This speaking lesson is built on the video “Mr. Big Scene”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Otterton, rug, howlers, mime, grandmama. This video has 84 sentences and 521 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:52. The speaker talks slowly, about 107 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 14 of its 84 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
butt noun	/bʌt/	Body; self.
daddy noun	/ˈdædi/	Also used as a term of address: a father; one's father.
disrespect noun	/dɪsɹɪˈspɛkt/	A lack of respect, esteem or courteous behavior.
arrive verb	/əˈɹaɪv/	To reach; to get to a certain place.
rip verb	/ɹɪp/	To divide or separate the parts of (especially something flimsy, such as paper or fabric), by cutting or tearing; to tear off or out by violence.
costume noun	/ˈkɑsˌt(j)um/	A style of dress, including garments, accessories and hairstyle, especially as characteristic of a particular country, period or people.
disappear verb	/dɪsəˈpɪɹ/	To vanish.
scare verb	/skɛɚ/	To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
kindness noun	/ˈkaɪnd.nəs/	The state of being kind.
bury verb	/ˈbɛɹi/	To outlive.
yell verb	/jɛl/	To shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice, especially to express intense emotions such as anger or excitement.
whoa	/woʊ/	Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.
evolve verb	/ɪˈvɑlv/	To move (something) in regular procession through a system.
performer noun	/pɚˈfɔɹmɚ/	One who performs for, or entertains, an audience.
repay verb	/ɹiˈpeɪ/	Synonym of pay back in all senses.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
find out verb	To discover, as by asking or investigating.
rip up verb	To destroy by ripping.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

You can't speak if you're a mime.
No, I didn't see nothing.
It's time for our dance.
What did we say?
What happened to me?

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	were brought · was attacked · may be evolved
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	will help · will tell

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

Long words — get the stress right: generosity /ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹɑ.sə.ti/, misunderstand /mɪs.ʌn.də(ɹ)ˈstænd/, intimidate /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/

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 butt, daddy, disrespect.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Mr. Big Scene | Zootopia (2016) | Movie Clip - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson