Shadowing Practice: Don't Let Your Ego Hold You Back - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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You can't get rich if you never risk losing money.
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You can't get loved if you never risk getting rejected.
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You can't get strong if you never risk getting injured.
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You have to risk looking broke to get rich.
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You have to risk looking weak to get strong.
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You have to risk looking desperate to get loved.
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Egos hold back more dreams than failure and rejection ever will.

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 7 sentences and 68 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:17.

Key vocabulary in this video

8 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
desperate adjective/ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹɪt/In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire.
ego noun/ˈiɡoʊ/The self, especially with a sense of self-importance.
rejection noun/ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/The act of rejecting.
injure verb/ˈɪn.d͡ʒɚ/To wound or cause physical harm to a living creature.
weak adjective/wi(ː)k/Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.
rich adjective/ˈɹɪt͡ʃ/Wealthy: having a lot of money and possessions.
dream verb/ˈdɹim/To see imaginary events in one's mind while sleeping.
failure noun/ˈfeɪ.ljə/State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordMeaning
hold back verbTo act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two thingsmore dreams than
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessaryhave to risk

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like desperate, ego, rejection.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →