Shadowing Practice: 'Wednesday' Cast Test How Well They Know Each Other | Vanity Fair - Learn English Speaking with Video
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418 sentences
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1
I did say the game, David Fincher.
2
That's what I was going to say!
3
Oh, you win.
4
OK.
5
I'm going to give you that because I love you.
6
Come back on the chair.
7
No, please go back to the footage and watch me struggle to figure out what the that movie is called.
8
Hi, I'm Weird Al from Wednesday.
9
And we're going to see how well we know each other, only for Vanity Fair.
10
And I'm going to start.
11
What is my favorite song from the movie Chicago?
12
Probably so, Block Tango?
13
I'm gonna say so, Block Tango.
14
Which one's the title of that one?
15
I mean, that's just my favorite number.
16
Plus, like one.
17
It don't mean to say it ain't got that swing?
18
That's the wrong musical.
19
I'm saying that, half the world thinks I did Cabaret, but it's okay.
20
I'm talking about Chicago.
21
Chicago!
22
And time's up in 10 seconds.
23
Chicago.
24
10. Louis, you've never seen the movie, have you?
25
It's okay, you can tell.
26
I've seen, I've seen...
27
Some of it.
28
You've seen the trailer.
29
That's good enough.
30
Yeah.
31
What about you, Jen?
32
Well, I say so-block tango.
33
Or is it all that jazz?
34
OK, what about you then?
35
What's that one John C.
36
Reilly sings?
37
Mr. Cellophane.
38
Mr. Cellophane.
39
Yeah.
40
I was going to say so-block tango.
41
I mean, that's my favorite.
42
I was also going to say so-block tango.
43
But OK, and you're all wrong, because Velma Kelly has to sing all that jazz.
44
Oh, that jazz.
45
And it was one of my, it was my favorite.
46
I don't feel so bad.
47
Joy did say I did hear it all that bad.
48
Yeah, Joy wins.
49
Joy wins.
50
I'm sorry, Joy.
51
Well, it was my fucking answer, so it's okay.
52
It's good enough, okay.
53
Out of all the characters I've played, whose costumes, characters, did you love the most?
54
I'm gonna have to say Zorro.
55
Oh really?
56
That beautiful costume you wore there.
57
I'm just gonna say Morticia.
58
I was gonna say the same.
59
I gotta say.
60
Okay, I think we got a few winners here.
61
Morticia Wences.
62
Oh, yay!
63
Yes.
64
What is my favorite film of my husband?
65
Oh man.
66
Fatal Attraction.
67
This is gonna be hard.
68
I was gonna say Fatal Attraction too first.
69
I'm gonna have to say Traffic.
70
Okay, Traffic.
71
Yeah, I'm gonna say Traffic.
72
We were all in.
73
Yeah, you were there as well.
74
Fatal Attraction.
75
Okay.
76
Yeah, Fatal Attraction.
77
I'm gonna say Traffic.
78
Split the vote.
79
I should have said Traffic, because we were in that together as the only one.
80
But I did say The Game, David Fincher.
81
That's what I was gonna say!
82
Oh my God!
83
You win.
84
Okay, no, I'm gonna give you that.
85
Oh my God.
86
I'm gonna give you that because I love you.
87
Come back on the chair.
88
Please go back to the footage and watch me struggle to figure out what the that movie is called.
89
Sorry, that was very dramatic, but you can see my struggle for a really long time.
90
I'll take half a point.
91
Half a point.
92
All right.
93
If I came with a warning label, what would it be?
94
You wouldn't.
95
I don't think this, but I think you would say stubbornness.
96
I would say be wear baggy jeans.
97
I would say keep your voice down.
98
I go to bed at seven.
99
I will have to say tranquila.
100
Still waters run deep.
101
I said wanders off.
102
Okay, sorry.
103
That's okay.
104
Jesus Christ, I'm sorry.
105
What's my favorite thing to do when I'm bored?
106
Don't know that half of you would notice.
107
I'm gonna have to say wanders off.
108
Go to techno rave party.
109
No, you like to do puzzles and paint, you know.
110
A tea house.
111
Find a good tea house.
112
Yeah, a tea house.
113
Oh, safe rooms.
114
Every day of you would always go to the tea place in Dublin.
115
You're so right.
116
That's actually, I mean, read, tea, games.
117
I'll accept all of those.
118
Isn't it good?
119
If I could have any other career, what would it be?
120
Animal conservation.
121
Another career.
122
Animal conservation, yeah.
123
Work with cheetahs.
124
Yeah, work with cheetahs.
125
Yeah.
126
Animal conservation is right there.
127
Yeah, I want to say that too.
128
I'm going to say customs agent, just to kind of change it up a little bit.
129
To change it up.
130
Yeah, disturb the peace.
131
Surprisingly, Fred is right now.
132
Yeah, animals, anything with animals.
133
I'd probably either work on a sanctuary or I'd be one of those guys
134
that you see on like National Geographic who's like narrating
135
and there's a penguin next to him and he's like giving you penguin facts.
136
Yeah.
137
What's my weirdest onset habit?
138
What's your weirdest onset?
139
My weirdest onset habit.
140
Wandering off wandering maybe lying on the floor i say scratching yourself i do actually
141
because i don't know what my habit is i say scratching
142
yourself i've been observing her all morning that's crazy i don't
143
think you have a weird onset habit no read in between takes
144
and a professional and nice i do lie on the floor georgie's right i put scratch
145
and floor to be That'll be fair.
146
Yeah.
147
My girl.
148
Alright.
149
If I could live anywhere for the rest of my life, where would I live?
150
I think I know.
151
New Zealand?
152
New Zealand.
153
Yeah, I'm gonna say New Zealand.
154
I'm gonna say England.
155
I've never said this publicly.
156
I think it's too early to call.
157
There's gonna be so many wonders and places you're gonna see on your journey.
158
I think it's way too early to call.
159
Yeah, you know what?
160
I'm gonna say you haven't found that place yet.
161
I'll say Idaho.
162
France.
163
I'm just saying that because we just went on that stop and every time I'm back, back in France, whether it be the countryside or whether it be a big city like Paris, I think.
164
Paris is beautiful.
165
I could do this.
166
Who was my childhood crush?
167
Louis Kessler.
168
I don't know if you've said this before.
169
Oh no, no, oh.
170
I'm gonna say it was Tommy Lee Jones?
171
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
172
I'm gonna say Albert Einstein.
173
I'm trying to think of some sort of like rocker.
174
Maybe someone from The Strokes or something.
175
No, like more grit, I think.
176
Oh, you think harder than that?
177
Just say it, just say someone.
178
Oh, Velvet Underground?
179
You're saying Lou Reed.
180
I have only said Obama publicly, because I thought I was going to be the first female president, but it was more so I think I wanted his job than a crush.
181
I never have an answer to that question when they asked me an interview, so I was like, who's I obsessed with?
182
I was obsessed with Obama.
183
Who's the safe one?
184
Yeah.
185
If I opened up a store, what would I sell?
186
Oh, wow.
187
Ooh.
188
Records.
189
I would say pet supplies supplies.
190
I feel like you'd have a really funky antique store with like different things in it.
191
I was gonna say mixed tapes.
192
I was gonna say antiques, yeah.
193
Well done.
194
What's my favorite Catherine Zeta-Jones movie?
195
What is it, Mama?
196
Um, I don't know.
197
There's a few bad ones in there too.
198
Pick a goodie.
199
I think it would be traffic.
200
I would say Chicago.
201
I'll say Chicago.
202
I love Chicago, so I'll say Chicago.
203
I like traffic.
204
I put two because obviously Chicago is a classic, but also Ocean's 12.
205
No one ever counts that, but like, if I'm on a plane or something, that's what I'm doing.
206
I want to see Don Cheadle with a British accent.
207
I want to see Vincent Cassell.
208
I love that.
209
Thank you.
210
That's the choice.
211
Okay.
212
Which of our co-stars have I worked with before, and what was the project?
213
Well, it was traffic, and it was Catherine Zeta-Jones, so.
214
Oh yeah.
215
What's oh yeah?
216
Yeah, no, I just remember seeing that scene.
217
Oh, traffic.
218
Yeah.
219
I'll take the point.
220
Traffic, okay.
221
I thought who says it last?
222
I think traffic.
223
I don't even have to write it down.
224
What nine to five job did I have while pursuing acting?
225
Social worker.
226
Social worker.
227
Okay.
228
Working nine to five.
229
I'm not writing it down, they got it, Jesus Christ.
230
I'm trying to save ink for the world.
231
What video game series is my voice featured in?
232
Oh gosh.
233
Is it Grand Theft Auto?
234
Is it really?
235
We might as well add what kind of cookies I like.
236
No, I didn't know that. Which one? Which one?
237
The Miami Vice?
238
Yes.
239
How many projects have I worked on in my whole career?
240
Closest number?
241
Closest number?
242
I'm terrible with this.
243
90. 90?
244
I'm going to go 68.
245
68?
246
54. 54?
247
52. You said 90?
248
52. I don't know why.
249
You're over 100.
250
Yeah.
251
OK.
252
I'm going to say 103.
253
OK, who knows the number?
254
Come on, man.
255
Let's go.
256
I think it's been like maybe 150.
257
Yeah.
258
Oh, my gosh.
259
I didn't know that.
260
Over 170, apparently.
261
Whoa!
262
OK, so who got the closest?
263
You just learned something too.
264
Joy, can we just have a round of applause?
265
Yes.
266
OK, what reality show do I think I can win?
267
Make it in the fridge.
268
Traitors.
269
Love is blind.
270
Amazing Race. Is that a reality?
271
I'd say Survivor.
272
I'd like to be.
273
The Amazing Race.
274
Yeah, that's a good one.
275
The Amazing Race, that's a good one.
276
I don't know.
277
She sounds like she's learning something too.
278
I'm saying Survivor.
279
I'm going to join you, Jenna, because I'd be happy to be on a desert island with you.
280
I think you'd figure out what to do.
281
Yeah.
282
So it's actually a show called Legends of the Hidden Temple.
283
Which was like a 90s kids Nickelodeon game show.
284
I feel like Amazing Race is close enough.
285
Okay.
286
What other Netflix series did I appear in?
287
Dear white people.
288
I'm with Jenna.
289
Yes, that's right.
290
Yeah, I said that too quick, didn't I?
291
That's my point though.
292
Wait, we all get a point, right?
293
No, Jenna's the first.
294
I think Jenna just...
295
But I agreed with Jenna.
296
Whose advice do I trust the most in our cast?
297
Hunters.
298
Catherine.
299
Yeah, I'd say Catherine.
300
I'm gonna say this puppy right here.
301
Catherine's good.
302
I'm gonna say me.
303
Orstein.
304
Oh!
305
Tim.
306
But Tim doesn't give advice.
307
Tim doesn't give words, if boys don't.
308
I'm gonna be so upset if she says, put my name down, I'm gonna walk out of this room and read.
309
I didn't put any names down behind.
310
Truthfully, it is Louis, but that's because he's always been just such an amazing figure.
311
However, I would take any and all advice from Catherine.
312
I was about to say, I don't know where I stand with that.
313
I don't know where I stand.
314
Louis has always been in my corner, so I'd have to say Louis.
315
Go Georgie.
316
Go Georgie.
317
Who is my celebrity doppelganger?
318
Well, I know the answer you want.
319
Yeah.
320
Austin Butler.
321
Austin Butler, but it's...
322
Emilio is today.
323
Yeah, I'd say Emilio.
324
I'm going to jump on that.
325
I've never got that.
326
I guess the only thing I get is like, maybe Timothee Chalamet.
327
I don't know, but I don't want to compare myself.
328
That's a bold comparison.
329
Have you been compared to Timothee Chalamet?
330
No, not like in acting.
331
Who have you been compared to?
332
Not in acting at all, but like...
333
Who have you been compared to visually?
334
People might say sometimes, like, oh, you look a bit like Timothee Chalamet, maybe.
335
Yeah.
336
Austin Butler.
337
That's rough.
338
Austin Butler has blonde hair.
339
And blue eyes.
340
And he wants to look like that.
341
He has blonde hair?
342
Maybe they have a club.
343
Doesn't he?
344
What do I miss most about filming in Romania?
345
Pizza Mania?
346
Pizza Mania.
347
Or the racing.
348
Go-karts.
349
Oh, um, VMAX.
350
No, I would say Pizza Mania.
351
Never even heard of Pizza Mania.
352
You've never heard of Pizza Mania?
353
It's like the go-to pizza spot, yeah.
354
What is a movie I love to re-watch?
355
Oh, I know this.
356
Oh, it's probably going to be like a James Dean movie or something.
357
Like Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden.
358
No. Oh, wait, wait, it's a River Phoenix movie.
359
No, no, no. I should have, now I'm thinking about it, I should have put one of those movies.
360
What, Goodfellas?
361
Oh, so which one is?
362
No. It's like a comedy, like late night comedy kind of movie.
363
Like Step Brothers?
364
Diana.
365
Yeah.
366
Oh, you just said this today.
367
What the fuck?
368
You're afraid.
369
Okay, which SNL castmate and I agreed to leave the show together in 2013?
370
Bill Hader.
371
Oh man, I know.
372
Was it not Bill?
373
Was it, was it, was it Adams?
374
Seth Meyers?
375
Jenna got it.
376
Oh, Bill Hader.
377
Bill Hader.
378
What was the name of my first band?
379
Wow, that's a tricky one.
380
I knew you were in a band, but I don't think you've ever.
381
You were the drummer.
382
I was the drummer you've ever disclosed?
383
I want to say far and beyond.
384
Can you give us a clue?
385
Ready, Freddy?
386
How about a clue?
387
Yeah, give us a clue.
388
This is my high school band.
389
Picture, like, 1984.
390
There was, like, a lot of, like, paranoia about Russia.
391
It's a three-letter word.
392
Yeah.
393
Comparable to, like, let's say, the CIA.
394
KGB?
395
Red?
396
KGB.
397
KGB?
398
KGB.
399
KGB.
400
Sentiment.
401
KGB is kind of crazy.
402
That's crazy.
403
Who in our cast do I think can do the best impression of me?
404
I would say Ricky.
405
Maybe Jenna can do an impression.
406
I was going to say maybe like Steve, because Steve's- Oh, Steve's- Yes, yeah, yeah.
407
I think Jenna probably did.
408
Go ahead, Jenna.
409
I'm not going to put her on the spot.
410
Let's see, Jenna.
411
Let's see.
412
I just do your Johnny Rotten.
413
She works every day of the week, even Saturday.
414
That's pretty good.
415
Hang on.
416
Let's hang on.
417
Let's hang on.
418
Let's hang on.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 415 sentences and 2343 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:08. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- pizza /ˈpi.tsə/ (noun) — A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables.
- tango /ˈtæ̝ŋɡoʊ̯/ (noun) — A standard ballroom dance in 4/4 time; or a social dance, the Argentine tango.
- compare /kəmˈpɛɚ/ (verb) — To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it…
- habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/ (noun) — An action performed on a regular basis.
- onset /ˈɒnˌsɛt/ (noun) — The initial phase of a disease or condition, in which symptoms first become apparent.
- wander /ˈwɑndɚ/ (verb) — To move without purpose or specified destination; often in search of livelihood.
- conservation /ˌkɑnsə(ɹ)ˈveɪʃən/ (noun) — The act of preserving, guarding, or protecting; the keeping (of a thing) in a safe or entire state; preservation.
- jazz /d͡ʒæz/ (noun) — A musical art form rooted in West African cultural and musical expression and in the African American blues tradition, with diverse influences over time…
- clue /kluː/ (noun) — Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion.
- scratch /skɹæt͡ʃ/ (verb) — To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
- bind /ˈbaɪ̯nd/ (verb) — To tie; to confine by any ligature.
- worker /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ (noun) — One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor.
- impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/ (noun) — The indentation or depression made by the pressure of one object on or into another.
- footage /ˈfʊtɪd͡ʒ/ (noun) — An amount of film or tape that has been used to record something, or the content of the recording.
- publicly /ˈpʌb.lɪ.kli/ (adverb) — In public, openly, in an open and public manner.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- hang on /ˌhæŋ ˈɒn/ (verb) — To wait a moment.
- figure out (verb) — To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
- go back to (verb) — To stem from; to originate in.
- come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
- come with (verb) — To join and come along.
- go ahead /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ (verb) — To proceed with; to begin.
- go on /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/ (verb) — To continue in extent.
- jump on (verb) — To board a vehicle.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 134 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: conservation /ˌkɑnsə(ɹ)ˈveɪʃən/, impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/, crush /kɹʌʃ/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: conservation /ˌkɑnsə(ɹ)ˈveɪʃən/, celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/, surprisingly /səˈpɹaɪzɪŋli/, comparable /ˈkɒmpəɹəbəl/, sanctuary /ˈsæŋkt͡ʃuˌɛɹi/
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 pizza, tango, compare.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've never seen · I've seen · You've seen |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is called · been compared |
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.