Shadowing Practice: BTS' Speech at the United Nations (Full Speech from 2018) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Thank you Mr. Secretary General,
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Thank you Mr. Secretary General,
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UNICEF Executive Director, and all the Excellencies and distinguished guests from across the world.
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My name is Kim Nam-jun,
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also known as RM, the lead up to group BTS.
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It is an incredible honor to be invited to an occasion with such significance for today's young generation.
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Last November, BTS launched the Love Myself campaign with Younsef,
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building on our belief that true love first begins with loving myself.
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We've been partnering with Younsef's End Violence program to protect children and young people all over the world from violence.
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And our fans have become a major part of this campaign with their action and with their enthusiasm.
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We truly have the best fans in the world.
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And I'd like to begin by talking about myself.
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I was born in Ilsan,
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a city near Seoul, South Korea.
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It is a really beautiful place with a lake,
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hills, and even an annual flower festival.
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I spent a very happy childhood there and I was just an ordinary boy.
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I used to look up at the night sky wonder and I used to dream the dreams of a boy.
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I used to imagine that I was a superhero who could save the world.
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And in an intro to one of our early albums,
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there's a line that says,
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My heart stopped when I was maybe nine or 10.
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Looking back, I think that's
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when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and starting seeing myself through their eyes.
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I stopped looking up at the night skies, the stars.
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I stopped daydreaming.
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Instead, I just tried to jam myself into the malls that other people made.
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Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others.
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No one called out my name and neither did I.
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My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut.
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So like this, I, we all lost our names.
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We became like ghosts.
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But I had one century and that was music.
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There was a small voice inside of me that said,
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wake up man and listen to yourself.
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But it took me quite a long time to hear music calling my real name.
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Even after making the decision to join BTS,
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there were a lot of hurdles.
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Some people might not believe but most people thought we were hopeless.
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And sometimes I just wanted to quit.
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But I think I was very lucky that I didn't give it all up.
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And I'm sure that I and we will keep stumbling and falling like this.
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BTS has become artists performing in those huge stadiums and selling millions of albums right now,
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but I am still an ordinary 24-year-old guy.
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If there's anything that I've achieved,
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it was only possible that I have my other BTS members right by my side,
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and because of the love and the support that our RME fans all over the world made for us.
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Maybe I made a mistake yesterday,
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but yesterday's me is still me.
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Today, I am who I am with all of my faults and my mistakes.
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Tomorrow, I might be a tiny bit wiser,
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and that'd be me too.
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These faults and mistakes are what I am,
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making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life.
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I have come to love myself for who I am,
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for who I was, and for who I hope to become.
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I'd like to say the one last thing.
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After releasing our Love Yourself albums and launching the Love Myself campaign,
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we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world,
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How our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves.
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Those stories constantly remind us of our responsibility.
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So let's take all one more step.
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We have learned to love ourselves.
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So now I urge you to speak yourself.
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I like to ask all of you, what is your name?
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What excites you and makes your heart beat?
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Tell me your story.
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I want to hear your voice.
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I want to want to hear your conviction.
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No matter who you are,
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where you're from, your skin color,
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your gender identity, just speak yourself.
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Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself.
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I'm Kim Nam Joon and also RM of BTS.
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I'm an idol and I'm an artist from a small town in Korea.
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Like most people, I've made many and and plenty of mistakes in my life.
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I have many faults and I have many more fears,
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but I'm gonna embrace myself as hard as I can.
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And I'm starting to love myself gradually, just little by little.
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What is your name?
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Speak yourself.
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Thank you very much.
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Thank you very much.
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With so many young fans around the world,
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it was a pleasure having BTS with us,
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and I'm thankful that you use your platform
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and creativity to reach young audiences with positive messages about what it means to be a young person in the world today.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice English speaking through a powerful speech delivered by RM, the leader of BTS, at the United Nations. This video is an excellent resource for you to learn English with YouTube as it contains rich vocabulary, emotional expressions, and personal anecdotes that resonate with many learners. By engaging with this material, you will develop your listening skills and improve your ability to articulate complex thoughts and feelings in English. This practice will help you gain confidence as you incorporate the shadowing technique to mimic the speaker’s intonation and flow.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Honor - A feeling of great respect and admiration.
  • Your voice - Referring to one's true self and opinions.
  • True love - Genuine affection, starting with self-love.
  • Ordinary - Common or typical; not special.
  • Hurdles - Obstacles or challenges that need to be overcome.
  • Support - Assistance and encouragement from others.
  • Wiser - More knowledgeable or experienced.
  • Falling - A metaphor for experiencing failure or setbacks.

Practice Tips

To effectively enhance your English speaking practice, use the shadowing technique. Start by watching the video at a slower speed. This allows you to catch the nuances in RM's speech, such as his tone, pauses, and emotions. As you listen, repeat after him, mimicking his words as closely as possible. Focus on his pacing; you might find it easier to replicate shorter phrases. Utilize a shadowing app to help you record yourself, so you can listen to your own speech and compare it to the original. This comparison will help you identify areas where you can improve your pronunciation and fluency.

Remember, the key to success in English speaking practice lies in consistency. Try to engage with the video several times a week, gradually increasing your speed and complexity. Embrace mistakes; they are part of the learning process. As you shadow RM’s speech, you'll not only improve your language skills but also connect deeply with the inspirational message he conveys.

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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