Shadowing Practice: Learn English with The DEVIL WEARS PRADA — First Day at Work - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hello?
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Andrea Brandi decided to kill the autumn jacket story for September and she is pulling up the Sedona shoot from October.
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You need to come into the office right this second and you pick up her coffee order on the way.
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Now?
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Now get a pen and write this down.
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I want one no-foam skimmed latte with an extra shot and three drip coffees with room for milk.
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Searing hot, and I mean hot.
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Is there some reason that my coffee isn't here?
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Has she died or something?
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No. God.
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Oh, bloody tongue.
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I hope you know that this is a very difficult job, for which you are totally wrong.
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And if you mess up, my head is on a chopping block.
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Now hang that up.
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Don't just fling it anywhere.
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If you ever had a tough first day at work, just be grateful you didn't have Miranda Priestley as your boss.
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The Devil Wears Prada is one of the most beloved workplace comedies of all time,
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starring Meryl Streep as the terrifying boss at a top fashion magazine and Anne Hathaway as Andy,
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a young woman who has absolutely no idea what she's walked into.
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I'm Xenia, your real-life English fluency coach, and in today's lesson, we'll learn with Andy's chaotic first day on the job.
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And trust me, there's so much great vocabulary packed into these scenes, from fashion world expressions to professional language that you can actually use in real life.
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And to help you truly add these words to your vocabulary, today I want to give you a free gift – access to speaking practice from this lesson completely for free.
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The learners who are using it every day tell us this
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kind of practice helps them speak all these expressions naturally without feeling nervous or forgetting the words.
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Like they are simply thinking in English.
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I'm gonna leave the link in the description below and I highly recommend you give it a try.
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Especially if you like practical exercises that actually make you use the language you are learning.
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Just like in real life.
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Alright, now let's continue watching our first scene before we jump into learning the words.
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Okay, first of all you and I answer the phones.
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The phone must be answered every single time it rings.
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Calls Roll to voicemail and she gets very upset.
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If I'm not here...
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Andrea, Andrea, you aren't chained to that desk.
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Well, what if I need to...
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What?
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No. One time an assistant left the desk because she sliced her hand open with a letter opener.
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And Miranda missed Lagerfeld just before he boarded a 17-hour flight to Australia.
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She now works at TV Guide.
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Man the desk at all times, got it.
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Right, remember you and I have totally different jobs.
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I mean, you get coffee and you run errands, yet I'm in charge of her schedule, her appointments and her expenses.
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And most importantly, I get to go with her to Paris for Fashion Week in the fall.
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I get to wear couture, I go to all the shows and all the parties, I meet all of the designers, it's divine.
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In the first clip we saw when Emily calls Andy in the morning, we hear her quickly listing a very specific coffee order.
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Now, if you've ever stood at a Starbucks counter or any coffee shop feeling confused, this is for you.
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You need to come into the office right this second and you pick up her coffee order on the way.
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Now?
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Now get a pen and write this down.
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I want one no-foam skimmed latte with an extra shot and three drip coffees with room for milk.
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Searing hot, and I mean hot.
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Let's break this down.
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A latte is espresso coffee with steamed milk.
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You know, milk heated with steam like this.
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Foam is the light layer of bubbles we get from the steamed milk.
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It can actually refer to any mass of small bubbles like the foam in a beer
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or the foam that forms from ocean waves.
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So Miranda wants no foam on her latte, just the milk with no bubbles.
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Also by skimmed latte, she means it should be made with skim milk, that is milk with all the fat removed, which is lower in calories.
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The opposite would be whole milk or regular milk.
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An extra shot means an additional shot of espresso added to the drink.
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Drip coffee is regular coffee made by hot water dripping through ground coffee beans.
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The one most people make at home.
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And finally, searing hot means extremely hot.
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Searing usually describes something that burns, like searing meat on a grill.
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Emily is making it very clear.
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Not warm.
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Not hot.
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Searing hot.
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Now, that's a lot of expressions.
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It makes sense that Emily told Andy to write it all down.
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But you don't have to.
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We prepared two types of exercises for you today to help you truly learn and never forget these words.
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You can choose.
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There's one for intermediate learners, where you practice pronouncing the words and sentences, and another for more advanced learners, where you practice using them in real conversation.
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Just make sure to do it to really level up your English today.
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Alright, now moving on.
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When Andy arrives late with Miranda's coffee, we see that Emily isn't happy.
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I hope you know that this is a very difficult job, for which you are totally wrong.
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And if you mess up, my head is on the chopping block.
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If someone says their head is on the chopping block, they mean they're at risk of serious consequences,
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losing their job, getting in trouble or being blamed for something
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it sounds a bit dramatic so something similar you could say is I'm on the line
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or my job is on the line check out these examples
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I'm not going to continue jeopardizing my job I headed on
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the chopping block here look I can't help you I like you Holly and you two seem like nice enough people
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but my job is on the line here.
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Then, of course, Emily doesn't miss the opportunity to say something about Andy's clothes.
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And if you mess up, my head is on a chopping block.
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Now hang that up.
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Don't just fling it anywhere.
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To fling something means to toss or throw it without care or precision.
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Emily's telling Andy not just toss her ugly coat anywhere.
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So next, she explains the most basic rule of the job.
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Okay, first of all, you and I answer the phones.
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The phone must be answered every single time it rings.
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Calls roll to voicemail and she gets very upset.
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When you get a call on your phone, it rings.
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That's the verb we normally use in this case.
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And if you don't answer the phone, the caller is redirected to leave a recorded message.
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In other words, the call goes to voicemail.
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Emily said rolls to voicemail.
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Same thing.
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balls roll to voicemail and she gets very upset
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if i'm not here andrea andrea you are chained to
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that desk these are chains so
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if someone says they are chained to something they're stuck there they can't leave even
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if they want to of course it's not a literal expression there are no real chains
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but informally it means you have no freedom to go anywhere for example ever since we got the new puppy, I'm changed to the house.
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And to be very clear, Emily tells the story of a previous assistant.
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One time an assistant left the desk because she sliced her hand open with a letter opener.
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A letter opener is the small tool used to cut open envelopes.
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Emily explains this previous assistant sliced her hand open with a letter opener, meaning she cut her hand badly.
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And then this person had to leave the desk because of that.
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Let's see what happened to her.
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One time an assistant left the desk
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because she sliced her hand open with a letter opener
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and Miranda missed Lagerfeld just before he boarded a 17-hour flight to Australia.
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She now works at TV Guide.
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She's saying that the assistant who left her desk caused Miranda to miss a call from Lagerfeld,
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that is Karl Lagerfeld, one of the most iconic fashion designers in history.
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And it seems that that cost her a lot, because the only job this person could get after that was a TV Guide a magazine that lists CV programming.
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Pretty unimportant and boring by fashion world standards.
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Man the desk at all times, got it.
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Man here is used as a verb, which means to be present and operating something.
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It comes from military and nautical or sea travel language.
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For example, someone needs to man the front desk while I'm away.
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Or who's gonna man the grill at the barbecue?
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Check out this other example.
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You were duty officer, weren't you?
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Yeah.
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Control asked me to man the phones that night.
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Next, we hear Emily explain some of her responsibilities.
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Right, remember you and I have totally different jobs.
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I mean, you get coffee and you run errands, yet I'm in charge of her schedule, her appointments and her expenses.
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To run errands means to go out and do small tasks, like buying groceries, picking up dry cleaning, delivering a package.
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In this case, Andy will be running errands for Miranda.
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So those could also be things like buying coffee or picking up her lunch.
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Appointments are scheduled meetings or commitments.
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Expenses refer to the money spent, in this case, Miranda's professional spending that Emily tracks and manages.
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And most importantly, I get to go with her to Paris for Fashion Week in the fall.
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I get to wear couture, I go to all the shows and all the parties, I meet all of the designers, it's divine.
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Okay.
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Fall is the American word for autumn, the season between summer and winter.
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In the fashion world, seasons are everything, with spring, summer, and fall, winter being the two major seasons.
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Couture or haute couture means exclusive clothing of original design made specifically for one person.
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Each piece is made by hand just for that one client.
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For Emily, getting to go to Paris and wear couture is the dream, the biggest reward of working so close to Miranda.
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If you're not sure you're pronouncing it right or other expressions we're learning today, as I already told you,
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you can do pronunciation practice with us on our app.
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And it's really great because you get feedback each time you speak so you know if you're doing it right.
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Okay, so how about this other expression Emily used?
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Check it out.
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Emily, what do I deal with it?
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Deal with it means handle the situation yourself.
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You may also hear figure it out.
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It's often said when someone doesn't want to be bothered.
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Okay, now in our next scene, let's see what happens when Andy is called into Miranda's office for the very first time.
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Emily?
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Emily?
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She means you.
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We just cut on the bias and so what we...
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That's not what I asked you.
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I couldn't have been clearer.
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There you are, Emily.
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How many times do I have to scream your name?
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Actually, it's Andy.
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My name is Andy.
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Andrea, but everybody calls me Andy.
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I need 10 or 15 skirts from Calvin Klein.
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Okay, what kind of skirts do you use?
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Please bore someone else with your questions.
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And make sure we have Pier 59 at 8 a.m tomorrow.
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And remind Jocelyn, I need to see a few of those satchels that Mark is doing in the pony.
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And then tell Simone I'll take Jackie if Maggie isn't available.
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Did DeMarchalier confirm?
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De-De-DeMarchalier?
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DeMarchalier?
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Did he get him on the phone?
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Oh, okay. And Emily?
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Yes?
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That's all.
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It's just the cavalier disregard for kind of...
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Have you ever heard this verb in this kind of phrase?
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Please bore someone else with your questions.
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To bore someone with something means to make them feel tired or annoyed with something they find uninteresting or unnecessary.
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Miranda is telling Andy, in a rude way, that her questions are not welcome.
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Now, let's break down Miranda's list of instructions because there's a lot in there.
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Please bore someone else with your questions.
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And make sure we have Pier 59 at 8am tomorrow.
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And remind Jocelyn, I need to see a few of those satchels that Mark is doing in the pony.
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And then tell Simone I'll take Jackie if Maggie isn't available.
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Did DeMarchalier confirm?
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So first, Pier 59 is a famous photo studio in New York City, one of the most important ones in the fashion industry.
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A satchel is a kind of handbag with a flap.
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Mark here refers to Marc Jacobs, the famous fashion designer.
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In the pony, it means made from pony hair, a type of leather with short textured fur.
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Miranda wants to see Marc's latest back designs made in this material.
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Next, she's talking about casting, hiring models for a job.
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Simone is probably a casting director and Jackie and Maggie are models.
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And then tell Simone I'll take Jackie if Maggie isn't available.
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Did DeMarchalier confirm?
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Patrick de Marchelier was one of the most celebrated fashion photographers in the world.
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Miranda is probably asking whether he's confirmed for the shoot.
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Now, did you notice the way she said these words?
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And make sure we have Pier 59 at 8 a.m tomorrow.
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At 8 a.m tomorrow.
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In real everyday American speech, this is how these words sound like.
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It doesn't come out as at 8 a.m., but more like at 8 a.m.
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At 8 a.m.
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The T in ad becomes a soft flap T, which sounds like a D and blends together with eight. At eight. At eight. At eight.
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Which then links to AM.
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Try saying it.
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At 8 AM.
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At 8 AM.
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At 8 AM tomorrow.
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At 8 AM tomorrow.
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Finally, Miranda dismisses Andy.
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and as she leaves, we can still hear some of Miranda's words.
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It's just the cavalier disregard for a clear...
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Disregard means ignoring something completely.
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Cavalier reinforces that.
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It means showing a lack of care or seriousness.
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Miranda is saying Andy treated her instructions as if they didn't matter.
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Another common collocation is blatant disregard.
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Check this out.
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I mean, I don't judge your blatant disregard for recycling.
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The blatant disregard for human life exhibited by companies like Arcus is committed to the safety of its workers.
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Now back at the desk while trying to manage all that information, Andy is saved by Emily.
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Do you have the Marcellier?
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I have Miranda Priestly calling.
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I have Patrick!
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I could do all of this and you will go to Calvin Klein.
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Me?
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Oh, I'm sorry, do you have some prior commitment?
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Some hideous skirt convention you have to go to?
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No. Of course, just like how she started the day commenting on Andy's clothes, Emily can't resist making another remark.
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She's sarcastically asking if Andy can go to Calvin Klein because she already has something planned.
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asking if she has a hideous skirt convention to go to.
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Hideous means extremely ugly or unpleasant.
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Come out!
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No, they mean to kill me.
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And besides, they're hideous to look at.
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That's extremely rude!
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Don't listen to him, Balthazar.
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You're classically handsome.
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Now, are you ready for the final and most important step of the lesson?
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we're going to test everything you've just learned, the new vocabulary and pronunciation, and put it all into practice.
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You'll watch the three clips again, this time without subtitles, and answer some quiz questions.
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Let's do it!
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Now get a pen, write this down.
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I want one no-foam skim latte with an extra shot and three drip coffees with room for milk.
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Searing hot, and I mean hot.
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Which of these best describes a skimmed milk?
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Milk with extra cream added, milk with the fat removed, or milk that's been heated with steam.
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you know that this is a very difficult job for
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which you are totally wrong and
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if you mess up my head is on a chopping block now hang that up don't just fling it anywhere
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okay first of all you
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and i answer the phones the phone must be answered every single time it rings calls roll to voicemail
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and she gets very upset if i'm not here andrea andrea you are chained to
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that desk if someone says they're changed to their desk today they mean they should answer After all the phone calls,
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they can't change anything on their desk,
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or they must stay at their desk without leaving. Which of
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these images best represents running errands?
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Most importantly, I get to go with her to Paris for Fashion Week in the fall.
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I get to wear couture, I go to all the shows and all the parties, I meet all of the designers, it's divine.
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Emily?
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Emily?
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She means you.
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We just cut on the bias and so what we...
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That's not what I asked you.
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I couldn't have been clearer.
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There you are, Emily.
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How many times do I have to scream your name?
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Actually, it's Andy.
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My name is Andy.
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Andrea, but everybody calls me Andy.
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I need 10 or 15 skirts from Calvin Klein.
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Okay, what kind of skirts do you...
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Please bore someone else with your questions.
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Which verb did Miranda use here telling Andy not to bother her with questions? Did the Marshalier confirm?
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The Marshal...
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The Marshalier?
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Did he get him on the phone?
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Uh, okay. And Emily?
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Yes?
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That's all.
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It's just the Cavalier disregard for...
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Do you have DeMarcelier?
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Ah, DeMarcelier.
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Oh, leave it.
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Do you have...
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I have Miranda Priestly calling.
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I have Patrick!
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Oh, no, she called me in there, and she asked me about Pier 59, and there was something about Simone,
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Frankie, someone else, and she needs skirts.
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Calvin Klein.
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And, uh, there was something about a pony.
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Did she say which skirts?
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No. Did she say what kind?
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No, I tried to ask her.
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You never ask Miranda anything right.
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I will deal with all of this, and you will go to Calvin Klein.
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Me?
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Oh, I'm sorry.
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Do you have some prior commitment?
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Some hideous skirt convention you have to go to?
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Oh, yeah.
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Amazing job, guys that if you're new to this youtube channel you should know
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that every single week we make new lessons just like this
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one with celebrities movies tv series to help you understand fast speaking natives without getting lost without missing the jokes
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and without subtitles so if
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that sounds like something you want to be able to do hit the subscribe button
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and the bell down below so you never miss any of our new lessons
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and now that you've learned all these words remember to go and practice speaking them on the RealLife English app.
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You'll find a special link right in the description below that'll take you straight to this lesson over there.
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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 vicious. So quit.
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What?
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Quit.
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Quit.
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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 I would just like a little credit for the fact that I'm killing her.
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Why This "Devil Wears Prada" Clip Is Perfect for English Speaking Practice
If you’ve ever struggled to keep up with fast-paced workplace conversations or fumbled over coffee orders at a café, this video is your secret weapon. The chaotic first-day dialogue between Andy and Emily is packed with real-life language—from urgent requests to specific instructions—that mirrors what you’ll hear in offices, shops, and daily interactions. It’s not just about learning words; it’s about mastering the rhythm, tone, and pressure of natural speech. Plus, the high-stakes scenario makes the vocabulary stick—you’ll remember "no-foam skimmed latte" long after the lesson ends!
Breaking Down the Dialogue: What Makes It Sound Natural
Let’s look at 3 key lines that showcase everyday English:
- "You need to come into the office right this second and pick up her coffee order on the way." The phrase "right this second" adds urgency, a common way to stress immediacy in casual professional settings. Notice how "and" connects two tasks smoothly—no need for complex conjunctions here.
- "I want one no-foam skimmed latte with an extra shot and three drip coffees with room for milk." This is a perfect example of specific ordering language. "No-foam," "skimmed," "extra shot," and "room for milk" are all phrases you’ll use at coffee shops. The structure is simple but precise—exactly how native speakers communicate details.
- "Man the desk at all times, got it?" "Man the desk" is a casual way to say "stay at your desk and handle responsibilities," and "got it?" is a quick check for understanding. These phrases sound natural because they’re short, direct, and full of everyday idiom.
A Simple Shadow Speech Routine to Master This Scene
To turn these lines into active vocabulary, try this shadow speak exercise: 1. Watch the clip once to get the gist. 2. Play a 5-second segment, pause, and repeat it immediately, mimicking the tone, speed, and pronunciation. Focus on matching Emily’s urgency and Andy’s hesitation—this trains your mouth to move like a native. 3. Record yourself and compare it to the original. Notice where you stumble (was it "drip coffees" or "extra shot"?) and repeat those parts. 4. Do this daily for 10 minutes, and you’ll soon find yourself using phrases like "right this second" or "with room for milk" without thinking.
Shadowing isn’t just about memorization—it’s about thinking in English. By copying the rhythm and intonation, you’ll build muscle memory that makes speaking feel effortless. Whether you’re prepping for a job interview or just want to order coffee like a pro, this routine will boost your confidence and pronunciation. Ready to start? Hit play, pause, and repeat—your fluency journey starts now!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | must be answered · aren't chained · should be made |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've ever stood · Have you ever heard · you've just learned |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | woman who has · removed, which is · verb, which means |
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.