Shadowing Practice: 5 Ways to Use Charisma for Standout First Impressions - Learn English Speaking with Video
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I want you to think back to your first day at work.
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You just stepped into unfamiliar territory, and meeting and greeting unfamiliar faces who were about to be your colleagues.
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You're the new face and people are going to notice and maybe even talk.
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As you absorb your new surroundings desperately trying to remember the next name and title,
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you can be forgiven for overlooking one very important process happening within you and around you.
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A process so important that it can set the tone of how well you're received by your colleagues.
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And yes, you guessed it, first impressions.
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The human version of dogs meeting at a park for the very first time.
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Okay, in principle it's a bit more sophisticated than that, and thankfully without the sniffing.
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First impressions are subconscious conclusions
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that people make based on how they feel about a person they meet the first time they meet them.
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And here's the thing, they happen fast, very fast.
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Neuroscience research published in the Journal of Psychological Science
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found that it takes just a tenth of a second to make a first impression.
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In other words, our brains process what we see, hear, touch, or even smell in the form of facial expressions,
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physical attributes, spoken words, tone, body language, the sensation of a handshake, and even the smell of a perfume.
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All of this data is processed in association with memories, emotional associations to those memories, our current emotional and physiological state,
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and voila, just like that, in less than the blink of an eye, a first impression is established.
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Impressive.
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Not only that, first impressions really matter, especially in the world of business.
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First impression bias is a real thing, and trying to recover from a mediocre first impression can be really tough, because everything you say and do following on from
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that first impression is impacted by whatever conclusions or assumptions the person has drawn about you.
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Needless to say, this bias could unfairly undermine the progress of your career.
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So how do you make a lasting positive first impression without any fake charisma?
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The truth is, humans are complex and highly subjective creatures.
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So the best we can do is to act in a way
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that increases the odds of other people warming up to us.
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And the thing with charisma and likability is that they aren't based on how intelligent, extroverted, or talkative you are.
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They're actually about the way you carry yourself, how you communicate, and how your behavior influences others' feelings.
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In this episode, I'm going to go through five science-backed tips you need to
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know to boost your chances of making a really strong first impression through your innate charisma.
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And the benefit here isn't selfishly just for you.
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Exuding a positive presence can create a more collaborative work environment.
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Because we are social creatures after all, and our true genius comes from our ability to unite in leveraging our diversity.
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Now, charisma has been described as your compelling attractiveness, your presence, your magnetism.
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Basically, it's that unspoken quality that you have to influence people, and it plays a huge role in first impressions.
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So let's dive into the five essential tips, which I call WC and the four Ps.
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So first is WC, demonstrate warmth and back it up with competence.
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Harvard researchers found that people have a tendency to judge you very quickly based on two things, how warm you come across and how competent you appear.
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It's called the stereotype content model.
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According to the model, if you can portray yourself as being warm, for example, non-competitive and friendly, people will feel like they can trust you.
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Then, if you also seem competent, for example, you're confident, you have conviction in what you're saying, and you seem to know what you're talking about,
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people are more likely to respect you.
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According to the researchers, it's more important to show genuine warmth first, and then competence, especially at work.
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Why?
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Well, because from an evolutionary perspective, it's more important to survival to know whether you can trust someone, and they're not going to kill you in your sleep, rather than whether they're good at hunting.
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So this first tip is to start with warmth.
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Okay, so you might be wondering, what does warmth look like at work?
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Some seem to believe that being warm means being overly nice, being a people pleaser, but this really just puts you at risk of being taken advantage of.
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In a professional setting, warmth is quite specific, and I'll explain what I mean by this in the next tip.
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And before I do that, this first tip is all around demonstrating warmth, which is also an essential part of a first impression.
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Think about when you meet someone for the first time, what do you normally notice first?
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Aside from superficial factors like height and what they're wearing, it's usually the person's face, their profile.
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And your face is the first indicator of warmth.
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Warm people, who are also confident, are more likely to maintain eye contact with those they're speaking to.
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It shows that they're attentive and really present with the person.
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Maintaining eye contact during your conversation is critical to how you'll be viewed.
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It makes you appear more confident, more self-assured, and people are more likely to remember both you and your words.
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The second part here is your smile.
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Smiling has been shown to be a psychological signal of altruism and can make a really lasting impression.
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A warm, genuine smile conveys that you're approachable and personable and people are more likely to trust you.
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What else can you do to create a really strong first impression?
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Use what I call the 3SP, the 3 second pause.
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This is a really overlooked tip, yet it shows in research to convey confidence and charm.
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So how does it work?
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Well, before you respond to something, you want a count of three in your head before you speak.
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Now, these aren't super long, drawn-out counts, just one, two, three, and then you reply.
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A good way to remember is to use that time to actually take a breath.
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Being more considered in your responses by using pauses has also been found to create a friendlier
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and a warmer atmosphere for heart-to-heart conversations, or when you want to encourage trust.
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It's also great because it avoids that awkward moment when someone wasn't finished speaking, so you accidentally cut them off.
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Aw, sorry, you go.
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No, no, no, you finish.
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Awkward.
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Pausing as you speak can also be really impactful, especially right before an important point that you want to make.
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So an important one to remember, 3 SP, the three-second pause.
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Another brilliant way to demonstrate warmth is to find something in parallel with the person, something you have in common.
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Commonality drives connection.
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So when meeting someone new, try to find something in common with them.
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It doesn't even have to be something profound.
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It could be that you were both born overseas
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or you used to work for the same company previously the
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goal is to connect on an authentic human level now it might mean
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that you need to do some linkedin stalking
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or some detective work through an internet search but it really works wonders
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if you can find a commonality with that person it instantly relaxes them
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and you and they're more likely to remember you afterwards because of something called the halo effect
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This is where the positive feelings the person has about whatever you have in common can influence how they feel about you.
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Remember, make other people feel valuable and you become valuable.
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And the final P is proximity.
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The fact is we tend to develop more of a liking for something if it's familiar to us.
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It's called the mere exposure effect or the familiarity effect in psychology.
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And while it's used a lot in sales and marketing strategies, it also applies to people.
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Now, admittedly, this is less about a first impression and more about a longer lasting impression, but I still wanted to include it.
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Next time you want to get someone new in your life to like you more, spend more time around them, be around them more, sit near them,
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interact with them, even if you let them do all the talking and you just listen.
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It will increase the familiarity, connection and closeness between you, and they'll be more likely to have a positive perception of you.
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So there you have it, WC and the 4 Ps, the essential tips you need to make a strong first impression with Charisma.
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Now, it's also worth mentioning that you want to make sure you're still being authentic.
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We've all had an experience where you meet someone for the first time, and they're trying way too hard to impress you.
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You can tell they're saying what they think you want them to say, and it just doesn't seem genuine, and it really comes across as insecure.
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So your aim shouldn't be to wow someone with your skills and experience, but actually to create a sincere conversation that's memorable and engaging.
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Be yourself and don't worry about how you're being perceived in the moment.
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Just be authentic and true to you.
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I'm Sade Zorai, I'll see you next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “5 Ways to Use Charisma for Standout First Impressions”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: impression, warmth, tip, likely. This video has 106 sentences and 1569 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:40. The speaker talks fast, about 181 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| warmth noun | /wɔɹmθ/ | A moderate degree of heat; the sensation of being warm. |
| charisma noun | /kəˈɹɪzmə/ | A gift or power of leadership or authority. |
| pause noun | /pɔːz/ | A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation. |
| authentic adjective | /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/ | Of the same origin as claimed; genuine. |
| demonstrate verb | /ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/ | To show how to use (something). |
| commonality noun | /ˌkɑ.məˈnæl.ə.ti/ | The joint possession of a set of attributes or characteristics. |
| familiarity noun | /fəmɪliˈæɹɪti/ | The state of being extremely friendly; intimacy. |
| overlook verb | /ˈoʊ.vɚˌlʊk/ | To offer a view (of something) from a higher position. |
| competence noun | /ˈkɑm.pə.təns/ | The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role. |
| unfamiliar adjective | /ˌʌnfəˈmɪli.ə(ɹ)/ | Strange, not familiar. |
| convey verb | /kənˈveɪ/ | To move (something) from one place to another. |
| researcher noun | /ˈɹiˌsɝ.t͡ʃɚ/ | One who researches. |
| competent adjective | /ˈkɒmpətənt/ | Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications. |
| colleague noun | /ˈkɒliːɡ/ | A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate. |
| bias noun | /ˈbaɪ.əs/ | Inclination towards something. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come across verb | To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition. |
| draw out verb | To make (something) last for more time than is necessary; to prolong; to extend. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| work through verb | To get past a difficult or stressful situation by thinking or talking about it. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can be forgiven · is processed · is established |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has drawn · has been described · has been shown |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 32 contractions and reduced forms, such as they're, you're, aren't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: warmth /wɔɹmθ/, authentic /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/, tenth /tɛnθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: handshake /ˈhæn(d)ˌʃeɪk/, subconscious /sʌbˈkɑn.ʃəs/, superficial /ˌsupɚˈfɪʃəl/, evolutionary /ˌiː.vəˈluː.ʃən.ɛɹ.i/, sensation /sɛnˈseɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: commonality /ˌkɑ.məˈnæl.ə.ti/, familiarity /fəmɪliˈæɹɪti/, unfamiliar /ˌʌnfəˈmɪli.ə(ɹ)/, altruism /ˈæl.tɹu.ɪz.əm/, approachable /əˈpɹəʊ.t͡ʃə.bəl/
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 warmth, charisma, pause.
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.