Shadowing Practice: 4 ways to improve your speaking - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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If I had a chance to study English again,
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If I had a chance to study English again,
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here's exactly four things that I definitely do to improve my speaking skills
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and helps me to save more time as well as my efforts.
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You've learned English for many years but you still find it hard when you want to explain your ideas.
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You have a lot of vocabulary you can read and understand.
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When people speak something simply,
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you totally can understand them perfectly.
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But when it's your turn to speak,
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it seems like nearly impossible to say what you are really thinking.
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You start searching for words and sometimes you completely forget them.
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So what do you need to do and how you are gonna learn to fix this problem?
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There are four ways that you should know and practice and I guarantee you,
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your speaking skill will change in a traumatic way if you truly to maintain and practice every single day.
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Learning by chunks.
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If you really want to speak English fluently without getting stuck all the time,
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you don't actually need more vocabulary.
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What you really need is chunks.
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So what is the difference between vocabulary and chunks?
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Let me tell you, vocabulary is a single word.
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For example, important.
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That's vocabulary.
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But when I say the most important thing, that's a chunk.
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And here's what you need to know.
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Native speakers, they don't communicate by using single words.
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They communicate by using jokes.
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That's why if you only learn individual vocabulary,
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it's so hard for you to catch the flow when native speakers are talking.
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But when you start to learn chunks,
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suddenly things start to make sense to you.
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And there's one more important thing is memory.
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Chunks are much easier to remember because they already contain content and meaning, you know.
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And our brain connects much better with things that have context,
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meaning, and even emotion.
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So whenever I find a chunk that sounds good to me,
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and I feel like, oh,
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it's useful, and I'm gonna use it more often when I speak,
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I'm gonna write it down,
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and I try to read many examples of that chunk to make sure
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that I can understand how it's used in real life.
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I mostly get jokes from YouTube,
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podcasts, or short English videos, kind of like that.
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And remember, you only need to learn what you will actually use.
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You don't need to learn everything.
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Number two, explaining.
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I don't know what is your purpose of learning language.
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But for me, someone who can explain what they want to say,
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and their friends can understand exactly their messages,
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then they are a good language learner.
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Explaining is a skill which is really neat to have
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when you learn a new language because you need to learn how to speak in your mind,
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how to transform your complicated thoughts into simple words,
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simple sentences in a way that other people can understand you.
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And here's what I usually do.
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I randomly pick any drinks or any phrases and I try to explain it by what I can understand.
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For example, a morning person.
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So what does a morning person mean?
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A person who likes to wake up early in the morning to do what they like.
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It can be drinking coffee,
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doing exercise and waking up early helps them to have more time to do important things,
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to do necessary things, and they can make a plan for a new day.
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Like, I tried so hard to explain it in my own words.
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Keeping to this homework, you're gonna start to build,
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you know, the habit of speaking into your mind.
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And most importantly, this homework gives you more chances to use simple words,
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simple sentence structures again and again.
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3. Imitating listening.
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So what is the difference between imitating and shadowing?
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Let me explain.
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You just need to understand it in a very simple way.
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Imitating is basically you still copy the way they speak,
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the pronunciation, the intonation, sentence structures, right?
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But the key difference here is that you are aware of what you are saying.
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You're not copied unconsciously.
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You know the meaning of the sentence.
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Like, you create a strong connection between your emotion and the sentences that you are imitating.
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So the key word here is understanding.
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And honestly, you only can learn with what you understand.
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Number four, practicing through conversation.
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What I like most about this way is
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that I have to imagine myself in real situations and prepare for what I want to say.
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For example, I often go to the cafe to work.
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So it's like how I'm going to ask when I need a chair
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when my phone has low battery but there's no power outlet.
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what I should say to the staff.
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I don't like that.
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Whenever I don't know how to say,
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I'm gonna ask Jack GPT for help.
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I'm trying to read many examples as much as I can until I can really understand.
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After that, I'm gonna ask Jack GPT to create the situation for me and I roleplay.
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So when I'm in the real situation, I'm not nervous anymore.
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I know how to say and how to handle certain problems.
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Nowadays, I feel like we have so many chances and convenience to learn to support our learning progress.
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But no matter what you do and what you have,
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being active in learning is the fastest way to be mastered in any skill.
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And that's everything I would love to share in this video.
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I hope you enjoy and you can use my video to practice your listening and to imitate my video if you want.
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I'm Jess.
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If you have any problems in learning English,
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just feel free to share with me.
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I'm here to listen to you,
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listen to your story and help you to be better in speaking English.
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Bye!

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Context & Background

In today's interconnected world, mastering English has become essential. Many learners have faced the challenge of not being able to articulate their thoughts despite having a robust vocabulary. The speaker in the video shares valuable insights on how to address this issue, emphasizing practical techniques that simplify the learning process and enhance speaking skills. The approach is tailored for individuals who have struggled with speaking their mind eloquently, offering four proven methods to improve English speaking practice effectively.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • The most important thing - A versatile chunk that helps convey significance.
  • Let me explain - A phrase that introduces your thoughts clearly.
  • In my opinion - A great way to present your viewpoint assertively.
  • What I mean is - Useful for clarifying ideas in conversations.
  • That's a good question - An excellent response to engage in discussions.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To tackle the difficulties discussed in the video and improve your English speaking skills through shadowing, follow these steps:

  1. Select Content: Choose engaging material such as YouTube videos that resonate with you. This could be educational videos, podcasts, or interviews. Focus on content that employs the phrases mentioned above.
  2. Listen Actively: Play the video and listen carefully to how each chunk is used in context. Pay attention to the speaker’s intonation, pace, and emotion. Understanding the context is key to effective communication.
  3. Repeat & Imitate: Use a shadowing app or simply repeat what you hear immediately after. Start with phrases and gradually move to longer sentences. This method directly enhances your English pronunciation and fluency.
  4. Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your version. Compare your pronunciation and flow to the original. This exercise will highlight areas needing improvement and boost your confidence.
  5. Practice Daily: Consistency is crucial. Set aside a specified time each day to engage in this shadowing practice. Regular repetition solidifies the phrases in your memory and makes speaking more natural.

Incorporating these strategies into your routine will not only help you learn English with YouTube but will also enable you to articulate your thoughts more clearly and confidently. Commit to this practice, and watch as your speaking skills transform.

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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