Shadowing Practice: Don’t waste your life. - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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So I came home one day from working at a job called Ecolab where I sprayed for cockroaches.
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I made a thousand dollars a month weighing 300 pounds.
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And I got home and I watched a show on Discovery Channel of guys carrying boats and logs, Navy SEAL training.
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And I decided to make a change in my life.
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And I called the recruiter up and he asked me these questions.
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He had to meet a certain height and weight limit.
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I was 6'1 and 300 pounds.
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He laughed at me.
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Seven other recruiters laughed at me.
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One recruiter finally said, come on in, I'm too busy to talk to you on the phone.
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He didn't know how much I weighed.
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I walked in the recruiter's office and he looked at me and he said, you're fat and you're black.
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Got someone to be a Navy SEAL.
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I didn't know there'd only been 35 African American Navy SEALs at that time, in over 70 years.
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He said, I basically had to lose 106 pounds in less than three months because of my age.
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I was getting too old.
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I came back three months later, 106 pounds lighter.
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I, uh, thank you.
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And literally, I spent 18 months going through BUDS, which is a six-month program.
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Went through three Hell Weeks.
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That is where I met Marcus Attrell, Danny Dietz, Michael Murphy, another Medal of Honor winner.
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I went through Hell Week with all these guys, real heroes.
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I am not a hero.
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I served with real heroes.
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And from there, I went on to raise over two million dollars for Special Operations Warrior Foundation. But...
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I'm gonna end you with this right here.
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I have the most respect I can possibly muster up for all of you in this room.
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I know what it takes to be a combat soldier, and I used to look for courage.
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I thought courage was a man who won the Medal of Honor.
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It is.
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But courage is a man who's willing to put those boots
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on every single day of his life to go out there and fight for this country
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where nobody even knows what the hell they're doing or where the hell they're at.
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You do it for the man beside you.
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Thank you.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video, titled "Don’t waste your life," serves as an inspiring narrative that can greatly benefit English learners looking to enhance their speaking skills. The speaker shares a transformative personal journey, making it an excellent medium for practicing learn English with YouTube techniques. Engaging with this content allows you to not only improve your vocabulary but also grasp the emotional weight of the language used. The storytelling aspect aids in understanding how to express personal experiences and challenges, which is valuable for conversational practice.

Utilizing the shadowing technique, you can repeat phrases after the speaker, mimicking their rhythm and intonation. This practice will help you internalize the language naturally, making it easier to recall similar structures in real-life discussions. Additionally, the motivational tone encourages learners to strive for personal development, reinforcing the importance of practicing daily.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The speaker employs several key structures and expressions that can enhance your English proficiency. Here are a few noteworthy examples:

  • Past Simple Tense: The use of "I came home" and "I watched a show" illustrates how to narrate past events clearly, a fundamental skill in effective storytelling.
  • Conditional Statements: The phrase “If I had to lose 106 pounds” emphasizes hypotheses and conditions, enriching your ability to express possibilities.
  • Descriptive Adjectives: Words like "fat" and "busy" provide good examples of how to describe situations and people succinctly. This is useful in daily conversations when describing experiences.
  • Expressions of Respect: "I have the most respect" showcases how to convey admiration or appreciation, an essential component of polite discourse.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While engaging with this video, pay attention to several tricky words and phrases that non-native speakers often struggle with:

  • Courage: The pronunciation /ˈkɜːr.ɪdʒ/ can be challenging. Emphasize the first syllable and practice breaking it down to avoid common mispronunciations.
  • Medal of Honor: The phrase can be difficult due to the blend of sounds. Practice saying it slowly at first, then gradually increase your speed while maintaining clarity.
  • Hero: This word may be softly pronounced when used in conversation. Focus on the clear articulation of the initial "h," which can be overlooked in casual speech.

Incorporating these practices into your routine, you'll not only improve English pronunciation but also develop an authentic speaking style that resonates with your audience. Explore and utilize a shadowing app to assist you in this learning process and reinforce your mastery 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.