Pratique du Shadowing: Let me help you quit mindless consumerism (and reclaim your life!) - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo
Création de la leçon...
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This used to be money in your bank account.
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This used to be your time, spent in an office away from your friends, family and fur babies.
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This used to be your energy, putting in numbers on a spreadsheet and preparing for meetings that you dread.
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All exchanged for stuff, most of which will end up in a landfill somewhere in the world.
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I think it's easy to justify our consumerist habits because we have to work anyways, so might as well treat ourselves a little.
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But at some point, the narrative gets flipped.
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Mindless consumerism becomes the very reason we have to keep working.
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I'm speaking as someone who got stuck in that consumerist cycle, until I began to see through the facade.
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dopamine hit doesn't last, most stuff will eventually become clutter.
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And meanwhile, I was looking for ways to earn more to keep the cycle going.
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I knew something had to change, and the very first step I knew had to do was to quit mindless consumerism.
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If you feel overwhelmed by the constant pressure to buy, by the noise, the trends, lifestyle inflation, and the feeling that you're never quite enough,
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this video might be the encouragement you need to quit consumerism for good.
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No matter what stage of life you're in, there's this underlying social pressure to live a certain lifestyle.
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We see that our co-workers are taking vacations to exotic places.
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Our peers are buying properties, upscaling their businesses, and buying new toys.
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And it influences us to think, maybe I should be doing that too.
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But I notice that most of the time, that isn't even what we want, it's what we think we want.
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The image of what success and happiness looks like pushes us to spend more than what we have, upgrade what we don't need to,
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and build a life that doesn't necessarily align with our priorities and happiness.
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When you really slow down and ask yourself, what do I actually want?
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The answer can be surprisingly simple.
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I know I don't have the latest and the coolest wardrobe, and I don't have a brand new house with brand new furniture.
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I don't take luxurious vacations multiple times a year, but I do have control over my own time, and that will always be worth the trade-off for me.
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And I feel like not enough people talk about it, but it really is a trade-off.
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You can either have the really nice things, or you can have your freedom.
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And if you choose the latter, I feel like sometimes people will not understand you
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and they might not agree with your decisions
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because in our society somehow not chasing the material riches you
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become the weird one i feel like instead of running away
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from this feeling of fomo we should fully lean into it
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and when we do we actually understand
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that this missing out is freedom freedom to use your time energy money and the way that adds value to you
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if you guys have watched the documentary buy now they talk
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about how businesses intentionally design products to have a limited lifespan
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and if you guys are my age
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or older you have probably witnessed this in real time the same things
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that we used to buy are now lesser in quality yet
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more expensive somehow it is unfortunate to see the direction
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that it's headed
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but in another sense i feel like it's more of an incentive to be even more intentional with our purchases
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because there are fewer things worth investing in i feel like
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we should all have very high standards for the things
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that we buy for example
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if i'm in the market to buy a brand new piece
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of clothing i don't want to spend my hard-earned money on synthetic materials my goal is to have a wardrobe
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that i slowly curate over the years full of materials that are cotton linen wool,
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silk, anything natural because it's better for my body and better for my washing machine.
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I feel like it's really good to get into the habit
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of looking at the label instead of just looking at the brand.
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Well I feel like we should all set very high standards for the things that we bring into our lives, not just clothing.
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It's a form of self-respect saying that we deserve the best
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and having very specific requirements will just naturally filter out what we buy and how often we buy.
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So let me know one high shopping standard that you're setting for yourself moving forward in 2026.
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If you notice that you get a dopamine rush from scrolling online, keeping a lot of tabs open,
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browsing the aisles, or just waiting for packages to arrive, pause for a moment and ask yourself, what in my life actually needs attention right now?
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A way that I've been creating that pause in my own life is with mindful apps like Headspace, who is kindly sponsoring today's video.
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Headspace is an everyday guide to mental well-being.
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Using it even five minutes a day can support your mental health, reduce stress, and start creating real lasting change.
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When I'm short on time, I love using the one minute cleansing breath guide.
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The simple visuals on the screen makes me put down whatever I'm doing and pull all all my focus onto my breath.
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Hi, and welcome back to the Sunday Scaries.
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Also, I love doing the reset meditation.
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I love that I can choose the duration.
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To me, it's also important to choose a meditation guide whose voice I find soothing and comforting.
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We often think that we need to set aside a portion of the day to dedicate to mindfulness, but I think that often hinders us from taking advantage of the in-between moments.
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If you want to set the foundation for a mindful year ahead, you can try Headspace entirely free for 60 days,
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by using my link in the description box or by scanning the QR code on the screen.
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It's two full months of free access compared to the standard two-week trial available on their site.
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Thank you so much to Headspace for sponsoring this video.
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I think I mentioned this a couple of times in my previous videos, but I used to shop so much out of boredom.
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I had a job that I actually enjoyed
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and I was getting a paycheck every other week and then it felt like, now what?
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At least the dopamine hit from online shopping was something to look forward to.
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And I feel like the biggest shift happened once I realized that this life wasn't truly fulfilling for me.
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And if I'm smart with my money, I could design the life that I actually wanted.
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And when I was working towards achieving that lifestyle, I noticed that shopping started to matter a lot less for me.
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I replaced that dopamine hit of buying new things constantly with real estate projects and creating these videos for YouTube,
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trying out new recipes, and infinite other things that I feel like was so much more fulfilling than just shopping,
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returning, packaging, decluttering, this whole cycle that I was on.
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When we feel stuck in a life that no longer fits, we often look for excitement outside of it our consumption habits can be a signal that something needs to change.
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In our modern world, the conveniences technology offers us have come at the cost of connection.
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Instead of leaning on community or sharing responsibilities, we buy solutions like childcare, food delivery, fitness classes, entertainment.
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And to pay for it all, we end up working longer hours and we have to earn more.
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The issue isn't convenience itself, it's that slowly over time, it starts to isolate us.
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Not only from other people, but from our own lives.
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Creation on the other hand, I feel like it has the opposite effect.
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When we cook together, build something with our hands, grow a garden and cook from scratch, we feel connected to something bigger than ourselves.
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And we learn valuable life lessons along the way.
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This is something that my husband and I ask ourselves all the time.
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we do it ourselves?
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And so we wear many hats around here.
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We are our own landscaper, hairdresser, fitness instructor dog groomer personal chef
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and sometimes we do ask for help from our neighbors
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or our family members
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but most of the time we try to tackle it on
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our own first i feel like we're doing it together
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so it's a lot of fun and second it's like we're saving money
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and we get to learn at the same time a lot of the furniture pieces in our house
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that you see is actually made from my husband
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and every time he looks at it he can be really proud of his work i know
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that outsourcing is very helpful for busy people for parents
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and i know that not everyone has flexibility in their work hours
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but the point isn't about doing everything yourself it's about reconsidering what you truly need to pay for
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and what you can handle on your own and also not seeing it as labor but as an act of love
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so my sister came to visit me during christmas this year
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and we had a little staycation
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and a really nice hotel we don't do this very often
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but it was also off season so things were very affordable
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which was awesome you know it was really worth every single penny to spend this quality time
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and have this experience with my sister
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and i was thinking to myself i totally get the appeal why people spend money to do this
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and i'm sure that the same goes for flying business class
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and staying in five-star hotels eating at michelin stars
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and wearing designer clothes
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and only shopping at organic grocery stores all these finest things in life i'm sure that there are all really nice experiences,
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but I feel like it's not necessary to live a really good life.
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I truly believe that there are a few better things in life than the first cup of coffee in the morning.
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Wearing your favorite jeans right out of the dryer, hearing your favorite song on the radio, getting into clean sheets after taking a shower,
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taking that first bite of your comfort food.
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The things I used to overlook in the pursuit of a better life is what made my life rich all along.
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Sure, sprinkle in some nice things here and there, meaningful experiences like the staycation with my sister, but my happiness won't depend on it.
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If we can get our mindless spending under control and we start needing less to be content, we can finally have the space and time to design a life that we actually want.
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I wish that for all of us, because more than anything, that's what we truly deserve.
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Thank you again to Headspace for sponsoring this video.
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Don't forget to check out the description box, or you can scan the QR code on the screen for two full months of free access.
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Thank you guys for watching, and talk to you soon.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice speaking English by listening to a powerful message about consumerism and personal freedom. By engaging with the video's content, you will develop skills in comprehension, pronunciation, and vocabulary that are relevant to everyday conversations. As you learn English with YouTube, you will discover how to express your thoughts about consumer habits and gain insights into shifting societal pressures around spending. This lesson also targets IELTS speaking practice through discussion of real-life concepts that can enhance your fluency and confidence.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Mindless consumerism - the act of buying goods without thoughtfulness or intention.
- Dopamine hit - the feeling of pleasure one receives from new purchases, often short-lived.
- Trade-off - a balance that must be struck between two factors, where gaining one may lead to losing another.
- FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) - anxiety about missing out on rewarding experiences, often leading to unnecessary spending.
- Intentional purchases - buying items with a clear purpose and value in mind.
- Curation - the careful selection and organization of items, such as clothing within a wardrobe.
- Natural materials - substances like cotton, wool, and silk that are environmentally friendly and healthier for personal use.
Practice Tips
To effectively utilize this lesson for your English improvement, follow these practice tips. First, use a shadowing app to listen to the video multiple times, mimicking the speaker's intonation and pacing, which helps reinforce your pronunciation. The speaker’s tone is conversational, yet deliberate; practice speaking along with them to internalize their rhythm.
Next, engage in shadowspeak by pausing the video at key points, repeating what was just said before moving on. This technique helps you focus on articulation and can enhance your fluency over time.
Also, consider discussing the video’s main themes with a friend or language partner. This will not only prepare you for IELTS speaking practice scenarios but also build your confidence in discussing complex topics in English.
Finally, record yourself summarizing the video’s message and your personal opinion on consumerism. Listening to your recording will allow you to evaluate your progress in clarity and vocabulary usage. With consistent practice through these methods, you will gain greater mastery over not just speaking but thinking in English.
Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?
Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.