Shadowing Practice: 277 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B2
Hi everyone!
139 sentences
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Hi everyone!
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My name is Bo and this is Bo's Slow English.
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Oh hi Nari!
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We are going on a virtual walk together in Seoul, South Korea.
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Lately, I've been thinking about my identity, culture, and language.
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I was born in Seoul, South Korea.
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My family and I immigrated to the United States when I was very young.
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I am a Korean American.
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I haven't been back to Korea in over 30 years.
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I wanted to tell you about a personal story.
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So this can be like a story time vlog.
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And if you would like,
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you can do a shadowing practice.
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so that you can practice your speaking skills.
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At the end of this video,
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please let me know in the comments how you liked this format.
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Please like, subscribe, and share this video with your friends.
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And if you or anyone you know could benefit from my new YouTube channel,
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where I teach in very slow English.
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Please do check it out and share it with your friends and family.
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Let's take a walk through Korea.
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When I think about Korea,
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the first word that comes to mind is identity,
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not food, K-pop, or beauty.
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Identity.
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Because growing up, I always knew I was Korean,
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but I also wanted to become American,
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and I think those two things can exist together.
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But when I was younger,
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it didn't always feel that way.
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I moved to America when I was very young.
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At home, my parents spoke Korean.
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Outside the house, everything was English.
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School was English.
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Friends spoke English.
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Everything on TV was English.
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So little by little, my Korean changed.
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It became what many people call Konglish,
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a mix of Korean and English.
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And eventually, I think part of me stopped trying.
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I remember my mom wanted me to go to Korean school.
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I didn't want to.
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At the time, I thought,
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no. I want to be like everyone else.
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I wanted to fit in.
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And when you're a kid, fitting in feels important.
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You don't think about regret.
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You don't think, how will I feel when I'm older?
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But now I do regret it.
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I think if I stayed with Korean school,
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maybe I would feel more confident speaking Korean today.
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Maybe I wouldn't feel embarrassed.
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And embarrassment is interesting.
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Because sometimes embarrassment changes our choices more than fear does.
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I think embarrassment may have stopped me from going back to Korea.
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Not completely, but maybe a little.
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I worried.
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What if my Korean isn't good enough?
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What if my relatives think my accent sounds strange?
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What if I'm not Korean enough?
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The last time I went to Korea,
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I think I was around 8 years old.
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I went with my mom for about a month.
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And one memory I have is the first day we arrived,
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I ate pizza with my aunt and cousins.
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I was so jet lagged that I fell asleep in the restaurant.
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I actually fell asleep at the table.
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I don't know why that memory stayed with me.
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Maybe because it was my first big trip.
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Maybe because I was overwhelmed.
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I remember Korea feeling busy.
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Lots of cars, people, noise, summer heat, humidity.
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I remember the streets feeling crowded.
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I also remember my grandparents giving me money.
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I think they wanted me to buy ice cream or some souvenir.
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And somehow I lost the money I remember feeling terrible I felt guilty I felt disappointed in myself
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and it's strange because I think that may be one of my earliest memories of of feeling like I let someone down.
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It's funny how certain memories stay with you.
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I was embarrassed by Korean culture sometimes.
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I will admit that.
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I remember having a birthday party as a kid.
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Instead of pizza or hot dogs, we had Korean food.
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and instead of sitting at a table,
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we sat on the floor.
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I remember worrying what my friends would think, but something surprising happened.
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My friends liked it.
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They liked the food.
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They liked sitting on the floor.
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And now that I'm older,
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I think maybe I judged myself more than other people judged me.
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I think many people do that.
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Recently, I filmed with my parents in New York,
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and afterward, I kept thinking,
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I need more time with them, more conversations and stories.
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Because parents get older and suddenly you realize there are questions you never asked.
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I was planning to go to Korea this year.
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The trip didn't happen.
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But I still think about it.
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If someone gave me a ticket tomorrow, I would go.
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I'd eat 김치찌개 first.
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김치찌개 is kimchi stew.
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I'd want to see Seoul,
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but also quieter places, like the smaller towns.
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And I really want to go to Busan.
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Busan is towards the south part of Korea.
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The biggest thing I realized recently is this.
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My Korean does not need to be perfect.
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The goal is communication and connection with other people.
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And learning English is the same many of you tell me
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my grammar isn't good my vocabulary is basic I'm embarrassed I understand what you're saying
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and I get what you're feeling I really do because I felt
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that way about my Korean throughout my entire life but
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if you spoke to me in person in English
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and tried your best I'm sure I would understand you
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and I would be proud of you language is not only about perfection Actually,
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it's not about perfection at all.
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It's about reaching another person.
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It's about building a connection.
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Maybe many of us spend years waiting to become perfect before we allow ourselves to connect.
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And maybe we waste time.
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I think I wasted a lot of time.
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But now I'm here talking to people around the world, including Koreans.
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And maybe in a strange way,
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this channel is helping me reconnect with a part of myself too.
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I didn't expect that, but I'm grateful.
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Thank you so much for listening to my story.
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I hope you find my story to be inspiring.
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And please know that I believe in you and I know that you can learn English.
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You just have to stick with it.
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Do not stop.
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Because as I mentioned in my story,
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if I had gone to Korean school,
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I would be in a different place right now with my Korean level and my confidence with speaking.
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So I highly encourage you to keep up your efforts and stay consistent.
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Let me know in the comments.
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Did you learn any new vocabulary words from this video?
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Thank you for your support.
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And let's go for another virtual walk soon.
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Bye.
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Context & Background
In this engaging video titled "277," the host, Bo, takes viewers on a virtual journey through Seoul, South Korea, while reflecting on his identity as a Korean American. Having immigrated to the United States at a young age, Bo shares his personal experiences of balancing two cultures and languages. This narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities involved in language acquisition, especially for those from immigrant backgrounds. Bo's thoughts on identity highlight the importance of cultural connection and the challenges of language retention, making this a relatable experience for many learners who might find themselves in similar situations.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “I want to fit in.” – This phrase expresses the desire to belong and connect with others, which is a common goal for many language learners.
- “At home, my parents spoke Korean.” – A simple yet powerful reminder of the role language plays within family settings.
- “Everything was English.” – This phrase underscores the immersion aspect of living in an English-speaking country, resonating with learners who face similar language environments.
- “I think part of me stopped trying.” – A reflective statement that many English learners may relate to when they experience language fatigue.
- “I regret it.” – A poignant expression of feelings that arise from past choices regarding language education and cultural connection.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
If you're looking to improve your English pronunciation and conversational skills, this video offers a perfect opportunity for shadowspeak practice. Here's how to tackle it:
- Watch the video without interruptions: Listen to Bo's storytelling to familiarize yourself with the context and emotions conveyed.
- Break it down: Divide the transcript into manageable sections. Focus on one phrase or sentence at a time to make the shadow speech process easier.
- Listen and mimic: Play a sentence and pause. Repeat what Bo says, paying close attention to pronunciation and intonation. This shadowing technique helps reinforce language patterns.
- Record yourself: After mimicking Bo, record your voice. Listen to compare your pronunciation with the original to identify areas of improvement.
- Engage with the community: Share your experiences and progress in the comments section of the video or with peers. This helps build a support network while enhancing your learning experience.
Combining these shadowspeaks techniques with personal stories enhances both your language skills and your understanding of cultural identity, making your English learning journey more enriching and connected.
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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