Shadowing Practice: Shawshank Redemption - On the Roof - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
Only cost us a pack of smokes per man.
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Only cost us a pack of smokes per man.
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I made my usual 20% of course.
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So this big shot lawyer calls me long distance from Texas.
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He says, yeah?
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He says, uh, sorry to inform you,
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but your brother just died.
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Oh, damn, Byron, I'm sorry to hear that.
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I'm not, he was an asshole.
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Ten half years ago, figuring from dead anyway.
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So anyway, this lawyer fella says to me,
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your brother died a rich man, oil wells and shit.
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Goes to a million bucks.
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A million bucks?
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Yeah, fucking incredible how lucky some assholes get.
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Jeez Louise, you gonna see any of that?
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35,000.
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That's what he left me.
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Dollars?
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Yep.
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Holy shit, that's great.
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That's like one in the sweepstakes.
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Isn't it?
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Some shit.
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What do you think the government's gonna do to me?
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Take a big wet bite out of my ass is what?
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More batteries?
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There's a fucking luck, huh?
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You cry shame.
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Some people really got it off.
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Man, you nuts.
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keep your eyes on your mouth man well alright you're gonna pay some taxes
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but you'll still end up oh yeah yeah maybe enough to buy a new car
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and then what I gotta pay tax on the car.
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Repair, maintenance, goddamn kids, Esther,
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need to take them for a ride all the time.
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Then at the end of the year,
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you figure the tax wrong,
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you gotta pay them out of your own pocket.
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I tell you, Uncle Sam,
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he puts his hand in your shirt and squeezes your tit till it's purple.
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The man man gets up and break that.
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What are you doing?
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He said...
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Rich kid himself, John.
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Some brother.
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Shit.
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Hey!
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Mr. Hadley, do you trust your wife?
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Oh, that's funny.
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You're gonna look funny or suckin' my dick with no teeth.
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What I mean is, do you think she'd go behind your back,
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try to hamstring you?
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That's it.
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Step aside and write, this fucker's having himself an accident.
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He'll push him off the roof.
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Because if you do trust her,
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there's no reason you can't keep that 35,000!
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What did you say?
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35,000.
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35,000.
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All of it.
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All of it?
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Every penny.
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You better start making sense.
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If you want to keep all that money,
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give it to your wife.
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The IRS allows a one-term only gift to your spouse for up to $60,000.
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Oh, shit.
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Tax-free?
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Tax-free.
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IRS can't touch one cent.
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You're that smart banker would kill his wife, aren't you?
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Why should I believe a smart banker like you,
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so I can end up in here with you?
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It's perfectly legal.
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Go ask the IRS.
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They'll say the same thing.
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Actually, I feel stupid telling you this.
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I'm sure you would have been best to get them out of your shell.
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Yeah, fucking A.
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I don't need no smart wife-killing banker to tell me where the bear's sitting at Buckwheat.
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Of course not.
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But you do need someone to set up the tax-free gift for you,
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and it'll cost you.
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A lawyer, for example.
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Bunch of ball-washing bastards.
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Right.
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I suppose I could set it up for you.
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That would save you some money.
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If you get the forms,
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I'll prepare them for you.
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Nearly free of charge.
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I'd only ask three beers apiece for each of my co-workers.
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Co-workers?
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Get him.
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That's rich, ain't it?
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I think a man working outdoors feels more like a man if you can have a bottle of suds.
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That's only my opinion.
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Sir.
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What are you Jimmy staring at?
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Back to work!
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Oh, what?
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And that's how it came to pass that on the second to last day of the job,
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the convict crew
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that tarred the plate factory roof in the spring of 49
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wound up sitting in a row at 10 o'clock in the
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morning drinking icy cold bohemian style beer courtesy of the hardest screw that ever walked a turn at Shawshank State Prison
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pick up while it's cold ladies the colossal prick even managed to sound magnanimous we sat
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and drank with the Sun on our shoulders and felt like free men.
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Hell, we could have been tarring the roof of one of our own houses.
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We were the lords of all creation.
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As for Andy, he spent that break haunted in the shade,
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a strange little smile on his face,
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watching this drink his beer.
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Hey.
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Want a cold one, Andy?
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No thanks.
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Can't go drink it.
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You could argue he'd done it to curry favor with the guards.
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Or maybe make a few friends among us cons.
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Me?
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I think he did it just to feel normal again.
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If only for a short while.

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Context & Background

The segment from "Shawshank Redemption - On the Roof" offers a powerful insight into the characters’ struggles, thoughts, and perspectives on life and fortune. The dialogue takes place in a prison setting, where inmates discussing unexpected news about wealth and loss enrich the narrative. The casual use of language, interspersed with humor and sarcasm, reflects a deeper commentary on how individuals cope with their circumstances. This scene is not just about money; it delves into trust, familial relations, and the realities of financial burdens, making it a rich resource for learners aiming to grasp conversational English.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I’m sorry to hear that.” – A sympathetic response often used in conversations.
  • “What do you think the government's gonna do to me?” – A rhetorical question highlighting concern about taxes.
  • “Lucky some assholes get.” – A colloquial expression conveying jealousy or disbelief at another's fortune.
  • “You gotta pay tax on the car.” – A straightforward expression of the additional costs associated with purchases.
  • “He puts his hand in your shirt and squeezes your tit till it’s purple.” – A vivid metaphor reflecting frustration with financial authorities.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively utilize this segment for enhancing your English skills, particularly through shadowing techniques, follow this step-by-step guide:

  1. Listen Actively: Start by watching the video without focusing on the subtitles. Pay attention to the rhythm, intonation, and emotions in the dialogue.
  2. Identifying Key Expressions: Focus on the top phrases listed above. Write them down and understand their contextual meanings.
  3. First Shadowing Attempt: Repeat the dialogue line by line, mimicking the speaker’s pronunciation and tone as closely as possible. Utilize a shadowing site or app dedicated to this technique.
  4. Slow Down: If certain phrases are difficult, slow down the playback speed. This will help you grasp challenging words and phrases better.
  5. Record Yourself: Use a recording device to capture your shadowing attempts. Compare your pronunciation and fluency against the original dialogue.
  6. Feedback and Improvement: Share your recording with a peer or teacher for constructive feedback. Use insights to improve your shadow speech further.

By incorporating these methods, you can leverage this iconic film scene as an engaging part of your IELTS speaking practice and other conversational scenarios, making learning enjoyable and effective. Embrace the humor and character dynamics to enhance your language acquisition journey while using resources like Shadowspeak to deepen your understanding.

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.

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