Shadowing Practice: MTV's Downtown Episode 1 Part 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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246 sentences

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The End The End The End The End The End

The End The End Alex, you okay?

Oh, what's up?

What the hell have you been doing?

Smoking something?

No, I'm just waiting on Sunday.

You've got nothing to worry about worry about man you got

me got all the kids we're gonna help your ass out man so you're paying me right

so now use my no fail all-purpose seduction line want to

see god no can i can help you use the bathroom did it work got me a hinky

that looks like the crab nebula oh what's this you know

i can't give you freebies forever come on alex i'm gonna

be helping you out anyway check it out it's It's the label for goats kickin' the ass macro malts.

I make it in the bathtub.

And that's me as the god Pan riding a Harley.

Since when does Pan wear chain mail and no pens?

Hey, sis, what do you want?

What's up?

Listen, I need a copy of this invite on cardstock so it looks real.

What's that naked guy doing to that monkey?

And don't you have a final tomorrow?

Yeah, whatever, Mom.

Um, anyway, not like you'd know, but Tuesday just so happens to be the new Saturday night for anyone who's even remotely cool.

Saturday night's only like Saturday night for like big haired Gucci girls now.

And didn't you go out Saturday night too?

Well, sort of, but like, whatever.

Why are you like all up in my grill?

You don't have a life, so like you're just all like...

Yeah, well, that's all gonna change.

What'd you forget?

About Sunday, I get my own place.

What a waste.

You'll still spend all your time playing video games.

At least you'll have somewhere to crash.

No, no, you won't.

My new apartment.

Get your own apartment.

Whatever.

This is not Chaka's Motel 6.

Whatever.

Well, if I can't scrounge up some bad money fast, I won't be going anywhere.

I've got an idea.

Legal?

Well, no. You wouldn't have this problem if you didn't spend so much money on toys.

Your room is, like, filled with, like, Star Wars crap and Transformers and Hot Wheels.

It looks like a six-year-old boy lives there.

Wait, I take that back.

A six-year-old boy wouldn't have a collection of the Spice Girls dolls.

Man, I like scary Spice.

Yeah, I like posh Spice.

Oh, she's pretty good, too, man.

Posh Spice.

Oh, my God, you are so creeping me out.

You should like sell some of that junk.

It's gotta be worth something to other geeks like you.

I'll never sell.

Never.

No way.

No damn way.

This one's disabled.

It's a very rare one-armed Japanese import even rarer than the old-school yak phase.

So you're saying that Yoda would beat Wolverine in a fight?

Yes, I am confident that it is so.

I'm afraid that you were thinking with your heart and not your head my friend.

New comics day.

Hmm, you can almost smell the desperation.

No, that's just their B.O.

Hey, like a hundred bucks for all of them, right, man?

Hey, Alex.

Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, okay.

Here.

Yes.

Take this to Frank.

Oh, her name's Serena, bro.

Not that you wanted to know or anything.

He would have no chance against adamantium claws and mutant healing powers.

Hey Alex, Yoda versus Wolverine.

Who do you think's gonna win?

Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Okay, 100 bucks even.

Yo, how much is that Mr. T?

50. You gonna buy it or drool over it.

Does it still talk?

Hey Serena, get that for me?

I threw my back out again, lifting.

Damn deltoid.

What you looking at, fool?

Here.

Thanks.

And Matt says she plays some weird Siddhar, the Zither, it's called or something.

Oh, not another one of your hopeless goth girl fixations.

I bet you haven't even talked to her.

I have so.

Here.

Thanks.

Oh, so you're going to take this little plastic dinosaur collection?

Nah, nah, I'll leave that here.

Oh, right.

That's educational stuff.

100

I don't want that.

101

Alex, don't leave me.

102

I want to go with you in the Jelena Anderson playset.

103

I want to come too, please, Alex.

104

Hey, when I get my apartment, I'm going to be the man.

105

Oh, really?

106

Yeah.

107

Or at least a normal human being.

108

You know, when you do, if that should happen, and you start dating surgically implanted lap dancers and all that kind of stuff,

109

who will keep me from blowing my brains out with a shotgun?

110

Oh, don't worry.

111

I'll always be there for you.

112

Like you'll be there for me.

113

Oh, yes.

114

On moving day.

115

Amen.

116

With the money for the van.

117

You have obviously forgotten my motto.

118

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

119

Or a voluntary participant in Poetry Slam.

120

Or a woman wearing a sweatshirt decorated with glitter.

121

You don't like many people, do you, Jenna?

122

No. And that should make you feel extra special.

123

Oh.

124

Yeah.

125

Oh, God, no, don't.

126

What was?

127

Your heart made of stone?

128

Doesn't this bring back memories?

129

Yeah, it was my only date in high school.

130

God, I remember.

131

Yes.

132

I was emptying the spit valve on my trumpet, and this clarinet reed came, like, flying through the air,

133

and had stuck up, skin blue-playing Stacy Bruce-faced Barcella in the back of the neck.

134

Ha, ha, ha, ha.

135

Oh, my gosh.

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I remember.

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And then after school, we went to Mastore's

138

and made them give us a bowl of gravy to dip the french fries in, which is a bizarre custom that you, I don't know where you get this from.

139

They do that in Europe.

140

Oh, they do?

141

Yeah.

142

Aren't you cosmopolitan?

143

It was so funny though, I remember, I think that was when we realized how much we both hated her guts.

144

And we made up the nickname Barfella, you know, and we became like friends through shared animosity.

145

See, Jen, actually I liked Barfella.

146

So that's why I threw things at her, that's what boys do.

147

And you know well, let's just say she provided enough

148

stroking material for me to get through junior high without ever having to actually talk to a girl.

149

Except for you of course.

150

Alex.

151

Yeah.

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Why can't you let me enjoy my hate?

153

Then he puts his arm around me and he goes, this here's my next hoo-chi.

154

Don't look at me like that.

155

He didn't mean it in a bad way.

156

I know it.

157

Uh, Mecca, if someone did that to me, I'd be all, and here's your next operation.

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Hi-ya-ya-ya!

159

Whatever.

160

Shouldn't we be helping or something?

161

So, how did you find this apartment?

162

I lucked out.

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The landlord came into work to copy legal forms, and I went up to him and was like...

164

Yo, who sent out this month?

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I never liked your face, you no good bum!

166

See you in housing court, you blood sucking leech!

167

You didn't see the inside?

168

Well, I mean, I had to grab it.

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This is New York.

170

I had to snatch it up.

171

You poor dear.

172

You know how apartments go.

173

I know, honey.

174

There are eight million hovels in the naked city, and you just got yourself one of them.

175

Oh, make way for ugly furniture!

176

Why are we taking this monstrosity?

177

It's a housewarming gift from the fox.

178

Oh, it's a heavy housewarming gift.

179

Are you serious?

180

Check out the claws.

181

This couch needs a pedicure really bad.

182

You know, this way of changing my life deals, it's gonna work out fine.

183

I'm sure.

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Today, I am a man.

185

Oh, I'm afraid to look.

186

What was that?

187

What was that?

188

The fire hydrant?

189

Today, you are a stupid man.

190

Welcome to my low down love shack.

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My super fat sinbed.

192

My space age bachelor pad, if you will.

193

I won't.

194

Kitty, come here.

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Come here.

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Aw, kitty, kitty, kitty.

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Come on.

198

Give me kisses.

199

Oh, look, you've got a microwave.

200

That's the refrigerator.

201

Did I ever tell you about the time I lived in an air shaft?

202

Was that before or after the bank vault?

203

Hey, look, it's a window and a metaphor for your life.

204

This couch smells like a litter box.

205

Yeah, it's got that 70s porno movie smell so popular with today's youth.

206

I don't think that's popular with anyone.

207

Speak for yourself.

208

Well, I guess we got to chuck it.

209

Sure it'd be a pain getting this mother down the stairs.

210

Why don't we just throw it out the window?

211

Goat, your devotion to laziness astounds me.

212

Me and laziness?

213

Like that.

214

Well, it's worth a try.

215

Chaka, you and Mecca stand out front, all right?

216

Make sure no one gets in the way.

217

You think you can handle that?

218

Whatever, Alex.

219

You act like I'm Miss Irresponsible or something.

220

You're cool.

221

No one's coming.

222

The first transport is away.

223

You can fly. Be free.

224

Fly like the wind.

225

Yo, here's the mother load.

226

Get out of the way.

227

Yo, you want a couch on your head?

228

Oh my God, I forgot to tell you.

229

Jimmy like swears up and down that Siam forced him to go out with her.

230

Are you serious?

231

What are you saying exactly?

232

Yo, hey, are we in the clear?

233

Yeah, whatever, throw it!

234

She like threatened him, but I told him like...

235

She'd be like, everybody...

236

Oh my God!

237

Oh my God!

238

Yeah, nice Chaka, real nice.

239

You want those crazy PETA people on my ass?

240

Watch what you're doing.

241

All right, chill out.

242

I'm on top of it.

243

You got tons of room.

244

Okay, but watch yourself.

245

This could get ugly.

246

Right.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 246 sentences and 1646 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:59. The speaker talks at a natural 165 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
kitty noun	/ˈkɪti/	A young cat; a kitten.
couch noun	/ˈkaʊ̯t͡ʃ/	An item of furniture, often upholstered, for the comfortable seating of more than one person; a sofa.
naked adjective	/ˈneɪkɪd/	Bare, not covered by clothing.
ugly adjective	/ˈʌɡli/	Displeasing to the eye; aesthetically unpleasing.
goat noun	/ɡoʊt/	Any ruminant of the genus Capra.
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.
claw noun	/klɔ/	A curved, pointed, horny projection on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird.
jimmy noun	/ˈd͡ʒɪmi/	A device used to circumvent a locking mechanism.
custom noun	/ˈkʌstəm/	Frequent repetition of the same behavior; way of behavior common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; method of doing, living or behaving.
label noun	/ˈleɪ.bəl/	A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached.
comic noun	/ˈkɑmɪk/	A comedian.
suck verb	/sʌk/	To use the mouth and lips to pull in (a liquid, especially milk from the breast).
pen noun	/pɪn/	A tool, originally made from a feather but now usually a small tubular instrument, containing ink used to write or make marks.
honey noun	/ˈhʌni/	A sweet, viscous, gold-colored fluid produced from plant nectar by bees, and often consumed by humans.
scary adjective	/ˈskɛə.ɹi/	Causing fear or anxiety

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
back out verb		To reverse (a vehicle) from a confined space.
bring back verb	/ˈbɹɪŋ bæk/	To fetch something.
check out verb		To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
get out of verb		To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.
get through verb	/ɡɛt ˈθɹu/	To overcome; to endure.
go out verb		To leave, especially a building.
make up verb	/ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/	To constitute, to compose.
send out verb		To issue, dispatch or transmit.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 64 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/, bathtub /ˈbæθtʌb/, goth /ɡɒθ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, shaft /ˈʃɑːft/, shotgun /ˈʃɑtɡʌn/, devotion /dɪˈvoʊʃən/, desperation /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: voluntary /ˈvɑ.lənˌt(ɛ)ɹi/, participant /pɑːɹˈtɪsəpənt/, refrigerator /ɹɪˈfɹɪd͡ʒ.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/, desperation /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/, adamantium /ˌæ.dəˈmæn.tɪ.əm/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like kitty, couch, naked.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	were thinking · was emptying
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should like · Shouldn't we be
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	You'll still spend · you'll have · won't be
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now	I'm just waiting · you're paying · you're saying

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: MTV's Downtown Episode 1 Part 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?