Shadowing Practice: Less Than Human - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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The End The End The End The End The End The End
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The End Is this good?
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Earlier this week, a guard lost his life here at the Seattle Quarantine Facility.
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The attack is the first of its kind since the cure was developed five years ago.
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Recently there's been talk about the rights of these so-called cured ones.
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And some humanitarian organizations are even arguing that maybe the time for reintegration has arrived.
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What?
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Oh.
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Hi.
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You're a human.
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We don't see a lot of you guys around here.
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Don!
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There's humans out here!
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Oh, uh, can I get you something to drink?
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Oh, man.
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What's that smell?
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I've got a little bit of coffee.
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I can do that.
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Just look at me, not into the lens.
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So, tell me, how long have you been in here?
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At the camp?
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Oh, uh, well, I think they placed us in here, I guess it's been about six years now.
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I see.
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And do you...
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Hey, what was it you were saying before?
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Come on, you know it's impossible for me to hear anything from...
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What's this?
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What's going on here?
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So, what do you do all day?
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We meditate.
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Deep breathing exercises really release the spiritual toxins from your body.
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And that's important.
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I don't meditate.
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Well, sometimes you do.
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And how about you, Don?
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Nothing.
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I do nothing.
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That's what I do all day.
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Come on, that's just not true.
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This morning, you helped carry out the trash and wash the floors.
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I guess that's my life now.
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This just didn't magically happen.
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You did that.
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So, judging from what you've been through,
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would you say that you still have certain cravings?
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I mean, any urges that you feel like, I don't know, maybe giving into?
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I would kill.
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I would just kill to get a little bit of organic Marin honey.
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Oh, it was so good.
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You just can't get good stuff like that in here anymore.
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You know what I want?
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I'll tell you what I want, all right?
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And then anything else, I want my old goddamn life back.
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All right?
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I want my old goddamn life back.
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I was up for regional sales manager.
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I was gonna be in charge of 12 people.
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You know what that is?
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That's a fleet of realtors with me at the helm.
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That's hard.
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I know.
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It's really hard.
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But you know what?
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You've still got your rhythm, and you've still got your harmonica.
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John plays a mean harmonica.
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Stop it Andy!
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Hey man, easy!
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Hey just...
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You always do this! Do what?
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Why do you always have to be like this?
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God dammit Andy!
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Everything is always about...
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I lost everything!
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It's always about you!
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Let's get out of here!
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I had potential!
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I had prospects!
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That's what you're not getting Andy!
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I had a life for God's sake.
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I had a God-damn life.
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Andy, man, come on.
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You still there, man?
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Don't be like that, alright?
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I'm sorry.
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Are you coming or what?
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You got the car keys.
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What we witnessed here today is a clear sign that reintegration is not an option.
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The danger we thought we'd gotten rid of is lurking just beneath the surface.
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The images speak for themselves.
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I'm sorry.
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Thank you.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video titled "Less Than Human" presents an engaging context for English learners to practice speaking skills. By exploring themes of human interaction and emotional experiences, learners can immerse themselves in a realistic dialogue setting. The scenario, featuring a conversation between characters in a quarantine facility, provides a unique opportunity to practice responding to questions about daily life and personal feelings—essential components of IELTS speaking practice.

Practicing with this video enables learners to enhance their fluency through the shadowing technique. This method involves listening to the dialogue and repeating it immediately, allowing for improved pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. Such practice is beneficial for learners aiming for higher scores in speaking tests, as it develops both comprehension and expressive capabilities.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Within the dialogue, several key grammatical structures and expressions are used effectively. Here are three examples:

  • Progressive tense: “I guess it’s been about six years now.” This structure is essential for expressing ongoing situations or actions. Practicing this can help learners describe their own experiences in the English language.
  • Conditional phrases: “I would kill to get a little bit of organic Marin honey.” This expression illustrates the use of the conditional mood for expressing desires, making it useful for learners to express wants in a more colorful manner.
  • Interrogatives: “So, what do you do all day?” Questions like this are vital in everyday conversations, particularly in the context of sharing personal stories or asking about others’ experiences.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you engage with this video, be mindful of several tricky pronunciation aspects:

  • Words ending in “-tion” such as “meditation” may be challenging; focus on clearly pronouncing the syllables.
  • The expression “I would kill” might be misheard due to the quick pace of speech. Listen closely and practice differentiating it from non-expressive phrases.
  • Pay attention to the sound of “organic,” particularly the stress on the first syllable. Correct pronunciation will make your speech sound more natural and fluent, which is crucial for effective english speaking practice.

Incorporating the shadowing app method while practicing with this video can significantly enhance your language skills, allowing learners to make remarkable progress in their confidence and fluency. By focusing on these key elements, you will be well on your way to mastering your English speaking abilities and excelling in any speaking assessments.

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.