Shadowing Practice: When Cartoons Believe in You. - Learn English Speaking with Video

They believe.

They believe it's going to be better.

They believe that the water will come.

They believe against all odds and all evidence that tomorrow will be better than today.

People have to believe in something.

I just know I have this great potential inside me.

I know I can do it even if no one else understands or believes in me.

I'm sure that sounds pretty stupid, but...

It's not stupid but I believe in you.

Nobody cares about trees anymore.

Then make them care.

Plant the seed in the middle of town where everyone can see.

Change the way things are.

I know it may seem small and insignificant, but it's not about what it is.

It's about what it can become.

That's not just a seed.

Any more than you're just a boy.

Listen, man.

You may have given up on yourself, but your friends haven't given up on you.

Are you just gonna turn your back on them and sit and eat borscht the rest of your life?

Or are you gonna get out there and jump through that tiny little hoop?

It is impossible.

It was always impossible, you tell.

That's why the people loved it.

That is why I loved it.

Because I did the impossible.

I just thought she'd at least see who deserved a shot.

Never mind what this person you don't even know said.

Do you think you're good enough?

Of course, then you must fight for what you believe in.

Guts, stamina, faith.

These are the things you need now, and without them?

Well, maybe that scout was right.

Maybe you're not good enough.

You give up on yourself way too easily.

You can do this.

Your father stood up to Common-Raw, and so can you.

But I'm not my dad.

I'm not a hero like him, or you guys.

Nick, you have your own gifts that make you strong.

You just need to believe in yourself.

I'm not even the best Simpson at my best friend's party.

Do you know what it's like to be second best at anything?

Yeah, I do!

I'm going to Yale!

Listen here, Bart Simpson!

I am sick and tired of you blaming me for every setback you have ever had.

And you have talents too, you idiot.

You're a hell of an artist.

I have to do this.

I'm going to Robot City tonight.

I'm going to get a job and I'm going to help Dad pay back Mr. Gunk.

Talk to him.

Uh, Robot City?

You're just a kid.

I'm never going to be someone here.

I want to be an inventor.

I want to meet Big Weld.

I want to be somebody!

Listen!

I know it isn't easy, Rodney, but a dream that you don't fight for can haunt you for the rest of your life.

You did it, Rhino.

You saved the day.

They need a hero, Bolt.

Someone who, no matter what the odds, will do what's right.

They need a hero to tell them that sometimes the impossible can become possible If you're awesome!

Can you help me?

No. You get yourself in there, you can get yourself out.

Calm down.

Alternate wiggling your fins and your tail.

I can't.

I have a bad fin.

Never stop me.

Just think about what you need to do.

Come on, hurry.

We're almost out of time.

The 32nd card is up.

The race is about to begin.

It's like my grandpa always says you gotta want it to get it So Charlie Brown, do you want it?

Let's go get it Hey, you can do this I'm not going to do this.

There ya go!

Believe with every step!

Oh yeah!

You got me right?

I still got you!

Ian Wright put his fear in us!

This is amazing!

Yeah, but just keep going!

Don't look back!

Just straight ahead!

You still got the rope, right?

Yeah, I got it!

I am not afraid!

Oh man, I could stay out here all day!

Okay, but keep moving!

You got to see that hat, remember?

Hey, shake the hat!

This last step is for you!

Yeah!

100

How long was the rope gone?

101

Oh, just like the second half of it.

102

I needed that rope.

103

Oh, but did you?

104

You must be imaginative, strong-hearted.

105

You must try things that may not work.

106

And you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from.

107

Your only limit is your soul.

108

Hey, Patrick.

109

Hi, SpongeBob.

110

You know, Patrick, this is a dream.

111

You can do anything you want.

112

Yup.

113

I mean anything.

114

Watch!

115

I can turn into a skyscraper.

116

Going up...

117

I can make...

118

A MILLION of me!

119

Huh?

120

Huh?

121

Yup.

122

I screwed up!

123

I mean, for two seconds, I thought that maybe I could do something right, but... But...

124

I just...

125

Just forget it.

126

Forget it.

127

Now, you listen to me, James Hawkins.

128

You got the makings of greatness in you.

129

But you gotta take the helm and charge your own course.

130

Stick to it, no matter the squalls.

131

And when the time comes you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails

132

and show what you're made of.

133

Well, I hope I'm there.

134

Catching some of the light coming off you that day.

135

All those struggles, I learned from them and I grew.

136

Oh my gosh, it's not just my gem powers I've forgotten.

137

All this happily ever after stuff has made me forget the first power I ever had.

138

The power to change.

139

Wait!

140

You think the outside world is scary?

141

Well, you know what's really scary?

142

Fades!

143

Germs!

144

Frogs!

145

Crowds!

146

Eugh!

147

No. Letting fear make all your decisions for you.

148

Doesn't matter what they call you.

149

It's the deeds make the man.

150

Yeah, but my deeds just made things worse.

151

I'm a fraud.

152

I'm a phony.

153

My friends believed in me, but they need some kind of hero.

154

Then be a hero.

155

It's not about if I can.

156

I'm doing this because I want to.

157

I decided long ago that I'm going to be king of the pirates.

158

If I have to die fighting for that, then I die.

159

When you find yourself lost and disoriented and underwater and you don't know which way is off, it's important to breathe.

160

I don't deserve this.

161

I'm not a best actor.

162

Awards aren't about who's best, Bojack.

163

That's literally the only thing they're about.

164

No, all this means is that you're one of the special people.

165

I saw it the first time I met you.

166

You must have known it all your life.

167

And all your life, people told you that you were wrong.

168

That you weren't special.

169

That you were just like everybody else.

170

But now, the special people are saying, you were right, Bojack.

171

You were right.

172

Don't listen to them.

173

The world laughed at Da Vinci, too.

174

I'm not sure they did, Ma.

175

Dad, what did you think?

176

I think you're nuts.

177

You don't leave a steady job for some crazy dream.

178

And the worst part, you're bringing your brother down with you.

179

Well thanks, Dan.

180

Thanks for your support.

181

What'd I say?

182

You're not bringing me down.

183

You know what?

184

What do they know, huh?

185

That's not just them.

186

My whole lives everyone's telling us we can't do this, we can't do that.

187

Just sick and tired of feeling so small.

188

You know, I don't think I'm gonna go.

189

I don't know if I'm ready.

190

Ready for what?

191

I mean, what if it's not everything I want it to be?

192

I mean, sometimes the idea of something is better than the truth, you know?

193

I always prefer fiction to truth, personally.

194

I'd stake my career on it.

195

Yeah, that makes sense.

✨ Recommend Video

15 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 195 sentences and 1303 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:18. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
rope noun	/ɹoʊp/	Thick strings, yarn, monofilaments, metal wires, or strands of other cordage that are twisted together to form a stronger line.
odd adjective	/ɑd/	Differing from what is usual, ordinary or expected.
scary adjective	/ˈskɛə.ɹi/	Causing fear or anxiety
deed noun	/diːd/	An action or act; something that is done.
fiction noun	/ˈfɪkʃən/	Literary type using invented or imaginative writing, instead of real facts, usually written as prose.
fraud noun	/ˈfɹɔːd/	The crime of stealing or otherwise illegally obtaining money by use of deception tactics.
tail noun	/ˈteɪ̯l/	An object or part of an object resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails; a strand of material hanging from something.
shake verb	/ˈʃeɪk/	To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
define verb	/dɪˈfaɪn/	To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.
steady adjective	/ˈstɪdi/	Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm.
breathe verb	/bɹiːð/	To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.
stake noun	/steɪk/	A piece of wood or other material, usually long and slender, pointed at one end so as to be easily driven into the ground as a marker or a support or stay.
hurry verb	/ˈhʌ.ɹi/	To do things quickly.
alternate adjective	/ˈɔl.tɚ.nət/	Happening by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; first one and then the other (repeatedly).
happily adverb	/ˈhæp.ə.li/	In a happy or cheerful manner; with happiness.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
calm down verb		To become less excited, intense, or angry.
come off verb		To become detached.
get out verb		To leave or escape.
go up verb		To move upwards.
look back verb		To think of (past events) in retrospect (in hindsight).
pay back verb	/peɪ bæk/	To pay (a debt or the lender) so as to provide the entire amount of money owed.
stand up to verb		To object to or interfere with the actions of (someone seen as bullying, pushy, or controlling).
stay out verb		To spend time out of one's house.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 58 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: fiction /ˈfɪkʃən/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, borscht /bɔːʃt/
Long words — get the stress right: underwater /ʌndɚˈwɔtəɹ/, insignificant /ˌɪnsɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/, disorient /dɪsˈɔːɹi.ənt/, imaginative /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪnətɪv/

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 rope, odd, scary.

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	haven't given · I've forgotten · has made
Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain	may seem · may have · may not work
Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things	better than
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the best · the worst

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 →

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