Shadowing Practice: A Practical Walkthrough & Answering Your Questions About Interstitial Journaling - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello!
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So most of you, maybe even all of you who are watching this video, probably found me through my interstitial journaling video.
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The fact that that one reached so many people, I'm still a little shocked, but also genuinely grateful.
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Thank you for being here, really.
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A lot of you told me that the video was helpful
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and some of you said that you've been doing a version of this for years without having a name for it, which I loved hearing.
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But there were also some points that felt unclear for some people.
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Not questions exactly, more like points of confusion or moments where you weren't sure how this actually works in real life.
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In the first video, I mostly talked about the method.
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I showed my notebook, but I didn't really show how I use it moment to moment.
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So this video is a follow -up, not to complicate the method, but to make it more practical and hopefully easier to understand and use.
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Today, I'll answer some of the common questions that people left on
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that video and i'll also show how i use interstitial journaling
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while tackling something i personally find overwhelming
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so the task i picked for today is my wardrobe
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i've been wanting to organize it for a very long time
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and i haven't been able to start it's one of those tasks
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that just leaves in your head is too big even though logically you know
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that it's not that serious i am not organizing my whole wardrobe today i already know that that's unrealistic stick for me.
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I'm doing one shelf and that's it.
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And please don't judge the mess.
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Now this is where interstitial journaling starts.
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I take my notebook and the first thing I do is not plan.
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I don't motivate myself.
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I don't hype myself up.
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I simply ask what did I just do and I write that down with a time.
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Then if I want to I add context.
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Not because I have to but because it helps me.
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This part is important.
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I'm not shaming myself or forcing positivity.
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I'm just naming what's true.
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Then I ask the second question.
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What is the smallest next step that I can tolerate?
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Not the whole task, not even organize the shelf, just the next physical movement.
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And I write that.
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open the wardrobe that's it then i do that i open the wardrobe and then i write again opened the wardrobe
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so this part of my wardrobe is basically made up of old clothes home clothes some random pieces that I never wear,
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small items and things I just shoved here to get them out of sight.
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A little hiding spot for them, which means it gets very very messy.
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I probably should get rid of a lot of it, but that's not today's task.
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Today I'm just gonna organize and fold everything and that's it.
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Now the next tiny step becomes obvious. And I do that.
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Great, lovely.
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Then we start folding.
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At this point, something usually happens.
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Once I'm a few minutes into the task, my body is already moving, and the task is no longer theoretical.
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So I often just stop writing every single step and just continue.
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um so So
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finished!
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I also did the shelf below, why not?
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And when I'm done I come back to the notebook.
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and then I mark the transition.
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Next, get a snack.
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This helps my brain close the task and move on without drifting.
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so the other question was when do you write before
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or after and the short answer is both you write after you notice
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that you've arrived somewhere physically or mentally and before the next tiny action
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if you're stuck you're not really documenting your life you're just creating bridges between moments.
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Where's my snack?
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Another question was, how do you know what to do next?
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I think this question comes from the assumption that interstitial journaling is some kind of planning system.
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It's really not.
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You don't need to know your whole plan and you don't need to think ahead.
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Actually, trying to figure out everything in advance is usually what makes things harder, especially if you already struggle with starting.
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When I write an entry, I'm not asking myself what should i be doing with my life right now most of the time
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when i write down what i just did the next step becomes obvious on its own
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if i write set down in front of the wardrobe
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then it's pretty clear what comes next i don't need to plan it i just see it
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and if i don't see it that's also information it usually means the task still feels too big
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so i make the next step smaller
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and there's no pressure to get it right if the next step you wrote doesn't happen it's fine
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You just write again what you actually did and from there you find the next tiny step and that's the whole loop.
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And a couple of people asked where my notebook is from.
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I honestly don't know.
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I got it from a tiny local shop for very very cheap and it has no brand name.
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And actually the notebook doesn't matter.
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Don't get influenced by me to buy some new notebook that looks like this.
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What does matter is accessibility.
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I recommend something small because it's easier to keep near you and it feels less intimidating to actually use.
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But you can also use a whiteboard or a big sticky note on your fridge.
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You can write in a notes app or write on your laptop if you're there all day.
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I personally do this on my laptop very often.
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Same method, different formats.
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I actually recommend trying different ways of doing it, adjusting and then dropping parts that don't work.
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This only works if it fits your brain.
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Another question was do you write a to -do list?
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Not really.
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I don't make a traditional to -do list because my brain tends to rebel against them.
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What I usually do in the morning is more like a brain dump
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and that's not a list that I have to obey.
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It's just me emptying my head onto the page so that it stops buzzing.
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And during the day tasks naturally emerge from that. so
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and another thing a couple people said was i don't switch tasks
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i procrastinate i can't start i guess this is the most important part.
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If you can't start, don't start by trying to start.
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Start by writing what you're already doing.
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For example, watching YouTube videos about cats.
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I know I'm avoiding starting my task.
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Then ask yourself, what is the smallest thing I could do next?
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Not start the task, something smaller.
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Maybe it is, next, open my notebook.
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Then you do that.
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Then you write, opened my notebook.
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That matters because now you have proof that you did something.
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You moved.
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You are capable of movement.
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From there, the next tiny step becomes visible.
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This is how it pulls you out.
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Not by force, but by momentum.
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If your phone is already in your hand, do it there.
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If the notebook is near you, use that.
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Reduce friction as much as possible.
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So, the core of interstitial journaling is this.
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You write down what you did, even if it feels stupid, even if it feels tiny, even if it is something unproductive.
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Seeing evidence of action changes how your brain perceives itself.
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Then often, but not always, you add one tiny next.
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Not for every entry, not perfectly, just enough to keep moving.
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If this method helped you, I'm really glad.
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If parts of it don't work for you, that's okay too.
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Take what helps and leave the rest.
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And if you want, tell me in the comments, have you adapted this for yourself?
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Thank you for being here and watching this video, and I'll see you next time.
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Bye!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “A Practical Walkthrough & Answering Your Questions About Interstitial Journaling”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: write, task, notebook, step, wardrobe. This video has 123 sentences and 1334 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:43. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| notebook noun | /ˈnoʊtˌbʊk/ | A book (physical or digital) in which notes or memoranda are written. |
| wardrobe noun | /ˈwɔɹdɹoʊb/ | A governmental office or department in a monarchy which purchases, keeps, and cares for royal clothes. |
| organize verb | /ˈɔɹɡənaɪz/ | To arrange in working order. |
| shelf noun | /ʃɛlf/ | A flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to a wall or forming a part of a cabinet, desk, etc., and used to display, store, or support objects. |
| laptop noun | /ˈlæp.tɑp/ | A laptop computer. |
| fold verb | /ˈfəʊld/ | To bend (any thin material, such as paper) over so that it comes in contact with itself. |
| cloth noun | /klɒθ/ | A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. Sometimes… |
| snack noun | /snæk/ | A light meal. |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| practical adjective | /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/ | Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis. |
| format noun | /ˈfɔːɹ.mæt/ | The layout of a publication or document. |
| shock noun | /ʃɔk/ | A sudden, heavy impact. |
| transition noun | /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/ | The process of change from one form, state, style or place to another. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| visible adjective | /ˈvɪzɪb(ə)l/ | Able to be seen. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| write down verb | To produce or set (something) down in writing; to record something. |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. |
| follow up verb | To take further actions remaining after an event; to continue, revisit, or persist; especially, to maintain communication or verify. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'm doing one shelf and that's it.
- I don't hype myself up.
- I'm not shaming myself or forcing positivity.
- I'm just naming what's true.
- I also did the shelf below, why not?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | you've been doing · i've been wanting |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't been · you've arrived |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | loved hearing · start folding · stop writing |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the smallest · the most important |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 43 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: cloth /klɒθ/, theoretical /ˌθi.əˈɹɛt.ɪ.kəl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shelf /ʃɛlf/, shock /ʃɔk/, transition /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/, confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/, assumption /əˈsʌm(p).ʃ(ə)n/
- Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, momentum /ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/, theoretical /ˌθi.əˈɹɛt.ɪ.kəl/, accessibility /əkˌsɛs.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/
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 notebook, wardrobe, organize.
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.