Shadowing Practice: Learn English With Zootopia - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
If you don't try anything new, you'll never fail.
2
I like trying, actually.
3
What your father means, hon, is it's going to be difficult.
4
Impossible even for you to become a police officer.
5
Right.
6
There's never been a bunny con.
7
No. Bunnies don't do that.
8
Never.
9
Never.
10
Oh.
11
Then I guess I'll have to be the first one.
12
Because I am gonna make the world a better place.
13
Today, we are learning English with Disney's awesome animation, Zootopia.
14
And if you want to keep learning with the best movies
15
and TV series so that you can finally understand fast speaking natives without getting lost,
16
without missing the jokes and without subtitles, just click on the subscribe button and bell down below.
17
Like Ivy, who in just five months has not only improved her listening skills,
18
but also her speaking skills and she's recommended our channel to her friends.
19
Zootopia tells the story of Judy Hopps from rural Bunny Burrow.
20
She has a childhood dream of becoming a police officer in urban Zootopia, a metropolis where various animals live and become successful.
21
When Judy Hopps achieves her dream she quickly learns how tough it is to enforce the law in Zootopia.
22
Determined to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case.
23
Unfortunately that means working with Nick Wild, a dishonest fox who makes her job even harder.
24
Actually it's Officer Hopps and I'm here to ask you some questions about a case.
25
What happened, meet or maid?
26
Did someone steal a traffic phone?
27
It wasn't me.
28
Hey, Carrots, you're gonna wake the baby.
29
I gotta get to work.
30
This is important, sir.
31
I think your $10 worth of popsicles can wait.
32
Ha!
33
I make 200 bucks a day, fluff.
34
365 days a year since I was 12.
35
And time is money.
36
Hop along.
37
Please, just look at the picture.
38
You sold Mr. Otterton that popsicle, right?
39
Do you know him?
40
I know everybody and I also know that somewhere there's a toy store missing
41
and stuffed animals So why don't you get back to your box?
42
Fine, then we'll have to do this the hard way Did you just boot my stroller?
43
Nicholas Wilde you are under arrest.
44
Huh for what hurting your feelings? felony tax evasion
45
Unfortunately lying on a federal form is a punishable offense five years jail time.
46
Well, it's my word against yours 200 bucks a day, Fluff.
47
365 days a year since I was 12.
48
Actually, it's your word against yours.
49
And if you want this pen, you're going to help me find this poor missing otter, or the only place you'll be selling popsicles is the prison cafeteria.
50
It's called a hustle, sweetheart.
51
She hustled you.
52
Actually it's Officer Hopps and I'm here to ask you some questions about a case.
53
What happened meter maid?
54
Did someone steal a traffic cone?
55
Here Nicholas is talking in reference to a parking meter
56
which is a machine at the side of a road
57
which you have to put money into if you park your car next to it.
58
Meter made is an old-fashioned way to refer to a woman assigned by a police
59
or traffic department to write tickets for parking violations.
60
These days there's a gender neutral and more usual way of calling someone who does this job.
61
They are parking enforcement officer or agent in the USA,
62
traffic warden in the UK and parking inspector or parking officer in Australia and New Zealand.
63
Take a look at this example.
64
Please wait by your vehicle between 9am and 5pm for parking officer Steve.
65
Grabowski.
66
It wasn't me.
67
Hey carrots you're gonna wake the baby.
68
Fun fact, Nicholas calls Judy carrots because rabbits diet is largely associated with carrots.
69
However rabbits don't naturally eat root vegetables or fruits
70
because they are high in sugar and should only be fed in small amounts as occasional treats.
71
Rabbits need mainly hay and or grass, some leafy greens and a small measured amount of pellets.
72
Hey carrots, you're gonna wake the baby.
73
I gotta get to work.
74
This is important sir.
75
The phrase get to work is not only used in reference to start working but also if you get to work, go to work or set to work on a job,
76
task or problem you start doing it or dealing with it.
77
Can I have your computer?
78
No. Your video games?
79
Forget it Molly.
80
Okay Andy let's get to work here.
81
Anything you're not taking to college either goes in the attic or it's trash.
82
I think your ten dollars worth of popsicles can wait.
83
I make 200 bucks a day fluff.
84
Here we can see an interesting combination of words to express monetary value.
85
It is the amount of money plus worth of plus the product.
86
Let's check out this example.
87
Which picture does not represent a popsicle?
88
Fluff consists of soft threads or fibers in the form of small light balls.
89
For example, you can refer to the fur of a small animal as fluff.
90
Rabbits are known for being fluffy animals.
91
If you describe something such as a towel or animal as fluffy you mean that it is very soft to the touch.
92
And time is money, hop along.
93
Please just look at the picture.
94
If small animals hop they move by jumping on all or two of their feet at the same time.
95
However as we can see in the scene Judy is in Nicholas's way
96
and he wants her to let him go so hop along is a rude way of saying keep moving or go away.
97
And time is money, hop along.
98
You sold Mr. Otter to Nut Popsicle right?
99
Do you know him?
100
I know everybody.
101
In real life if you expect to hear every word and sound pronounced clearly
102
you might have a hard time understanding fast speech.
103
As we can see in how Judy asked this question, when we have certain sound combinations some changes happen.
104
Do you know him?
105
This is the case when the auxiliary do is followed by the pronoun you.
106
You don't actually hear do you but rather do.
107
The object pronoun him is also commonly reduced to him.
108
Tune in your ears for the next example.
109
Now it's your turn, let's give it a try.
110
Now do you get frustrated when natives speak fast like this and you can't understand?
111
Do you feel lost and confused if you don't have the subtitles.
112
Now it is not important that you speak this way
113
but mastering connected speech like this is absolutely crucial if you want to confidently understand native speakers.
114
This is exactly why in our Fluent with Friends course we help you to learn the principles of connected speech
115
so that you can understand natives at any speed.
116
The best part you can try absolutely free with our three-part masterclass.
117
Click here or in the description below to join it now.
118
And I also know that somewhere there's a toy store missing
119
and stuffed animals so why don't you get back to your box.
120
You call stuffed animal a toy animal made from cloth
121
and filled with a soft material so that it's pleasant to hold and touch.
122
Here Judy uses an interesting expression.
123
To do something the hard way is a way of doing something that makes it more difficult than it needs to be.
124
This expression is normally used in situations where there is resistance towards doing or starting a difficult task.
125
Hold on just...
126
No no no no my plan is out we do it the hard way.
127
All right.
128
Another common expression is to learn something the hard way
129
which means that you learn from unpleasant experiences rather than by being taught.
130
What one does when faced with the truth is more difficult than you think.
131
I learned this the hard way.
132
A long long time ago.
133
Did you just boot my stroller?
134
Nichols Wilde, you are under arrest. For what?
135
In American English, to boot means to stop someone from moving their illegally parked
136
vehicle by fixing a piece of equipment to one of the wheels.
137
Check out this example.
138
You booted my car?
139
You have to take that off.
140
I have a meeting to get to.
141
Well, you're out of luck.
142
If the police arrest someone, they take that person to a police station because they believe he or she has committed a crime.
143
You are under arrest is a statement a police officer makes
144
when they take someone away and guard them because they may have done something illegal.
145
Tell Amita Slim you're under arrest.
146
I'm not really yet. For what?
147
Hurting your feelings?
148
Felony tax evasion.
149
Felony is a serious crime such as murder or robbery.
150
On the other hand, a crime that is not very serious is called a misdemeanor.
151
Oh my, looks like you were the ringleader in this car theft and that's a felony.
152
Yes sir.
153
Stay out of my way.
154
You know what, this is misdemeanor vandalism.
155
You ladies can take care of it yourselves.
156
Tax is an amount of money that you have to pay to the government
157
that it uses to provide public services and pay for government institutions.
158
There are several different types of tax for example income tax
159
that is paid on your income or a duty tax that is paid on products that you buy or sell.
160
Tax evasion is a federal crime in which illegal methods are used by people
161
or companies in order to reduce the tax they pay.
162
Offence is another way of saying crime.
163
If it is punishable one can be punished by it.
164
If the person you are speaking to says it's my word against yours, it means that the person speaking doesn't think anyone will believe you, often because they have authority over you.
165
It's also used when there is no proof of something other than the person's word.
166
Check out this example at another moment in Zootopia.
167
I framed Lionheart.
168
I can frame you too.
169
It's my word against yours.
170
And if you want this pen, you're going to help me find this poor missing otter, or the only place you'll be selling popsicles is the prison cafeteria.
171
Otter is an animal with smooth brown fur that swims in rivers and eats fish.
172
It's called a hustle sweetheart.
173
She hustled you.
174
One of the meanings of hustle is to make someone move quickly especially by pushing them hard.
175
Hustle also refers to ways of getting money that involves cheating or deceiving people.
176
In this case hustle is a synonym for fraud.
177
The way
178
that Nicholas makes money by selling popsicles can be described as a hustle as he does not pay taxes
179
and the popsicles are not properly made.
180
Finnick used hustle as a verb to mean that Judy convinced Nicholas.
181
Hustle is used informally in American English and means to forcefully encourage someone to do something illegal.
182
Actually, I just remembered I have a pal at the DMV.
183
Flash is the fastest guy in there.
184
You need something done, he's on it.
185
I hope so.
186
We are really fighting the clock, and every minute counts.
187
Wait.
188
They're all slots?
189
You said this was going to be quick!
190
Are you saying that because he's a sloth he can't be fast?
191
I thought in Zootopia anyone could be anything.
192
Flash, Flash, 100-yard dash.
193
Buddy, it's nice to see you.
194
Nice. To.
195
See you. To.
196
Hey, Flash, I'd love you to meet my friend.
197
Uh, darling, I've forgotten your name.
198
Hmm.
199
Officer Judy Hopps, CPD, how are you?
200
I am doing just...
201
Fine?
202
As well as I can be.
203
What can I do for you?
204
Well, I was hoping you could run a play for us.
205
We are in a really big hurry.
206
Actually, I just remembered I have a pal at the DMV.
207
Pal is an informal way of referring to a friend.
208
You just remember what your old past said, or you got a friend with me.
209
The DMV is a government department in each of the US states
210
which is responsible for for giving driving tests and driver's licenses.
211
In some states, the DMV has the power to collect road taxes.
212
Flash is the fastest guy in there.
213
You need something done, he's on it.
214
What is ironic here is the fact that the sloth's name is Flash.
215
One of the meanings of the word Flash is to move quickly, like in the expression, in a flash.
216
Sorry.
217
He'll be his regular old self and everything seems fine, and then just in a flash, he's gone.
218
In the movie, the DMV employees are portrayed as sloths because the DMV is known for its outrageously long lines,
219
reflecting a notoriously inefficient and bureaucratic agency.
220
Check out these examples.
221
I need you to go buy alcohol for 200 people.
222
But I can't buy alcohol.
223
I don't have an ID.
224
Well then go to the DMV and get one.
225
Ugh, not the DMV.
226
That place is the worst.
227
Flash is the fastest guy in there.
228
You need something done, he's on it.
229
As a response, if someone says they are on it, they will be doing something that needs to be done or trying to solve a problem.
230
You gonna be okay?
231
You want us to walk with you?
232
Mom and Dad?
233
With us in public?
234
No thank you.
235
Yeah, I'm on it.
236
Nope, I'm fine.
237
Bye Mom.
238
Bye Dad.
239
I hope so, we are really fighting the clock and every minute counts.
240
Wait.
241
They're all sloths?
242
If you fight or beat the clock, you do something as fast as possible and try to finish it before a certain time.
243
You two working together on this?
244
No!
245
Everybody stand down!
246
We are fighting the clock people.
247
It took one hour for the kids to call 911.
248
Flash, Flash, 100 Yard Dash.
249
Buddy it's nice to see you.
250
Here we can perceive that Nick is being completely sarcastic.
251
A 100 Yard Dash is a short and very fast race that usually lasts under 10 seconds.
252
As an expression it means something that is done or accomplished very quickly.
253
Hey Flash I'd love you to meet my friend.
254
Uh, darling I've forgotten your name.
255
Hmm.
256
Officer Judy Habs, ZPD, how are you?
257
PD stands for Police Department and is preceded by the initial letter of the city or state to where it belongs.
258
In the movie it's the Zootopia Police Department.
259
Freeze!
260
NYPD!
261
What?
262
Hang in there. Can I? Do?
263
Well I was hoping you could run a play- or you.
264
When you tell someone to hang in there, you encourage them to remain brave and determined when they are in a difficult situation.
265
Hang in there.
266
Hey zombie don't forget your hatchet.
267
Well I was hoping you could...
268
Today.
269
Well I was hoping you could run a play for us.
270
We are in a really big hurry.
271
One of the many ways of making polite requests in English is by using the phrase I was hoping you could.
272
It's an interesting frame to have as part of your arsenal of English sentences.
273
Once you have this sentence memorized all you have to do is to complement it with your request.
274
Take a look at this example.
275
Now listen, I have to work late tonight.
276
Again?
277
I was hoping you could spend some time with the kids.
278
License plate or simply plate is an official sign on the front
279
and back of a motor vehicle with numbers and letters on it that show who it belongs to.
280
To run a plate means to look up someone's license plate number and see who it belongs to.
281
I paid good money for this car.
282
Ditch the car.
283
The cops will find it, they'll run the plates.
284
Bonita gets her car back.
285
Actually it's Officer Hopps and I'm here to ask you some questions about a case.
286
What happened meet or meet?
287
Did someone steal a traffic phone?
288
It wasn't me.
289
Hey, carrots, you're gonna wake the baby.
290
I gotta get to work.
291
This is important, sir.
292
I think your $10 worth of popsicles can wait.
293
Ha!
294
I make 200 bucks a day, Fluff.
295
365 days a year since I was 12.
296
And time is money.
297
Hop along.
298
Please, just look at the picture.
299
You sold Mr. Otterton that popsicle, right?
300
Do you know him?
301
I know everybody.
302
And I also know that somewhere, there's a toy store missing in Stuffed Animals.
303
So why don't you get back to your box?
304
Fine, then we'll have to do this the hard way.
305
Did you just boot my stroller?
306
Nichols Wilde, you are under arrest. For what?
307
Hurting your feelings?
308
Felony tax evasion.
309
Unfortunately, lying on a federal form is a punishable offence.
310
Which action below is not a punishable offence?
311
Causing danger to road users?
312
Taking your dog for a walk in public areas?
313
Dangerous driving?
314
Five years jail time.
315
Well, it's my word against yours.
316
Two hundred bucks a day, Fluff.
317
Three hundred and sixty-five days a year since I was twelve.
318
Actually, it's your word against yours.
319
And if you want this pen, you're going to help me find this poor missing otter, or the only place you'll be selling popsicles is the prison cafeteria.
320
It's called a hustle, sweetheart.
321
She hassled you.
322
Actually, I just remembered I have a pal at the DMV.
323
Flash is the fastest guy in there.
324
You need something done, he's on it.
325
I hope so.
326
We are really fighting the clock and every minute counts.
327
Wait.
328
They're all slots?
329
You said this was going to be quick!
330
Are you saying that because he's a sloth he can't be fast?
331
I thought in Zootopia anyone could be anything.
332
Flash, Flash, 100 yard dash.
333
Buddy, it's nice to see you.
334
Nice to see you too.
335
Hey Flash, I'd love you to meet my friend.
336
Uh, darling, I've forgotten your name.
337
Hmm.
338
Officer Judy Habs, CPD, how are ya?
339
Which occupations are related to the police department?
340
Colonel, Deputy, Firefighter?
341
I am doing just fine as well as I can be.
342
What can I do for you today?
343
Well, I was hoping you could run a play for us.
344
Which alternative below should you use in order to make a polite request?
345
I want to check out this ID number.
346
I urge you to check out this ID number.
347
I wonder if you could possibly check out this ID number.
348
I hope you enjoyed learning with Zootopia.
349
If you can't get enough of lessons with your favorite TV series,
350
movies and songs, then make sure you follow us on Instagram because we make new lessons there every single day.
351
Next, I would recommend that you learn English with Toy Story.
352
Let's check out a clip from that lesson.
353
It's really you!
354
What's me?
355
Whaaaaa!
356
There's a snake in my boat!
357
It is you!
358
Please stop saying that!
359
Prospector said someday you'd come!
📺 Same Channel
B2Learn ENGLISH with ICE AGE
B11
Idiom of the day: Off the charts 📈
B2Learn ENGLISH with BTS — Interview with RM
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
How BLACKPINK’s LISA Learned English Alone
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
Learn English with UP – Russel Meets Kevin the Snipe
B12
Learn English with WEDNESDAY — Fighting Bianca 🤺
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B21
Learn English with the JOE ROGAN PODCAST — Elon Musk
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B11
Learn English with MrBeast — 7 Days Stuck on an Island
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B21
Learn English BLACKPINK's JENNIE
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
![Learn English with Disney+ | Soul [Advanced Lesson]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/e1Mno2A2N5E/mqdefault.jpg)
B23
Learn English with Disney+ | Soul [Advanced Lesson]
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
Learn English with SHREK — Meet the Fairy Godmother
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
Learn English with Beauty And The Beast & Emma Watson
Cambridge Exam PrepDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B2What LEVEL is Your English? — TEST with KUNG FU PANDA
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
LEARN ENGLISH with Frozen
Business EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
![Learn English with Jennifer Aniston | The Morning Show [Advanced Lesson]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dsN6FiF9ncI/mqdefault.jpg)
B25
Learn English with Jennifer Aniston | The Morning Show [Advanced Lesson]
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B12
Learn English with DESPICABLE ME — Meet Gru Jr.
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B24
Learn English with ZENDAYA — Wedding Photos with Tom Holland: REAL or A.I.?
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
Learn English with WILL SMITH — The Pursuit of Happyness
Business EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
B25 Tips to Feel Confident Speaking English — Lesson with Harvey from SUITS
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B12
Learn English with Michael Jackson
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
✨ Recommend Video
B11
199 sentences
Improve Your English Speaking with Zootopia | Shadowing Exercise
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
216 sentences
تعلم الانجليزية من الافلام / Cars
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
5 sentences
Learn English with Ratatouille | Describing an Extraordinary Dish
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B25
242 sentences
Learn English with Movies
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
484 sentences
Learn English with Classic Literature | The Jungle Book | Part 1
Cambridge Exam PrepDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A24
75 sentences
Let's learn English | Level 2 | Lesson 1: Budget Cuts | Learning English with VOA
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
495 sentences
АНГЛИЙСКИЙ НА СЛУХ | Английский по фильмам
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B111
14 sentences
Zootopia - Judy's Speech HD
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
264 sentences
Learn English From The Movies - Minions & Monsters Makes Bank, Is Clever, But Loses Its Magic
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B12
204 sentences
Learn English With ZOOTOPIA / تعلم الانجليزية من الافلام
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
488 sentences
Learn English: How to Speak English Well | English Speaking Lesson | Rachel’s English
American AccentBusiness EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Learn English With Zootopia”. This video has 359 sentences and 3157 words to shadow. The speech runs for 23:32. The speaker talks at a steady 134 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 57 of its 359 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| popsicle noun | /ˈpɑp.sɪ.kəl/ | Frozen fruit juice, flavored sugar water, or the like on a stick. |
| hustle verb | /ˈhʌsəl/ | To push someone roughly; to crowd; to jostle. |
| fluff noun | /flʌf/ | Anything light, soft or fuzzy, especially fur, hair, feathers. |
| carrot noun | /ˈkæɹət/ | A vegetable with a nutritious, juicy, sweet root that is often orange in colour, Daucus carota, family Apiaceae, especially the subspecies sativus. |
| otter noun | /ˈɑtɚ/ | An aquatic or marine carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae. |
| buck noun | /ˈbʌk/ | A male deer, antelope, sheep, goat, rabbit, hare, and sometimes the male of other animals such as the hamster, ferret, salmonid, shad, skunk and kangaroo. |
| boot noun | /but/ | A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. |
| evasion noun | /ɪˈveɪʒən/ | The act of eluding or evading or avoiding, particularly the pressure of an argument, accusation, charge, or interrogation; artful means of eluding. |
| punishable adjective | /ˈpʌnɪʃəbəl/ | Subject to punishment; appropriate for punishment. |
| sloth noun | /slɔθ/ | Laziness; slowness of mind; disinclination to action or labour; a feeling combining indifference and lethargy; a dragging idleness. |
| dash noun | /ˈdæʃ/ | Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar). |
| rabbit noun | /ˈɹæbɪt/ | A mammal of most genera of the family Leporidae, with long ears, long hind legs and a short, fluffy tail. (Those of the larger kind are instead called hares) |
| cafeteria noun | /ˌkæ.fə.ˈtɪ(ə).ɹi.ə/ | A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat. |
| stroller noun | /ˈstɹoʊlɚ/ | A seat or chair on wheels, pushed by somebody walking behind it, typically used for transporting babies and young children. |
| sweetheart noun | /ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/ | A person who is always very kind. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) | |
| go away verb | To depart or leave a place. | |
| look up verb | /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ | To have better prospects. |
| stand down verb | To wait; to stop pursuing, stop fighting, or relax from a heightened readiness posture. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Huh for what hurting your feelings?
- Can I have your computer?
- Did you just boot my stroller?
- Are you saying that because he's a sloth he can't be fast?
- What can I do for you?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If you don't try anything new, you'll never |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be fed · are known · is followed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has not only improved · has committed · I've forgotten |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was hoping |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 63 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: sloth /slɔθ/, cloth /klɒθ/, theft /θɛft/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: evasion /ɪˈveɪʒən/, punishable /ˈpʌnɪʃəbəl/, dash /ˈdæʃ/, inefficient /ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt/, combinations /kɑmbɪˈneɪʃənz/
- Long words — get the stress right: punishable /ˈpʌnɪʃəbəl/, cafeteria /ˌkæ.fə.ˈtɪ(ə).ɹi.ə/, misdemeanor /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə(ɹ)/, bureaucratic /ˌbjʊəɹəˈkɹætɪk/, confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like popsicle, hustle, fluff.
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.