Shadowing Practice: August is the Month to Go All In - Learn English Speaking with Video

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24 sentences
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- I call this video August and I'll tell you why.
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August fascinates me.
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I grew up in the wine business where you did a lot of business with Europe and the late '90s, early 2000s I was always confused by August because August was a time that I completely got in the zone because I knew everyone was sleeping.
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And what I mean by that is everybody was on vacation.
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In Europe, all my vendors they were gone the whole month.
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Ghost. In the US a couple weeks here, a couple weeks there and it was really interesting.
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I just really used it as my time to get ready for that fourth quarter. Right?
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People came back in September and they were just rolling fast for that prime time.
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I was in retail.
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For all you young hustlers out there or old hustlers out there August is the month.
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This is the month where guys, I'm taking plenty of time with my family, this is when people really slow it down.
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Look for those out of office replies 'cause they're on the up during August.
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And if you're watching this video right now and if you want it as bad as I hear you want it and if this is your year and if 2017's going to be your year and if this is your moment and if you're sick and tired and it's your time then, my friends, you need to understand that these 30, is there 30 or 31?
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These 31, I think, 31 days, I hope that's right, in August, these 31 days in August is exactly when you triple down.
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When you 4X, 5X down on your hustle.
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While everybody is at the pool, drinking rosé this is when you put in the grinding hours.
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And get ready for your master plan.
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August, my friends, is always, always the month that sets the tone for your future for all the people that are complaining or disappointed at where they're at.
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Now, gonna flip you a little bit.
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August is also the month for all those people that are content, got bags under their eyes, hustled all year, crushing it, it's a very strategic month to kind of go into that rest period.
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Get a little sun, play a little tennis, play in the pool with your friends, your girlfriend and your kids.
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August is such an interesting month for me.
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You can play one of two ways but it depends on where your head's at right now.
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(hip hop music)

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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

This video is a goldmine for english speaking practice because it blends casual storytelling with motivational energy—perfect for mimicking real-life conversations. The speaker uses relatable scenarios (work, family, goal-setting) that you might discuss with colleagues, friends, or even in self-talk. Practicing with it helps you sound natural when sharing personal insights or encouraging others. Plus, the mix of conversational phrases and dynamic tone makes it ideal for shadow speech—repeating lines aloud to match rhythm and emphasis. You’ll build confidence in expressing both ambition and the need for rest, two key topics in daily life.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Let’s break down 3 standout structures to boost your speaking:

  • "I grew up in the wine business where you did a lot of business...": The relative clause "where" connects a place to an action, useful for describing backgrounds. Practice saying it to explain your own past experiences.
  • "triple down, 4X, 5X down on your hustle": Informal phrasal verbs and numerical slang ("4X") add energy. Use these to talk about increasing effort—e.g., "I’m tripling down on my studies this month."
  • "it's a very strategic month to kind of go into that rest period": The phrase "kind of" softens statements, making speech sound more natural. Try adding it when suggesting ideas: "Maybe we could kind of start planning the trip?"

Common Pronunciation Traps

Watch out for these tricky sounds to nail the speaker’s tone:

  • "hustle": The "s" is a soft hissing sound, not a "z". Repeat "hustle hard" to avoid mixing it up.
  • "rosé": Pronounce it "roh-ZAY" (not "roh-SEE"). Listen closely to the video to copy the French-influenced accent.
  • "strategic": The stress is on the second syllable: "stra-TEE-jik". Clap the syllables to get the rhythm right.

For shadow speak practice, play short clips and repeat immediately—this trains your mouth to move like a native. A shadowing app can help slow down the audio, but even replaying the video works. Remember, learn english with youtube videos like this one makes practice fun and practical—you’re not just studying, you’re learning to communicate like a real person.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →