Shadowing Practice: 82 Little Things That Make Life Good - Learn English Speaking with Video
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When I was a kid, my family didn't really go on vacation, and for most of my adult life, I didn't really leave L .A.
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But that's changed in the past few years, and fortunately I've been able to travel quite a bit.
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And it's a little embarrassing, but every time I go to a new place, I want a little keepsake.
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So I've started buying fridge magnets.
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And I don't know what it is, but when I'm picking one out,
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and when I put it on my fridge next to the other places that I've been to,
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it just feels good it's just a little thing that I do that makes my life a little bit brighter.
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Now modern life is full of big stuff and we are encouraged to focus on big stuff.
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Career, relationships, money, house, fitness, status.
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Who am I and what have I been put here to do?
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That's a big one for me.
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Now it's important to have goals and direction but major milestones are rare and they require a ton of time and energy.
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You can't get a promotion or buy a house every day.
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And science has found that tiny pleasures like watching the sunrise
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or drinking coffee with your dog or getting a magnet in another country are what actually predict stable,
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long -term life satisfaction.
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So me and the boys came up with a list of the little things.
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89 things that make us feel good.
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Things we do, things we wear, things that we often take for granted but are actually sick as if you stop and think about it.
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Things that just make life feel a little richer.
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And also just some cool that we're on right now.
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Number one, spraying stuff with a hose.
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Talking about your car, plants, the siding on your house.
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If you can do it barefoot, even better.
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Number two, morning coffee outside.
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You don't have to set intentions or meditate.
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You can, but you can also just sit there and enjoy some time with your dog.
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Number three, dogs.
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Number four, becoming a regular somewhere.
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It feels good when a semi -stranger knows your name.
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Say what's up to the other regulars.
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That's how you get casual friends.
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I'm talking coffee shop, hardware store, ideally not the emergency room.
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Number five, a garage chair.
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It is a comfortable chair in your garage.
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Number six perfectly chilled melon on a hot day number seven a nice park
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i used to complain about how my city didn't have any parks
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then i realized it actually has a lot of them i just didn't know where they were
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and i never went to them you're already paying for parks
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you might as well go number eight free samples number nine
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when someone throws something at you and you catch it and then and you gotta like play it off,
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you gotta be like, of course I could call it that.
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I'm not surprised by that at all.
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So I'll just go move it.
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You turn around, you're just like, yes.
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Number 10, cracking your knuckles.
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Number 11, going with a friend while they run errands.
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Zero stakes for you.
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Your only responsibility is to be 100 % comic relief, but you get to siphon off a little bit of that satisfaction of getting something done.
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And nine times out of 10, there will be snacks.
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And if there aren't snacks, are you running errands with a friend?
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Number 12, wearing a watch.
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Number 13, when you and a person that you just met decide to do the same handshake thing right off the bat.
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There's so many options now.
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When you both decide to do the fist bump or the fist bump to smack, that's my favorite.
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That is, fist bump to smack is the LA millennial go -to.
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Number 14, wiener schnitzel.
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Why aren't there more hot dog restaurants?
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Number 15, finding a barber you like and developing a haircut for your head.
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I've been working on this one for about two years now with the same guy, actually two guys.
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We aren't quite there yet, but we are making great progress.
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I'm learning the language.
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Last time I said, Frankie, let's add a little bit more texture on the sides.
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Is that a thing? he goes, yeah, dude.
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I go, great.
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Number 16, 30 -minute walks after your dinner.
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Good for digestion.
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Good for relationships.
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Good for your brain.
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Number 17, clean sheets.
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No -brainer.
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Number 18, weekend matinees.
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Number 19, a parking spot that opens up right when you need it.
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But be aware of how long you are camping out in a row to wait for a parking spot.
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It goes from being like a prepared dude to being a loser real quick
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it's fine line number 20 cold drinks i was just in europe for a few weeks during a heat wave
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and it really made me appreciate cold stuff
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so much uh culturally i love america there's some political stuff
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that i don't agree with that's going on right now but culturally this is my spot dude Dude.
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Number 21, a good stretch.
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Number 22, plants.
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Inside plants, outside plants, public plants, private plants.
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They are cool as hell.
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Some of them smell good.
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Some of them are beautiful.
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Some of them can kill you or your enemies.
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Number 23, finding something that you swear is going to be a wave that your friends disagree with you about and getting in early.
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I swear, by next summer, you guys are all gonna look like f*ing idiots.
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Number 24, taking photos with a camera that is not your phone.
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Pulling out a little point and shoot starts a conversation.
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People get excited.
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Cameras like this that are dedicated feel like you're capturing a moment.
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Phone cameras feel like you're collecting evidence.
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Number 25, ripping a good fart.
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26, opening all the windows, curtains, and blinds in your home first thing in the morning.
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Circulate that air, let the light in.
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You gotta find a balance of easing into the morning and attacking the day, you know what I mean?
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Number 27, deciding when to live with it and when not to live with it.
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Number 28, hiking.
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I know that it's a cliche, but that really does make you feel good and it is an exceptional free social activity.
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29, the sound of rain
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when you got nowhere to be number 30 hitting every green light number 31 cherries number 32 a reliable blade
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now
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that doesn't mean the nicest blade it means the best blade for the job
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i have a couple of really nice knives
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but the blade i use the most is these you can get them in like packs of eight
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and i scatter them all around the garage in my house
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and because i use a knife most of the time for cutting boxes up
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because Riley and the guys all order from Amazon.
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And I guess I'm the box guy.
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It's cool because I was head buster at Avalon restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky.
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So I'm really good at breaking down boxes.
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Number 33, vanilla soft serve.
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Honorable mention, chocolate soft serve and chocolate vanilla twist soft serve.
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Number 34, when someone texts you back immediately.
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Number 35, doing little things that you've been meaning to do forever.
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Get that pair of pants hemmed, wash your rug.
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Maybe you haven't changed the cabin air filter in your car and it's getting gross.
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This is what I've been breathing.
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And this is the Pure Later One, the sponsor of today's video.
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Tricked ya, this is an ad.
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Replacing your cabin air filter takes like two minutes on most cars.
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And when the guy at the oil change place tries to charge you like 70 bucks to do it,
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tell them, no thanks, I've got the Purolator 1.
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You know who else needs fresh air?
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Your freaking engine.
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Oh, no.
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Protect your engine with cleaner air so it can run smoother and last longer with the Purolator 1 engine air filter.
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Next time you're at Walmart, just pick one up.
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Don't be selfish.
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Get one for yourself.
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Get one for your engine.
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And if you don't feel like doing it for yourself, do it for your kids, do it for your wife, do it for your potential groceries.
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You don't want someone to be like, hey, your car smells like stale .
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Smells like fresh air in here, nice.
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This is an ad, but it fits perfectly because those are little things that you should do
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and they'll make you feel better.
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Number 36, saying hello to the mailman or mailwoman.
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Bonus points, learn their name.
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Say, what's up, Carl, what's up, Steve?
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We hang out at my garage all the time
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we say hello to my mailman all the time
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she never says hi back number 37 cleaning your cell phone
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cleaning your laptop cleaning your airpods your cell phone is disgusting
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and you touch it all the time i licked my cell phone the other day to clean the screen
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and liam freaked out
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and i was like oh yeah you're probably right this thing is like on the floor in public restrooms all the time
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Number 38, getting the good toothpaste.
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Tim wrote that one.
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Number 39, cutting your nails, shaving your neck.
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Number 40, when it's hot out, dipping your feet in ice cold water.
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If it's a natural body of water, even better.
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Number 41, espresso tonics.
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Just espresso with tonic water and some orange.
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Number 42, having a good flashlight when you need it.
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If you're using your phone when you have to find something in the dark, you're playing yourself.
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The iPhone flashlight is the worst design for a flashlight ever.
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It's as if they were like, all right, here's the challenge.
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Make it hurt people's eyes, but don't have it illuminate the floor at all.
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Number 43, a good sneeze.
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Number 44, cleaning and tuning your bike.
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You don't have a bike, maybe get a bike.
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I don't think you'll regret it.
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Bikes are top five coolest things mankind has ever done.
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all right one thing that brings me a lot of joy is finding cool clothes and putting effort into getting dressed.
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So here is some little stuff that I am currently into.
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Number 45, shorts with big openings.
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You can do long shorts.
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You can do short shorts.
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You can do medium shorts.
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Just don't try and give me any freaking skinny shorts.
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Not right now.
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Number 46, natural fibers.
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Number 47, colorful socks.
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Not funny socks, not socks with pictures on them, just solid color socks that add a little pop of energy at the bottom of your legs.
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Ironically, today I'm wearing what appear to be white socks, but they're not white socks.
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They're off -white socks and they match my shirt perfectly.
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Thoughtful socks.
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Number 48, braided belts and surcingle belts.
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This is a surcingle belt.
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I don't know what a surcingle is, but it's like the canvas or with the leather on the bottom.
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This one's from J -Press.
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I gave Jesse one just like it because I ordered it too small.
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Number 49, hooded windbreakers.
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Number 50, nautical stuff in general.
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Anchors, ships, flotation devices on the wall.
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Nautica in general.
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Number 51, One, 90s
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Gap, 90s Abercrombie, 90s J .Crew.
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A lot of American brands moved production overseas in the mid to late 90s to early 2000s.
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So if you do a little research, you can get really high quality American made clothes for pretty cheap.
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And a lot of this stuff flies on the radar.
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This is 100 % true.
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As we're recording this video, my mailman, who I said hi to, brought three packages from eBay that I'm pretty sure has 90s Abercrombie.
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So I'm going to open it for you.
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90s Abercrombie.
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Made in USA.
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These are nice.
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Number 52, tank tops under button -ups.
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Number 53, sunglasses where people can see your eyes.
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In fact, having multiple pairs of sunglasses, a quiver of sunglasses, I recently discovered that you can own more than one pair of sunglasses.
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And it feels so good picking out the perfect pair based on my mood
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and what I'm wearing or the event that I'm going to.
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Originally, in my travels, I was gonna try
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and pick up a pair of nice sunglasses in every city that I went to, but that is so hard and so expensive.
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So that's, magnets are good.
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Number 54, polo shirts that are kinda too small.
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I don't know if you guys have noticed, but that's become my uniform as of late.
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So much so that we have developed our own.
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Coming soon to speed .co number 55 athletic shorts with collared shirts it's like ice cream
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and olive oil two things that you might not think go together
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but actually really do
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and make you look rich number 56 wearing a blazer just
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do it you might feel like you're wearing a costume but
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if you are over the age of 25 you are a grown -up
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and you can wear a blazer without anybody questioning it and if someone is like, oh, nice blazer.
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You say, shut the up, you baby.
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One thing that I don't acknowledge or celebrate enough is milestones and anniversaries.
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Speed just turned two years old.
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I'm very proud of myself.
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I'm very proud of my friends.
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And to celebrate that, we are re -releasing every single on GARM item ever.
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Japan 99 T, We Will Rebuild T, new designs of two of our biggest sellers ever, the garden and the gate tee,
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designed by Riley, and the don't take the money tee, a phrase so sick that we put it on the front this time.
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So you can have your mug and it says don't take the money and people are like, oh, that's what that guy freaking thinks.
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Everything is on speed .co right now for a limited time.
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If you've ever wanted any shirt that has sold out
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or been not available now is your chance speed .co right
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now happy anniversary you guys number 57 activities before activities dinner before a movie
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they don't have to be with the same people either this one comes from i've seen
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that it's like an adhd thing where
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if you have plans at some point in the day you won't do anything before
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that and i think i might have adhd because i definitely do
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that but forcing myself to like go to a street fair before some plans i have later in the night
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or like meeting up with some people
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and then going to do another thing
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you know what i mean number 58 dustin hoffman number 59 martin short number 60 master
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and commander starring russell crow number 61 leaning into seasons especially in la sometimes seasons are less obvious
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so doing things that make them feel special like decorating your apartment uh seasonal candles playing music that fits,
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dressing the part.
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Years go by really fast now, so it's nice to break them up into quadrants at least.
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Number 62, free smells.
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Candles at a store perfume samples, smelling restaurants while you walk down the street.
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A lot of stuff smells bad and a lot of stuff costs money.
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When life throws you a free good smell, you savor that.
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Number 63, listening to an album the entire way through.
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In our modern algorithmic culture, we're constantly fed mixtapes made by a robot.
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And I think it's fun to hear how the artists intended the order of the songs to go
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and this song goes into this song.
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And one album that I am really into right now is The King of Having Fun by Medium Build.
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So here to share five little things that he's on right now, my friend, Nicholas Carpenter, a .k .a.
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Medium Build.
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Thanks, James.
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Thanks for having me.
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I'm Medium Build, here to give you a couple of things I'm doing to have a good time this year.
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One thing, I'm going for runs, getting outside every day, at least a couple of miles,
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just to sort of get the demons out of my head but I'm not trying to get too trim.
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I'm not trying to influence anybody or be super cool or get hit on.
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So I'm eating ice cream every day.
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Three, I've been doing a thing called raw dog in the car ride, which is not having anything playing.
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No podcasts, no wellness schemes, no YouTube shorts.
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Let your thoughts wander, which leads me to my next thing.
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I've been calling old homies.
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What I'm trying to do is call them for five minutes, say, hey, what's up?
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How are you doing?
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And then just listen.
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So that's four things.
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My last thing is probably the lamest thing I've ever said or done, but I recently got into ball golf.
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Now I've been a famous disc golfer for years.
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I'm ball golfing because being bad at something for three hours is good for your self -esteem.
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Realizing that sometimes that ball is it's gonna go wherever it's gonna go.
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All right, those are five tips to have a great life.
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Number 69, not on purpose, a nice pen.
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I like .05 gel pens.
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Give me a .7 and I'll say, I feel like a kindergartner.
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Number 70, admitting to yourself that something you used to think was lame is actually cool.
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Or admitting to yourself that something you used to think was cool is actually lame.
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You're allowed to change your mind.
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Number 71, the ambience of a mildly busy public space.
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The Spanish call it buisio.
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Number 72, having the exact right tool for the job.
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Number 73, putting a ton of effort into making a dumb little video
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or photoshopping something just to make your friends laugh and it crushes.
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Number 74, having enough pockets.
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Number 75, seeing old people hold hands.
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Number 76, sitting in the driveway for one more minute to let the song finish play.
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Number 77, chirping birds, legendary.
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Number 78, warm bread.
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Number 79, waving to your neighbors.
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Number 80, perfectly executing a heel -toe downshift.
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Number 81, driving with the windows down and the AC on.
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And finally, number 82, Little Fridge Magnets.
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I guess my brain could do it natural, feels like it don't anymore.
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Half of me was fully jealous of the younger me,
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kid he saw the light and little things, hadn't had a reason yet to run.
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And all of me is living like a secret I don't want to keep
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Since when do I need all this shit to fall asleep?
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I used to be the king of heaven for a while He's out there trying to do it back for me
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Making movies with his friends
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He's gonna save up that allowance
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And find somebody to kiss I'm sleeping late
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and drinking early I don't let anybody in I'm always stressing over something
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I let my baby down again
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He's half of me, he's fully jealous of the younger me
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I can't ever saw the light of little things Hadn't had a reason yet to run
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The love of me is living like a secret I don't wanna keep dying from the weight
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That I've been carrying Burdened by the person I've become I used to be the king
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And having friends over Friday night
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Pet snake, black light, DVD PSP, GTA, GTG Sick stuff, stuff,
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cross, mountain goo
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Sugar rush now and later now
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And then I wish I could go back again
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But half of me wonders if I'll ever get the chance to be A person I dreamed up when I was seventeen
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Before I found a hundred ways to know
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And all of me is done with making simple shit a mystery
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Thinking that the world just has it out for me
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Acting like the magic days are done I used to be the king of heaven before
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Maybe I'm the king of heaven before I could be the king of heaven before
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “82 Little Things That Make Life Good”. This video has 318 sentences and 3294 words to shadow. The speech runs for 22:15. The speaker talks at a steady 148 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sock noun | /sɑk/ | A knitted or woven covering for the foot. |
| sunglasses noun | Tinted glasses worn to protect the eyes from the sun or other bright light, and may also be worn as a fashion accessory. | |
| garage noun | /ɡəˈɹɑʒ/ | A building (or section of a building) used to store a car or cars, tools and other miscellaneous items. |
| blade noun | /bleɪd/ | The (typically sharp-edged) part of a knife, sword, razor, or other tool with which it cuts. |
| magnet noun | /ˈmæɡ.nɪt/ | A piece of material that attracts some metals by magnetism. |
| belt noun | /ˈbɛlt/ | A band worn around the waist to hold clothing to one's body (usually pants), hold weapons (such as a gun or sword), or serve as a decorative piece of clothing. |
| filter noun | /ˈfɪltɚ/ | A device which separates a suspended, dissolved, or particulate matter from a fluid, solution, or other substance; any device that separates one substance from… |
| bump noun | /bʌmp/ | A light blow or jolting collision. |
| fist noun | /fɪst/ | A hand with the fingers clenched or curled inward. |
| knife noun | /ˈnaɪ̯f/ | A utensil or a tool designed for cutting, consisting of a flat piece of hard material, usually steel or other metal (the blade), usually sharpened on one edge… |
| jealous adjective | /ˈd͡ʒɛl.əs/ | Suspecting rivalry in love; troubled by worries that one might have been replaced in someone's affections; suspicious of a lover's or spouse's fidelity. |
| satisfaction noun | /sætɪsˈfækʃən/ | A fulfilment of a need or desire. |
| cabin noun | /ˈkæbɪn/ | A small dwelling characteristic of the frontier, especially when built from logs with simple tools and not constructed by professional builders, but by those… |
| snack noun | /snæk/ | A light meal. |
| candle noun | /ˈkæn.dəl/ | A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a solid, flammable substance such as wax, tallow, or paraffin. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| break down verb | To stop functioning. |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. |
| go together verb | To be in a relationship. |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| open up verb | To open. |
| pick out verb | To remove by picking. |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Who am I and what have I been put here to do?
- That's a big one for me.
- You don't have to set intentions or meditate.
- That's how you get casual friends.
- You know who else needs fresh air?
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 complain · used to think · used to be |
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been working · I've been breathing · I've been doing |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been · I've started · have I been put |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are encouraged · been put |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 103 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: leather /ˈlɛðɚ/, breathe /bɹiːð/, athletic /æθˈlɛt.ɪk/, thoughtful /ˈθɔːtfəl/, algorithmic /ˌælɡəˈɹɪðmɪk/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: garage /ɡəˈɹɑʒ/, satisfaction /sætɪsˈfækʃən/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, wash /wɑʃ/, capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/
- Long words — get the stress right: satisfaction /sætɪsˈfækʃən/, legendary /ˈlɛd͡ʒ.ənˌdɛɹ.i/, exceptional /ɪkˈsɛpʃənəl/, fortunately /ˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt.li/, ideally /aɪˈdi.ə.li/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like sock, sunglasses, garage.
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.