These expressions and the other ones you learned today are included in the deck of flashcards
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that we created for this lesson when you watch it on the RealLife app.
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And you can unlock this lesson for free and get a much better learning experience right now.
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by clicking the link in the description below.
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I'll tell you more about it later, but now, This is how the lesson will work.
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First, we will watch the clip with the subtitles.
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Then you'll learn the key vocabulary and pronunciation.
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And finally, at the end, you'll test your comprehension by watching the entire scene one last time, this time without subtitles.
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And I'll ask you some quiz questions to see how well you've understood.
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everything.
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So let's now watch the first clip.
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- - She hates me, Nigel.
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And that's my problem because...
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Oh, wait, no. It's not my problem.
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I don't know what else I can do because if I do something right, it's unacknowledged.
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She doesn't even say thank you.
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But if I do something wrong, she is...
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Vicious! So quit.
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What?
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Quit.
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- Okay.
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I can get another girl to take your job in five minutes.
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One who really wants it.
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I -I -No, I don't want to quit.
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That's not fair.
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But I, you know, I'm just saying that
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I would just like a little credit for the fact that I'm killing myself trying.
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Ugh, Andy. Be serious.
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You are not trying.
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You are whining.
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What is it that you want me to say to you, huh?
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Do you want me to say, "Poor you"?
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Miranda's picking on you.
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Poor you.
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Poor Andy.
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Mm?
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"Wake up, Six.
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She's just doing her job." Andy's pouring her heart out here,
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and every word she uses perfectly captures that feeling of being trapped in a toxic work situation.
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Let's break down these expressions that native speakers reach for when there is their breaking point.
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She hates me, Nigel.
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And that's my problem because...
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Oh, wait, no, it's not my problem.
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I don't know what else I can do because if I do something right, it's unacknowledged.
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She doesn't even say thank you.
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When something goes unacknowledged, it's like it never happened.
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Nobody notices, nobody says "good job" or gives you credit.
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It's the opposite of being acknowledged or appreciated.
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Check out this example of someone getting their hard work acknowledged.
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And thanks for acknowledging me earlier.
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It's nice for my mother when I'm mentioning papers.
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Now, how do you pronounce this word?
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Check out how Andy says it.
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She is vicious.
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Many learners mistakenly pronounce the C here as an S sound.
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Make sure you say "vicious" with a clear "sh" sound, not "vices".
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"Vicious" means extremely cruel or aggressive.
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A vicious person doesn't just criticize, they attack you personally.
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So when Andy says "Miranda is vicious", she's saying Miranda insults her when she
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Andy gets things wrong.
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Check out this other example.
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- Okay.
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Yeah.
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Vicious.
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Now, let's practice some connected speech.
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This is how natives cut, reduce, and morph words together when they speak.
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Learning it helps you sound more natural and it makes it much easier to understand fast speaking natives in real conversations.
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Listen to this part again.
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ease out.
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doesn't even try to repeat after Andy.
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She doesn't even say thank you.
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She doesn't even say thank you. So quit.
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What?
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Thank you.
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Quit.
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Crack.
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I can get another girl to take your job in five minutes.
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One who really wants it.
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No, I don't want to quit.
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That's not fair.
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And here, there is a common pattern of reduction that natives use all the time.
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Listen to how Andy says "I don't want to quit".
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I don't want to quit.
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That's not fair.
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I don't want to becomes I don't wanna.
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I don't wanna quit.
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Now you try it.
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I don't want to quit.
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That's not fair.
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I don't want to quit.
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That's not fair.
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But I, you know, I'm just saying that
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I would just like a little credit for the fact that I'm killing myself trying.
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Andy says she wants a little credit.
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What do you think that means?
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She wants a raise.
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She wants someone to say thank you.
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She wants a day off.
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In this context, credit means recognition or appreciation.
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When someone gives you credit, it's like they are saying "Hey, I see what you did there" and it mattered.
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For example, if you and a friend cook dinner together, but everyone only compliments your friend, You might feel like you didn't get credit for your part.
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Now, this is a really great phrase native use all the time, and you definitely sound natural yourself, using it too.
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But the question is, do you think you'll remember this expression later, when you need it?
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I mean, this is a quite common situation for many English learners.
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You get into a conversation and right when you need to use a certain expression you've learned before, It doesn't come to you.
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Your brain? simply goes blank then you pause try to remember
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But the flow of your sentence has already been ruined because you got stuck.
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I know that feels so good really frustrating to don't be able to express yourself the way you would like.
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I've been there myself.
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And that is exactly why we created the RealLife English app to help you become a confident natural English speaker.
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By practicing with these lessons, the way they were meant to be.
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Yeah on the app.
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Every lesson like this one with movies, TV series, podcasts, It comes with a fool transcript and flashcards of the most advanced expressions.
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You know, all of this that we've been seeing.
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And by practicing just 10 -15 minutes daily, you'll be able to remember the words and expressions you are learning
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forever This happens because of the spaced repetition technology we developed, which lets you review words just when you're about to forget them.
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Can you imagine being able to use all this vocabulary in your next real -life conversation in English?
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And you can unlock this lesson you're watching right now for free,
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which comes with all the resources I've mentioned by clicking the link in the description below using your phone.
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I'll see you there.
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But I, you know, I'm just saying that, I would just like a little credit for the fact that I'm killing myself trying.
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That's a dramatic way to say she's working extremely hard.
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When someone says, "I'm killing myself trying," they don't literally mean dying, of course.
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She means she's pushing herself to the absolute limit of working so hard it's exhausting and painful.
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Check out this other example.
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Look, Dana, I think I was doing a great job.
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At least I was killing myself trying to.
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- Andy, be serious.
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You are not trying.
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You are whining.
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- To whine is to complain in that annoying, high -pitched way that makes people want to cover their ears.
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Think of a small child saying, But I don't want to go to bed.
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It's not fair.
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That's whining.
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When adults whine, they sound like they're feeling sorry for themselves instead of taking action.
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Nigel's basically saying "stop complaining and do something about it".
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See this other example: They're getting remarried and Spen still doesn't even remember me.
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Rosie, may I give you some advice?
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Stop whining.
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I don't whine.
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Yes, you do.
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And if you really want to win him back, do something about it.
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What is it that you want me to say to you, huh?
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Do you want me to say, "Poor you"?
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Miranda's picking on you.
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Poor you.
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Poor Andy.
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Now, poor you can be genuine sympathy.
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Like when your friend gets sick and you say, "Oh, poor you.
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That sounds awful." But Nigel's being sarcastic here.
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He's mocking Andy for "playing the victim".
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And to pick on someone means to criticize
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and target them unfairly like a bully who always chooses the same kid to tease.
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Andy feels like Miranda is picking on her, but Nigel is challenging that.
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And honestly, This is a very thin line, right?
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Between picking on someone and trying to motivate them.
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It's what happens in this example.
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Well, you better decide how badly you want it
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because this school is filled with people who will do whatever Necessary to make it in this business.
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Why are you picking on me?
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I'm not I'm motivating you.
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Oh Hmm?
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Wake up, six.
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She's just doing her job.
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This "wake up" has nothing to do with sleep.
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It means "open your eyes to reality" or "stop being naive." Nigel's telling Andy to face the truth about her situation.
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And then he calls her "six." That's a reference to her clothing size.
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saying, "You don't even feed into this world physically, let alone professionally.
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That was tough to watch wasn't it?
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But sometimes we need someone to tell us the hard truth.
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That's exactly what happens next, as we see the beginning of End is transformation.
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Let's watch it.
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This is a shining beacon of hope for...
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Thank you.
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Oh, I don't know.
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Let's say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers pretending to go to soccer practice
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when he was really going to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight.
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You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls, and what's worse, You don't care.
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Because this place where so many people would die to work, you only deign to work.
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And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead.
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and give you a gold star.
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on your homework at the end of the day.
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Wake up, sweetheart.
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Thank you.
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- Okay, so I'm screwing it up.
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- - I don't want to.
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I just wish that I knew what I could do to...
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Nigel.
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you No. I don't know what you expect me to do.
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There's nothing in this whole closet that'll fit a size 6, I can guarantee you.
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These are all sample sizes, 2 and 4.
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All right, we'll turn this for you. And...
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I'm Honcho.
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You'll take what I give you and you'll like it.
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This is where Nigel opens his heart and shows Andy and us why this world means everything to him.
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The vocabulary here gets more sophisticated, more emotional.
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You think this is just a magazine?
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Hmm?
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This is not just a magazine.
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This is a shining beacon of hope for...
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A beacon is like a lighthouse, a bright light that guides ships safely to shore, but they're lost at sea.
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So a shining beacon of hope is something that gives people direction and inspiration when they feel lost or different.
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For Nigel, this fashion magazine wasn't just pretty pictures.
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It was proof that there was a place in the world for someone like him.
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She's not a leader.
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She just wants to save her own skin.
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It's as simple as that.
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I think that's true.
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She's become a beacon of hope for the rebellion.
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And she has to be eliminated.
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Oh, I don't know.
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Let's say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers pretending to go to soccer practice
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when he was really going to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight.
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Now, Rhode Island is a small, more conservative state in this region of the US called New England.
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You can imagine, for a young boy there, interested in fashion and sewing, using needle and thread to create clothes, life could feel pretty lonely.
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And the word "runway" here doesn't refer to the platform where models walk, it's the name of the fashion magazine where they work.
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You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls, and what's worse, You don't care.
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Because this place where so many people would die to work, you only deign to work.
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What do you think it means if someone deigns to work?
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They are excited and proud to do the job?
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They are too good for this job, but do it anyway.
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or they're working harder than usual.
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When someone deigns to do something, they act like this task is beneath them.
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Imagine a famous chef agreeing to make you a peanut butter sandwich.
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They'll do it, but they want you to know they're way too good for this simple task.
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So when Nigel says Andy deigns to work there, he means she acts like the job is beneath her,
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like she's blessing them with her presence instead of appreciating the opportunity.
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And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead.
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and give you a gold star on your homework at the end of the day.
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wake up sweetheart a gold star in your homework is what teachers give to little kids
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when they do well now when nigel calls andy sweetheart it's not romantic
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or even friendly it's talking down to her like saying oh honey in a way
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that means you poor ignorant thing after hearing all this andy finally admits she's screwing it up okay
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so i'm screwing it up to screw something up is are ruining something through your own mistakes.
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You're messing it up or failing at something.
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I don't know what you expect me to do.
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There's nothing in this whole closet that'll fit a size six, I can guarantee you.
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These are all sample sizes, two and four.
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In the fashion industry, sample sizes are the tiny sizes, usually 0, 2 or 4, that designers use for their original pieces and runway shirts.
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Most clothes in fashion magazines are shot on models who wear these incredibly small sizes.
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All right, we'll turn this for you. And...
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A poncho.
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Here's what a traditional poncho looks like.
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It's a loose sleeveless outer garment, basically a blanket with a hole for your head.
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While some can be stylish, many look shapeless and bulky, which might explain Andy's reaction to the jacket.
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Alright, now let's test your comprehension.
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We're going to watch the entire clip again without subtitles and I'll ask you some quiz questions to see how well
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He understood everything.
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- She hates me, Nigel.
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And that's my problem because...
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Oh, wait, no. It's not my problem.
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I don't know what else I can do, because if I do something right, it's unacknowledged.
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She doesn't even say thank you.
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But if I do something wrong, she is...
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Vicious!
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Which image best shows someone being vicious?
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So quit.
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What?
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Thank you.
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Quit?
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-Fuck.
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I can get another girl to take your job in five minutes.
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One who really wants it.
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No, I don't want to quit.
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That's not fair.
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But I, you know, I'm just saying that...
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I would just like a little credit for the fact that I'm killing myself trying.
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Which of these expressions are commonly used with the word "credit" in this context?
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you Ugh, Andy. Be serious.
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You are not trying.
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You are whining.
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What is it that you want me to say to you, huh?
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Do you want me to say, "Poor you"?
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Miranda's picking on you.
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Poor you.
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Poor Andy.
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What does "picking on" mean in this sentence?
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She's always picking on her little brother.
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you Thank you.
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Amen you Mm?
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Wake up, six.
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She's just doing her job.
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Thank you.
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You think this is just a magazine?
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Hmm?
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This is not just a magazine.
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Complete the phrase: "During difficult times, her kindness was like a.. of hope for everyone around her.
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you This is a shining beacon of hope for...
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Thank you.
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Oh, I don't know.
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Let's say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers pretending to go to soccer practice
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when he was really going to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight.
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You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls, and what's worse, You don't care.
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Because this place where so many people would die to work, you only deign to work.
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When someone deigns to do something, it usually means they feel unsure if they can, "Happy to help" or "Too good for it".
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And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead
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and give you a gold star on your homework at the end of the day.
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Wake up, sweetheart.
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Thank you.
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- Okay, so I'm screwing it up.
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- - I don't want to.
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I just wish that I knew what I could do to...
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Nigel.
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Nigel.
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Nigel.
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Bye.
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No. I don't know what you're expecting to do.
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There's nothing in this whole closet that'll fit a size 6, I can guarantee you.
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These are all sample sizes, 2 and 4.
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Alright, we'll join this for you.
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A poncho.
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You'll take what I give you and you'll like it.
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Oh yeah, amazing job!
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Now, remember to go and practice what you learned today on the RealLife English app.
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You'll find a special link right in the description below.
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That'll take you straight to this lesson over there.
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- Okay, now I was at this play that I love so much, I've seen it twice now, "Anne Juliet." So "Anne Juliet" is a play where,
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what if Juliet didn't die with Romeo?
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And a lot of it is influenced by Shakespeare's wife, And her name...
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is Anne Hathaway.
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Then I did, A little digging.
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What'd you learn?
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There's a conspiracy
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Context & Background
In this engaging scene from "The Devil Wears Prada," Andy Sachs finds herself overwhelmed in her role as an assistant to Miranda Priestly, the formidable editor-in-chief of Runway Magazine. While trying to navigate the high-pressure environment of the fashion industry, Andy expresses her frustration to Nigel, the magazine's art director. This conversation reveals Andy's struggle with self-worth and her need for recognition amid Miranda's relentless expectations. The dialogue encapsulates feelings of inadequacy and the harsh realities one may face in a demanding work culture. As learners of English, understanding these interactions provides valuable insights into real-life communication and emotional expression.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- Wake up: Used to encourage someone to be more realistic about their situation.
- Pick on: To criticize or bully someone, often unfairly.
- Give credit: To acknowledge someone's efforts or achievements.
- Quit: To leave a job or position, often due to frustration.
- Vicious: Describes someone who is cruel or harsh in their behavior.
These expressions are crucial for daily communication, especially in work settings where emotions can run high. Incorporating these phrases into your vocabulary can enhance your ability to express thoughts and sentiments effectively.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
Utilizing the shadowing technique can significantly improve your speaking skills and comprehension. Here’s how to tackle the dialogue from "The Devil Wears Prada" using the shadowing site:
- Watch the clip: Begin with watching the scene with subtitles. Focus on understanding the context and emotions conveyed in Andy's dialogue.
- Listen without subtitles: After watching with subtitles, listen again without them to hone in on pronunciation and intonation. Pay attention to how Nigel responds to Andy.
- Repeat line by line: Shadow speech by repeating after the characters. This method helps you match their pace and pronunciation, making your speaking more natural.
- Record yourself: As you shadow, record your voice to evaluate your pronunciation and emotional expression compared to the original.
- Reflect on feedback: Listen to your recording and identify areas for improvement. Consider incorporating these phrases in your IELTS speaking practice to express your viewpoints more effectively.
By following these steps, you engage with the material actively, making it easier to retain new vocabulary and expressions. Regular practice using the shadowing technique will boost your confidence and fluency in English, preparing you for real-world conversations.
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 | you've understood · you've learned · has already been ruined |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are included · being trapped · being acknowledged |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | One who really · people who will |
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.