Shadowing Practice: ENGLISH SPEECH | LEARN ENGLISH with KIM NAM-JOON - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Welcome ESL students, I'm Anna, your guide for today.
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We're diving into an inspiring speech by Kim Nam -joon, also known as RM, the leader of the globally loved music group BTS.
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RM, a native Korean speaker, delivers this speech with great proficiency in English.
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His communication style, rich vocabulary, and grammar usage provide an excellent learning platform for us.
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Are you ready to explore and learn?
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Let's get started.
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Thank you.
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- Thank you, Mr. Secretary General.
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UNICEF Executive Director, and all the excellencies and distinguished guests from across the world.
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RM begins with a formal greeting.
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Notice the use of excellencies and distinguished guests.
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These are respectful titles for addressing an esteemed audience.
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This is a great example of formal English vocabulary.
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My name is Kim Namjoon, also known as RM, the leader of the group BTS.
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It is an incredible honor to be invited to an occasion with such significance for today's young generation.
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Last November, BTS launched the Love Myself campaign with UNICEF building on our belief that true love first begins with loving myself.
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We've been partnering with UNICEF's End Violence program to protect children and young people all over the world from violence.
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RM introduces himself with both his Korean name and his stage name.
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Note the conjunction also used to add information.
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He's using a present continuous tense, We've been partnering, which we use for actions happening now or around now, and that are unfinished.
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And our fans have become a major part of this campaign with their action and with their enthusiasm.
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We truly have the best fans in the world.
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RM uses the superlative "the best".
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Superlatives are used when you want to compare more than two things, in this case, fans.
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Also, notice the phrase "all over the world", which is an idiomatic expression meaning everywhere.
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And I'd like to begin by talking about myself.
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I was born in Issan, a sin in your soul.
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South Korea.
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It is a really beautiful place with a lake, hills, and even an annual flower festival.
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I spent a very happy childhood there.
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and I was just an only naughty boy.
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I used to look up at the night sky and wonder, and I used to dream the dreams of a boy.
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I used to imagine that I was a superhero who could save the world.
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RM shares his past using the phrase "used to," which is a way to talk about habits or states in the past.
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It's useful for telling stories about our past.
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And in an intro to one of our early albums, There is a line that says...
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My heart stopped when I was maybe nine or ten.
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Looking back, I think that's when I began to worry about what other people thought of me, and starting seeing myself through their eyes.
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I stopped looking up at the night skies.
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The stars I stopped daydreaming.
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Instead, I just tried to jam myself into the malls that other people made.
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Soon, I began to shut out my own voice.
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and started to listen to the voices of others.
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No one called out my name.
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"and neither did I.
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My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut.
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Here RM talks about his inner feelings.
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He uses the past simple tense "I stopped" to describe completed actions in the past.
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The phrase "closed shut" is a good example of an intensifying adverb "shut" modifying an adjective closed so like this I We
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all lost our names.
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we became like ghosts.
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Thank you.
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But I had one sanctuary and that was music.
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there was a small voice inside of me that said, Wake up, man, and listen to yourself.
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But it took me quite a long time to hear music calling my real name.
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Even after making the decision to join BTS, there were a lot of hurdles.
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Some people might not believe, but most people thought we were hopeless.
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Thank you.
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And sometimes I just wanted to quit.
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Thank you.
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But I think I was very lucky that I didn't give it all up.
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And I'm sure that I, And we can't will keep stumbling and falling like this.
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"Stumbling and falling" is an idiomatic phrase.
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It's a metaphor for encountering difficulties or challenges.
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Idiomatic expressions are an essential part of vocabulary enhancement.
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BTS has become artists performing in those huge stadiums and selling millions of albums right now.
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I am still an ordinary, 24 year old guy If there's anything that I've achieved,
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It was only possible "that I have my other BTS members right by my side.
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And because of the love and the support that our army fans all over the world made for us.
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And maybe I made a mistake yesterday.
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but yesterday's me is still me.
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Today, I am who I am with all of my faults and my mistakes.
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Tomorrow?
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I might be A tiny bit wiser.
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And that would be me too.
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These faults and mistakes or what I am.
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making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life.
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Here, RM uses present perfect tense "has become," which shows actions that happened at an unspecified time before now.
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Also, He introduces the metaphor of the brightest stars in the constellation of my life.
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using constellation in a non -literal sense.
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I have come to love myself.
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for who I am for who I was and for who I hope to become.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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I'd like to say the one last thing.
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After releasing our Love Yourself albums, and launching the Love Myself campaign, we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world,
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how our message helped them overcome their hardships in life, and start loving themselves.
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Those stories constantly remind us of our responsibility.
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So, Let's take all one more step.
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We have learned to love ourselves.
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So now I urge you to speak yourself.
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RM uses the phrase "have come to," another example of present perfect tense used to show a change of mind
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or an action affecting the present.
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Notice the imperative verb "urge" which is used to strongly advise or recommend something.
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I'd like to ask all of you, Thank you.
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What is your name?
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What excites you and makes your heart beat?
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Tell me your story.
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I want to hear your voice.
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I want to hear your conviction.
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No matter who you are, where you from, your skin color, your gender identity, Just speak yourself.
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Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself.
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The phrase I would like to ask is a polite way of asking a question.
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He uses direct speech to engage the audience.
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Direct speech can make a conversation more lively and interesting.
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I'm Kim Namjoon.
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and also RMO /BTS.
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I'm an idol and I'm an artist from a small town in Korea.
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Like most people, I've made many and plenty mistakes in my life.
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I have many faults.
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"and I have many more fears, but I'm going to embrace myself as hard as I can.
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and I'm starting to love myself gradually, just little by little.
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RM repeats his identity for emphasis.
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Note the phrase "little by little," which is an adverbial phrase meaning "gradually." Adverbial phrases add more detail to verbs.
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What is your name?
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Speak yourself.
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Thank you very much.
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Thank you.
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you RM repeats his call to action for emphasis.
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The phrase "speak yourself" is an imperative command but in a supportive context and ends his speech with a polite expression, Thank you very much.
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Using polite phrases in English is important in maintaining a respectful conversation.
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Congratulations learners!
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We've just explored RM's speech focusing on various grammatical elements like verb tenses,
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conjunctions, and adverbial phrases, along with enriching our vocabulary.
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Make sure to watch the full speech and see if you can identify more of these elements.
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Remember to download our free ebooks for additional practice.
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and subscribe to our newsletter to keep learning.
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Keep practicing, and soon English will be a breeze for you.
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See you in the next lesson!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “ENGLISH SPEECH”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: phrase, Bts, speech, action, tense. This video has 129 sentences and 1346 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:41. The speaker talks at a steady 139 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tense noun | /tɛns/ | The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| adverbial adjective | /ædˈvɝbi.əl/ | Of or relating to an adverb. |
| constellation noun | /ˌkɑn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/ | An arbitrary formation of stars perceived as a figure (especially one from mythology) or pattern, or a division of the sky including it, especially one… |
| idiomatic adjective | /ˌɪd.iː.əˈmat.ɪk/ | Pertaining or conforming to idiom, the natural mode of expression of a language. |
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| polite adjective | /pəˈlaɪt/ | Well-mannered, civilized. |
| excellency noun | /ˈɛk.sə.lən.si/ | Synonym of excellence; the quality of being excellent. |
| stumble verb | /ˈstʌmbəl/ | To trip or fall; to walk clumsily. |
| superlative noun | /suˈpɝlətɪv/ | The extreme (e.g. highest, lowest, deepest, farthest, etc) extent or degree of something. |
| imperative adjective | /ɪmˈpɛɹ.ə.tɪv/ | Essential; crucial; extremely important. |
| respectful adjective | /ɹɪˈspɛkt.fl̩/ | Marked or characterized by respect |
| metaphor noun | /ˈmɛt.ə.fɚ/ | The use of a word, phrase, concept, or set of concepts to refer to something other than its literal meaning, invoking an implicit similarity between the thing… |
| distinguish verb | /dɪˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/ | To recognize someone or something as different from others based on its characteristics. |
| conjunction noun | /kənˈd͡ʒʌŋk.ʃn̩/ | The act of joining, or condition of being joined. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| call out verb | To specify, especially in detail. | |
| look back verb | To think of (past events) in retrospect (in hindsight). | |
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Are you ready to explore and learn?
- It's useful for telling stories about our past.
- I'd like to say the one last thing.
- What is your name?
- What excites you and makes your heart beat?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | We've been partnering |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to look · used to imagine |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have become · has become · I've achieved |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be invited · are unfinished · was born |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 18 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'd, we've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: constellation /ˌkɑn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/, distinguish /dɪˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/, conjunction /kənˈd͡ʒʌŋk.ʃn̩/, proficiency /pɹəˈfɪʃənsi/, hardship /ˈhɑɹdˌʃɪp/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, adverbial /ædˈvɝbi.əl/, constellation /ˌkɑn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/, idiomatic /ˌɪd.iː.əˈmat.ɪk/, excellency /ˈɛk.sə.lən.si/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like tense, vocabulary, adverbial.
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.