Shadowing Practice: Why People Love Virgins - Learn English Speaking with Video

Les maken...
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Hi, my name is Aline and I was a virgin until I got married.
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And this is why.
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Ever since I was a little girl, people always said to me, don't have sex.
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I heard people say, here is a piece of gum.
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Then they would chew it and spit it out.
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Do you want this piece of gum now that it's chewed?
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They would compare sex to chewing gum.
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nobody wants you once you're chewed up and used.
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You lose your value.
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It seemed like whether I did this one thing or not would define me completely. But why?
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Why is everybody so obsessed with virginity?
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And why isn't it a big problem for men as well?
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In many societies, the more people you have sex with, the less valued you are.
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That is, if you're a woman.
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But if you're a man and have sex, people say...
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Oh, come on!
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Boys will be boys.
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It's not a big deal.
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In fact, in many cultures around the world, if you're not a virgin, you can't get married.
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And sometimes, your life might even be in danger.
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Here's why.
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A long time ago, there were no condoms, no birth control pills.
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So if you had sex, you were very likely to get pregnant.
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And men wanted to make sure that the baby was really their baby to carry on their bloodline.
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So they would marry a virgin.
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Women were seen as property, like an animal, or like land.
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And that's how virginity became a way of controlling women that is still used to this day.
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In some parts of the world, parents check the bedsheets after the wedding night to make sure there is blood.
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Doctors would do virginity tests before marriage,
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all to make sure that the bride was actually a virgin because otherwise the families would call off the wedding.
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and family members wait whole night out of the room
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and the next day they proudly show the blood to everyone that the bride was virgin.
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So I grew up in a very conservative religion.
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I saved myself for marriage and then guess what?
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When I got married, I had so much shame around sexuality that I couldn't even have sex.
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Because of these thoughts putting so much shame and this pressure around sexuality and being a woman.
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It's getting so crazy that in some cultures, women who have had sex feel forced to get plastic surgery
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on their private parts to make them look as virgin-like as possible.
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And the discrimination doesn't end there.
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For women who are not virgins in Morocco, it can be very hard to get married.
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In the island of Kiribati, you could be disowned.
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And until last year in Indonesia, you could not join the army.
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Over 5,000 women a year are killed in honor killings, for not being a virgin, and for bringing shame to their families.
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When the only people who should be ashamed are the ones killing women.
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But this video is not about virgins.
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It's about double standards and how we are always trying to control women.
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We tell girls to save themselves for marriage, but we encourage guys to do the exact opposite.
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I want to say here and now that a woman's virginity is not important.
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It does not matter and it does not define her.
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Women are so much more than their sexuality.
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They are their talents, their careers, their families, their personalities.
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So I really feel like what we need to do in this world is change how we're talking about sex.
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I totally think it's okay to not have sex if you don't want to, but what I think is not okay is when other people are forcing these decisions on you,
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are forcing the shame on you, when it's happening only to women and not to men.
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That's where the problems really lie.
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But some countries are taking steps in the right direction.
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Like in France, India, or Pakistan, where the governments are taking steps to ban virginity tests
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and are even considering jail time for doctors who do these tests on women.
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It will take a lot more than a few laws to change how society views women.
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But we have to start somewhere.
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My hope is that someday soon a woman is defined not by her virginity, but by who she is.
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And that starts with me, and that starts with you.

Why This Video Is Perfect for English Speaking Practice

This clip is a goldmine for learn english with videos because it blends personal storytelling with cultural commentary, offering natural conversational flow and emotional tone—key elements of real-world communication. The speaker’s pace is steady, making it ideal for shadowspeak (repeating aloud in real time), and her use of relatable examples (like the chewing gum metaphor) helps learners grasp complex ideas while practicing pronunciation. Whether you’re working with a shadowing app or just repeating lines, the video’s mix of short phrases and longer explanations builds both fluency and confidence.

Breaking Down Natural English Phrasing

Let’s unpack three lines that sound authentic and why they work: 1. “It seemed like whether I did this one thing or not would define me completely.” The phrase “whether I did this one thing or not” is a common way to express a binary choice, avoiding overly formal language. The word “completely” adds emphasis, a natural touch in spoken English. 2. “Boys will be boys. It's not a big deal.” This idiom and casual dismissal are staples of everyday speech. The short, punchy sentences mimic how people actually talk, making them easy to shadow and remember. 3. “Women are so much more than their sexuality.” The structure “so much more than” is a powerful way to contrast ideas, often used in persuasive or emotional contexts. Mastering this phrase helps learners convey depth in their own speech.

A Simple Shadowing Routine to Improve Pronunciation

Use this shadow speak practice loop to make the most of the video:

  1. Watch a 10-second clip without sound, focusing on mouth movements and facial expressions. This trains you to mimic natural articulation.
  2. Play the clip once, listening closely to stress and intonation (e.g., how “shame” is emphasized in “so much shame around sexuality”).
  3. Hit pause and repeat the clip aloud, matching the speaker’s pace and tone. Record yourself using a phone or shadowing app.
  4. Compare your recording to the original. Note differences in vowel sounds (like the “a” in “virgin”) or pauses, then repeat until you match the rhythm.
Do this daily for 10 minutes, and you’ll notice clearer pronunciation and more natural flow in weeks. Remember: shadowspeak isn’t just about copying—it’s about internalizing how English sounds when spoken with feeling.

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.