Pratica di Shadowing: Rewrite Your Life with Positive English Habits | Growth Mindset English Podcast - Impara a parlare inglese con i video

What if the secret to like completely rewiring your entire personality was just hiding in plain sight?

Oh I love this.

Right and disguised as of all things a beginner's English lesson.

Yeah it really is the ultimate Trojan horse.

I mean you open it up thinking you're getting you know basic vocabulary and syntax.

Right like verb conjugations.

Exactly but tucked inside is this absolute master class on cognitive rewiring and habit building.

It's wild.

So welcome to another deep dive.

We are super thrilled you're here with us because today we are looking at just a really fascinating piece of source material.

Yeah, it's a great one today.

It's a transcript from a YouTube video by the Mr. English channel,

and it's titled Rewrite Your Mindset, Rewrite Your Life.

Which is a bold title for a language video.

Right.

But on the surface, it's hosted by two teachers,

Emily and Paul, and it's built for people who are,

you know, learning English.

Yeah, but the grammar is really just the delivery mechanism here.

The actual payload of this video is this deeply structured framework about resilience and like self-talk and psychological endurance.

Which is exactly why our mission today,

whether you're trying to learn a new language

or maybe prepping for a high-stakes corporate presentation or honestly just trying to navigate a genuinely exhausting week,

We want to crack open that wooden horse.

Dive right past the language basics.

Exactly.

We're bypassing the language stuff to extract the mindset tools hidden inside so you can just apply them immediately.

So, okay, let's unpack this.

Let's do it.

The foundation of everything Emily and Paul discuss really stems from this concept developed by psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck.

Right, focusing on how we view our own capacity to learn.

Yeah.

And they basically outlined two entirely different operating systems for the human brain.

Right.

And the first one is the fixed mindset.

Which is so common.

It's the default setting for a lot of people, honestly.

Yeah.

And it is highly restrictive.

Like if you're operating with a fixed mindset,

you fundamentally believe that your abilities,

your intelligence, your talents, they're just static.

Like they're carved in stone.

Exactly.

You're either a math person or you aren't.

You're either naturally gifted to public speaking or you are terrible at it and there's no in between.

And the danger there is really how it makes you process failure.

Because the video points out that if someone with a fixed mindset fails a test or,

you know, makes a dumb mistake in a meeting,

they don't just think, oh, I failed the test.

No, they internalize it completely.

Right.

The thought becomes, I am a failure.

I am not smart.

The mistake just sort of metastasizes into an identity.

And when failure becomes an identity,

your brain's natural self-preservation instinct is just to stop tricking.

I mean, why expend energy on a lost cause?

But they contrast this with the growth mindset.

And in this operating system,

you view your brain not as a finished product,

but, you know, as a muscle.

Something that can be exercised.

Yeah, you believe abilities can actually be developed through friction and hard work and continuous learning.

And to help switch from that fixed operating system to the growth one,

Emily and Paul offer this brilliantly simple tool.

And it is literally just one word.

Just one word.

Yet.

I love this so much.

Instead of saying, I can't speak English or like,

I can't figure out this new software,

you just say, I can't speak English yet.

What's fascinating here is the underlying cognitive mechanism triggered by that single syllable.

because when you tell yourself,

I can't do this, your brain's threat detection system flares up.

Totally shuts down.

Yeah, it registers a permanent deficit,

which spikes stress and just kills motivation.

Right.

But by appending the word yet to the end of your sentence,

you act as a cognitive circuit breaker.

Oh, a circuit breaker.

That's a great way to put it.

Yeah, you're basically signaling to your prefrontal cortex that this frustration is not a permanent flaw.

It's simply an active construction zone.

It's like it essentially tricks the brain into keeping the windows of neuroplasticity open.

You know, you're standing on the edge of a failure,

but yet just throws this rope across the canyon to a future state of success.

A linguistic suspension bridge.

Exactly.

It gives you an immediate hit of hope,

which then lowers your defensive barriers.

And lowering those biological defenses is so crucial because knowing that you can grow and actually executing that growth,

those are two very different challenges.

Oh, completely.

The video recognizes that ambition often just leads to burnout,

which is why they bring in the author James Clear

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and his concept of tiny habits to explain how we actually manage this process.

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Okay, here's where it gets really interesting for you listening right now.

102

Yeah.

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Because we live in an era of absolute information overload.

104

Oh, for sure.

105

You decide you want to learn a new skill and within 10 minutes you have like 50 browser tabs open.

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A stack of unread books.

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Yeah.

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And this paralyzing, crushing anxiety that you are already hopelessly behind.

109

But the math of the tiny habits concept completely neutralizes that anxiety.

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It really does.

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The video highlights this micro math.

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If you improve just 1% every day,

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the compound interest of that effort makes you 37 times better by the end of a single year.

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37 times.

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Right.

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They emphasize that you do not need to alter your entire life in one dramatic sweeping day.

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You just need to take incredibly small, faithful steps.

118

Exactly.

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It takes the pressure off.

120

Yeah.

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You don't need to conquer the mountain by noon.

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You just need to walk 1% further than you did yesterday.

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And if we connect this to the bigger picture,

124

we can see exactly why massive self-improvement resolutions usually fail by like mid-February.

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Oh yeah, the classic New Year's trap.

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Right, because we attempt these heroic overnight overhauls.

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We decide we're going to wake up at 4 a.m.,

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run five miles, and learn Mandarin all in one morning.

129

Which is exhausting just to think about.

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And that massive disruption triggers the brain's alarm bells.

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It literally feels like a threat to your stability.

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Ah, so the brain fights back.

133

Exactly.

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The genius of the 1% rule is that it slips completely under your brain's threat radar.

135

It removes the need for daily heroism,

136

and it makes success an inevitable byproduct of sheer consistency.

137

So, okay, if 1% daily improvement is the destination,

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how do we actually drive there?

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Yeah, how do we steer?

140

Right.

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And the video argues that the steering wheel is our vocabulary.

142

Yeah.

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The literal words we say in our own heads dictate our reality.

144

They walk through a really great example of reframing a challenging moment.

145

Imagine you're listening to something really complex and fast-paced.

146

Okay.

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A fixed mindset defaults to,

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this is too fast, I don't understand.

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And that phrase instantly floods the body with cortisol.

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You feel defensive and overwhelmed immediately.

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But they suggest taking that exact same scenario and consciously changing the internal dialogue to,

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this is a good challenge for my ears and I am learning new sounds today.

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Wow.

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Same audio, same speed, but an entirely different biological response.

155

Completely different.

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The first phrase makes you feel defeated,

157

but the second one frames you as a champion stepping into an arena.

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Right.

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You are shifting your nervous system from a threat response to a challenge response.

160

That's huge.

161

And they also talk about the power of shifting your temporal focus.

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because it is incredibly easy to become paralyzed by projecting all your current inadequacies into the future.

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Oh, I do that all the time,

164

just spiraling about next week.

165

We all do, but the strategy they suggest is pulling your focus entirely back to the present moment,

166

like the very next step.

167

Because the present moment is the only place where you actually possess the agency to,

168

you know, study or to smile or to just take a breath.

169

Exactly.

170

And the nuance of the vocabulary they teach is fascinating,

171

too, because it subtly alters how you view yourself.

172

Yeah, they compare casual phrases with formal ones,

173

which I found super interesting.

174

Me too.

175

For instance, casually you might say,

176

I changed my mind, which you might use when deciding you want tea instead of coffee.

177

But professionally they introduce the phrase,

178

I have reconsidered my position.

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Like, after reviewing the data,

180

I have reconsidered my position.

181

It sounds so analytical and deliberate it.

182

Because I changed my mind can sound a little flighty or erratic.

183

But reconsidered my position frames you as this thoughtful, data-driven professional.

184

It really just shows how the words you use literally construct your identity in real time.

185

They also explore phrases for fresh starts, right?

186

Yeah.

187

The basic version is, I want to start over,

188

which kind of implies throwing away a bad draft and grabbing a blank piece of paper.

189

Yeah, like you ruined it.

190

Exactly.

191

But the elevated idiomatic version they teach is I want to turn over a new leaf.

192

Which just carries so much more weight.

193

It doesn't just mean a clean slate.

194

It implies actively changing your behavior to become a better version of yourself.

195

Like deciding to prioritize your health after a long period of neglecting it.

196

Yeah.

197

And to really cement this,

198

the hosts in the video play this reframing game where they take common negative complaints and run them through this vocabulary filter.

199

I actually think we should try it.

200

Oh, let's do it.

201

Give me a classic fixed mindset complaint,

202

and I will try to use the growth reframes they mapped out in the transcript.

203

Oh, absolutely.

204

Okay, let's start with a really universal fear.

205

I am terrible at public speaking.

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I always get way too nervous.

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Okay, so using their framework,

208

the reframe is, public speaking is an opportunity for me to share my ideas,

209

and I'm learning to manage my energy.

210

Learning to manage my energy.

211

I love that.

212

It completely changes the vibe.

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It does, because it addresses the underlying biology.

214

Nervousness and excitement are physiologically identical.

215

sweat.

216

Right.

217

The only difference is the label your brain applies to the physical sensation.

218

Exactly.

219

So labeling it as energy to be managed turns a panic attack into a resource.

220

Okay, let's try another one.

221

Try this.

222

I don't have enough time to exercise.

223

My life is way too busy.

224

The reframe they suggest for that is,

225

I can find 10 minutes today to take care of my health because my body is important.

226

Wow.

227

They are totally dismantling that all or nothing fallacy.

228

Yeah, because the core thesis driving all of these examples is

229

that the words we use inside our own heads are the most influential words we will hear all day long.

230

I want to pause here,

231

though, because I know there is a skeptical listener out there whose warning lights are probably flashing.

232

Oh, for sure.

233

Because hearing phrases like manage my energy

234

and look at this as a good challenge can sound honestly dangerously close to toxic positivity.

235

Yeah, like life isn't just about fast audio or missed workouts.

236

sometimes life is marked by profound, inescapable sadness.

237

Yeah.

238

So does this framework just demand that we paste a smile over genuine pain?

239

That is such a crucial distinction,

240

and Emily and Paul do actually draw a clear line between a growth mindset and toxic positivity.

241

Okay, good.

242

Yeah.

243

The video explicitly states that having a healthy mindset does not mean suppressing your tears or pretending you never feel sad.

244

experiencing sadness is a fundamental requirement of being human.

245

So how does this framework process that sadness without like getting stuck in it?

246

They use this really beautiful storm analogy.

247

When a massive storm hits, it is real.

248

The rain is cold.

249

The sky is dark.

250

You can't just pretend it's not raining.

251

Exactly.

252

A resilient person doesn't pretend it's sunny.

253

They accept this storm, but they maintain the internal knowledge that the sun is still sitting behind those dark clouds.

254

Right.

255

So the internal dialogue becomes,

256

I am going through a really tough time right now,

257

but I know things will eventually get better.

258

I love that.

259

They actually describe resilience as bouncing back like a rubber ball dropped on the floor.

260

It hits the ground hard.

261

That impact is the very real pain,

262

the failure, the grief, but the kinetic energy of that impact is actually used to launch back up.

263

Now, to manage the mechanics of that impact,

264

the transcript does wade into some spiritual territory here.

265

Right.

266

I wanted to bring this up.

267

Yeah.

268

They present a specific framework for how to interrupt those negative spirals.

269

One of the hosts explains their personal strategy for when negative thoughts become overwhelming.

270

What do they do?

271

They force themselves to stop talking,

272

take a deep breath, and consciously remember the good things that God has given them.

273

Okay.

274

And they frame this as a way to actively control their thoughts rather than allowing their thoughts to dictate their reality.

275

And they describe this as living a Christian way,

276

focusing on loving yourself, be exceptionally patient with your mistakes,

277

and moving forward with grace.

278

Right.

279

And honestly, regardless of your personal theology or spiritual background,

280

the psychological utility they're describing is universally effective.

281

Oh, absolutely.

282

It's an active pattern interrupt.

283

Exactly.

284

It forces the brain to just halt a downward spiral and manually search for an anchor of gratitude.

285

This does raise an important question, though.

286

Admitting mistakes, actively looking for the bright side,

287

offering yourself grace when you fail,

288

these are incredibly vulnerable actions.

289

Yeah, they are.

290

How do we actually do this in practice, especially as adults?

291

It is so difficult because adults have spent,

292

you know, decades building up armor.

293

We construct these elaborate professional egos specifically so we don't look silly or incompetent in public.

294

But the video argues that to truly learn anything new,

295

whether that's mastering a foreign language or adopting a completely new emotional framework,

296

you have to be willing to dismantle that armor.

297

You have to become like a little child again.

298

Yeah.

299

A child doesn't feel a deep sense of existential embarrassment when they mispronounce a word or fall down.

300

They are simply trying to navigate the world.

301

They view every mistake not as a permanent scar on their reputation,

302

but just as data.

303

It's just proof that they are trying.

304

But adopting that mindset as an adult requires a staggering amount of humility.

305

It does require humility, but that humility unlocks massive cognitive freedom.

306

The moment you stop spending all your mental calories trying to protect your image,

307

you free up all that bandwidth to actually learn and absorb.

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And to bring this all the way down to earth for you,

309

the video doesn't just leave us floating in high-level psychological theory.

310

No, they get very practical.

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Yeah, they provide highly specific,

312

actionable routines to bookend your day,

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bridging the gap between this theory and,

314

like, your actual Tuesday morning.

315

Let's examine those morning rituals.

316

Paul has a strict rule for how he starts his day.

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Before he looks at a phone,

318

a computer, or any screen,

319

he sits quietly for five minutes.

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Just five minutes.

321

And during that time, he says thank you for three specific, incredibly simple things.

322

Not massive career achievements, right?

323

No, not at all.

324

Just the warmth of a cup of coffee,

325

the sound of the birds outside his window,

326

or the fact that he got a good night of sleep.

327

Think about the contrast there.

328

If you wake up, grab your phone,

329

and immediately check your work emails or the news,

330

you're throwing your brain straight into a deficit of stress and cortisol.

331

Instantly.

332

But Paul's five-minute routine intentionally boots up the brain in a state of abundance.

333

And there is hard neuroscience behind why that works.

334

Your brain cannot simultaneously process deep gratitude and acute anxiety.

335

Wait, really?

336

Yeah, the neural pathways are largely incompatible.

337

By forcing the brain to process gratitude for a cup of coffee,

338

fear and negativity biologically cannot occupy that same mental real estate.

339

That is amazing.

340

Now, Emily uses a different but equally fascinating routine.

341

Right, the mirror.

342

Yes.

343

She looks in the mirror and makes a positive declaration out loud,

344

saying something like, today is going to be a productive and joyful day.

345

And even Emily admits in the video that this feels a little ridiculous at first.

346

Oh, totally.

347

Talking to yourself in the mirror feels so cheesy.

348

But why does that physical act of speaking out loud actually change the impact?

349

Well, it creates an auditory feedback loop.

350

When you just think a positive thought,

351

it is relatively quiet in your neural circuitry.

352

Okay.

353

But when you speak it out loud,

354

you activate the motor cortex to form the words,

355

and your ears hear your own voice,

356

which activates your auditory processing centers.

357

Oh, wow.

358

Yeah, you are hitting your brain with the same message through multiple sensory pathways simultaneously,

359

which cements the belief much faster.

360

That makes so much sense.

361

And they don't just leave you hanging at the end of the day either.

362

Right.

363

They offer an evening routine to close the loop.

364

Before going to sleep, you are tasked with thinking about just one good thing that happened that day.

365

One small victory.

366

Even if the day was an objective disaster,

367

you force your brain to find one win.

368

Yeah, and the source actually uses a brilliant meta example here.

369

They point out that simply finishing an educational audio track like the one they are recording is a win-win situation.

370

Oh, I love that.

371

You win by improving your language skills and you win by feeding your mind positive, constructive thoughts.

372

A win-win.

373

So what does this all mean for us?

374

Well, we started by examining a Trojan horse,

375

a beginner's English vocabulary video that was secretly harboring deep psychological truths.

376

Right.

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And what we have unpacked is that whether you are trying to master a new language,

378

survive a brutal corporate restructuring,

379

or simply become a more patient partner,

380

your mindset is entirely malleable.

381

Your internal operating system is not fixed.

382

Right.

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It is actively shaped by the specific words you choose to use,

384

like deploying the word yet as a circuit breaker for your frustrations.

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And it is built through tiny 1% daily improvements that slip past your brain's fear response rather than massive, unsustainable overhauls.

386

And most importantly, it is sustained by the grace,

387

humility, and childlike patience you offer yourself when you inevitably stumble.

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Which brings me to a final thought I want to leave you with today.

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The video strongly argues that the act of learning a new language forces you to become like a child again.

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Right.

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It strips away your hardened adult ego

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and forces you to relearn how to talk to yourself with patience and kindness just to survive the learning process.

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Yeah, you have to.

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Which begs a really fascinating question.

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If learning a new language fundamentally alters your internal monologue,

396

does acquiring a second language actually give you a second personality?

397

Oh, that's interesting.

398

Right.

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And if that new language was learned through the lens of a growth mindset built on humility,

400

making mistakes, and bouncing back from failure,

401

might that new second personality actually be far more resilient,

402

forgiving, and courageous than your original one?

403

Wow.

404

Something to think about as you turn over a new leaf today.

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Thank you so much for joining us on this deep dive.

406

Thanks for listening.

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Stay curious, keep leaning into those 1% improvements,

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and we will talk to you next time.

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communicate

Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?

Shadowing è una tecnica di apprendimento delle lingue supportata da studi scientifici, originariamente sviluppata per la formazione dei traduttori professionisti e resa popolare dal poliglotta Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Il metodo è semplice ma potente: ascolti un audio in inglese di madrelingua e lo ripeti immediatamente ad alta voce — come un'ombra che segue il parlante con un ritardo di solo 1–2 secondi. A differenza dell'ascolto passivo o degli esercizi di grammatica, lo shadowing costringe il tuo cervello e i muscoli della bocca a elaborare e riprodurre simultaneamente i modelli di discorso reale. La ricerca dimostra che migliora significativamente la precisione della pronuncia, l'intonazione, il ritmo, il discorso connesso, la comprensione dell'ascolto e la fluidità del parlato — rendendolo uno dei metodi più efficaci per la preparazione alla prova di speaking dell'IELTS e per la comunicazione reale in inglese.

Pratica di Shadowing: Rewrite Your Life with Positive English Habits | Growth Mindset English Podcast - Impara a parlare inglese con i video

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Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?