Shadowing Practice: becoming social is easy, actually - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B2
Okay. Don't tell anyone.
146 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Okay. Don't tell anyone.
2
But this video is sponsored by Incogni.
3
So in case you didn't know how to make friends is actually the most Googled topic on my laptop.
4
Google will just tell you to reconnect with your old friends wikiHow is just a copy paste Reskin of Google with questionable illustrations.
5
Reddit comments will tell you to go on meetup websites that no one actually uses in real life.
6
Or to start a cornhole club.
7
Social media also probably won't help you.
8
YouTube is the main reason people don't go outside in the first place.
9
Tik Tok is literally designed to entertain you when you're alone.
10
LinkedIn is a dystopian simulation.
11
Facebook only has people twice your age.
12
Snapchat messages are from people you don't know.
13
Discord messages are from people you don't want to know.
14
Instagram is where you send messages that no one replies to and Tinder is where you schedule dates that no one shows up to.
15
Which leaves only one real option for making friends, and that's talking to people in real life.
16
Luckily, after years of failing miserably at this, I figured it out and I came up with 16 different methods that you can pick from based on your personality and what comes naturally to you.
17
Method 1: Filter out the boring people.
18
It can often be frustrating to meet a group of people and take weeks or months to realize that your personality really isn't compatible with any of them.
19
and the solution is to let out your natural, controversial, unfiltered self from the beginning so that you can quickly filter out people who aren't compatible with you.
20
You shouldn't force it, but if a slightly funny dialog option pops into your head, or if you have a weird opinion, sometimes you should just say it instead of hiding it.
21
And if some people react positively, congratulations, You've just identified your new potential friends Method 2: the unique interest.
22
If you've ever been the filler friend who people don't seem to find that interesting or exciting, It's literally just because they don't know enough about you.
23
So to fix this, Talk to people about your unique interests.
24
You might not think people care, but even if you're into something niche like pressure washing driveways, At least people will have something to remember you by.
25
When they first meet you, Just make sure that you explain your interest to people in a way they can understand without using big words and without getting into the complex stuff.
26
If you can sense that the other person is bored, it means it's probably time to ask them about one of their interests.
27
Method 3: Be outside of your head.
28
Have you ever been in a group setting where everyone's talking and you don't know when to interject or even what to say? Man, I've been quiet for a while.
29
What are people thinking about me right now?
30
What do I even see? Do I have aura right now? quick.
31
What tips can I use from that- that one video with Jordan Peterson in the thumbnail?
32
this is overthinking.
33
Also known as getting in your head. Overthinking is what happens when you get a thought.
34
Then you think about it. Then filter it.
35
Then imagine yourself saying it.
36
Then modify it and approve it.
37
And then send it out your mouth just to mumble it because the conversation's already moved on.
38
But being outside of your head just means taking in the conversation.
39
Getting thoughts, but not thinking them over too much.
40
Just say them.
41
And even if you say something cringe, see it not as a failure, but as practice. Method 4: Don't force it.
42
when you feel like you need to force friendships with people who don't even like you.
43
You feel pressure, and pressure leads to anxiety, which leads to not being your natural self.
44
So if someone doesn't really care about you or you have absolutely nothing in common with them and you're not compatible, it's not the end of the world.
45
Just be as nice as you can and move on.
46
and at this point, it's a numbers game.
47
So as long as you talk to new people, you will make new friends eventually.
48
Method 5: be the main character.
49
the people who have the most friends tend to be the people who initiate conversations the most.
50
So just initiate conversations with any sentence you could possibly think of.
51
Just assuming that everyone wants to talk to you.
52
But remember, once you initiate, don't just talk about yourself.
53
Ask simple questions about people's lives.
54
Listen. And then ask follow up questions that show you actually listened to them.
55
this part is crucial because eventually, once people get comfortable talking to you, they'll start initiating conversations with you.
56
Method 6: be a side character.
57
The book How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the only books on social skills that actually works.
58
I feel like books on social skills always try and teach you how to scientifically hack people's brains into producing oxytocin molecules by maintaining a 3-to-1 eye-contact- to-look-away ratio, or by strategically touching this part of the shoulder.
59
But in this book, the main piece of advice is that people tend to be mostly interested in themselves.
60
If you want someone to like you, make them feel important, compliment them, say their name when you initiate a conversation, act happy when they walk in the room, remember things about them, and ask questions about them as if their life is really important to you.
61
Method 7: Be the transparent friend.
62
One big roadblock for getting to know someone well is when no one is sharing or saying anything out of their comfort zone.
63
if you're just having safe, polite conversations with someone where you both hide your deeper thoughts and emotions, you probably won't build up much trust with them.
64
So try to make your conversations more transparent.
65
And this doesn't mean go up to people and ask them their deepest, darkest regret from their childhood.
66
instead, A great place to start is, Hey, do you want to hang out sometime?
67
Because that's being transparent.
68
That reveals that at least you kind of think the other person is cool.
69
And saying that kind of thing will slowly bring down the brick wall between you and someone you don't know that well.
70
Now on to Method 8: the injury update.
71
people love when you can empathize with their pain and actually seem to care.
72
But usually when you ask, How are you?
73
Everyone just says by default. Good.
74
Or if they're feeling daring. Fine.
75
So instead for this technique, directly ask people if there's anything that's been bothering them recently.
76
Maybe they have a physical injury that they need to complain to someone about.
77
Maybe someone made them mad and they need to vent.
78
Or maybe they've been having a bad day and they just need someone to talk to.
79
don't need to be a therapist, but you just need to care.
80
Number 9: The Group Chat.
81
If you meet new people really often but can't convert them into your friends, this is for you.
82
Obviously what you need to do is hang out with them regularly.
83
But for that, you need some kind of way to contact them.
84
So if you ever get a chance to do some activity with at least three or four people and you feel like everyone had a good time, immediately create a group chat, make sure that you are the first one to suggest the idea And if you need a reason, just see it so that you can get together and do the same thing tomorrow or next week.
85
That way you get everyone's number.
86
And even if the group chat goes quiet, you still have a bunch of people you could potentially ask to hang out with whenever you want.
87
Method 10: do them a favor.
88
It's often said that friendship is about two people who provide value to each other.
89
So when you meet new people, you could use the conversation to figure out how you could be valuable to them.
90
Maybe you're an expert at something they need help with.
91
Maybe you might have a common interest with them.
92
Or maybe you're just nice to them.
93
And if they return the favor or they act really nice towards you, that's probably a good potential friend.
94
method 11: Ask them for a favor.
95
Here's some examples of things you could ask.
96
Could you tell me where this place is?
97
Could you watch my stuff for a minute?
98
Or even could you introduce me to this person?
99
because not only does this show them you trust them, but this allows them to look really nice and generous without much effort.
100
And also people like to feel useful, But whatever you do, don't constantly expect favors from people.
101
If you never do anything nice for anyone, because that's not friendship.
102
That's just networking.
103
Method 12: Pickup Line.
104
this is a method I personally use, If I'm in a group of strangers and I need to start a conversation fast to avoid being alone, I just think of a question that everyone could probably answer and then just go up to different people and ask that question.
105
It's actually pretty easy because you already know what to say, Every time you go up to someone, and everyone will have a different answer that you can naturally lead into a conversation.
106
Then, of course, that opens up space for you to ask better questions about where they're from, who they know, and what they like to do.
107
all because you had the courage to just ask that first random question.
108
Method 13: The Iso-Play.
109
If you're often in a big group and you get overwhelmed feeling like you have to talk to everyone, this is for you.
110
An Iso-Play in basketball is a common play where you pick out one of the easiest defenders from the other team and try to take them on one on one And to do this in real life, find someone in the group who isn't talking that much and start a side conversation with them only if you have to take them somewhere so that you can talk one on one.
111
Make up some excuse.
112
Like asking them to help you with something.
113
This will make them feel special and important.
114
And if you do this over time with everyone in the group, eventually you'll kind of know everyone decently.
115
Method 14: Act like you're already friends.
116
There's a saying that goes.
117
If you go looking to find friends, you'll find very few.
118
But if you go looking to be a friend, you'll find many.
119
so, instead of trying to find people who will treat you like a friend, you go out instead and treat people like a friend as soon as you meet them.
120
You can do this by flying past the awkward and polite stage and just going to the stage where you're lighting up every time you see someone.
121
You're making fun of them like a friend would.
122
You're saying their name a lot. You're patting them on the back.
123
You're playing fighting with each other.
124
And in general, you're treating them like someone you've known for a while.
125
this is one of the most powerful methods.
126
But as always, be careful because with great power comes great potential to be weird.
127
Method 15: The Activity Buddy.
128
When you meet someone, ask them something.
129
They've always wanted to do but haven't gotten around to doing.
130
then offer to do that thing with them.
131
This way you're basically asking them to hang out, but it doesn't seem desperate because it's framed as you doing a favor for them.
132
Plus, this is a perfectly normal reason for you to get their number.
133
And it works on everyone.
134
And lastly, method 16, which is the fastest possible method we currently know of.
135
Now, you might not be so willing to share personal info with people you don't know.
136
In which case, I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't tell you about today's sponsor Incogni.
137
Because the truth is, not only are you giving away sensitive data every time you sign up for something online, but once random websites, companies and data brokers get your info, they often just sell your information to whoever wants it, including the people you get random scam calls and emails and spam texts from.
138
and even though you could stop this by formally requesting each individual website to remove your info, You'd have to spend hours doing this hundreds of times with companies that intentionally make it difficult in the hopes that you'll just give up and let them have your data.
139
But luckily, Incogni will swoop in for you and automatically contact these companies, even the tough, annoying ones, and force them to remove your personal data.
140
All I had to do was sign up, close the tab, and let it do its thing.
141
Then it checked back a month later to find.
142
That's already moved My data from 86 websites.
143
It's currently fighting against 43 more and it saved me at least 64 hours so far.
144
I literally haven't gotten a single spam text or scam calls since I signed up.
145
And this is coming from someone who used to get more spam calls than calls from actual real-life people.
146
if this helped you, I'll be taking donations in the form of subscribes to fund the next video.
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
Why practice speaking with this video?
This video, titled "Becoming Social is Easy, Actually," offers valuable insights into the often daunting experience of making new friends. For English learners, practicing speaking through this content provides a relatable context—friendship and social interaction—that resonates with everyday life. By engaging with the video, you can enhance your conversational skills in a fun and inviting manner. The speaker shares engaging methods for initiating conversations and filtering out unsuitable connections, which encourages learners to apply these strategies in real-life situations.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the video, the speaker utilizes various grammatical structures and expressions that are essential for effective communication. Here are a few key elements to focus on:
- Conditional Statements: Phrases like "if you can sense that the other person is bored" highlight the use of conditionals, a crucial aspect of English for expressing possibilities.
- Imperatives: The speaker often uses commands such as "Don’t force it" and "Be outside of your head," which are straightforward and impactful. Practicing imperatives can help you give and follow directions effectively.
- Conversational Fillers: The use of phrases like "okay" and "you know" simulate natural conversation flow. Incorporating these fillers can make your speech sound more fluent and relatable.
- Informal Language: Expressions like "this is overthinking" or "just say them" reflect a casual tone and are practical for informal interactions. Adopting this style can enhance your ability to connect with peers.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While engaging with the transcript, you might encounter several pronunciation challenges that can impact your spoken English:
- “Interesting”: The speaker uses this word frequently. Pay attention to its syllable breakdown; it’s pronounced as /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/, not as many learners pronounce it as /ˈɪntrestɪŋ/.
- “Overthinking”: This term can often trip up learners due to its length. Try to break it into smaller sounds—/oʊ.vər.ˈθɪŋ.kɪŋ/—to pronounce it more clearly.
- “Controversial”: This word is used to describe personality traits. Ensure you practice using the stress patterns, which fall on the third syllable: /ˌkɒn.trəˈvɜː.ʃəl/.
By focusing on these structures and pronunciation aspects while using shadow speech techniques like shadowing apps, you'll enhance your speaking skills effectively. Engaging with this video and practicing the suggested methods will not only improve your English but also boost your confidence in social settings.
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.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏