Shadowing Practice: Angelina Jolie receives the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2013 Governors Awards - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Reza Zahra Reviewer Thank you.
2
Thank you so much.
3
Thank you.
4
It's quite overwhelming.
5
Thank you to the members of the Academy for this honor my dear friends who are here tonight
6
Jenna and George For your kind words to my hero Louie Zamperini
7
You cast of blood and honey and most of all to my family
8
My love Your support and your guidance make everything that I do possible.
9
Mad, I'm not going to cry, I promise.
10
I won't embarrass you.
11
You and your brothers and sisters are my happiness.
12
And there is no greater honor in this world than being your mom.
13
I'm very humbled to be here tonight among so many extraordinary artists.
14
My mother loved art.
15
She loved film.
16
She supported any crazy thing I did, but whenever it had meaning, she made a point of telling me that is what film is for.
17
And she never had a career as an artist.
18
She never had the opportunity to express herself beyond her theater class.
19
But she wanted more than for herself.
20
She wanted for Jamie and I to know what it is to have a life as artists.
21
And she gave us that chance.
22
She drove me to every audition and she would wait in the car for hours, always make me feel really good.
23
All the times I didn't get the job.
24
And when I did, we would jump up and down and scream and yell like little girls.
25
She wasn't really the best critic, since she never had anything unkind to say.
26
But she did give me love and confidence,
27
and above all she was very clear that nothing would mean anything if I didn't live a life of use to others.
28
And I didn't know what that meant for a long time.
29
I came into this business young and worried about my own experiences,
30
my own pain, and it was only when I began to travel and look and live beyond my home, did I understand my responsibility to others.
31
When I met survivors of war and famine and rape, I learned what life is like for most people in this world.
32
And how fortunate I was to have food to eat, a roof over my head, a safe place to live,
33
and the joy of having my family safe and healthy.
34
and I realized how sheltered I had been, and I was determined never to be that way again.
35
We are all, everyone in this room, so fortunate.
36
I have never understood why some people are lucky enough to be born with the chance
37
that I had to have this path in life, and why across the world there's a woman just like me,
38
with the same abilities and the same desires, the same work ethic and love for her family,
39
who would most likely make better films and better speeches.
40
only she sits in a refugee camp and she has no voice.
41
She worries about what her children will eat, how to keep them safe, and if they'll ever be allowed to return home.
42
I don't know why this is my life and that's hers.
43
I don't understand that, but I will do as my mother asks
44
and I will do the best I can with this life to be of use.
45
And to stand here today means that I did as she asked, and if she were alive, she'd be very proud.
46
So thank you.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video featuring Angelina Jolie receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is an excellent resource for English learners aiming to enhance their speaking abilities. The emotional depth of her speech provides rich material for practicing the shadowspeak technique, where learners can engage in shadowing her expressions and intonation. By mimicking Jolie's pauses, emphases, and heartfelt sentiments, you can significantly improve your English pronunciation and fluency.

Furthermore, Jolie's discussion about her responsibilities to the broader world emphasizes the importance of empathy and social awareness, plus it exposes learners to a variety of vocabulary related to humanitarian issues. Practicing with this video allows you to not just focus on pronunciation, but also to develop your ability to articulate meaningful thoughts in English.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The speech contains several key grammatical structures and expressions that can enhance your understanding of English:

  • Present Perfect Tense: Jolie often reflects on her past experiences using the present perfect, for instance, “I have never understood...” This tense can be useful for discussing life experiences and their impacts.
  • Conditional Sentences: Her thoughts about life circumstances include sentences like, “I don’t know why this is my life and that’s hers,” which illustrate the use of conditionals to present hypothetical scenarios.
  • Personal Pronouns: Jolie effectively uses personal pronouns to convey emotion, such as “my happiness” and “your support,” which personalize her speech and help maintain audience connection.
  • Imperative Mood: Phrases like “I will do as my mother asks” show how the imperative mood can indicate determination and obligation.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing her speech, English learners may encounter some pronunciation challenges:

  • “Humanitarian”: This longer word requires careful articulation to avoid common mispronunciation; listen closely to the stress on the second syllable.
  • “To live a life of use”: The phrase contains smooth linking sounds which can be tricky to master in rapid speech.
  • Intonation Patterns: Jolie's use of rising and falling intonation can signify emotions; practicing these patterns can help you convey feelings more effectively.

Utilizing the shadowspeaks method with this video is an efficient way to improve English pronunciation, allowing learners to grasp not only the sounds but the feelings behind the words. Embrace the challenge and allow Jolie's powerful message to inspire your English speaking journey.

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.