Shadowing Practice: After 20 Years Teaching English, Here’s the Truth - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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So, I've been teaching English for nearly 20 years and I've been learning languages for even longer.
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So, I've been teaching English for nearly 20 years and I've been learning languages for even longer.
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So, today I'm going to share with you five big truths that everyone learning English should know.
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I did have 20 truths,
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but I thought not many people would watch a video with 20 things.
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So, here they are.
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So, the first truth I want to share with you is that you can't buy English.
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You can buy courses and teachers and apps,
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but you can't buy real engagement with the language.
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What do I mean?
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mean you can't outsource the skills the four skills reading writing listening speaking you have to do
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that okay and i think a lot of people don't think about this
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or realize this i've taught so many students in my life maybe a thousand
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or more than a thousand and i've had parents come up to me and give me wads of cash, right?
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Lots of cash at me saying, teach my child English.
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Like they can just buy it.
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You can't buy it.
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That student needs to put in the work.
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They have to engage with the language.
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They need the right skills, the right habits.
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So I want to say to you sure you can buy an app
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or a course or anything like that but just know
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that it depends on you at the end of the day my recommendation is sure choose one resource
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and go deep with that resource don't choose ten different resources
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and you don't even need to buy anything just choose a YouTube video like one of my podcast episodes.
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And you can spend a week on that episode.
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So you will learn the vocabulary,
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the phrases, practice shadowing, maybe answer some questions of your own.
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Join a discussion group and talk about the things from the video.
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There are so many things you can do with just one free resource.
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Alright guys, it's starting to rain,
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so I hope we can finish this video.
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We've actually tried to do this video three days in a row,
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and every single day it was just a downpour.
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That means heavy rain.
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So, my next truth for you is that passive English creates passive results.
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And because so many students spend hours and hours around English just watching videos,
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but never speaking or repeating or engaging with the content,
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So passive activities are still important, right?
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They can still help you with sounds and rhythm and vocabulary.
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But I would say real results come from active English, active activities.
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So speaking out loud, writing,
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journaling, doing dictation, where you listen and you write down what you hear.
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Pausing and repeating.
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Shadowing.
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I have a big, well,
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I have a controversial opinion about shadowing.
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I think I will make another video about that.
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If you want that, let me know in the comments and put shadowing because I have a really good video for that.
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Other things you can do is just having real conversations,
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making lots of mistakes and correcting them.
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Because your brain learns much faster when you actually participate.
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So the third truth is always be very careful walking into a field when there is a bull.
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Sorry, I was just joking.
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Well, I'm not joking.
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You do need to be careful.
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But the real tip three is motivation fades, habits remain.
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You see, many people think that successful learners are more motivated,
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more inspired, or more passionate.
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And that might be true.
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But if your English depends only on motivation,
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you will constantly stop and restart.
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And I know this all too well,
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okay, in my own language learning journey too.
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And what I've noticed is the most successful students I've met and just language learners all have one thing in common.
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And it is consistency.
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And that comes from discipline, habits, routines and systems.
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So for example, maybe you listen to English every morning while you're making coffee.
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Maybe you check your vocabulary,
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you review vocabulary for 10 minutes as soon as you get home.
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Or you practice speaking regularly every week,
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regularly being the operative word.
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And this leads perfectly to my next point.
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my next truth is very simple
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and it is you improve at speaking by speaking it's
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that simple i've met
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so many students who just don't practice speaking they don't speak
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with others they don't do self-talk they don't meet native speakers
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so in any way you can practice speaking so
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if your question is should i practice with ai
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or a teacher yes yes to both okay ai yes teacher yes
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or should i have should i join a speaking group
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or do one-on-one classes yes it doesn't matter just make sure you're practicing speaking practicing with ai is really useful
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and it's quite cheap you don't need to buy any apps
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really i use chat gpt you can use whatever you want
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but make sure you also practice with real people because
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if you don't you will freeze when you meet native speakers
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or when you go out in groups you need to make yourself feel a little bit uncomfortable okay so practice speaking.
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Now, how do we get out of here i think it's this way
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my next truth is probably the hardest one to hear
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and it is fear is holding most learners back
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that means fear is stopping you from reaching your goal not intelligence not talent not even grammar fear Fear of being judged,
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fear of being laughed at,
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fear of making mistakes, fear of sounding stupid,
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fear of having a strong accent,
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fear of not sounding perfect.
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There is a long list, right?
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I'm sure you can relate to one of these fears.
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And I really believe that this is one of the main things stopping you from becoming a fluent speaker.
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I have taught hundreds and hundreds of students and some of them they know the grammar,
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they know the vocabulary, but when it's time to speak they just freeze.
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They freeze in front of native speakers
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and this is the biggest problem I have seen in the
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past 20 years probably um now i have done a playlist on these problems
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and i give you some really useful tips
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and activities to help you overcome these issues
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so i'll put a link somewhere here in the video
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and please if this is a problem for you watch that playlist and i'm i'm sure it will help right well
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these were my five truths from being a teacher
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and a language learner for so many years I feel
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so old but I hope you enjoyed it let me know
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which truth you relate to the most anyway that's it from me
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but I'll see you in the next episode bye bye Oh,
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take us back past the fence in stone Wind in the branches carved our names in the bone

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with this video not only offers valuable insights into language learning but also serves as an excellent opportunity to improve your English pronunciation. The speaker shares personal experiences and practical advice, which can be beneficial for your English speaking practice. By reflecting on the truths revealed in this video, you can actively participate in your learning journey. As the speaker emphasizes, real engagement with the language is essential for mastering the four skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Aim to incorporate the speaker's suggestions into your routine to make your practice more effective.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, the speaker utilizes several grammatical structures and expressions that are useful for learners. Here are a few highlights:

  • “You can buy courses and teachers and apps, but you can’t buy real engagement with the language.” This structure effectively contrasts the idea of purchasing tools versus the necessity of personal effort.
  • “You need the right skills, the right habits.” The repetition of "right" emphasizes the importance of tailoring your learning approach.
  • “Passive English creates passive results.” The use of adjectives here (passive) provides clarity on the impact of engagement level on learning outcomes.
  • “I think I will make another video about that.” This conversational phrase demonstrates a future intention, crucial for expressing plans in English.

These phrases not only convey the speaker's insights but also present grammar structures that you can adopt in your own speaking.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you watch the video, pay attention to some tricky pronunciation elements that can often cause problems for English learners:

  • “Engagement”: Make sure to pronounce the final "ment" clearly. Many learners tend to drop this sound.
  • “Shadowing”: This word can be difficult; focus on the "sh" sound at the beginning and practice repeating it softly.
  • “Results”: Notice the pronunciation of the second syllable which can often be mispronounced. Ensure that both syllables are articulated equally.

Using techniques like shadow speech—where you repeat what the speaker says—is a great way to improve your English pronunciation. As you practice, aim to imitate not just the words but also the rhythm and intonation of the speaker. Incorporate this into your shadow speak sessions for a more engaging learning experience!

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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