Shadowing Practice: Angelina Jolie's Advice to Her Younger Self! - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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First of all, congratulations.
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58 sentences
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First of all, congratulations.
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I mean, and this is incredible.
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Like, to have the three of you in the same room, on the same screen, what a delight.
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It was so lovely.
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I know your first go around, some of the kids came on set.
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This time, they're a bit more grown up and everything.
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So, like, they get what you do.
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They get that this is your job and everything like that.
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But when they see the billboards and the magazine covers and all of that, like, do they understand that part of it as well?
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It's fun.
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It's not.
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The good thing, I think, is I've wanted them to be exposed to it all so they don't feel like it's not something that they're involved in, it's not a part of their life, but it's not important to them and the center of their lives in a way that's unhealthy, so it's all fun.
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Right.
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As a mother, how do you relate to her in the sense of, oh, like finding that balance of letting your kids do what they wanna do, especially now that you have teenagers, but still being the protective mama bear.
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Like, there is a balance there, I feel like.
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Yes.
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There is.
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I think, but I think, I think I have an easier time at the Maleficent.
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I think this is, she is, it is very hard for her.
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Also, she's, she just really doesn't trust humans.
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And Angie, for you slipping back into this delicious character, is it just as exciting the second time around?
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Yes, and different, and fun in different ways, because the first time was such an exploration, but, and you were younger, and it was so fun, and she's so sweet, and it's a lot of fun, And now it is, you know, we are family.
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We have a different relationship.
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And so the way we can spar and play and go deeper.
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And now I get to work with Michelle.
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So it became a whole new experience for me.
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It's always nice when you're with actors, you respect and you get to play.
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And you have something you get to kind of chew up a little bit together.
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We laughed a lot.
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And, you know, you can't really get through scenes like that where you can't get up, you're sort of stuck there really the majority of the day.
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And you also do have those moments where you just think, it is that you are actors and you have those moments where you think, look at us, look at what we're doing, look at our jobs.
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You're in horns.
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Michelle Finkler is yelling at me and I'm a giant fairy.
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What about you, Elle, coming back for Aurora at this time in her life?
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Yeah, I think, well, yeah, I mean, the first time, you know, I was 14 when I did the first film, and now I'm 21.
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So, like, in my life, a lot's changed.
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I mean, I've got three generations of incredible women who've had extremely successful careers already, but if there was anything that you could say to your younger self, knowing what you know now, what would it be?
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I think I wish that I had not been so frightened for a lot of the earlier part of my career, just in terms of learning how to adjust to being famous and losing my privacy.
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and I think in all, I mean, I always loved acting.
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I always loved being on the set and, you know, making movies.
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But I think that part of it was hard for me, and I wish I had just been a little more relaxed about it, I think.
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That's really good advice.
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Angelina?
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God, I don't know.
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I really don't know.
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I was sitting here thinking, because I think you just, you have to make all the mistakes.
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You have to go through everything.
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you have to just, because everything somehow leads to something else, and it's you.
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So I would just, like, hang on.
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That's what I would say.
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Hang on.
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Just hang on.
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Strap yourself in.
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Hang on.
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It'll be okay.
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You're going to love being a mom.
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Aww.
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You know?

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video features Angelina Jolie discussing her career and personal growth, making it an engaging resource for English learners. Listening to the sincere reflections of a successful actress provides a relatable context to practice speaking. By mimicking her speech, you can enhance your English fluency and confidence.

Practicing with this video also gives you an opportunity to improve your IELTS speaking practice. Angelina's nuanced discussion provides examples of how to express emotions and thoughts in English, integrating both casual and formal registers. Engaging with real conversations allows you to understand context better, paving the way for more natural speech in your daily life.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the transcript, several key grammatical structures and expressions stand out:

  • Reported Speech: Angelina says, "I think I wish that I had not been so frightened...". This structure showcases how feelings or thoughts can be conveyed indirectly.
  • Conditional Sentences: She mentions, "If there was anything that you could say to your younger self...". This conditional form is used to create hypothetical situations, ideal for expressing advice and reflections.
  • Present Perfect Tense: The phrase "I have an easier time..." demonstrates the use of the present perfect tense to discuss experiences related to the present, which is essential for everyday conversation.
  • Passive Voice: Expressions like "you are actors" emphasize a state of being rather than an action, which can help learners grasp diverse sentence structures.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While listening to the video, pay attention to the following tricky words and accents:

  • "delicious": The 'sh' sound may be challenging for non-native speakers, so focus on the soft articulation of this word.
  • "exploration": The emphasis is on the third syllable; practice saying it slowly to capture the stress correctly.
  • "privacy": This word often trips up learners due to differing pronunciations; listening and repeating can enhance your improve english pronunciation.
  • Different accents: Notice the subtle accent variations between Angelina Jolie and the interviewer, providing a rich resource for shadowing practice. Using a shadowing app can help mimic their speech patterns effectively.

Overall, utilizing a shadowing site with this video can help improve your English speaking skills significantly by offering authentic conversation practice. Take some time to watch, listen, and repeat to absorb not only what is said but also how it is expressed.

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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