Shadowing Practice: Change Your Habits, Change Your Life - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
59 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Have you ever joined the gym only to blow off your membership?
2
What about healthy diets?
3
Ever started a new plan only to bail after a few days?
4
Well, I have been there too.
5
But I've also learned how to create habits that set me up for success, especially around self -care.
6
So today I want to walk you through five ways to create better habits and better results.
7
Number one, get clear.
8
When you know what you want and why you're making the effort, it's easier to stick with it.
9
So post your why on your mirror.
10
Bring it into your meditation and manifestations.
11
Incorporate it into your prayers and allow it to be the fuel that keeps you motivated.
12
Number two, find an accountability buddy.
13
So creating new habits requires repetition and support.
14
The truth is we're all in this together and we need each other.
15
And at our core, we're pack animals, which means there's strength in numbers.
16
So find a person or group that's interested in doing the same things and do them together.
17
When the going gets tough, lean on each other.
18
When you have a win, proudly share it to motivate others.
19
Number three, learn how to meal plan.
20
Okay, so this tip is specific to food, but I love helping you eat better.
21
Now, the last thing you want to do is come home hungry with no idea what to make
22
or how to make it.
23
That's a surefire way to fill up on pizza and beer.
24
Instead, plan your success by planning your meals.
25
Now, I like to do this on the weekends.
26
I map out my food for the week so I can shop and prep accordingly.
27
And I also make enough food for dinner so I have leftovers for lunch.
28
Talk about a time saver.
29
So with a little forward thinking, your weekly meals will add up to long -term health.
30
Number four, schedule time for self -care.
31
Here's the deal.
32
Self -care is health care.
33
It's that important.
34
And if it's not scheduled, you won't do it.
35
So look at the week ahead and think about when you'll fit in a workout, your favorite meditation, a hot bath,
36
or some tea with a friend.
37
And don't wait till your calendar is all filled up with everyone else's needs and there's no room for you.
38
Schedule a little self -care first, and then let the rest fall in place around you.
39
Now even if you only have 20 minutes for yourself, schedule that 20 minutes and make it a priority.
40
Number five, believe in yourself.
41
All the tips and hacks in the world won't matter if you don't believe you can do it.
42
So allow me to do some truth -telling.
43
You can do anything you put your mind to.
44
You're powerful, capable, and super smart.
45
If you want to learn something new or try something bold, you can do it.
46
What's false is the voice in your head
47
that says you don't have the goods or the time or the know -how or the charisma and so on.
48
That's a bunch of hooey.
49
So stop filling your head with can'ts and trust me instead.
50
I believe in you and I'm pretty intuitive when it comes to this stuff.
51
So now it's your turn.
52
Did this video resonate with you?
53
If so, which of these habits will you take for a spin or do you already do?
54
Let us know in the comments below.
55
And if you have some healthy habit tips, please share.
56
I hope this helps you live like you mean it, to feel better, get better, and do better.
57
Remember to go to ChrisKarr .com and sign up for my newsletter.
58
It's filled with tips to help you supercharge your life, plus some awesome free goodies.
59
See you soon.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B11
66 sentences
How To Practice Self Love
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
12 sentences
Here’s the secret to being disciplined with your diet and exercise!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
4 sentences
How to Change Any Habit - Nwal Hadaki
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2127
12 sentences
Your Routine Isn’t the Problem. Your Identity Is.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B18
107 sentences
10 Habits That Can Improve Your Routine
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
216 sentences
How To Stay Motivated & Consistent Everyday | Mini Series Ep.4 | Life Of Sacha
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
616 sentences
9 Small Things That Will Help You Feel Amazing Again
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2263 sentences
7 Habits That Changed My Life After 30 (Wish I Started Sooner)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
509 sentences
How to Exit Your “Lazy” Girl Era & Change Your Life | You're Not Lazy or Unmotivated
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
34 sentences
Here are the 10 habits Emma Grede lives by. What are yours? #successmindset
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B170 sentences
Video
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
180 sentences
*THAT GIRL* glow up morning routine | tips + habits to level up mentally and physically
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: habit, tip, self, meal, schedule. This video has 56 sentences and 633 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:56. The speaker talks at a natural 161 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| habit noun | /ˈhæb.ɪt/ | An action performed on a regular basis. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| meditation noun | /mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/ | A devotional exercise of, or leading to, contemplation. |
| motivate verb | /ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/ | To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate. |
| upbeat adjective | /ʌpˈbit/ | Having a fast pace, tempo, or beat. |
| membership noun | The state of being a member of a group or organization. | |
| mirror noun | /ˈmiɹɚ/ | A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it. |
| hungry adjective | /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ | Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food. |
| bath noun | /bɑːθ/ | A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub. |
| pizza noun | /ˈpi.tsə/ | A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables. |
| prayer noun | /pɹɛɚ/ | A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity. |
| priority noun | /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/ | An item's relative importance. |
| buddy | /ˈbʌdi/ | A person far removed from the conversation. |
| spin verb | /spɪn/ | To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction. |
| calendar noun | /ˈkæl.ən.də/ | Any system by which time is divided into days, weeks, months, and years. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| add up to verb | To have a particular effect in combination. |
| blow off verb | To vent, usually, to reduce pressure in a container. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- If it's not scheduled, you won't do it.
- You're powerful, capable, and super smart.
- Did this video resonate with you?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if it's not scheduled, you won't do · If so, which of these habits will you |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you ever joined · have been · I've also learned |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | love helping · stop filling |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will add · won't do · you'll fit |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, we're, won't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: meditation /mɛdɪˈteɪʃn̩/, manifestation /ˌmænɪfɛˈsteɪʃən/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, repetition /ˌɹɛp.əˈtɪʃ.ən/
- Long words — get the stress right: priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, accordingly /əˈkɔɹ.dɪŋ.li/, accountability /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/, incorporate /ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.eɪt/, intuitive /ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like habit, meal, meditation.
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.