Shadowing Practice: Dananjaya Hettiarachchi - World Champion of Public Speaking 2014 - Full Speech - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Dananjaya Hettiarachchi, “I See Something”.
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39 sentences
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Dananjaya Hettiarachchi, “I See Something”.
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“I See Something”, Dananjaya Hettiarachchi.
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You and I are not very different from this flower.
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Just like this flower is unique, you are unique.
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All of us have something special that makes us as beautiful.
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Do you know what makes you special?
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Now the answer to that can be a little difficult to find because sometimes life has a cruel way of picking out your petals, breaking you in two and throwing you into the trash.
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And when you’re broken, it’s very difficult to feel special.
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Mr Contest Chair, my fellow flowers.
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I can remember the first time I broke I was seventeen years old.
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I had already flunked high school and managed to get myself arrested.
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Now, I wasn’t afraid of the cops, but there was one person I was very afraid of and that was my mama.
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Raise your hand if you had an emotional mother.
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Let me see.
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Put them all together you get my mama.
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I can hear her scream outside the police station.
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Even the cops were afraid.
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She came up to me held the iron bars looked into my eyes and I saw a tear coming down her face.
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Now I’ve seen my mama crying before, but mothers cry three types of tears tears of joy, tears of sorrow and tears of shame.
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And when a son sees mother cry tears of shame that’s a life changing moment She looked at me and said “Son, I want you to be a better man”.
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That night when I drove home my dad was waiting for me at home.
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Now my dad is a cool dad.
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Raise your hand if you have a cool dad.
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Put them all together you get my dad.
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My dad came up to me and said: “son it’s okay." "You flunked your exams. You already got arrested" "That’s fine" "You get that from your mother's side" "I want you to start working immediately” And I said, okay.
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So my dad took me to meet one his friends called Sam.
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Now, Sam was an accountant who had an accounting firm and had generously decided to make me his personal assistant and there he was He looked like a teddy bear, but this man was special I looked at him and he looked at me and then he said the most amazing thing He said “Son, I see something in you, but I don’t know what it is.
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If you decide to work with me, I can help you find that something” And I was like, wow, that’s the first time in my whole life somebody has ever told they see something in me and I started working for Sam.
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And everyday after work he used to tell me stories about the world, about history, about culture, about philosophy and it was much more interesting than what I learned in school And I discovered I can dream and I started dreaming, ladies and gentleman.
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After one year I went back into high school, completed my exams and went into college.
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After successfully completing college I found a great girl but not a job I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.
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Have you ever had that problem?
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And when you’re lost it’s difficult to feel special.
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So I went back to my cool dad and I said “Dad, I feel lost” He said, “you are like your mother” So my dad introduced me to this strange club that had a strange name with strange people talking.
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On the first meeting, they told me to do something called 'table topic' I aced it!
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But while I was speaking I see a strange man seated in the back row humble, simple, the unfailing quality of kindness in his eyes.
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As soon I finished he walked up to me looked me dead straight in the eye and said “Son, I see something in you" "but I don’t know what it is" If you come here twice a month maybe we can find that something.” And ladies and gentlemen, I discovered I could speak and I love speaking and that led me to become a teacher I know what it’s like to not have enough money in your bank account I know what it’s like to worry when the bills start coming in And sometimes in the middle of the night I wake up my beautiful wife and ask her “honey, why did you marry me?” She says “I saw something in you" "But I still I don’t know what it is" Ladies and gentleman today I’m a dreamer, I’m a speaker and I learned the unfailing quality of unconditional love from my wife.
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I was broken and I’ve been broken, lost and broke many times in my life but the people in my life were able to reach into the trash can and make me whole again If it was up to me I would have never been able to do that And this is why if you have great people in your life no matter how broke how lost or how broken you become they can piece you back together.
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Ladies and gentleman, when I look at you I see something in you but I don’t know what it is Over to you
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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing speaking using Dananjaya Hettiarachchi's inspiring speech, “I See Something,” offers learners a rich context for both emotional depth and practical language skills. This world champion's eloquence showcases how storytelling can effectively convey personal experiences that are relatable to all. Engaging with this video allows you to practice shadowspeak, a technique ideal for improving fluency and confidence in your spoken English. By mimicking Dananjaya's intonation, pacing, and emotional tone, you can enhance your speaking abilities while understanding the underlying narratives that make language powerful. Emphasizing the process of self-discovery and the importance of supportive relationships, this video provides not just linguistic practice but also motivational content, making it an enriching experience to learn English with YouTube.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In this speech, several key grammatical structures and expressions stand out:

  • Use of direct speech: Dananjaya frequently utilizes quotes, such as when he recalls his mother's emotional response: "Son, I want you to be a better man." This technique emphasizes the emotional weight of his story and encourages learners to practice reported speech.
  • Conditional sentences: The phrase "If you decide to work with me, I can help you find that something" introduces the conditional mood, a useful structure for making hypothetical statements. Practicing this can improve the learners’ ability to express possibilities.
  • Descriptive language: Expressions like "the unfailing quality of kindness" highlight the speaker's use of descriptive adjectives to create vivid imagery. Learning to incorporate adjectives effectively will enhance learners' descriptive skills.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As learners engage with this speech, they might encounter certain pronunciation challenges:

  • Words with ‘-tion’ endings: Words like "emotion" and "situation" can be tricky. Practicing these will assist learners in achieving smoother and more natural-sounding English, especially in American accents.
  • Linking sounds: The phrase “I can see something” often contracts and flows in fast speech. It’s essential to practice the connected sounds to improve their fluency and natural rhythm, embodying the method of improve English pronunciation.
  • Intonation and emphasis: Observing how Dananjaya places emphasis on critical parts of his speech can teach learners the importance of intonation in conveying meaning and emotion. This aspect of speaking is crucial in mastering the art of shadow speak.

By focusing on these areas, learners can substantially advance their speaking skills while exploring the intricate nuances of the English language.

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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