Shadowing Practice: 9 Investments for Better Learning - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creando lección...
1
Learning is a hobby, so why not make it easier to do?
2
It's not the end-all-be-all, but good equipment is damn important.
3
A dull knife in the kitchen is not only dangerous, but it's a pain in the arse.
4
If you buy cheap paintbrushes, then they're going to shed all their bristles on your artwork and ruin it.
5
And crappy hiking boots may have saved you a few extra bucks, but they're going to make your walking a misery.
6
It's okay to invest in your hobbies, and learning is the same.
7
And I don't mean this wild consumerism, but I mean wise choices with intention behind them.
8
I've bought a lot of random shit in my ears, and admittedly most of it was pointless.
9
But here I want to share some of the things that have proved themselves, and become a part of my everyday routine.
10
The ones that aren't just dumb gimmicks, and they actually enhance my work and make it more comfortable.
11
I put this item first because it's quite literally the foundation of everything else on this list.
12
If you make a wrong choice here, not only will it be expensive, but it's going to hold you back in the future.
13
We all need a good desk.
14
And I learned this the hard way, because I've had some terrible workspaces in the past.
15
For the past few years, this was where I did all my work.
16
This was where I read, I wrote, and I edited these videos.
17
Just to work comfortably, for even more than an hour, I had to twist and turn like some contortionist in a circus.
18
It was a nightmare.
19
And all of this slouching and slumping may have been comfortable in the moment, but I was ruining my health.
20
All it took me was an aching lower back to realise that this couldn't continue.
21
I couldn't go on like this.
22
And I had to find some new place to comfortably work, where I'd really screw myself up.
23
Now I don't mean to sound like some ungrateful twat but most of the other desks available to me weren't good enough.
24
They were wonky, they were too small or had all these annoying features
25
that I didn't want and I'll admit I'm a bit fussy
26
when it comes to desks but
27
if you're going to be sitting at one for several hours a day these tiny things matter
28
because they can add up and make you feel more stressed than you need to be.
29
So instead of settling for that I decided to splurge and it's the old saying goes, you buy once, you cry once.
30
And to me this meant buying a desk for life, one that's sturdy, high quality and big enough to give you that breathing room.
31
And since the health of your back goes beyond any price tag, I'd actually recommend a standing desk.
32
These let you adjust the height with the click of a button, so you can immediately switch from a standing position to a seated position whenever you want.
33
One of the most annoying issues in the world of reading and writing, and I'm sure you're familiar with this, is that you kind of have to sit down.
34
And we both know that being seated is not really a natural position for humans.
35
And we also know that a sedentary life nowadays is a major killer.
36
Like, I don't know how many years or decades it can trim off your life, but it's a problem.
37
And we have to find a way to compromise with this somehow.
38
With a standing desk, you're given the chance to fight off
39
that chronic pain and all of the other issues that come with it.
40
Plus, it means I don't necessarily have to stop and stretch and walk around a bit to continue working, because I don't want to lose that flow sometimes.
41
It just helps to switch to a standing position and carry on.
42
And if you can't be asked standing up, that's fine.
43
You just sit and you have a break.
44
This model here is a FlexiSpot E7.
45
And it is expensive, but it's something that I'm going to be using every single day, probably for the rest of my life.
46
So it's worth it.
47
But if that's not your style, I'd recommend getting a desk that's as big as possible for your current situation.
48
Because we may not always notice it, but it's so easy for a small desk to piss us off.
49
It makes you feel cramped, you have to shuffle between papers, and there's just no room to spread your work out and have an overview of it, which is so annoying.
50
Every other feature of your desk is your choice, and I'm not going to force my stuck-up desk dogma onto you.
51
You clicked on this video because you're a curious person, and you want to improve the way you learn.
52
And that's why I think you'll like Imprint, who are kindly sponsoring this video.
53
Imprint helps you use small pockets of time in your day to help you build a learning habit, with these nice visuals and animations that not only tell a story, but offer you some new insights every time.
54
Each course is sharp and quick to the point.
55
And I like that because I can get a taste of what a topic has to offer me in just minutes.
56
Maybe as I rest in the gym or if I'm waiting on a train, for example.
57
And it's beyond just a book summary app.
58
There's a whole range of short courses and articles on almost every topic you can imagine, from philosophy to finance to nutrition.
59
Imprint was recently named Google's app of the year and I can understand why.
60
My knowledge of philosophy is still quite shallow
61
so I'm working through this course called Essential Philosophy to get a broad overview of the topic, maybe before I do a deeper dive into any one specific area.
62
And I also love that I can use it to refresh my mind of things I've already learned, all without the extra time burden.
63
To explore Imprint yourself with a free seven-day trial, you can scan the QR code on screen or you can click the link in the description.
64
And with that, you'll also get 20% off of an annual premium subscription.
65
So do check that out.
66
One of the most disturbing modern trends is how everything is being digitized nowadays.
67
Like a track your fridge contents with a smartphone app.
68
Please log in to use your toothbrushes tracking feature.
69
Experience your work calls in VR.
70
No, piss off.
71
No one wants to do that.
72
There's so much bullshit out there that promises to make your life more convenient, but in reality it just adds clutter and confusion and I want to specifically draw attention to the alarm on your phone.
73
Of course it's convenient but it's on the same device as all the other addictive time-sucking apps.
74
In the past I'd wake up
75
and I'd reach my phone to turn off the alarm
76
but then the phone is in my hand and naturally I start scrolling on Instagram, on X, on YouTube, whatever.
77
And not only is that a huge waste of time
78
but I swear it feels like 50 points of your IQ are just chopped off there and then.
79
It makes me feel lethargic and slow and as if I can't get any momentum going to start the day properly.
80
This is a common issue.
81
I know it's happened to you before and you can fight this off by investing in a traditional alarm clock.
82
No wi-fi, no smart features, no bluetooth, just a clock that tells the time and wakes you up.
83
Now I can put my phone in another room and wake up and actually get the day started with a fresh mind.
84
One that's going to help me read, write and learn more effectively.
85
Surprisingly I'm not a clock guru so I'm not going to tell you what to buy.
86
These range from cheap to expensive and they come in a hundred different aesthetics depending on what you prefer.
87
I bought this one from a home good shop in Ireland in Cork and it was like 20 quid, 20 euro sorry, and it's done the job for me.
88
I take a lot of notes from my books and I'm pretty confident you do the same.
89
That's where the real learning happens.
90
That's where you can play with the ideas and let the book touch your mind with true wisdom.
91
But there's this annoying issue that creates that's small enough to be overlooked but still really irritating.
92
Let's say you're writing up some ideas you found from a book.
93
You read the page and you see something that resonated with you.
94
So you put the book down, you start to type and then you forgot what you left off.
95
So you have to find that again and then you find something else.
96
Pick up the book again.
97
You start writing it, put it down, you pick up the book again
98
and it's this annoying cycle of jumping between the page
99
and the screen or your notebook and this clumsy cycle gets even more annoying
100
when you have to copy a quote or a passage from the book and into your notes.
101
And that's where the bookstand comes in
102
because you can hold your book open at any page and suddenly taking notes becomes this effortless hands-free experience.
103
I don't know the exact model of mine but
104
if you go on Amazon or Etsy
105
and you look up adjustable wooden bookstand you'll find
106
so many different models that get the same job done all for about 20 quid I think.
107
Not all of them are adjustable but I would recommend getting something
108
that you can change because it saves you from the neck pain.
109
I love to place mine just below my main monitor.
110
I can easily keep track of where I was and overall note-taking just becomes so much smoother.
111
I bought this next item completely on an impulse
112
and I wasn't expecting much from it but then it surprised me as to how much it improved my everyday work life.
113
It was probably a year ago when I was studying in Ireland
114
that I was aimlessly browsing through a home sense and
115
if you don't know that's a home goods shop
116
and I saw this desk organizer on the top shelf being sold for a tenner
117
and I thought to myself surely that's just a gimmick.
118
That's what people on TikTok buy to make their aesthetic desk setups and they pretend to study and don't actually do anything.
119
But I bought it anyway and I'm glad consumerism got to me that day because it did declutter my entire workspace.
120
Before that my desk was a tragedy.
121
There were all these pens, papers and just dumb knickknacks scattered everywhere.
122
And I didn't realize it at the time, but this clutter reflects onto your state of mind.
123
It's like when you walk into a messy room and you just get this chaotic aura that surrounds you.
124
And you can't get anything done until that room is clean.
125
It's the same with your desk.
126
But once you have an organiser, you can clean that up and restore some peace to your area.
127
And even better, you don't waste time looking for things.
128
Because you know where it's going to be.
129
Again, there's so many different models and what you choose is up to your personal taste.
130
I've seen wooden ones, transparent ones, big ones, small ones, everything and anything.
131
I want you to picture yourself doing something around the house.
132
Maybe you're cleaning, maybe you're cooking, or maybe you're just reading in the corner.
133
And then suddenly, out of nowhere, this amazing idea falls into your head.
134
And this is not just any idea.
135
This is a special one.
136
This could potentially be life-changing.
137
So of course, you rush to write it down.
138
And you look around.
139
There's no pen.
140
There's no paper.
141
I'll do it later.
142
or I'll just remember to write it down tomorrow when I wake up.
143
That's not happening.
144
And you know it's true.
145
That's not happening.
146
The amount of good ideas I've lost because I told myself that lie is actually quite sad.
147
But the problem is solved by a product that's dirt cheap and abundant everywhere.
148
It's the humble pen and notepad.
149
Now before you get mad, I'm not taking the piss here by seriously recommending you such an obvious product.
150
But the twist here is that I recommend having a pen
151
and paper in as many places as possible in every room of the house for example.
152
So now instead of being too lazy to jot something down, it's always in arms reach, and it's always convenient for you.
153
That means less forgotten thoughts, more awareness over your mind, and a slightly easier life of learning, which matters.
154
And for a few dollars more, it's worth it.
155
This next item will be either dead obvious to you, or revolutionary, like it was to me.
156
For context, I've never been into tech gear, and it's only very recently that I can say I have a proper desk setup.
157
I find it therapeutic to spend money, So naturally I explored how I can improve my setup.
158
And when I bought this second monitor, I realised just how much I was limiting myself before I had it.
159
I used to do everything on my laptop screen.
160
And not only was it uncomfortable, but everything was cramped.
161
If I was taking notes on a video or article, I had to squeeze them together on the same page.
162
And if I was doing research for a piece of writing, I'd have to constantly flick between tabs.
163
And it slowed down my editing too.
164
with so many windows cramped onto one page I can never zoom out
165
and see a broad overview with a second screen I have
166
that breathing room I can put my main work on the big one
167
and on the side put some research put a video I'm taking notes on
168
or even just a music playlist or something again you have
169
so many options here and the price range is quite large
170
so I would tailor this setup to serve you the best
171
I like to use the more expensive high resolution one in the middle and then put the
172
inferior one to the side which is usually cheaper and low resolution.
173
Of course this is your setup and you do what works best for you
174
but even then I have two small pet peeves
175
that really annoy me when I see them in other people's setups
176
and if you value your comfort and you don't want to have neck strain I'd recommend you consider them.
177
First I'd recommend that you put your main monitor directly in front of you
178
because if you don't
179
that means you're going to have to 100% of the time be looking either to your left
180
or to your right as you work and that just doesn't make sense.
181
It's uncomfortable, it's weird looking and over time it's going to strain your neck.
182
If you put your main monitor head on, yes the secondary one is going to be tilted towards you but you're not going to be looking at that too often.
183
So what matters is that you're comfortable most of the time.
184
The second quality of life tip is to make sure that there's no visible gap in between both monitors.
185
Now I'm not sure why you'd want this in the first place but it just makes more sense when
186
there's a seamless transition between both.
187
It's more comfortable and it makes sense I guess.
188
I don't know what else to say.
189
So for as low as about $100 you can make a significant upgrade to your workspace and give yourself that breathing room.
190
Okay but maybe the second monitor and the fancy standing desk are too big a leap for you.
191
And I understand that.
192
It's no small investment and it took me years to make the switch.
193
But what if you want some of that extra comfort with a smaller price tag?
194
Well in that case I'd recommend a laptop stand.
195
I have this aluminium one from Boyata
196
and it lets me adjust the height of the laptop so that I can put it at eye level.
197
It doesn't sound like much but it's crazy how big a difference this makes.
198
Just a few inches higher and it puts your head in a much more natural position
199
so that your posture is preserved and you don't go into like this nasty goblin mode that's hunched over.
200
There's loads of different styles of this.
201
There's folding ones, collapsible ones, 360 rotation ones.
202
There's so many and I like the simple up and down design
203
but they're all inexpensive and they're a nice addition to any desk.
204
There's a lot of noise in the online learning sphere.
205
Content creators will come up with these over complicated weird approaches to learning
206
that of course have a fancy new name to attract you to click.
207
Some of these work and some don't but the point is that in this pursuit for the ultimate learning strategy, we tend to forget what matters and we lose sight of the basics
208
that have been proven to work again and again and again.
209
No, they're not always exciting or unique, but that's exactly what makes them so reliable.
210
Throughout my entire college degree, I used one study tactic pretty much, and it was to re-watch old lecture recordings,
211
re-read my old notes, and then write new ones in my own words.
212
I'd add new stuff I'd learned and I would refine them a it.
213
And it was essentially just transcription.
214
Nothing crazy.
215
It was quite boring and underwhelming but it worked and I did well in my tests.
216
And this next item is a perfect example of a mundane learning approach
217
that we may have forgotten in the past in pursuit of this shiny new stuff.
218
It's the humble whiteboard.
219
One of the best things you can do for your attention and your understanding is to visualize ideas.
220
You take this boring wall of theory from a book or textbook
221
and you make it come to life in this colourful picture.
222
Because when you hack your way through the facts and the individual points of a subject, it's easy to lose focus of the bigger picture, which is often the most valuable to us.
223
But once you put that onto a real-life canvas, the whiteboard, you suddenly get to see the overview and you see how everything links together
224
and you see the different areas within this field.
225
You use diagrams, you use pictures, you use sticky notes or bullet points, anything else to help you understand the topic in depth.
226
Sometimes I like to dump everything I know about a certain topic onto the whiteboard as a sort of exercise
227
And I like to use mind maps to get a grasp on how everything comes together It's a nice exercise
228
because not only does it help you remember what you just read
229
But it helps you gather your thoughts
230
and see what matters the most to you
231
And it's not just for learning either Back in Ireland I had one on my wall
232
And I used it for putting my workout routine, my daily schedule, a to-do list, reminders, everything and anything
233
I bought another one for here recently and the size is borderline ridiculous
234
but I always think it's better to have something that's too big than too small
235
but of course they come in all sizes
236
and I recommend buying something that's not irresponsible
237
and can actually fit in your room and
238
if you have no free walls where you can drill the
239
whiteboard into then you could always buy one of those rolls
240
of like sticky paper style whiteboards where you unroll it
241
and it's like a sticker you can put it on any surface be it a cabinet
242
or the side of a table or something
243
and there's also the small handheld ones which are quite useful for just having on your desk to jot down notes.
244
So there is no perfect setup
245
and all of the choice on these lists I recommend
246
because they work for me and they worked in my conditions in my setup but I don't know you very well.
247
I don't know what your bedroom looks like.
248
I don't know how big, how small.
249
I don't know these things.
250
So ultimately don't see this list as a prescription to you
251
but a recommendation and it's you who should take the choice into your own hands
252
and make the decisions that are right for you.
253
We can't let this shadow of consumerism consume us just because some guru somewhere was good at marketing.
254
So with that said I get to ask my favourite question.
255
What have you bought that helps you?
256
What has elevated your daily life and helped you read, write and learn better?
257
I love to hear your recommendations
258
so feel free to email me to comment down below
259
and I'm sure that other people could find them really helpful as well.
260
And of course thank you for watching.
📺 Mismo canal
✨ Recomendar Video
B22
405 oraciones
It's boring, but these 5 ideas will improve your quality of life
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
173 oraciones
Finally, A Desk That Feels Different
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
185 oraciones
8 Minimalist Habits That ACTUALLY Work (even if you're not a minimalist)
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
202 oraciones
How to Learn Anything FASTER
British AccentBusiness EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
335 oraciones
7 Books I Wish I Had Read Earlier
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
187 oraciones
The pain of becoming yourself
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B28
331 oraciones
Why Does Resting Feel So Hard? | Slow English Conversation (B2) | The Cozy English
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
183 oraciones
This Book Changed How I Read
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
161 oraciones
Give me 9 minutes and I'll give you 10 years
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
212 oraciones
Self-Help: What Went Wrong?
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
136 oraciones
You Have Time: 12 Ways to Educate Yourself Daily
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
54 oraciones
3 Hobbies Every Successful Person Has
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel B2 se basa en el vídeo “9 Investments for Better Learning”. Este vídeo tiene 260 frases y 3602 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 15:58. El hablante habla rápido, unas 225 palabras por minuto, así que espera sonidos enlazados y reducidos. El 83 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés; conviene repasar el resto antes de empezar.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
Las 15 palabras más avanzadas del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| annoy verbo | /əˈnoɪ̯/ | enchilar, crispar |
| whiteboard sustantivo | /ˈwaɪtbɔɹd/ | pizarra, pizarra blanca |
| overview sustantivo | /ˈoʊ.vɚˌvjuː/ | resumen, visión de conjunto |
| consumerism sustantivo | /kənˈsumərɪzm̩/ | consumismo |
| cramp sustantivo | /kɹæmp/ | calambre, rampa |
| convenient adjetivo | /kənˈviː.niənt/ | conveniente, cómodo |
| clutter sustantivo | /ˈklʌtɚ/ | desorden, revoltijo |
| adjustable adjetivo | /əˈd͡ʒʌstəbəl/ | ajustable, regulable |
| comfortably adverbio | /ˈkʌmftɚbli/ | cómodamente |
| sticky adjetivo | /ˈstɪki/ | pegajoso, pegadizo |
| guru sustantivo | /ˈɡʊɹ(ˌ)u/ | gurú |
| bore verbo | /boɹ/ | aburrir |
| adjust verbo | /əˈd͡ʒʌst/ | ajustar, arreglar |
| setup sustantivo | /ˈsɛtʌp/ | trampucheta, maquinación |
| recommendation sustantivo | /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/ | recomendación |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| wake up verbo | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | despertarse, recordar |
| pick up verbo | coger, asir | |
| add up verbo | adicionar | |
| come together verbo | /ˈkʌm tʊˈɡɛðɚ/ | juntarse, concitarse |
| come up with verbo | ingeniar, ingeniarse | |
| look up verbo | /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ | mejorar |
| sit down verbo | sentarse | |
| slow down verbo | desacelerar, decelerar |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- I couldn't go on like this.
- It's the same with your desk.
- Because you know where it's going to be.
- It's more comfortable and it makes sense I guess.
- What have you bought that helps you?
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Oraciones condicionales if + oración, will/would + verbo — una condición y su resultado | if that's not your style, I'd recommend |
| Voz pasiva be + participio pasado — importa lo que ocurre, no quién lo hace | being seated · can't be asked · being digitized |
| Present perfect have/has + participio pasado — una acción pasada que sigue importando ahora | I've bought · have proved · I've already learned |
| Oraciones de relativo who / which + oración — información extra sobre una persona o cosa | side which is · picture, which is · ones which are |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 86 contracciones y formas reducidas, como don't, I'm, I'd. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “th”: therapeutic /ˌθɛɹ.əˈpjuː.tɪk/, aesthetic /ɛsˈθɛ.tɪk/
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, prescription /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/, shelf /ʃɛlf/, shallow /ˈʃæloʊ/, subscription /səbˈskɹɪpʃən/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: consumerism /kənˈsumərɪzm̩/, adjustable /əˈd͡ʒʌstəbəl/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, aluminium /ˌæl.(j)uˈmɪn.i.əm/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- s + consonante al inicio — sin añadir una “e” delante: sticky /ˈstɪki/, strain /stɹeɪn/, scatter /ˈskætɚ/, sticker /ˈstɪkə/, sphere /sfɪɚ/
- /v/ — no es /b/: los dientes tocan el labio inferior: overview /ˈoʊ.vɚˌvjuː/, convenient /kənˈviː.niənt/, elevate /ˈɛləveɪt/, overlook /ˈoʊ.vɚˌlʊk/, canvas /ˈkæn.vəs/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: consumerism /kənˈsumərɪzm̩/, nowadays /ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/, zoom /zuːm/, misery /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹi/, squeeze /skwiːz/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Empieza a velocidad 0,75×, haz shadowing frase por frase y vuelve a la velocidad normal cuando te resulte fácil.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como annoy, whiteboard, overview.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.