Shadowing Practice: Seinfeld: The High, Low, & Break-even (Clip) | TBS - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
why don't you tell me about some of your previous work
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experience all righty my last job was in publishing I got
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fired for having sex in my office with the cleaning woman all right there well before
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that I was in real estate I quit
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because my boss wouldn't let me use his private bathroom do you talk to everybody like this? Of course.
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Well, my niece told me we're different.
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I am different, yeah.
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But I gotta tell you, you are the complete opposite of every applicant we've seen.
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Uh, Mr. Steinbrenner, sir.
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There's someone here I'd like you to meet.
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This is Mr. Costanza.
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He's one of the applicants.
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Nice to meet you.
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Well, I wish I could say the same
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but i must say with all due respect i find it
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very hard to see the logic behind some of the moves
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you have made with this fine organization in the past 20 years you have caused myself
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and the city of new york a good deal of distress as we have watched you take our beloved yankees
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and reduce them to a laughing stock all for the glorification of your massive ego So, hire this man.
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Tina Robbins is here to see you.
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Who's that?
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Oh, it's my ex -roommate.
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She moved out four years ago.
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I've been subletting my apartment from her.
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See you.
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Hey, please.
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Hi, Tina.
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Hi, Elaine.
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So, haven't seen you in a while.
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Elaine, we have a problem.
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Well, what is it?
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You're getting kicked out.
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Kicked out?
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Why?
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Well, there's been a number of complaints.
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Yeah, like what?
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Well, like last Thanksgiving, you buzzed up a jewel thief.
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I didn't know who he was.
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That's why there's a buzzer.
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What else?
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Well, apparently the week after that, you buzzed up some Jehovah's Witnesses and they couldn't get them out of the building.
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What else do you want?
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Well, let's see.
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I'll tell you what the big advantage of homosexuality is.
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If you're going out with someone your size, right there, you double your wardrobe.
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I suppose.
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Oh, come on, that's a huge feature.
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When they approach a new recruit, I'm sure that's one of the big selling points.
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Jerry.
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Yes?
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I've been doing a lot of thinking.
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Uh -huh.
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Well, I don't think we should see each other anymore.
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Oh, that's okay.
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What?
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No, it's fine, no problem.
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I'll meet somebody else.
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Sure, see, things always even out for me.
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It's fine.
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Anyway, it's been really nice dating you for a while.
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And, uh, good luck.
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Yeah, you too.
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We'll be coming around about now.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Seinfeld: The High, Low, & Break-even”. This video has 63 sentences and 435 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:02. The speaker talks at a steady 143 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 10 of its 63 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 |
|---|---|---|
| applicant noun | /ˈæp.lə.kɪnt/ | One who applies for something; one who makes a request; a petitioner. |
| buzz noun | /bʌz/ | A continuous humming noise, as of bees; a confused murmur, as of general conversation in low tones. |
| buzzer noun | /ˈbʌzɚ/ | One who, or that which, buzzes; an insect that buzzes. |
| glorification noun | The act of glorifying or the state of being glorified. | |
| righty noun | A right-handed person. | |
| sublet verb | /ˌsʌbˈlɛt/ | To grant a sublease out of property held under a lease. |
| yankee noun | /ˈjæŋ.ki/ | A headsail resembling a genoa or a jib but with a high-cut clew, normally used together with a staysail. A sailing boat is typically equipped with three yankee… |
| jewel noun | /ˈd͡ʒuːəl/ | A precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone. |
| wardrobe noun | /ˈwɔɹdɹoʊb/ | A governmental office or department in a monarchy which purchases, keeps, and cares for royal clothes. |
| roommate noun | /ˈɹu(m)ˌmeɪt/ | A person with whom one shares a room, as in a dormitory, barracks, rooming house, or apartment. |
| niece noun | /nis/ | A daughter of one’s sibling, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; either the daughter of one's brother ("fraternal niece"), or of one's sister ("sororal niece"). |
| thief noun | /ˈθiːf/ | One who carries out a theft. |
| recruit verb | /ɹɪˈkɹut/ | To enroll or enlist new members or potential employees on behalf of an employer, organization, sports team, the military, etc. |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
| publish verb | /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ | To issue (something, such as printed work) for distribution and/or sale. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| kick out verb | To eject, dismiss, expel, or forcefully remove (someone or something). |
| move out verb | To leave one's present location; to leave somewhere for another place. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- There's someone here I'd like you to meet.
- I've been subletting my apartment from her.
- I didn't know who he was.
- What else do you want?
- I've been doing a lot of thinking.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been subletting · I've been doing |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | we've seen · have made · have watched |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 18 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'll, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 applicant, buzz, buzzer.
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.