Shadowing Practice: ways to feel a little better - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hi there and welcome to the annual worst month of my life.

Old jokes aside, there has been an unexplained pattern of September being a hard month for me every single year.

We're officially moving into the second week of September 2026 and so far it hasn't been too bad.

I only really coined this speculation last September and

so perhaps this year I've been a little bit cautious even as we approach September.

With that caution, I've put together a little list of things

that I like to do to feel a little bit better

number one is to create an achievable routine for yourself emphasis on achievable this could consist of one two

or three things mine currently includes getting out of bed going downstairs to make a cup of matcha for myself

and then eventually

when i feel like i'm able to going back upstairs to wash my face it sounds stupidly simple

but it's definitely a lot harder

when you're not having the best day your achievable routine can

genuinely just be getting yourself out of bed putting on a pair of pants

and going downstairs to sit on your couch

or moving off your couch going upstairs

and putting on a change of clothes whatever it is get to know what is achievable for you

when we're in a productive mood

or just in a better mood i feel like we're definitely

more easily able to cross things off our list with this

achievable list you're not putting too much strain on your mental

or physical health and still get to feel like you've done something really really huge

that day my achievable routine also helps me just get a to start to my day.

I'm able to rely on this familiarity to support my nervous system as it exits.

Lots of heavy feelings.

And I try my best to not punish myself

if I'm only able to complete half or one item on the list

or on the days where I get a later start on my routine.

Number two is to put on something familiar.

This could be a song, a full album, a movie, a comfort TV show i usually have my morning playlist playing

in the background as i get ready going through my achievable

routine on days where i need the extra help i put on my favorite movie

or tv show

that i've literally seen a thousand times the focus is more

sonic than other senses the purpose is to have something comforting

to sort of ease your way through activities the sonic aspect really calms your your nervous system down.

Sometimes after or even before I go through my achieve routine, I have something called floor time.

My roommate Laurel and I used to do this all the time.

We're not feeling super great or just need a little bit of a reset.

We'll put on a really good song and just lie on the floor and allow ourselves to melt into the song.

There were also other days where we would put blankets over our head and just sort of bop around the living room.

Again, we're not talking.

We're not even necessarily singing to the song.

It's just to calm our nervous system.

When we're feeling a little bit more I guess energetic

which literally shake it all out of our system

and I'll be honest there have been weeks where I'll have the same movie playing on repeat over and over again.

I know how the song goes, I know what happens at the end of the movie

and I don't have to have my guards up in anticipation for something unfamiliar.

I just have something familiar and reliable there to support me as I move forward.

The third thing that often helps me feel a little bit better is something

that I touched on in my recent notebook video.

It's to make a list of all the things that you've ever done at the top of your head.

These are positive things or achievements as some people call them.

It can be from today, yesterday, the whole year, or in the entirety of your life.

It can be big things or small tasks just to practice of looking back

and realizing how capable you are and how much potential you still hold, how great you are.

It can seem a little bit self-centered, braggy, but everybody deserves a little pat on the back, especially when you're not feeling your best.

You can take it one step further and keep the list around to reread when you need it.

I know some people who make it into a little script that I have on their phone.

They take out the script to reread before a date, a big meeting, an event they're hosting.

I haven't necessarily had to practice that, but I love leaving myself little post-it notes around, whether it's right in front of my computer.

I used to have some of my bathroom mirror to see when I'm putting on my makeup.

Places that are visible that you frequent a lot.

Another good one can be the inside of your coffee cupboard.

So every time you open it to get your coffee beans, you have a little reminder greeting you.

I'm always scared that I sound so full of myself

when I suggest this as a practice but just try it out

and let me know

if it helps you to create more than you consume just make something even

if it's kind of bad this could be a video diary cooking something baking something a little craft going outside

and doing some gardening staying inside and doing some reflective journaling

or even creating a catalog of the outfits

that you're going to wear for the next week whatever medium it is try going inward

and seeing what it is

that you have to say rather than what other people are

saying seeing what you're able to create instead of comparing yourself to what other people are making

and if this is a practice

that you already have under your belt change your medium allow yourself to stretch

and look from a different perspective see what other formats you're capable of you might just surprise yourself

and maybe feel even a little bit better now we're moving

into sort of like the adventurous tier ideal task to get

yourself to feel better purging your space we're getting adventurous

but not crazy so just pick one area of your life

that chair in the corner of your room with all the clothes you have

and haven't worn have and haven't washed the food in

that one area of your pantry

that you know you haven't touched in months the pile of

books you need to return to library the box of recycling

your garage the idea is to allow yourself to just let

go literally let go of physical areas in your life

that are causing you stress

that are weighing you down again choose one area this could even be the tail end of the previous point

that i mentioned after you garden clean up the space

and throw out the trash whatever version that makes you feel a little lighter, a little better, and if none of these things feel like they are achievable for you just yet,

sometimes it's actually most helpful to just accept that this is how you're feeling right now.

Allow yourself to sit with it.

Sit with yourself.

Allow yourself to do absolutely nothing.

100

Not being on your phone, watching a movie, not even reading your favorite book.

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You could make yourself a cup of tea or wrap yourself in a blanket or just sit completely starfish on the couch.

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Whatever configuration you choose, be with where you're at and who you are right now.

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I'll be honest, most Septembers do start like that for me.

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Or I'm three points into this list and then gravitate to just sitting still by myself in absolute silence.

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We're not feeling our best and that's okay.

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There's literally no point in beating ourselves up over it.

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It doesn't help even intellectualizing how we're feeling.

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I've learned that I just need to let myself be a little sad before I get a little better.

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I have three bonus points.

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Get off your phone, just do it.

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Put it in another room.

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Put it away.

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Go for a walk somewhere you know really well

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or completely new with or without music or a podcast accompanying you but preferably by yourself.

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And lastly, have something to eat or drink without any distractions.

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Whenever I'm feeling up, I always think of

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that reel where one kid is crying and the other kid's just looking and he's like, have you taken a nap today?

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Well, you need one.

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And sometimes the most basic physical self-care is what we need.

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And give yourself a hug even when you don't think you need one.

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I hope your september and 2026 have been kind so far

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if not or even

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if they have been I hope you found this video helpful

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this year I found the most help from purging my space

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been clearing out a lot of my closet I always know

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that once I get through september I am in the best mood possible for the rest of the year

127

because of the cold weather I have a couple of exciting videos coming up

128

so stay tuned for those and I'll talk to you soon bye Thank you.

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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze spreekles op niveau B1 is gebaseerd op de video “ways to feel a little better”. Deze woorden komen het vaakst terug: achievable, feeling, september, routine. Deze video bevat 128 zinnen en 1603 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 7:19. De spreker praat snel, ongeveer 219 woorden per minuut, dus reken op verbonden en ingeslikte klanken. 84% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

De 15 moeilijkste woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
achievable bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/əˈt͡ʃivəbəl/	haalbaar, haalbare
couch zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈkaʊ̯t͡ʃ/	bank, sofa
adventurous bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ædˈvɛn.t͡ʃɚ.əs/	avontuurlijk, ondernemend
reread werkwoord	/ɹiːˈɹiːd/	herlezen
purge werkwoord	/pɜɹd͡ʒ/	zuiveren, louteren
downstairs bijwoord	/daʊnˈstɛɹz/	beneden
upstairs bijwoord	/ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/	boven
sonic bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ˈsɑnɪk/	sonisch, geluids-
cloth zelfstandig naamwoord	/klɒθ/	doek, kleed
blanket zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈblæŋ.kɪt/	deken
cupboard zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈkʌb.əd/	keukenkast
excite werkwoord	/ɪkˈsaɪt/	prikkelen, opwinden
pantry zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈpæntɹi/	voorraadkamer, bijkeuken
recycle werkwoord	/ɹəˈsaɪkəl/	recycleren, recyclen
starfish zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/	zeester

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

Woord	Betekenis
clean up werkwoord	schoonmaken
get off werkwoord	van ... afgaan
go back werkwoord	teruggaan
look back werkwoord	achterom kijken, terugkijken

Zinnen om te herhalen

Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:

We're not even necessarily singing to the song.
It's just to calm our nervous system.
We're not feeling our best and that's okay.
It doesn't help even intellectualizing how we're feeling.

Grammatica in deze video

De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:

Structuur	In de video
“Used to” used to + werkwoord — een vroegere gewoonte of toestand die niet meer klopt	used to do · used to have
Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt	has been · hasn't been · I've been
Overtreffende trap the -est / the most … — het hoogste of laagste van een groep	the best · my best · your best
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — iets dat nu of in deze periode gebeurt	you're not having · you're not putting · we're not talking

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 46 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals we're, you're, I'm. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

De klanken “sh” en “zh”: starfish /ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/, distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/, cautious /ˈkɔːʃəs/, punish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/
Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: achievable /əˈt͡ʃivəbəl/, adventurous /ædˈvɛn.t͡ʃɚ.əs/, familiarity /fəmɪliˈæɹɪti/, intellectualize /ɪntəˈlɛkt͡ʃuəlaɪz/, unfamiliar /ˌʌnfəˈmɪli.ə(ɹ)/

Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:

Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: reread /ɹiːˈɹiːd/, purge /pɜɹd͡ʒ/, downstairs /daʊnˈstɛɹz/, upstairs /ˌʌpˈstɛɹz/, cupboard /ˈkʌb.əd/
/æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: adventurous /ædˈvɛn.t͡ʃɚ.əs/, blanket /ˈblæŋ.kɪt/, familiarity /fəmɪliˈæɹɪti/, gravitate /ˈɡɹævɪteɪt/, pantry /ˈpæntɹi/
/g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: gravitate /ˈɡɹævɪteɪt/, greet /ɡɹiːt/, catalogue /ˈkæt.əˌlɔɡ/, configuration /kənˌfɪɡ.əˈɹeɪ̯.ʃən/, garage /ɡəˈɹɑʒ/

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 achievable, couch, adventurous.

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.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →

Shadowing Practice: ways to feel a little better - Learn English Speaking with Video

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