Shadowing Practice: 4 Best Things Do in your Free Time - What to do when you’re bored - Learn English Speaking with Video
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We live in an age where food, which used to take us hours to obtain, can be delivered to your doorstep in under 30 minutes.
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Never in the history of mankind have we had this much free time on our hands until now.
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Yet it's sad to say, but the majority of us waste it.
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We turn on our TV or our gaming console.
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We medicate ourselves with weed, alcohol, drugs, and pornography just to burn time.
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What a complete waste.
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What should you really be doing with all of this free time? well
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if you're even the slightest bit serious about becoming a winner
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in the game of life here are the four most important
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things you need to start spending your time on number one is exercise now this first task is crucial with
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so much free time on our hands we need to have
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the energy to be active during this time a few centuries ago we used to move around
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and lift things almost all of our jobs required us to
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work out our bodies whether it be tending to the farms
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or creating tools in the workshop but now most of us work behind computer screens
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and registers we aren't getting the right amount of exercise that our body needs to function properly.
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It's actually been proven by studies that people who work out have more energy throughout the day.
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If you don't have energy you're gonna spend the majority of your free time on effortless things like Netflix and gaming.
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A simple workout program like Starting Strength is enough for you to get started on improving your fitness
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and gaining more energy throughout the day.
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Number two is reading.
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I know I know you've probably heard this advice a hundred times over but hear me out.
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The stuff that you're learning in school is outdated.
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The large majority of information you're learning over there will not be used once you graduate.
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This means that the vast majority of people don't know what in the world they're doing.
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Real life knowledge like managing finances, social skills, dating, diet, and fitness are basically non -existent among the population.
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And in my opinion, this is actually a very good thing for you.
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This means that you can easily climb to the top because, well, your competition kind of sucks.
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A famous entrepreneur once said that you can become an expert in any field by reading just three books on the subject.
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By simply reading three books, you'll know more about any subject than 99 % of the people out there.
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Look, if you want to succeed at the game of life, you have to read the instructions manual.
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Focus your reading on self -development books as they provide practical knowledge that can be applied in real life.
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Number three is meditation.
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Meditation is one of those things that have been proven a hundred times over to be extremely beneficial, yet nobody does it.
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Why?
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Well, it's probably because on the surface, it's one of the most boring tasks out there.
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You sit down and you do nothing, right?
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Well, there's a lot more to it.
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When you meditate, you're actually training your brain.
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You learn how to control what thoughts to focus on and which thoughts to ignore.
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This one skill is crucial to becoming a happier person.
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You'll also have a lot more mental energy throughout the day.
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It's so important actually that if you were to ask me which one habit could change your life, I'd instantly respond with meditation.
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Meditating for just 10 minutes a day is more than enough
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to start reaping the benefits number four is a hobby slash passion it's my strong belief
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that everyone has a passion that triggers the inner child in them it's something
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that brings out a sort of excitement in you instead of
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dreading the time spent on it you kind of get lost
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in the exploration the reason i listed this as the last task is
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because the other three supplement your ability to work on your hobby
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or your passion reading gives you the knowledge to grow in your hobby meditation gives you the headspace for creativity
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and exercise ultimately gives your body the energy to focus on this hobby even after a long days of work.
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This hobby, whether it be dance, art, writing, creating your own make -a -wish foundation, whatever it is, is your source of fulfillment.
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Without it, you will not feel whole.
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You will feel as if there's something missing in your life.
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And it's my strong belief that if you work on your hobby long enough and hone your craft, it can eventually be a source of income.
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Once you reach this stage, your life will transform from one that you dread into one that excites you.
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And that's it guys.
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These four tasks, in my opinion, are the four most important things you should focus on in your free time.
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If you want a more detailed breakdown of any of these, check out my channel, Improvement Pill, for more in -depth videos.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “4 Best Things Do in your Free Time - What to do when you’re bored”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: hobby, reading, energy, meditation, task. This video has 7 sentences and 842 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:59. The speaker talks fast, about 211 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hobby noun | /ˈhɑ.bi/ | An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. |
| meditation noun | /mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/ | A devotional exercise of, or leading to, contemplation. |
| passion noun | /ˈpæʃən/ | A true desire sustained or prolonged. |
| belief noun | /bɪˈliːf/ | Mental acceptance of a claim as true. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| fitness noun | /ˈfɪt.nəs/ | The condition of being fit, suitable or appropriate. |
| crucial adjective | /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/ | Essential or decisive for determining the outcome or future of something; extremely important; vital. |
| workout noun | /ˈwɝk.aʊ̯t/ | An exercise session; a period of physical exercise. |
| dread noun | /dɹɛd/ | Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror. |
| ignore verb | /ɪɡˈnɔː/ | To deliberately not listen or pay attention to. |
| practical adjective | /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/ | Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis. |
| suck verb | /sʌk/ | To use the mouth and lips to pull in (a liquid, especially milk from the breast). |
| obtain verb | /əbˈteɪn/ | To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way. |
| manual noun | /ˈmæn.j(u)əl/ | Synonym of handbook. |
| craft noun | /ˈkɹæft/ | Ability, skillfulness, especially skill in making plans and carrying them into execution; dexterity in managing affairs, adroitness, practical cunning… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bring out verb | To elicit, evoke, or emphasize (a particular quality). | |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| move around verb | To relocate to new homes repeatedly; to not live in any one place for long. | |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. | |
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to take · used to move |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can be delivered · been proven · is outdated |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | It's actually been proven · you've probably heard · have been proven |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, it'd, kinda. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: meditation /mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/, passion /ˈpæʃən/, crucial /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/, exploration /ˌɛkspləˈɹeɪʃən/, workshop /ˈwɝk.ʃɑp/
- Long words — get the stress right: exploration /ˌɛkspləˈɹeɪʃən/, beneficial /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, entrepreneur /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like hobby, meditation, passion.
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.