Shadowing Practice: FALL FORWARD | TAKE RISKS | Denzel Washington Motivational Speech 2020 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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I found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.
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I found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.
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Nothing.
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Nelson Mandela said, there is no passion to be found playing small
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and settling for a life that's less than the one you're capable of living.
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Now I'm sure in your experiences in school and applying to college
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and picking your major and deciding what you want to do with life,
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I'm sure people have told you to make sure you have something to fall back on.
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Make sure you've got something to fall back on, honey.
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But I never understood that concept,
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having something to fall back on.
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if I'm going to fall I don't want to fall back on anything except my faith I want to fall forward.
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I figure at least this way I'll see what I'm going to hit.
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Fall forward.
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This is what I mean.
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Reggie Jackson struck out 2,600 times in his career,
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the most in the history of baseball.
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But you don't hear about the strikeouts.
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People remember the home runs.
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Fall forward.
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Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments.
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Did you know that?
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I didn't know that.
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Because the 1,001st was the light bulb.
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Fall forward.
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Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.
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You've got to take risks,
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and I'm sure you've probably heard that before,
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but I want to talk to you about why that's so important.
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First, you will fail at some point in your life.
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Accept it.
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You will lose.
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You will embarrass yourself.
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But here's the thing.
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I didn't quit.
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I didn't fall back.
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But do you have the guts to fail?
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Here's my second point about failure.
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If you don't fail, you're not even trying.
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To get something you never had,
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you have to do something you never did.
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because taking risk is not just about going for a job.
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It's also about knowing what you know and what you don't know.
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It's about being open to people and to ideas.
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What are you going to do with what you have?
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I'm not talking about how much you have.
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Some of you are business majors.
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Some of you are theologians, nurses, sociologists.
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Some of you have money.
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Some of you have patience.
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Some of you have kindness.
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Some of you have love.
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Some of you have the gift of long suffering,
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whatever it is, whatever your gift is.
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What are you going to do with what you have?
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So you got to get out there.
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You got to give it everything you got,
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whether it's your time, your talent,
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your prayers, or your treasures.
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Because remember this, you will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse to not only take risks,
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but to be open to life,
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to accept new views, and to be open to new opinions.
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never be discouraged never hold back give everything you've got and when you fall throughout life and remember this fall forward
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you

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice spoken English by shadowing a motivational speech delivered by Denzel Washington. The focus will be on understanding the importance of taking risks and embracing failure as a pathway to success. By listening carefully to the transcript and imitating the speaker's tone and pace, you will enhance your pronunciation, intonation, and overall speaking confidence. This practice is particularly valuable for those looking to articulate their thoughts and experiences more effectively in English.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Take risks: To act in a way that involves exposure to danger or loss.
  • Fall forward: To move ahead despite challenges, learning from failures.
  • Passion: A strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something.
  • Failed experiments: Attempts that did not succeed but contribute to future successes.
  • Guts to fail: The courage to accept failures as part of the learning process.
  • Open to ideas: Willing to consider new concepts or perspectives.
  • Home runs: Significant accomplishments or successes.
  • What you have: The skills, resources, and strengths you possess.

Practice Tips

To effectively use this shadow speech method while watching the video, follow these tips:

  • Play the video at a slower speed: If needed, adjust the playback speed in the settings. This will help you catch every word and mimic the pronunciation more accurately.
  • Pause and repeat: After listening to a segment, pause the video and repeat what Denzel Washington says. Focus on matching his tone, rhythm, and emotion.
  • Record yourself: Use a simple recording tool or a shadowing app to compare your speech to the original. Listen for differences in intonation and pronunciation.
  • Practice in segments: Break the speech into smaller parts. Focus on one paragraph at a time to reduce overwhelm and increase retention.
  • Emphasize key phrases: Pay special attention to the key vocabulary noted above. Incorporate these phrases into your daily conversation to reinforce learning.
  • Engage with the content: Reflect on the message about taking risks and apply it personally. This connection will make your practice more meaningful and help you express your thoughts in English.

By utilizing these methods, you can not only learn English with YouTube effectively but also significantly improve your English speaking practice by integrating motivational speech into your routine.

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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