Shadowing Practice: 10 Things Joji Can't Live Without | GQ - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Where does Sushi Trash come from?
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I don't know, I think I was just looking for a username and that was like a username that wasn't taken.
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I was like, Sushi Trash?
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Oh!
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Oh!
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That was pretty crazy, so I went with that.
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Sup GQ, I'm Joji and these are my essentials.
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It's just a general mood lifter sort of thing.
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I'm a cranky guy, so it's probably placebo, but at the same time, it works.
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So I'll take it.
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You know sometimes you wake up and you just know it's gonna be a shitty day.
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And then if you know, I'll grab the wart pack.
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I should probably take one right now actually.
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No, I'm in a good mood, don't worry.
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I'm not good at swimming, but I hate running, so that's always better.
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At least you're engulfed in a liquid.
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I think I got them at Zara or Bershka, Berksha, or one of those places.
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They keep my junk and everything properly compacted during the swim and their life to carry around.
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Is there a net inside of them?
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Oh, no, I think that's the best part.
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That's what I like about this.
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There is no net.
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This might be TMI, but the net can graze against things.
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It hurts.
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So, fellas, don't get board shorts with netting because that'll make a lot of parts red.
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I always have one of these ready to go.
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It's the Loud Pack.
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It's the honey version, though, so I'm not a psychopath.
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It's got the honey shit on it.
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They're like Fruit Loops, but like you're lying to yourself a little bit.
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They're not horrible for you, so they just keep you going.
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And it makes me feel like a child again.
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I think we all had Ziplocs full of something.
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This is a little frame that I do carry around with me all the time.
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I put different people in the frames.
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We have like this big inspiration to me.
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I don't know if you guys have heard of him.
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His name is Blueface.
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He's a very lyrical rapper.
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He's very on point.
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Who are some other people you've had in the frame?
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We've had Pump in the frame.
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Tom York, Bon Iver, you know, all varieties.
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This is just the juice box.
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Hopefully I nail it.
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There's this, there's the apple, and there's the grape.
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The grape just feels like I'm ingesting way more sugar.
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Same with strawberry.
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I went to the deli and I got a strawberry Fanta, and they're very syrupy.
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Like, there's a big difference between just the berry Fantas and the more tropical ones.
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It's strange.
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I know I'm boring you guys.
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I'm sorry.
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These are little Thomas the Tank Engine candies.
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It's Japanese candy.
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I like it a lot.
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I bring it around.
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It's like little Thomases that come out of the Thomas.
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You wanna try some of these?
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They're, they're bad.
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They're like, it's like if breath mints and chalk like I had a baby, but it was mostly chalk.
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Like a chalky Pez but also a Pez.
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A Pez, Pez, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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That's where it is, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Now it's starting to look like I'm just putting on like a healthy, healthy look.
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I swear, no, I'm just trying to turn my life around.
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Green superfoods.
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It's like one full serving of greens and veggies.
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You put it in the water, it fizzes up, and you don't have to eat vegetables ever again.
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I think that's better than wolfing down broccoli.
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I actually wrap it in a shirt all the time because I don't have a case for it, but this is actually the first real mic that I ever bought when I was 16.
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And it's just a USB mic, so it plugs right into the computer.
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I take it around everywhere to record, and it's still alive, look at that.
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A lot of spit, a lot of disease, a lot of tetanus in there.
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You ever do the sock around the mic trick?
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Sock on the mic works, yeah.
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I've done sock on the mic, but most of the time I won't put anything on it.
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Like, I'll just like, just let it pop.
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This is a nose hair trimmer.
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I actually grew out my nose hairs, like hoping that I can show you guys.
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So the inside spins, right?
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And then you just... Do you hear it?
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You hear that shit being cut?
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Oh, I can smell the universe.
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I see a lot of nose hairs out there.
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Like, let's be pretty again.
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That's the essential that I take around everywhere because I have fast growing nose hairs.
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Yeah, be careful with that.
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I just put up my nose.
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When I was younger, I needed to grip something.
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I'd blow my nose in the morning or get a receipt, and then I'd go to school, and then after school, I'd realize that I had whatever tissue paper
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or receipt that I started on would be compressed and crunched up in my hand.
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So I realized I needed to always hold something in my hand.
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So this just looks a little more socially acceptable.
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This is just a cool thing I found online.
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I think it was residue of the fidget spinner movement and someone was trying to really milk it.
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I appreciate it though.
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It's like, you can just, you know, go on for hours.
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I can be quite a messy eater.
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So I have, I always have a Hanes singlet from Walgreens.
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If it was like a month long tour, I'd probably go through a healthy, you know, 20 to 30 maybe.
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Not from food.
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Like I'm not eating that messy.
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It's just, you know, they get dirty, you know, they get bloody, you know.
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Tough guy shit.
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These are my headphones that I bring in everywhere with me.
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They're a little untangled.
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I don't like these because they kind of like, they don't fit my ear shape.
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So they, like they'll fall out like immediately.
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If I had AirPods, that shit would like fall out.
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Like if someone called my name, they'd just come knocking out.
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But these ones, if you push them hard enough into your ear, you can hear them at good quality.
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You know, if they're hitting a certain wall.
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The only thing people are gathering from this is that I'm just broke.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video features Joji sharing his personal essentials, which provides a unique context for English learners to practice speaking. By engaging with Joji's informal and relatable dialogue, you can enhance your conversational skills in a relaxed setting. The essence of the content encourages emotional expression, allowing learners to connect language learning with their feelings. Additionally, as Joji discusses his daily routine and preferences, learners can adopt the shadowing technique by mimicking his tone, pace, and intonation, fostering a more dynamic English speaking practice.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

As you watch the video, pay attention to the following structures and expressions that Joji frequently uses:

  • “I think I was just looking for...” – This phrase presents a personal opinion and thought process, which is useful in everyday conversation to express your ideas.
  • “It’s just a general mood lifter...” – Here, Joji uses a simple structure to convey purpose and emotion, perfect for describing the effects of objects or experiences in your life.
  • “There is/There are...” – Understanding how to use this structure can improve your ability to describe situations and surroundings, essential for effective communication.
  • “I always have one of these ready to go...” – This expression is a great way to discuss preparation and habits, useful for sharing personal anecdotes.
  • “Hopefully I nail it.” – This casual yet confident phrasing expresses hope and uncertainty, helping you sound more natural in conversation.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Listening closely to Joji's speech reveals several pronunciation traps that English learners should note. Some words and phrases may be pronounced differently depending on the speaker’s accent and natural speech pattern:

  • “Bershka” – This brand name can be tricky because the 'sh' sound can vary in pronunciation; practice saying it to align with Joji's accent.
  • “Compacted” – The 'c' and 't' sounds can sometimes blend, so be mindful of articulating each clearly.
  • “Strawberry Fanta” – The pronunciation of 'strawberry' can be challenging due to the blend of syllables. Focus on enunciating each component to avoid confusion.

By incorporating these elements into your shadow speech practice using this video as a shadowing site, you can refine your skills in pronunciation and fluency, paving the way for more effective English communication.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.