Shadowing Practice: why does language change us? - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creando lección...
1
So you've been learning English for three years, imagining yourself having natural conversations with people in English.
2
You're buried in verb conjugations, you're practicing pronunciation until your jaw hurts, and maybe you've even started watching dramas and TV shows in English already.
3
You started all of this for a simple reason, to travel, to feel more connected with people on your next vacation.
4
But what if I told you this?
5
While you've been busy studying grammar and vocabulary, what if you've actually been rewiring your brain for a better life in ways you never expected?
6
And what if the biggest and deepest impact of learning a new language has almost nothing to do with travel that you're planning?
7
Because learning a language isn't just about learning how to speak.
8
It's more than that because it's a tool for personal change.
9
Welcome back to another episode of This is Hazel.
10
Okay, honestly, these days when language feels hard, AI can translate almost everything so easily.
11
So sometimes it feels like maybe we don't need to learn or study languages anymore.
12
Because as a person who teaches Korean language, sometimes some people say that like AI will solve everything.
13
So you're going to lose your job.
14
I mean, yeah, but here's the thing.
15
While you're studying a language right now, you're secretly upgrading your way of thinking, your personality, and the way you see the world.
16
So today, I want to talk about the hidden reasons why learning a language is such a powerful tool for the personal growth.
17
Okay, the first.
18
And maybe the most surprising change is happening deep inside your brain.
19
every time you struggle to remember a new word or try to put a sentence together you are
20
literally changing your brain i know like scientists call this something let
21
me okay let me switch i'll i'll give you the accurate neuroplasticity i'm using my brain so hard right now
22
neuroplasticity neuroplasticity okay okay scientists call this neuroplasticity
23
neuroplasticity neuroplasticity okay Simply put, it means your brain is flexible and able to create new connections.
24
Language learning is one of the strongest ways to activate that ability.
25
Because think of your brain like a muscle, like you gain your muscle.
26
Learning a new language is like giving it, giving the muscle a high intensity workout and not just one kind of exercise.
27
You do Pilates, yoga, and go to the gym, swimming, basketball, or a lot of different kinds of exercise.
28
Through this process, actually we can make our brains stronger and even delay age-related cognitive decline like dementia or something by several years.
29
It's a long-term investment in your future mental health.
30
And what's really important is these studies show that adults like people like us, even people who start learning a new language later in their lives can experience these deep brain changes too.
31
So when you're squeezing your brain trying to order something in English, at the restaurant, you're actually building a stronger and healthier brain that will support you for decades.
32
The second reason is actually a human part of this journey.
33
As you learn another language, you're quietly building a powerful sense of empathy.
34
It's about truly understanding the people.
35
Every language has a different sense of time, a different sense of personal distance, a different way of expressing emotions.
36
Honestly, the biggest cultural difference that I felt since I came to Vancouver isn't about food or music.
37
It's about how people express themselves.
38
Because I started noticing things like, oh, people feel uncomfortable when I ask this.
39
Or, oh, this is how they interpret their situations.
40
Or this emotion doesn't even exist in this language.
41
I realized that my reaction to the same story changes depending on the language.
42
if someone said to me in english i've been having a hard time lately and i would probably say in english oh i'm
43
sorry let me know if there's anything i can do i'm here for you kind of thing but in
44
korean i would say what happened are you eating well that difference comes from the culture in fact
45
in korean language i don't think we say i'm sorry to hear that i don't think we have a way to say I'm sorry to hear that.
46
So the first time that I noticed myself naturally saying I'm sorry in English not like sorry just like feeling sorry I felt like I was meeting a new version of myself like what is this?
47
The longer I stay in Canada the more I feel these cultural differences because now I'm not trying to understand grammar I'm trying to understand the culture.
48
I can even feel the difference in my personality depending on whether I'm speaking Korean or English.
49
Maybe you can relate if you speak different languages.
50
Anyway, when you start understanding why certain expressions exist and why ideas are framed the way they are, you begin to see another worldview from the inside.
51
You don't just understand what people are saying, but why they are saying it that way.
52
This emotional intelligence helps you connect with people more deeply.
53
Language is the most important gateway to real cultural understanding.
54
You're no longer just a tourist watching from the outside.
55
You become someone who can share jokes, notice subtle emotional moments, and you feel the connections.
56
And the third reason brings everything together.
57
Learning a new language is one of the most honest parts to self-growth.
58
Most of us unconsciously believe that the way we see the world is the only way.
59
because our native language becomes the default setting for our thoughts.
60
But the moment you learn another language, you realize the same reality can be structured in completely different ways, different format.
61
Some languages have words for concepts that you've never even thought about before.
62
I've heard that like some languages have, I mean, I've seen some languages have like feminine, like the gender.
63
So I've heard that the cup has gender, the chair has a gender, and that we need to switch the verb based on it.
64
I've never thought about it.
65
I've never thought about that could be possible.
66
Probably my language has something shocking for them.
67
Maybe English has something strange for other people.
68
It breaks the illusion that your perspective is the only one that matters, and suddenly your curiosity starts flowing in so many different directions.
69
You also experience something important.
70
I think it's really important to me.
71
You learn through real experience that small, consistent actions can lead to the big goals.
72
That sense of achievement often makes you want to grow in other areas of your life too.
73
Do you know what I've been doing lately?
74
I've been re-watching dramas that I watched before I could understand English.
75
If you've seen my videos about how I studied English, you know that I learned English through dramas and movies.
76
I copied them.
77
I repeated the same scene again and again, focusing more on sound than meaning.
78
I mimicked the sound so I could learn the language.
79
At one point, I was almost addicted to collecting those scenes.
80
And I was, I got used to the sound, right?
81
Of the scenes.
82
So they were in my brain already.
83
And I am watching the movies again and TV shows again and again.
84
Recently, I listened to them again while I was watching the shows.
85
Like, oh, that's the scene that I've saved.
86
And it felt like wearing glasses for the first time.
87
Everything sounded so clear.
88
I started hearing things differently from what I understood before.
89
Back then I understood the word.
90
I understood the information of the scene but now I understand both the culture and the information together and suddenly so many things made sense at the same time.
91
Realizing that I can truly understand something now brings me a deep kind of happiness.
92
At first, I just wanted to order coffee at the cafe and eventually I became someone who understands myself and my place in the world much more deeply,
93
more open-minded,
94
knowing that my feelings can be expressed in many different ways and that I can share what I have in
95
many different forms is a new experience and this is something that is hard to understand unless you've
96
experienced it yourself from far away you can't really see it you have to step into the water you have to
97
swim you have to cross that mountain like you have to get that and see the view there's nothing
98
wrong with not having seen it it's like it's okay but hearing about the view from
99
someone else who went that and actually walking through it and experiencing and seeing the view are two very different things.
100
You didn't just learn a language, you became a bigger, wider version of yourself.
101
I already know that many of you, many people watching my videos are bilingual or learning different languages.
102
So I think some of you probably felt something while watching this video.
103
If there's a hidden reason that you think that I didn't mention, please share that in the comments so I can see and learn about your journeys as well.
104
See you.
105
Bye-bye.
106
There's a romantic set.
107
TV show isn't for you.
108
You
📺 Mismo canal
B21
Are you a giver or taker?
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
the conversation I couldn’t stop thinking about
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
![[Eng] ep.4| Perfection doesn't really exist.](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DbL7aJRn54E/mqdefault.jpg)
B24
[Eng] ep.4| Perfection doesn't really exist.
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
the loneliness nobody talks about (and what it's actually telling you)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
you’re not bad at English! you just don't use it
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C11
I used to overthink everything, and this changed it.
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B28
still can’t speak English?
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B23
when AI decides the speed of the world
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
✨ Recomendar Video
B243 oraciones
7 Benefits of Learning English
Travel EnglishDaily Conversation
B25
132 oraciones
How I Would Learn English Today
Travel EnglishDaily Conversation
B116
226 oraciones
Learning A Language In My 20s 🇵🇭
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A21
379 oraciones
How English Changes Everything | English Motivation for Beginners | Easy English Conversation
KidsTravel EnglishTeens
C13
67 oraciones
The strange science of your ever-changing identity
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C13
118 oraciones
How Language Shapes the Way We Think • Professor Lera Boroditsky • Duocon 2022
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
A116
126 oraciones
A1 English listening practice | Stop Studying Grammar | Build Real English Fluency with Podcasts 🎧
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
C151 oraciones
28 May 2026
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B1147 oraciones
10 People 10 Answers | Why Do You Want to Learn English?
Travel EnglishDaily Conversation
B21
195 oraciones
What Happens to Language When AI Can Speak for Us?
British AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C15
336 oraciones
The Mother Tongue Guilt: Why You Feel Like You're Losing Your Native Self
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
79 oraciones
BTL Thuyết trình
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel C1 se basa en el vídeo “why does language change us?”. Las palabras que más se repiten: language, english, brain, learning, watching. Este vídeo tiene 108 frases y 1556 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 11:42. El hablante mantiene un ritmo constante de unas 133 palabras por minuto, cómodo para el shadowing. El 85 % 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 |
|---|---|---|
| neuroplasticity sustantivo | neuroplasticidad | |
| verb sustantivo | /vɝb/ | verbo |
| conjugation sustantivo | /ˌkɑnd͡ʒəˈɡeɪʃən/ | conjunción |
| unconsciously adverbio | /ˌʌnˈkɑnʃəsli/ | inconscientemente |
| worldview sustantivo | visión del mundo, forma/manera de ver el mundo | |
| pronunciation sustantivo | /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ | pronunciación |
| bilingual adjetivo | /baɪˈlɪŋ.ɡwəl/ | bilingüe |
| addict sustantivo | /ˈæd.ɪkt/ | adicto, viciado |
| empathy sustantivo | /ˈɛmpəθi/ | empatía |
| dementia sustantivo | /dɪˈmɛnʃə/ | demencia |
| activate verbo | /ˈæktɪˌveɪt/ | activar |
| interpret verbo | /ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪt/ | explicar, exponer |
| vocabulary sustantivo | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | vocabulario |
| bury verbo | /ˈbɛɹi/ | enterrar |
| feminine adjetivo | /ˈfɛmɪnɪn/ | femenino |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Significado |
|---|---|
| walk through verbo | explicar paso a paso, enseñar |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- I mean, yeah, but here's the thing.
- I've never thought about it.
- I've never thought about that could be possible.
- I think it's really important to me.
- Do you know what I've been doing lately?
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — una acción que empezó antes y continúa | you've been learning · you've actually been rewiring · i've been having |
| Present perfect have/has + participio pasado — una acción pasada que sigue importando ahora | you've even started · you've been · you've never even thought |
| Oraciones de relativo who / which + oración — información extra sobre una persona o cosa | person who teaches · people who start · someone who can |
| Voz pasiva be + participio pasado — importa lo que ocurre, no quién lo hace | are framed · can be structured · can be expressed |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 48 contracciones y formas reducidas, como you're, I'm, I've. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: conjugation /ˌkɑnd͡ʒəˈɡeɪʃən/, unconsciously /ˌʌnˈkɑnʃəsli/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, dementia /dɪˈmɛnʃə/, illusion /ɪˈl(j)uːʒ(ə)n/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: conjugation /ˌkɑnd͡ʒəˈɡeɪʃən/, unconsciously /ˌʌnˈkɑnʃəsli/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, curiosity /ˌkjʊɹ.iˈɑ.sə.ti/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- /v/ — no es /b/: los dientes tocan el labio inferior: verb /vɝb/, activate /ˈæktɪˌveɪt/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: translate /tɹænzˈleɪt/, squeeze /skwiːz/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Haz shadowing frase por frase a velocidad normal, repitiendo cada una hasta que tu ritmo coincida con el del hablante.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como neuroplasticity, verb, conjugation.
¿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.