Shadowing Practice: 15 Minutes of Shadowing a Day Changed My English Speaking - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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don't know who you're talking to
159 sentences
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don't know who you're talking to
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so let me clue you in i am not in danger
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schuyler i am the danger a guy opens his door
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and gets shot you think out of me no i am
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the one who knocks shadowing is one of the best techniques
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if not the best one to improve your english fast but only
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if you do it right in this video i share with
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you how shadowing improved my english speaking how i practice shadowing and the best resources to start shadowing in English today.
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First, what is shadowing?
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Shadowing basically means you listen to a native speaker and try to mimic their way of speaking as much as you can.
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This improves your listening, speaking,
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and pronunciation all at once.
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Why did I start practicing shadowing?
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I remember when I started learning English about one and a half years ago,
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I couldn't understand a little bit of English.
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But when I opened my mouth to speak, Total disaster.
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I couldn't even introduce myself properly in an important interview in English.
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It wasn't an interview for a tech job.
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I did very well in the technical part related to my job.
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However, I got rejected because of my English.
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That day, I made a decision.
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I take English more seriously and learn to speak it no matter what.
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But I had a huge problem.
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I had no time for studying.
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I have my job, my family,
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and tons of other responsibilities.
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Yet I said I'll do it even for just 15 minutes a day,
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even if it takes me years.
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Because I know slow and steady always wins,
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and 15 minutes a day is definitely better than nothing.
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I won't wait until I have time,
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because if you're getting older like me, you most probably won't.
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If you're a student, you have a little bit more time.
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Use it.
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15 minutes a day is definitely not a long time for language learning,
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so I had to find an efficient way to do it.
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The best method I found was shadowing.
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I searched on YouTube and found this channel, Easy English Practice.
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I followed their system, one minute conversation,
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listening to it a few times,
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looking up any words I didn't know,
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and after that, practice shadowing.
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Honestly, after weeks, not even months,
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I started to see some progress.
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I started to speak a little bit of English.
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After that, because I loved English,
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I added more time to that 15-minute shadowing routine.
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But shadowing was the jumpstart that I needed first.
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So if you don't have much time,
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shadowing, in my humble opinion,
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is the most efficient way to improve your English,
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even if you do it for just 15 minutes a day.
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Well, now I'm not only practicing shadowing.
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I listen to English daily,
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I read daily, I practice speaking, and so on.
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Shadowing alone is not enough,
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but it's a must in your English learning routine.
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Now I want to show you how I practice shadowing.
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But before that, I want to address some of the mistakes that most people make when they practice.
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Mistake number one, choosing the wrong material.
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The material you use for shadowing is as important as the practice itself.
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If the content is too difficult,
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you won't get a lot out of it.
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You'll struggle to understand the conversation,
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you'll start blaming yourself, and you'll think you're not good.
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But it's not you, it's just the wrong material.
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It's just the wrong content.
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Doesn't mean that the material foreshadowing should be too easy?
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Not at all.
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If it's too easy, you won't be challenged enough.
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You won't learn anything new.
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You won't improve.
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So what should the right content look like?
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It should be in the middle,
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not too easy and not too hard.
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You should understand around 80 to 90% of what you shadow.
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That's a sweet spot.
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Mistake number two, no conscious effort.
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People often shadow passively, just repeating words without thinking about the meaning,
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structure, or emotional tone of the sentence.
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You need to listen carefully first.
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Rewind the parts you don't understand.
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Listen actively and shadow actively.
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Mistake number three, not recording yourself.
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Getting feedback about your mistakes is most probably the missing piece,
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especially if you're learning by yourself.
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That's why you should record yourself and watch it back later.
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Without listening to your own recordings,
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you can't hear your mistakes.
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Mistake number four, not enough repetition.
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If you just repeat the sentence once and then go to the next one and the next one,
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just because it feels like progress,
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you miss the point of shadowing.
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Repeat the same sentence over and over again until you feel comfortable when you say it.
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Repeat the same video over a few days.
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Repetition in language learning is important.
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And remember, it's not about quantity here.
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It's about quality.
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How I practice shadowing.
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Now let me show you how I practice shadowing to actually improve my English.
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First, I listen to the video a few times before shadowing.
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I listen first without subtitles.
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I rewind and I repeat the sentences that I couldn't understand a few times
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and do my best to catch every single word.
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Finally, I turn the subtitles on to verify what I guessed and to check what I missed.
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Second, I look up the unknown words.
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I make sure I understand the conversation perfectly.
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Third, I start doing shadowing in two different ways.
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First method, listen, pause, and copy.
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I listen to one sentence,
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pause the video, and try to repeat it exactly as I heard it.
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I'm not just repeating it in my way of speaking,
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using the same pronunciation patterns I'm used to.
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I try to copy the native speaker as much as I can.
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If the speaker shouts, I shout.
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If they laugh, I laugh too.
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It's not just repeating, it's copying and mimicking.
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I repeat the same sentence a few times until I feel I can say it comfortably and effortlessly.
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Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop going into work?
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A business big enough that it could be listed on the Nasdaq goes belly up.
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A business big enough that it could be listed in the NASDAQ goes belly up.
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A business big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ goes belly up.
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Second method, echo shadowing.
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Now I repeat what I hear,
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trying to match the native speaker as much as I can,
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but without pausing the video.
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I'll be like an echo.
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I say what I hear innocently.
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If you just repeat the sentence once and then go to the next one and the next one,
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there is maybe less than a second delay between the speaker's voice and my voice.
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That's why I call it echo shadowing,
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because you'll become like an echo.
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To make it even more fun and more challenging,
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I keep repeating some parts until I can speak at the same time as a native speaker.
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No delay at all.
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Don't know who you're talking to,
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so let me clue you in.
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I am not in danger, Skyler.
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I am the danger.
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A guy opens his door and gets shocked.
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You think that of me?
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No. I am the one who knocks.
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way I've practiced listening, learned new words and practiced shadowing.
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I don't stop here.
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Now it's time for the interesting part.
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I don't practice English with a teacher so I try to identify my mistakes and work on them deliberately.
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I often record myself and watch it back later to notice my mistakes and get feedback.
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I want you also to try this.
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Record yourself shadowing on day one then do it again after 30 days but with the exact same video.
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The difference will blow your mind.
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Best resources for shadowing.
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Working on your listening skills is the first step to improve your speaking.
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You can improve your listening by listening to an audiobook for free for 30 days.
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Just sign up for free using my link in the description and you'll get one month free on audible.com.
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The material you use for shadowing is important so I won't leave you without resources.
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As I told you the video you're watching for shadowing should be a little bit challenging
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but also not too difficult here are the best youtube channels
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for shadowing for beginners this list is for intermediate level and this list of channels is for advanced learners
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check the description below for the links thank you for watching see you in a future video bye bye
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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?
Engaging with content like this video can significantly enhance your English speaking practice. By using the shadowing technique, you allow yourself to imitate native speakers and their natural rhythm of speech. Shadowing helps in improving your overall fluency, as it combines listening, speaking, and pronunciation into one dynamic practice. You’ll not only learn how to form sentences but also understand the context and nuances of conversation. This method is particularly beneficial for busy individuals; spending just 15 minutes a day with a shadowing app can lead to noticeable progress in a short amount of time.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
In the video, several grammatical structures and expressions offer valuable lessons:
- Simple present tense: Phrases like "I take English more seriously" illustrate how to express habits or routine actions. Practicing these forms can help convey confidence in your speech.
- Conditional sentences: The speaker says, "If you're getting older like me, you most probably won't." This structure is crucial for expressing hypothetical situations, which is common in conversational English.
- Emphatic expressions: Phrases like "I am the danger" use strong language to emphasize a point. Incorporating similar emphatic statements can make your speech more impactful.
- Phrasal verbs: The expression "jumpstart that I needed" highlights the importance of phrasal verbs in making English sound natural. This technique enriches your vocabulary and enhances your ability to express ideas clearly.
Common Pronunciation Traps
When shadowing, pay attention to specific words and sounds that often pose challenges:
- “Shadowing”: The stress on the first syllable can trip up learners. Practice repeating it multiple times to ensure clarity.
- “Interview”: This word can be mispronounced if not broken down. Focus on the separation between the "inter" and "view" parts.
- “Practicing”: The “-ing” ending is commonly pronounced too softly. Make sure to articulate that final ‘g’ sound to avoid blending it into the preceding syllable.
- Intonation patterns: Mimicking the intonation of native speakers, especially in questions and emphatic statements, can lead to more natural sounding English speech.
Utilizing the shadow speech method in your daily sessions can accelerate your learning curve. Incorporate these practices consistently to refine your spoken English and build confidence in your abilities.
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.
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