Shadowing Practice: "We Had A Persian Empire" - Maz Jobrani (Brown & Friendly) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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91 sentences
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But one thing you realize when you travel around the world is that America is a great country.
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It is.
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It's a great country.
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This is a great country we live in, you guys.
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It really is.
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It really is.
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And you know, we're all citizens, you know.
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We're all citizens.
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I mean, some of us have green cards, some of us have green cards.
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It's alright.
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And some of us are illegal.
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That's fine.
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It's all inclusive, alright?
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We're not building any walls here.
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Lou Dobbs is not in the house.
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Don't worry about it.
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We're gonna keep you.
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But we all have stories, you know, we all, like a lot of immigrants, immigrants came to this country and I came to, I was six years old when I came to this country.
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I was six years old and when you first come to this country you try
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and blend in as much as you can.
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So I would do whatever it took to blend in.
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I would play baseball, I would eat apple pie, I would eat apple pie while playing baseball.
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Whatever it took.
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And things would be going great.
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I'd be at the playground playing with my friends, Sam, Brett, Jesse.
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Life is good.
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Sure, my name is Maz, but they don't know where that's from.
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They don't know, right?
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Everything's cool.
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Until my dad would come by to pick me up.
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And he would show up in his Mercedes-Benz, which is a standard Persian-issue car.
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And he would have the car filled with the entire family.
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For some reason, we can't go anywhere with two of us.
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There's got to be like 50 of us in the car.
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I don't know why.
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Anytime you see a car filled with people, it's either Middle Easterners or Mexicans.
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It's one of those two.
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Even for short-street, my dad would be like, okay, everybody in the car.
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We're going two blocks to pick up mods.
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Get grandmother in there.
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Get grandma, everybody.
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Get the rooster.
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Put the rooster in the car.
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Put the rooster.
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We can't leave the rooster at home alone.
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Rahim the rooster.
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Put him in the car.
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Put him in the car.
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And they would show up at the park, this car filled with people.
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I'd be like, oh my god.
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Why'd they bring the whole village? And I wouldn't look.
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I wouldn't look.
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My dad would get out of the car and he'd be reeking of cologne.
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Which we love to do.
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We don't like put on two sprays, we pour the whole bottle on ourselves.
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Which is why Middle Easterners, we would never make good burglars, we'd not be good burglars.
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Because the homeowner would smell us in the middle of the night.
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They'd be like, is that Armani?
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I smell Armani.
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I just came to rob one drug, one drug.
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I put on Armani in case, you never know, how are you?
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You good?
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Good to see you.
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I did not know you lived here.
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How are you?
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Can I take the rug please?
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I just want the rug.
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We never be good burglars!
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Because we pour that stuff on.
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So my dad would get out of the car, I'd be smelling for 50 yards out.
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I'd be like, oh my god, why'd he use the whole bottle?
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Still avoiding him.
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And then he would call for me with his thick Persian accent.
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He would call for me, Maziar!
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Time to go home!
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Let's go home!
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And I'd be like, oh my god, I don't know who that is, I think he's trying to kidnap me!
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That's Al-Qaeda in the car!
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And my father would be like, son, you should be Perad.
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You should be Perad, son, we are Persians, son, you should be Perad.
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We had an empire.
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We had an empire.
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Two thousand years ago, we had an empire.
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Right now it's being remodeled.
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Right now it's more like a duplex.
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It's a duplex.
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But one day, empire.
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I hope you watch my clips and enjoy it.
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And if you like the clips that you see here, then please tell your friends.
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And if you don't like the clips, then please keep it to yourself.
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Thank you.

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Who Will Love This Video for English Practice?

If you’re a beginner to intermediate learner aiming to sound more natural in everyday conversations, this video is gold! It’s perfect for those working on casual speaking skills and understanding real-life humor. The dialogue is full of relatable stories—immigration, family, and blending in—so you’ll pick up practical phrases while staying engaged. Plus, the pace is conversational, making it ideal for shadow speech (repeating lines aloud to mimic rhythm and tone) and building confidence in speaking.

Words & Idioms to Add to Your Toolkit

This video is packed with standout expressions that make English come alive. Here are 3 to steal:

  • "Blend in": To fit in with a group. Example: "I tried to blend in at school by wearing the same clothes as my friends."
  • "Standard [X]-issue": A typical item for a group. Example: "A thermos of tea is standard grandma-issue at family picnics."
  • "All inclusive": Including everyone, no exceptions. Example: "Our book club is all inclusive—we welcome readers of all genres."

These phrases are used daily, so mastering them will make your speech sound more native!

Nailing the Accent: Focus on Rhythm & Humor

Maz Jobrani’s delivery is lively, with pauses and emphasis that drive the humor. To practice, try shadowing (repeating his lines right after him) to copy his intonation. Notice how he stresses words like "Mercedes-Benz" and "rooster" for comedic effect—this is key to sounding natural. Also, pay attention to his casual pace; he doesn’t rush, which makes it easy to follow. For english speaking practice, pause the video, repeat a line, and record yourself. Compare it to the original—you’ll quickly improve your flow!

Learning English with videos like this turns practice into fun. Whether you’re using a shadowing site or just repeating lines at home, the key is to imitate and enjoy the process. You’ll not only build vocabulary but also learn how to connect with others through stories—just like Maz does. Ready to start? Hit play and let the shadow speech begin!

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 →