Shadowing Practice: Rocks in the brains - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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How do you deal with problematic men in the workplace?
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Yay!
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Who asked this question?
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Hi.
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What's your name, my love?
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I'm Smith.
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Smith!
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Smith, darling.
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Is this from personal experience?
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Yes.
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OK, can you give me a little more information?
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What kind of problematic men?
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Because there's lots of varieties.
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I work with men who think they're smart.
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Oh.
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Yeah.
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OK, that's not super specific.
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I'm a geophysicist.
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A geophysicist?
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Shit.
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Yeah!
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So they got rocks in the brain.
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Come on, come on, rocks in the brain?
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How, how very dare you not laugh at that?
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I'm pissed now, how dare you Edmonton?
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You guys, I think this whole group is from Red Deer, okay.
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Clearly.
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Okay, so you're geologists and they all, they want to pretend they're more smart than they really are?
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Yeah.
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And how does that manifest action wise?
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They like talking to me like I'm very, very dumb.
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Oh, okay.
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I'd like to pick above average.
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Oh, okay.
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Okay, so step one, you gotta fix your confidence level.
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Thank you.
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I feel like maybe that's part of it is you just gotta be like, fuck you, dude.
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Confidence, confidence.
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So, so what kind, give me like a sentence, a specific sentence they would say to try to put you down intellectually.
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I work with airplanes, so a lot of them ask me if I've been in one before.
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They don't think you've been in an airplane.
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No, or a helicopter.
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Oh, well, that's normal.
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Raise your head if you've been in a helicopter.
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There's, oh, well, shit, what?
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Is that an Edmonton thing?
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Okay, this is the weirdest group I've ever had.
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Okay, one of my favorite things to do
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when somebody's kind of looking down on me and trying to make me feel small, they'll go, oh, you know, oh, have you ever been in an airplane?
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And I always go just like, it's so funny, it's so funny that you would think I wouldn't.
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What a funny joke.
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Well, my other favorite, if you just make them say it over and over again.
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Oh, so have you ever been in a plane?
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You go, I'm sorry, can you ask me that one more time?
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I'm sorry, I don't think I'm understanding what you're saying.
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Can you ask me one more time?
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And eventually they hear how much of a fucking asshole they are.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will engage in English speaking practice through an amusing and relatable discussion about workplace interactions with problematic individuals. The focus will be on improving your speaking skills by utilizing shadowing techniques, which involve mimicking the speech patterns and intonation of native speakers. This lesson particularly highlights the importance of confidence when responding to condescending comments. By practicing with this transcript, you'll not only learn how to articulate your thoughts clearly but also build your confidence in handling challenging conversations, making it an excellent resource for IELTS speaking practice.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Problematic men - Refers to individuals in the workplace who question or undermine others' intelligence or competence.
  • Confidence level - Your sense of self-assurance in your abilities and judgments.
  • Geophysicist - A scientist who studies the physical properties of the Earth, indicating a high level of expertise.
  • Intellectually - Pertaining to the ability to think and understand, particularly in complex contexts.
  • Excuse me, what? - A common response used to express disbelief or challenge a statement, often showcasing assertiveness.
  • Shadow speak - A technique where learners repeat what they hear immediately, aiding in language fluency.
  • Airplane - A term that might be questioned in a condescending manner, showing a common topic of conversation in this dialogue.
  • Helicopter - Another flying vehicle mentioned that reflects the speaker's expertise and experience.

Practice Tips

To maximize the benefits of this lesson, utilize a shadowing app or a personal recording device to aid your practice. First, listen to the audio of the video at a normal pace. Pause after each sentence or statement and repeat what you've heard. Focus on capturing the intonation, rhythm, and emphasis of the speaker's lines. Since the speaker maintains a casual yet assertive tone, try to incorporate this energy into your repetitions.

Start by practicing shadow speech with the key phrases listed above. For instance, when mimicking reactions to condescending remarks like "Have you ever been in an airplane?" think about how you can mirror the speaker's playful indignation and confidence. This exercise will not only prepare you for similar real-life situations but will also enhance your conversational fluency. Consistency is vital, so make this a daily practice, integrating the vocabulary in various contexts to prepare for scenarios like those you might encounter in IELTS speaking practice.

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.