Shadowing Practice: Being Your Best Friend | Short Talk by Sister Dang Nghiem | #mindfulness - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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We need to look at ourselves in the mirror each day to hold our own hands, to hold our own body,
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and to say, I'm here for you.
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You're okay.
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You're good enough.
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thank you for all the efforts you're making if you can do
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that you are your own soulmate you are your own best friend
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and when somebody comes along and says something like that to you oh you look beautiful you say thank you
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or if somebody said oh you look ugly you're like that's your opinion
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or you just smile
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because you know it's not true somebody can only get you
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because you let that person get to you we are the worst to ourselves We say very mean things to ourselves.
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Maybe somebody in our family said mean things to us as we were growing up,
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but then we are the ones who will continue those mean things, say, you're stupid, you're not good enough, you're this and that.
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But we can learn to undo that and to say, thank you.
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Thank you for being alive.
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thank you for trying thank you for being here
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I love you you are enough you are whole I no longer feel that I lack anything
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I don't have to compare myself to anybody else.
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You say, oh, you know, he's better than me.
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You're comparing yourself.
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Even when you say, oh, I'm just as good as her, you're still comparing yourself.
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Whatever people have done to us, they are gone.
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Let us not continue that trauma or that abuse.
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Let us give ourselves a new chance every moment by coming back to the breath,
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coming back to the body, being there for whatever that is arising in our thoughts and our feelings,
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and to say, I love you.
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I'm whole.
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Keep trying.
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Let's water only the good seeds in our mind.
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Let not water the seed of despair, of violence, of hatred.
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Let's be kind.
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That to me is the deepest joy, the greatest power, the power to trust oneself,
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to trust that we will not neglect ourselves, we will not abandon ourselves, we will not abuse ourselves.
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When we're scared, when we're afraid, we tend to reject ourselves.
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And we, of course, we reject others.
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Whatever we do to ourselves, we do to others.
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And whatever we do to others, surely we're doing it to ourselves else.
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But if every moment you learn to embrace yourself, to be kind to yourself,
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your first response is not exclusion,
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is not pushing away, is not wishing the situation to be gone,
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the person to be gone, yourself to be gone.
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But your first response is to come back to your breath, to your body, to your feelings,
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It's just to be there for them and to say, it's okay.
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Whatever happens, I can be there for myself and I trust.
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Because I've done it one time, I can do that again and again.
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And that is a deep, deep joy, you know?
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Thank you.
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Thank you.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will explore concepts of self-acceptance and mindfulness as shared by Sister Dang Nghiem. You will practice English speaking skills by listening to her thoughts on being your own best friend and applying positive self-talk. This lesson encourages you to reflect on your inner dialogue, helping you to express kindness and compassion towards yourself. Through this reflection, you will not only improve your English speaking practice but also develop your vocabulary related to emotional health and mindfulness, allowing for richer conversations in everyday situations.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Self-acceptance: Acknowledging and embracing oneself without criticism.
  • Mindfulness: The practice of being present and aware of your thoughts and feelings.
  • Kindness: The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
  • Inner dialogue: The conversation you have with yourself, either positive or negative.
  • Breath: A tool for grounding oneself in moments of stress or anxiety.
  • Encouragement: Providing support and confidence to oneself or others.
  • Comparison: Assessing oneself against someone else, which can impact self-esteem.
  • Wholeness: The state of being complete and satisfied with oneself.

Practice Tips

When using this video for English speaking practice, consider the following tips to enhance your skills:

  • Shadowing: As you listen to Sister Dang Nghiem, try to shadow speaks by repeating phrases immediately after you hear them. This technique helps you improve your pronunciation and fluency. Begin with short phrases and gradually increase the length as you become comfortable.
  • Pace Yourself: Take note of her speaking speed. If she speaks quickly at times, allow yourself to pause the video to practice difficult phrases. Running it at a slower speed can also aid in understanding.
  • Record Your Voice: Use your device to record yourself while you practice. Compare your pronunciation and intonation with the original audio to identify areas for improvement.
  • Focus on Intonation: Pay attention to her tone, especially when she emphasizes positive affirmations. Mimicking the emotional expression helps convey meaning when you speak.
  • Engage With Content: After practicing, spend a few moments reflecting on what you feel about the messages in the talk. Write your thoughts down or discuss them with a language partner to deepen your understanding and articulate your ideas in English.

By integrating these techniques, not only will you improve English pronunciation and speaking abilities, but you will also cultivate a positive mindset that can enhance your learning journey as you learn English with YouTube.

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.