Shadowing Practice: Donald Trump, "Think Big" - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Over 20 years ago, I coined the expression, think big, and it's been a part of my life ever since.

It's also come true.

I became an even bigger success after I said it than I was before.

And that's one reason I think it's an important way to think.

It obviously works, and that's what I'm going to talk about today.

What I said exactly in my first book, The Art of the Deal, is as follows.

I like thinking big.

I always have.

To me, it's very simple.

If you're going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.

That book was a bestseller, and it's considered a business classic at this point.

But I never thought those words would become bestsellers in their own right.

It's an interesting point that I'm famous for two very short statements.

Think big and you're fired.

But let's stick to the first one for today.

And I'd suggest strongly that you pay attention so that you won't have to hear the second one.

Thinking big starts with the details and grows from there.

Because I'm a builder, I'm very aware of the importance of having a good foundation.

You can't take chances in construction.

You can't be haphazard and say, well, maybe this will work, maybe it won't, so let's try it and find out.

Because a lot of people will be at risk.

I have to know if something will work or not.

Every inch has to be accounted for.

In other words, thinking big starts with being thorough.

So number one, be thorough.

Don't count on happenstance to get you anywhere because it won't.

Number two, get a momentum going and keep your momentum going.

You have to have big ideas, but you've got to have the energy to get them done, which can sometimes take a long time.

If you don't have momentum, you will not have what it takes to get the job done.

Patience alone isn't enough.

I have a lawyer friend who used to refer to me as the reverse tornado who builds everything in his path.

I always like that because it implies a lot of energy and a lot of momentum.

And that's exactly what it takes to get anything done.

So keep your momentum going.

Number three, stay focused.

You have to stay focused.

The minute you lose focus, you will also be losing your momentum.

They go together and you will accomplish a lot more, even amazing things, if you make sure you keep these two things working together for you.

I've seen very talented people literally go down the drain

because they couldn't seem to keep their focus long enough to get anything done.

In this day of multitasking, that can be a real challenge, but it's absolutely necessary.

Ask yourself this question.

What should I be thinking about right now?

That simple question can restore your focus in no time at all.

And your answer right now should be listening to Donald Trump.

Number four, look at the solution, not the problem.

This is very important if you ever want to learn to think big.

And here's why.

No matter what you do, you're bound to run into problems.

It's just part of life, a part of business, a part of anything worth doing.

If you let the problems get in your way, they'll become bigger than your idea was to begin with, and you will be a wipeout.

No matter how bad things look, keep your focus on the solution and you will be surprised how things can work out and work out properly.

One way I do this is to ask myself when confronting a possible problem, is this a blip or is this a catastrophe?

A catastrophe is something like an earthquake, a tsunami, a war and so forth.

And a blip is everything else.

Right away, you'll have the right perspective and your equilibrium will be restored.

So keep your focus on the solution.

Number five, see opportunity for what it is, an opportunity.

For example, why are you listening to me today?

Curiosity, you like me, you don't like me, you want to learn, you have nothing else to do, you want to hear me tell you you're fired.

I hope not, but whatever your reasons might be, they've brought you to a good place to get involved and to learn.

And that's an opportunity right there.

People think that because I'm rich and famous that I know everything.

I know a lot, but one thing I know is that I don't know everything.

So I ask myself this question every day.

What can I learn today that I didn't know before?

And you know what?

I learn something new every single day.

That's a big reason for my success, and the same thing can apply to you.

Take the time to see today as an opportunity, and you'll be surprised by what can come your way.

Be open to new ideas and you will be creating your own opportunities before too long.

Number six, know everything you can about what you're doing.

That's a good way to cover your bases.

Another good way is to read the book Robert Kiyosaki and I have written together, Why We Want You to Be Rich.

It's about covering your bases and knowing what's going on.

I remember

when some guys came in to meet with me about a

great idea they had for an atrium for a building on Wall Street.

It was a beautiful idea except for one thing.

None of them had thought about how the building would be supported around this fabulous atrium.

They didn't take into account the steel columns that were necessary to support a 72-story building,

a very big and embarrassing oversight that could have been avoided

if they'd taken the time to think about what they were doing.

Don't let that happen to you.

Know what you're doing first.

Number seven, Be lucky.

Remember the old saying, the harder I work, the luckier I get.

Well, it happens to be true.

It works for me and I've encountered some pretty big successes.

But this goes along with something that's absolutely necessary for great success. Be passionate.

You have to love what you're doing if you want to be successful at it.

My father told me that it's absolutely true.

I might work seven days a week, but it doesn't seem like work to me because I love what I'm doing.

If you don't like what you're doing, find something else to do, or do it part-time until you can find something full-time.

You will never be successful, happy, or healthy unless you're doing what you love to do.

That's just the way it is.

So give it some thought.

In fact, give it a lot of thought.

For example, if you're feeling frustrated, there are two ways to look at the situation.

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Frustration can mean that maybe you're expecting too much, or it can be an indication that you know you should be or could be doing more.

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Use frustration as a motivator.

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Use it to get where you want to go instead of staying where you don't want to be.

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But above all, be passionate.

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That's the fast track to success, no matter what your interests are.

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Number eight, see yourself as victorious.

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That can zap negativity immediately and put a positive spin on problems.

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I've gotten to the point where I see problems as challenges that I'll enjoy meeting and dealing with.

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My point here is that no matter what you do, you will encounter problems.

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Why not see them as challenges instead and know that you are more capable of dealing with them?

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That's positive thinking with a realistic slant.

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When I go into negotiations, I keep an open mind to what may happen.

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But I can tell you that there's already a done deal attitude on my part.

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I've already thought the process through to the extent

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that I know everything will be better off

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if they agree with what I've come up with because I've taken both sides into account.

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I enter the situation with a victorious attitude, and I've had enough victories to know that this attitude works.

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Use it.

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Number nine, be smart.

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Know that you have something unique to offer

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because you do use the tools that are provided for you and remain open to new ideas.

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That's being smart.

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That's also where innovation comes from.

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Being smart means you know how to use what you've got.

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That doesn't mean there's nothing left to learn, but it means that you will have the ability to learn and move forward with success.

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And success is very important.

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Success is what you want.

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Just be successful.

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Believe me, you'll be happier.

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I know people who have had very few real advantages in life, and yet they've managed to become giant successes.

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They figured out how to use what they had not to dwell on what they didn't have.

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I'm convinced that everyone has something useful to offer.

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And if you apply yourself diligently, you'll find that you have what it takes to succeed.

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And you're going to be a lot happier for it.

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Number 10, above all, never give up.

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Never, never, never give up.

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The only time you will be a failure is if you quit trying.

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Only losers quit.

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The biggest losers in the world are quitters.

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Winners keep on going.

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So whatever you do, never give up.

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My father always used to harp, never give up, son, never give up.

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Don't ever quit.

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I never want to see you give up or quit.

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Well, my father was a smart guy, and I listened to him.

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And remember, think big.

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A good way to start is to read our new book, Why We Want You to Be Rich, Two Men, One Message.

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There's a lot of great advice in there for you, and I expect you to pay attention.

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You're going to do fantastically well.

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You're going to be a winner, and I'm going to see you in the winner's circle.

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179 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Donald Trump, "Think Big"”. This video has 149 sentences and 1702 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:41. The speaker talks at a natural 176 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
momentum noun	/ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/	Of a body in motion: the tendency of a body to maintain its inertial motion; the product of its mass and velocity, or the vector sum of the products of its…
atrium noun	/ˈeɪ.tɹi.əm/	A central room or space in ancient Roman homes, open to the sky in the middle; a similar space in other buildings.
bestseller noun		A book or other product that has sold in large numbers.
blip noun	/blɪp/	A small dot registered on electronic equipment, such as a radar or oscilloscope screen.
catastrophe noun	/kəˈtæstɹəfi/	Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
victorious adjective	/vɪkˈtɔːɹiəs/	Being the winner in a contest, struggle, war, etc.
thorough adjective	/ˈθʌɹoʊ/	Painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail.
frustration noun	/fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/	The feeling of annoyance at impossibility from resistance or inability to achieve something.
loser noun	/luzɚ/	A person who loses; one who fails to win or thrive.
passionate adjective	/ˈpæʃənɪt/	Fired with intense feeling.
restore verb	/ɹɪˈstoɹ/	To reestablish, or bring back into existence.
diligently adverb	/ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒ(ə)ntli/	In a diligent manner, with appropriate effort, carefully.
embarrass verb	/ɪmˈbæɹəs/	To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely.
fantastically adverb		In a fantastic manner.
frustrate verb	/ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/	To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
give up verb		To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).
work out verb	/ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/	To calculate.
come up with verb		To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
figure out verb		To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
find out verb		To discover, as by asking or investigating.
go along with verb		To acquiesce to or comply with a proposal, despite lacking a desire or value for it.
go down verb		To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one.
go together verb		To be in a relationship.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

To me, it's very simple.
Think big and you're fired.
What should I be thinking about right now?
For example, why are you listening to me today?
What can I learn today that I didn't know before?

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 you don't have momentum, you will not · if you apply yourself diligently, you'll find
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	it's been · I've seen · they've brought
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	be accounted · will be restored · would be supported
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	done, which can · friend who used · people who have

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 61 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: thorough /ˈθʌɹoʊ/, earthquake /ˈɝθkweɪk/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: frustration /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, passionate /ˈpæʃənɪt/, negotiation /nɪˌɡəʊ.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/, accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/, indication /ɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: momentum /ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/, catastrophe /kəˈtæstɹəfi/, diligently /ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒ(ə)ntli/, motivator /ˈməʊ.təˌveɪ.tə/, negativity /ˌnɛɡ.əˈtɪ.vɪ.ti/

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 momentum, atrium, bestseller.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: Donald Trump, "Think Big" - Learn English Speaking with Video

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