Shadowing Practice: Your rat is sad | Prank call ๐Ÿ“ž๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ #prankcall #funny #prank - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hello?
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Hi, my name is Seth McElroy, and I'm calling from Pest Control.
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Is James going?
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Yeah, speaking.
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Hey, James, how are you today?
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Not bad.
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What can I do for you?
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Well, I wanted to call you because of a situation that we're dealing with here.
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As you know, we were at your house about two weeks ago dealing with a rat issue.
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Yeah, yeah.
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We got rid of him real well.
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Were you happy with your service?
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Yeah, no complaints.
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I liked it.
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Thank you.
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No problem.
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We are having an issue here, though, the rat that we caught from your place?
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Right.
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He's very sad.
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What do you mean?
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Well, we've had him here in the office ever since we took him from your place, and every day he's in his cage, he's kind of just moping around.
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I know it's probably hard to hear.
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I don't understand.
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You kept the rat?
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Yeah, we did.
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We named him Scraps.
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And all of us here really want the best for him.
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And we think that actually the problem is he misses your home.
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Okay, wait a minute.
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You're telling me the rat you caught is sad and you want to bring him back to my house?
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Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying.
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One of my guys, Harold, is his name.
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He's going to come and bring scraps back to you.
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No, no, no. You can't do that.
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That's why I paid you to get rid of him.
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I can't have a rat in my house.
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I know, but did you hear what I said?
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He's really sad.
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I don't care what he is.
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I don't want the rat back in my house.
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That's the whole point of me having you come up to the house is
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that I pay you and you take care I don't have to give, you're supposed to keep the rack.
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Listen, if you refuse to take Scraps back, I'll just drive him over to your house myself and let him loose in your backyard.
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At least that'll make him happy.
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If I see anybody in my backyard, I swear I will go to that office
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and smack this shit out of you if you bring this rat back to my house.
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We'll gladly refund your money if we can just bring Scraps back to your house.
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Scraps is just homesick.
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Well, it's not his house, it's my house, and I don't want him in it.
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You know, it was both of your, you're kind of like roommates.
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really no no no no no no I paid a mortgage
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this right doesn't do a thing you keep the track well
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look at it from scraps perspective okay he was all happy living in your house eating off of the food
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that you had left over and things like that
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and now he's in a cage in a pest control office
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that's not fun what is wrong with you anyway I pay you to do a job to kill this rat
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and then you take the rat home
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and now you want to bring the rat back here
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that makes no sense what's wrong with you I think it makes perfect sense
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if you're an animal lover and have any kind of heart at all.
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You sound just callous.
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Okay, number one, rats are not animals.
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I have a dog.
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The dog's an animal.
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A rat is a rat.
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I am sorry, sir.
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A rat is an animal just like everybody else.
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No, no, no, no. It's a rat.
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They spread disease and filth.
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The Black Plague was rats, and you want to bring them back to my house?
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Kill it.
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Oh, you're going to hold that against scraps?
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Okay, that's ancient history.
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Nobody's died from the Black Plague in at least 10 years.
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It's not even supposed to be in anybody's house It's not a pet, it's not a gerbil, it's not a hamster, it's a rat It has feelings It's an animal and it has feelings

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice English speaking skills through a humorous prank call scenario. This transcript features a conversation between a pest control representative and a customer who is quite confused about a situation involving a rat. By engaging with this playful dialogue, you will not only improve your listening comprehension but also enhance your pronunciation and conversational skills. Our focus will be on understanding context, tone, and the art of playful banter, which can be incredibly useful in everyday conversations.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Pest Control: A service that removes unwanted pests from homes or businesses.
  • Situation: A set of circumstances in which one finds themselves.
  • Moping around: To be sad or dejected, often shown through a lack of energy or enthusiasm.
  • Homesick: Feeling sad because you are away from home.
  • Refund: Money returned to a customer for a service or product not received satisfactorily.
  • Loose: To allow something to escape or be free.
  • Backyard: An area behind a house or building, often used for outdoor activities.
  • Roommates: People who share a living space, typically an apartment or house.

Practice Tips

To get the most out of this shadowing practice, follow these tips:

  • Listen and Repeat: Play the video and listen closely to the dialogue. Pause and repeat each line, mimicking the intonation and emotion of the speakers. This will enhance your pronunciation and help you capture the playful tone of the conversation.
  • Focus on Tone: The caller uses a light-hearted and humorous tone, even when discussing a somewhat absurd topic. Ensure your shadow speech reflects this by incorporating the same level of playfulness and confidence.
  • Practice Speed: The dialogue flows quickly at times, reflecting natural speech. Begin by speaking slowly; as you become more comfortable, gradually increase your pace to match that of the video.
  • Engage with Characters: Picture the characters during the call. One is serious and frustrated, while the other is jovial and trying to lighten the mood. By engaging with the characters emotionally, your delivery will become more authentic.
  • Record Yourself: Utilize a recording device to capture your practice sessions. Listening back will allow you to identify areas for improvement in both your speech and intonation.

By incorporating these suggestions into your english speaking practice, you'll effectively use the shadowing technique to refine your skills in conversational English, increase your confidence, and enjoy the process of learning through humor with this shadowing site.

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 โ€” like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1โ€“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 โ€” making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.