Shadowing Practice: How to wake up feeling refreshed » 3 essentials - Learn English Speaking with Video
Les maken...
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Hello, my name is Izzy.
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I'm a medical student at Cambridge University, currently on a gap year, learning Mandarin and also working with a health tech startup.
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Waking up feeling tired is something that almost all of us experience from time to time.
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In this video I'm going to share with you three things
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that help me wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy every day.
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If you'd like to skip ahead, these three things are light, water and mindfulness.
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Ever since I was old enough to be in charge of my own sleeping habits, I have been a night owl.
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I was that stereotypical teenager who would stay up late and then wake up at noon if I were given the choice.
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This means that mornings have always been a bit of a struggle for me.
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You know that feeling when your alarm goes off
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but your bed feels so comfortable and amazing and so warm
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and the last thing you want to do is step out of your bed.
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Then I would often end up repeatedly hitting snooze and
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when I finally did negotiate myself out of bed I would feel groggy and just awful.
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As a medical student I have had to get used to waking up much much earlier than my natural preference.
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Here are three things that have been genuinely invaluable to helping me wake up earlier still feeling refreshed and alert.
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Firstly my light alarm.
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Light is key to setting our body clock and can also help us to wake up more gently than a sound alarm.
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Back when I was still using sound alarms on my phone
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I would often find myself being rudely awakened and then just immediately hitting snooze, as my body didn't have time to adjust to being awake.
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Ever since using light alarms, I only ever use sound alarms as a backup option.
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For example, if I have an exam the next day, then I'll always set an extra alarm just in case my first one doesn't go off.
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I used to use the Lumi body clock starter, but then I upgraded to the Philips Somnio wake-up light,
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which I've been using daily for the last two years and absolutely love and rely on.
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There are four things I really like about the Somnio.
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Firstly the light alarms simulated sunrise can go quite bright
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and definitely wakes me up in the morning without need for any sound alarm at all.
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You can also set how rapidly you want the Sun to rise
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and also how bright
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and you can even use it as a lamp at any time by just turning on the lamp option like so.
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Oops, I just realised it's been out of shot.
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There's lots of options for gentle sound effects such as birdsong or rain.
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Along with working as an alarm, it can also provide a simulated sunset,
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which is where it gradually dims down over time, down to nothing.
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And often I'll put this on in the background
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while I'm just listening to an audiobook or doing a meditation just before bed so that's a really nice way to relax.
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And finally I think it's quite aesthetic.
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I quite enjoy this sort of space-age doughnut shaped light and yeah so that's why I love the Philips Somnio.
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Having a light alarm helps me to take control of my own circadian rhythm, my own body clock, but a free option which anyone can access is sunlight.
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So obviously this is a bit limited by
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daytime and nighttime but if you wake up in the morning
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and first thing you open your curtains
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and let in a lot of bright light that will do a similar trick in terms of setting your body clock.
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My second favorite thing in the mornings to help me feel alert and refreshed is actually water.
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Around two years ago I decided to start a habit of
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drinking at least a cup of water every single morning as soon as I woke up.
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In Atomic Habits, which is a really good book by the way I highly recommend you check it out,
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James Clear talks about how environment can be a very powerful driver of habit formation and maintenance.
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So every night before bed, I refill my trusty water bottle with 500 millilitres of freshly filtered water and I just pop it by my bedside.
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And this means
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that as soon as I wake up from my light alarm I can just casually reach over
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and very easily down 500ml of pretty tasty filtered water first thing in the morning.
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And I found this really helps me to stay alert, hydrated and wake up in the morning.
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And also it means that I don't get
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so many headaches in the day
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because I feel like I start of the day already with 500ml of water
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so I'd highly recommend trying out drinking water first thing in the morning.
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The water bottle I use is a basic one from Amazon, it's pretty old now as I've used it for two years,
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which is the two years I've had this habit for and it's called the Iron 8 Leak Proof.
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The reason why I like this one in particular so much is
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because it has a small hole in the top of it just here
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and this means that it has a very smooth flow of water
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and without any of that annoying glugging that you get with bottles
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that don't have that small hole in the top to let the air in.
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Thirdly is my Zafu, or my meditation cushion.
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This is a buckwheat filled meditation cushion in colour zen black of course
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and I have popped this in the corner of my room just next to my bookshelf
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and whenever I see it it reminds me to meditate every morning and night.
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I've been meditating for around two years by now and it's honestly become something I enjoy so much.
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I think that feeling of calm and a peaceful quality of mind is just irreplaceable
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and I would highly recommend it if you haven't tried it before.
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Building mindfulness into my routine, including yoga and meditation, really helps me to wake up feeling fresh in three ways.
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Firstly, it gives me something to actively look forward to in the morning.
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This means that when I wake up early, I know the first activities I'm going to be doing are self-care activities
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that I actively enjoy and will help me to have a great day ahead.
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And this makes it so much easier to convince myself to get out of bed and feel excited for the day.
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Secondly meditation also helps me fall asleep faster at night by learning how to calm my mind
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and slow down racing thoughts this means that even after a packed day
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when I go to bed and I do my meditation before bed I can slow down those busy thoughts.
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Thirdly it also gives me a nighttime routine to look forward to and help me wind down before going to bed.
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As a reformed night owl I can very easily stay up past my bedtime
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and just do absolute nonsense into I don't know the very early hours of the morning
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but by having a nighttime routine
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that I actually look forward to including things like meditation I can more easily convince myself
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or tempt myself into thinking oh
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if I go to bed now then I get to do my evening routine
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and I quite like my evening routine why don't I go bed now.
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After a busy day of course meditation also helps to cultivate a peaceful quality of mind which is perfect for falling asleep.
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So those are three things that really help me to wake up feeling fresh every day.
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So light, water and mindfulness.
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I really hope these tips have been interesting or helpful in some way.
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Let me know in the comments whether you've tried any of these and if they worked for you.
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Thank you so much for watching if you've made it this far.
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If you enjoyed this video then please do check out some of my other ones they'll be around similar topics, on how to live a healthier and happier life and I'll see you soon.
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Thank you.
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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les
Deze spreekles op niveau B1 is gebaseerd op de video “How to wake up feeling refreshed » 3 essentials”. Deze woorden komen het vaakst terug: alarm, wake, bed, meditation, feeling. Deze video bevat 95 zinnen en 1394 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 7:59. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 175 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. Slechts 81% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden, dus de woordenschat is pittig.
Belangrijke woorden in deze video
De 15 moeilijkste woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| alarm zelfstandig naamwoord | /əˈlɑɹm/ | alarmkreet |
| meditation zelfstandig naamwoord | /mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/ | meditatie, overpeinzing |
| habit zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈhæb.ɪt/ | gewoonte |
| refresh werkwoord | /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ/ | verfrissen |
| firstly bijwoord | /ˈfɜɹstli/ | ten eerste |
| meditate werkwoord | /ˈmɛ.dɪˌteɪt/ | mediteren |
| snooze werkwoord | /snuz/ | doezelen |
| cushion zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈkʊʃən/ | kussen |
| lamp zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈlæ̝mp/ | lamp |
| convince werkwoord | /kənˈvɪns/ | overtuigen |
| filter zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈfɪltɚ/ | filter |
| audiobook zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈɔdi.oʊbʊk/ | luisterboek |
| awaken werkwoord | /əˈweɪkən/ | wekken, wakker maken |
| birdsong zelfstandig naamwoord | vogelzang | |
| bookshelf zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf/ | boekenkast |
Phrasal verbs die je zult horen
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| wake up werkwoord | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | wakker worden, ontwaken |
| look forward to werkwoord | uitkijken naar, zich verheugen op | |
| go off werkwoord | afgaan | |
| slow down werkwoord | afremmen | |
| stay up werkwoord | opblijven | |
| check out werkwoord | onderzoeken | |
| end up werkwoord | belanden, terechtkomen | |
| try out werkwoord | uitproberen |
Grammatica in deze video
De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:
| Structuur | In de video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — iets dat eerder begon en nog bezig is | I've been using · I've been meditating · have been interesting |
| Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt | have been · have always been · have popped |
| Betrekkelijke bijzinnen who / which + zin — extra informatie over een persoon of ding | Habits, which is · mind which is |
| Vergrotende trap -er than / more … than — twee dingen vergelijken | earlier than · more gently than |
Uitspraak om op te letten
De spreker gebruikt 23 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals don't, I'm, I've. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.
- De “th”-klanken: thirdly /ˈθɚdli/, aesthetic /ɛsˈθɛ.tɪk/, rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/
- De klanken “sh” en “zh”: meditation /mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/, refresh /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ/, cushion /ˈkʊʃən/, bookshelf /ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf/, freshly /ˈfɹɛʃli/
- Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: audiobook /ˈɔdi.oʊbʊk/, circadian /sɚˈkeɪ.di.ən/, irreplaceable /ˌɪə.ɹəˈpleɪ.sə.bəl/, stereotypical /ˌstɛɹ.iː.əˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/, invaluable /ɪnˈvælju(ə)bl̩/
Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:
- Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: snooze /snuz/, bedside /ˈbɛdˌsaɪd/, sunrise /ˈsʌnɹaɪz/, upgrade /əpˈɡɹeɪd/
- /æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/, lamp /ˈlæ̝mp/, actively /ˈæktɪvli/, invaluable /ɪnˈvælju(ə)bl̩/, casually /ˈkæʒuəli/
- /g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: groggy /ˈɡɹɑ.ɡi/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, yoga /ˈjoʊ.ɡə/, gradually /ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəli/, upgrade /əpˈɡɹeɪd/
Zo oefen je met deze video
- Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
- Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
- Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als alarm, meditation, habit.
Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?
Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.