Shadowing Practice: Delete The Fear of Public Speaking (In 5 Mins) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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If you have ever had to speak in front of a group of people, like presenting at work or pitching an idea or giving a toast, then you'll know that weird rush that hits you the moment everyone is waiting for you to talk.
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If you have ever had to speak in front of a group of people, like presenting at work or pitching an idea or giving a toast, then you'll know that weird rush that hits you the moment everyone is waiting for you to talk.
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Your heart starts to race, your hands start getting shaky, you start speaking, but then you speak faster and faster and faster because your brain is saying, let's just get this over and done with.
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But what if I told you that your nerves aren't the enemy?
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They're just mismanaged energy.
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After speaking on thousands of stages to millions of people, I've developed a simple five-minute ritual that turns nervous energy into excitement, and it only takes five minutes.
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So just copy me.
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In fact, I was asked this very question just a few weeks ago while I was running an exclusive communication workshop in Dubai.
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And here's what I told them.
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So I would say three things, three things I'll share with you.
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So the three things that I would share, first one is psychological.
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Because why do we get nervous?
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We get nervous because we're thinking about who?
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Know yourself.
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Even if you think about the audience, what are you thinking about the audience?
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I wonder what they're going to think of who?
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Me.
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I wonder if they're going to like what I say.
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I wonder if they're going to like what I'm wearing.
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I wonder if they're going to think my hair looks like a bird's nest.
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I wonder if they're...
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And then you just do all of these things, right?
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So it's me, me, me, me, me, me, me.
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So the more you think about yourself, you're innately becoming more self-what?
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Self-conscious.
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So the more self-conscious you become, the more nervous you become, the more anxiety you feel.
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So the psychological remedy to that is before I came here, I stood there looking at you all, right?
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It probably awkward for some of you like, why is he just looking at us?
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I'm doing that because I'm trying to think, if I do well today, I'm going to change lives in this room.
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Look at that person.
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My goodness, imagine I was able to help them broaden their shoulders a little more, speak with more volume because I can see within conversation, they're quiet.
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So I'm thinking about you and by me placing my consciousness outward I have no cognitive capacity left to think about me which removes the majority of nerves because the more you think about you the more nervous you're going to get.
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Psychological.
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Second, physiological.
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Physiological is what are the symptoms of nervousness?
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When you're nervous what happens?
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Sweaty palms, shakiness, yes, shakiness, what else?
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Speak too quickly, absolutely, what else?
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Yeah, fidgeting, right, fidgeting, doing things, right, what else?
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Shaky voice, yes, and shaky voice is a symptom of shaky what?
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Shaky body, yes, so poor eye contact, all of these different things, right?
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A lot of these things happen with your body, the shakiness, the sweating, the heart palpitations.
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It's because when you're in front of people, what happens is you now go into fight or flight.
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So your body dumps adrenaline.
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And when you have lots of adrenaline in your body, what happens to your body?
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Shake.
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So you start to shake.
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And then when there's lots of adrenaline in your body, what else happens?
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Your heart starts to race.
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What signals is this sending the brain?
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You're in trouble.
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You freak out.
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You're in trouble.
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Get out of there.
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That's why when you see people speak on stage, They often do this when they're nervous.
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They come up to the room and then they go, hey, it's great to see you all.
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So excited to be here.
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Just pumped to be here.
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And they're just continually walking back because their body is telling them to flee.
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So to get rid of this from a physiological level is to get rid of the adrenaline, manage the adrenaline.
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So when your body starts dumping adrenaline, do star jumps backstage.
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Do you know what star jumps are?
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In America, they call them jumping jacks.
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So you do star jumps.
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So when you do brisk forms of exercise, even go for a quick walk, a couple of push-ups if you want, that gets rid of the adrenaline.
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It manages the adrenaline.
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So your body's not filled with things that are making you shake, making your heart race, sending your brain signals that you might die.
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So when you manage that, you're thinking about the audience.
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These two things in combination relax you.
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So that's what I was doing backstage.
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So I did a story yesterday, and my team was all dancing in the background because we were just getting rid of the adrenaline.
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We were getting rid of the adrenaline because I knew that some high-profile people were gonna be there, I was freaking out.
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And the last tip my theater coach taught me, my theater coach taught me this.
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Just before I walk on stage, like I come out of the green room, I skip.
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Yeah.
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And you're gonna think this is ridiculous, but I do that to put myself in a playful energy.
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But then when you see me, then I'm cool.
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But just before that, five-year-old child.
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But I do that just to go, this is not threatening, this is fun.
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Audience, adrenaline.
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The third thing I would say is laugh.
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laugh.
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Laughing is the quickest way to put yourself in a less stressful situation.
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So you all watch funny videos online.
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I know you do.
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Okay.
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Save a folder of it.
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Things that make you laugh, like you just save a folder.
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So before I go on stage, I'm watching a few things that's making me laugh.
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If you see them, you'll think I'm evil, but I just think it's hilarious.
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You watch it, you laugh, you're good to go.
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These are the things I do before I go on stage.
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And if you want more, I'll give you another one, right?
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Okay, I was being a bit cheeky there.
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I said I'd share three things and then I decided to share a fourth one.
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Over the last decade of speaking, I've tried and tested many ways to calm my nerves.
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And this fourth element that I'm about to share has been by far the most effective because it taps directly into how your nervous system works.
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Now, if you're watching this and thinking to yourself, I don't just wanna be less nervous when I'm speaking in front of people, I wanna be more confident as a communicator in everyday life then.
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well then I've created something that will help you do just that.
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It's a free two hour training that walks you through the foundational communication skills that you were never taught in school.
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Things like how to structure your thoughts under pressure, how to project confidence when you're actually feeling nervous on the inside and how to sound clear.
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It's designed to get you results fast, even if you've never done any communication skills training before.
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The link is in the description below, or you can scan the QR code that's on screen right now.
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All right, let's jump back into the live Q&A, where I share the fourth element of my pre-speaking ritual.
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Because I've, the largest audience I've spoken to, 30,000 people.
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So, do you all know what Wim Hof is?
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Wim Hof breathing.
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So it's a breathing cycle.
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Each cycle takes between two to three minutes.
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You do two to three cycles of this, you'll put your body in a very calm state, physiologically and psychologically.
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So just look up YouTube, Wim Hof breathing cycles.
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When I disappeared before the class, I did two cycles of Wim Hof.
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I do that multiple times throughout the day.
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Between Zoom calls, takes two to three minutes.
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Okay, I know this already sounds like woo-woo, but I promise you it's not.
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Almost every single high performer I know does Wim Hof breathing before any important moment.
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I do it in the green room before every big speech that I give, and it helps me drop my heart rate, clear my head, and put my body into a calm and focused state before I walk on stage.
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That's my exact five-minute ritual.
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Now that you've got a routine to calm your nerves, the next step is learning how to actually perform when all the eyes are on you.
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So click this video just up here to discover the five speaking secrets that will help you stand out, sound more confident, and give you a real unfair advantage every time you speak.

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

If you've ever found yourself standing before an audience, whether it's for a presentation at work, a toast at a wedding, or pitching an idea, you probably experienced that familiar rush of nerves. This video offers a powerful technique to transform that anxiety into excitement, paving the way for more effective public speaking. By focusing on your audience instead of yourself, you can eliminate self-consciousness and enhance your communication skills. Practicing this method can make you more confident and effective, ultimately benefiting your English learning journey and conversational abilities.

Engaging in this exercise helps you master your nerves and reshape your approach to public speaking. Moreover, the tips shared in the video are ideal for learners who want to practice speaking in a more relaxed context, allowing you to improve your fluency while building essential skills that are applicable both in everyday conversation and high-stakes speaking scenarios.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, several grammatical structures and expressions are utilized that can be immensely helpful as you practice English. Here are three key expressions to consider:

  • “What if I told you…” - This conditional phrase opens up possibilities and engages the listener’s curiosity.
  • “I wonder if they…” - This structure reflects common thoughts and can be used to express curiosity or concern about others’ perceptions.
  • “The more you think about you...” - This comparative structure emphasizes the correlation between self-focus and nervousness, useful for expressing contrasting ideas in English.

These phrases not only enrich your vocabulary but also introduce expressive ways to convey thoughts that resonate well in conversation, especially in public speaking contexts.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you engage with this video, pay attention to some tricky pronunciation aspects that can enhance your speaking skills. Here are a few points to note:

  • “Nervous” and “Self-conscious” - These words contain sounds that can be challenging. Practice pronouncing the initial sounds clearly to avoid blending them with nearby sounds.
  • “Adrenaline” - This word has multiple syllables. Focus on the rhythm to ensure you articulate each part clearly without rushing.
  • “Fight or flight” response - This common phrase can be tricky due to its rapid syllables. Breaking it down and practicing it can help maintain clarity in your speech.

Shadowing techniques involving this video, such as shadowspeak, can be particularly effective in overcoming these pronunciation traps. By mimicking the speaker, you can improve your accent and fluency. As you learn English with YouTube, practicing these key elements will enhance your overall speaking abilities.

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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