Pratique du Shadowing: The art and science of failing well - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

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Whenever somebody turns a failure into success, something really interesting has happened, and we should be asking ourselves how and why.
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We find it really hard to separate the idea that, “yeah, I made a mistake, I failed, I did something wrong”, with the idea that, “I am a failure”.
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There's no way that people can learn without failing.
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Think of some of the heroes of our day, they've made enormous number of mistakes.
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It's through failure, that we can enjoy deep learning, become more resilient and stronger.
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And if you look at the life of any successful person, they've always had major, as well as minor failures.
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I don't like failure. I think it sucks.
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It's a terrible thing. I wish it wasn't necessary, but I can't figure out any other way for people to learn how to do most things, but to sort of screw up enough until the point where they get better at it.
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When I think about failure, there's three general sorts of responses that emerge from both the management, literature in practice.
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The first one is what I call “the forgive and forget” approach.
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And the problem with “forgive and forget” is there's like no accountability and there's no learning.
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The second approach is what I call the “Silicon Valley standard”.
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This is remember, blame, stigmatize, ostracize and humiliate.
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And the problem with that is that when you sort of humiliate people or put them down when they fail, then they're afraid to admit mistakes, and the whole world turns into a cover your ass sort of game, so no learning occurs.
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And the way that the most effective organizations, and in fact, if you look at research on hospitals that learn from medical mistakes, this is sort of the mantra they sometimes use.
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It's to “forgive and remember”.
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So you forgive to have some psychological safety.
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And you remember so that you can learn from your own mistakes and other people's mistakes.
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Anyone has the right to fail.
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I experience my downs.
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I experience hardships and difficulties just like anyone else does.
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And what positive psychology does, is give one tools to overcome this.
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Positive psychology essentially focuses on what works.
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When we focus on people’s strengths, when we cultivate their happiness, we're actually indirectly also helping them deal with hardships and difficulties.
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The first thing that an organization needs to do is to give space for people to fail.
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It needs to identify the areas where failure is not traumatic or terrible.
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To also consider giving people recovery space.
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And this is necessary. That's part of creativity.
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It’s no coincidence that the word “creation” and “recreation” are etymologically linked.
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Because we need to recreate if we want to create.
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These recovery periods in the long term actually contribute to creativity, productivity, as well as happiness.
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All of us are at risk of cognitive dissonance in a small way whenever we make a mistake.
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Particularly a mistake on something that's important to us.
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When we've invested our reputation, when we put money into it, when we put time into it, that is when we are most at risk because our self-image is under threat.
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We find it really hard to separate the idea that, “yeah, I made a mistake, I failed, I did something wrong”, with the idea that, “I am a failure”.
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“I am the kind of person who makes mistakes, who gets things wrong”.
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The first step in responding in a constructive way when you've made a mistake is to separate yourself from the mistake.
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To understand, you can be a person who made a mistake.
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That does not make you a person who will always make mistakes.
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Then you'll be able to admit you got something wrong and start to, in a mature and forward thinking way, think about how to fix it.
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Since failure is around every corner, we're always making mistakes, if we try to do something interesting, we're going to be making mistakes.
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So whenever you're trying a new experiment, whether it's a new job, a new product, a new hobby, a new boyfriend or girlfriend, whatever it is, you need to give some thought to what you're going to do if it doesn't work out, and how to minimize the downside, as well as taking advantage of the upside.
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The next thing is to have some sort of feedback mechanism that tells you whether things are going well, or not going well.
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Tells you whether you're succeeding or failing.
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Often it's simply a case of asking yourself what the markers for success might be.
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Or even simpler than that, just asking someone you can trust, to give you a straight opinion.
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It can be remarkably hard to get people to give you an honest and constructive opinion, but that's absolutely essential.
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You may not always get responses, but that's the kind of feedback that you need if you're going to fix your own mistakes.
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Thomas Edison has patented 1,093 inventions, more than any other scientist inventor in history.
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He's also the scientist as far as we know, who has failed the most times.
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When Edison was working on the battery, an interviewer came over and said to him, “Edison, you have failed a thousand times. Give it up.” To which Edison responded, “I haven't failed a thousand times.
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I've succeeded a thousand times.
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I've succeeded in showing what doesn't work.” Edison also famously said, “I failed my way to success.” One of the mantras that I repeat over and over again to myself, to my students is, “learn to fail or fail to learn.” I tell them that I wish them that they fail more.
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And I truly, sincerely mean it.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video titled "The art and science of failing well" presents a unique perspective on failure and success, making it an excellent choice for English learners looking to enhance their speaking skills. Engaging with this material not only improves vocabulary but also encourages critical thinking about personal experiences. By utilizing the shadowing technique, learners can practice their pronunciation and intonation, mimicking the speaker's tone and pace. This method allows for real-time feedback as students can compare their speech with the video's original audio, providing a deeper understanding of the language.

Furthermore, discussing the video’s themes—such as resilience, psychological safety, and the learning process through failure—opens doors for meaningful conversations. This context encourages learners to articulate their thoughts, enhancing their language skills while fostering a constructive mindset. So, gather your thoughts on failure and success and start practicing your shadow speech with this insightful resource.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several key structures and expressions stand out, beneficial for English learners to practice:

  • "I experience my downs." – This idiomatic expression reveals how individuals encounter challenges, making it relatable and conversational.
  • "We find it really hard to separate." – The use of present tense indicates ongoing struggles, perfect for discussing feelings and reflections.
  • "Anyone has the right to fail." – A straightforward structure that emphasizes inclusivity and normalizes failure, encouraging learners to express personal views related to social themes.
  • "It’s no coincidence that the word 'creation' and 'recreation' are linked." – This showcases a comparative structure, useful for learners to practice connecting ideas logically.

Utilizing these phrases during speaking exercises can help build confidence, particularly when using the shadowspeaks strategy, which encourages natural language flow while shadowing the speaker.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When practicing with this video, English learners may encounter some pronunciation challenges, key to watch for include:

  • "fail" and "failure" – The short vowel sounds can be tricky; practice elongating the "ai" to ensure clarity.
  • "humiliate" – This word may present challenges due to its stress pattern. Emphasizing the 'u' sound can help prevent common mispronunciations.
  • "accountability" – Learners should pay careful attention to the syllable distribution, ensuring each syllable is pronounced distinctly.

Focusing on these tricky words while implementing the shadowing technique will enhance pronunciation skills, as learners mimic the speaker's original articulation and rhythm seamlessly. Incorporate these elements into your practice to strengthen your overall speaking proficiency.

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.