Shadowing Practice: Feeling Lost in Your 20s - Learn English Speaking with Video

I've heard a lot of people say that your 20s will be the best years of your life, that you should enjoy them while you can.

This decade of life is often portrayed as a time of freedom, excitement and exploration.

However, it can also be a time of confusion, uncertainty and anxiety.

I'm almost 23 years old and I've never felt so lost before.

I don't know what to do with my life and everything just seems overwhelming.

There are many reasons to why this may be happening.

For one, this is the time of significant changes,

such as finishing university, entering the workforce and basically starting to establish oneself as an independent adult.

We're getting more responsibilities than ever before, all while trying to understand ourselves as individuals, who we are and what is our purpose in this world,

what are our passions and what makes us happy.

Societal expectations are high.

Decisions made in this period can have long-lasting consequences, both positive and negative, so there is pressure to make the right choices.

Some people are lucky enough to find their passion and goal early on, something that gets them excited and they can work towards.

But for others like myself, it doesn't come as easy.

There are so many opportunities out there, so many things that I could be making a career out of,

yet I haven't found that one thing I want to carry on with.

Meanwhile, you scroll on Instagram and see people earning huge amounts of money, traveling the world and enjoying life.

It seems like they have it all figured out.

You start comparing yourself to them and it makes it even worse.

You feel like a failure.

I've noticed I also find it difficult to start doing something, because it's just so much easier to avoid it and be comfortable.

Even for this video, something I knew I would enjoy making, procrastination was my biggest enemy.

It took me about 3 months to start writing the script, even though in the end it only took me about 2 hours to finish.

In my head I was making it seem like such a bigger deal than it actually was, intimidated by the work and scared of the outcome.

Another contributing factor is the sense of isolation that many of us feel.

At this age, people often move away from their friends and family to pursue their careers or education.

You might feel disconnected from your roots and struggle to find a sense of belonging in your new environment.

Many people are coming in and out of our lives.

There are a lot of temporary relationships and tough breakups.

What seemed like your closest friends once, become strangers.

It's all just confusing and it can definitely get lonely at times.

I'm going through my first breakup as well and it's just a rollercoaster of emotions.

One day you're fine and living, the other you don't want to leave your room.

But don't worry, it will get better.

Or at least I hope so.

It's important to accept and embrace the temporary feeling of being lost.

Your 20s is the time of self-discovery and growth.

Give yourself time to explore different options until you find something that you're passionate enough to pursue.

Seek out new experiences and opportunities, whether it's learning new skills, trying new new hobbies, meeting people or traveling.

With each new experience, you will learn more about yourself, the world around you and have a clearer sense of purpose.

If you're a big procrastinator like myself, imagine the potential that lies in starting something and staying consistent with it.

This is also the time you can take on the most risk.

You can go all in on something with almost nothing to lose as you're still very young.

And speaking about relationships, yes, people will be going in and out of your life.

That's because they have their own story to write with their own problems and struggles, just like you.

But I believe that everything happens for a reason.

Each person that you lose touch with opens up space for someone else to come in.

Lately, I've been taking it slow and I'm starting to become hopeful.

All of these experiences have helped me understand more about myself so I could make the right decisions for a better tomorrow.

The truth is, no one really has everything figured out, no matter the age.

We learn as we go.

Each of us has a different timeline to follow, so there is no point for comparison.

We're all just lost individuals, wandering around, trying to make our daily lives as pleasant as we can.

There will be heartbreaks, there will be losses, but that's just life.

We can't avoid the hard times, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Let go of all the expectations that you have and just live life day by day.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 56 sentences and 827 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:55. The speaker talks at a natural 168 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
temporary adjective	/ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/	Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time.
passion noun	/ˈpæʃən/	A true desire sustained or prolonged.
pursue verb	/pɚˈsu/	To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
expectation noun	/ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/	The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
breakup noun	/ˈbɹeɪk.ʌp/	The act of breaking up; disintegration or division.
consistent adjective	/kənˈsɪs.tənt/	Of a regularly occurring, dependable nature.
earn verb	/ɝn/	To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work.
meanwhile adverb	/ˈmiːnwaɪl/	During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place.
establish verb	/ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/	To make stable or firm; to confirm.
anxiety noun	/æŋˈzaɪ.əti/	An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event.
compare verb	/kəmˈpɛɚ/	To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it…
discovery noun	/dɪˈskʌv.ɹi/	Something discovered.
skill noun	/skɪl/	A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
lately adverb	/ˈleɪt.li/	Recently; not long ago; of late; not long since.
belong verb	/bɪˈlɒŋ/	To have its proper place.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
figure out verb	To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
go through verb	To travel from one end of something to the other.
open up verb	To open.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've heard · I've never felt · haven't found
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is often portrayed · being lost

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 19 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: passion /ˈpæʃən/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, establish /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/, confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: temporary /ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, exploration /ˌɛkspləˈɹeɪʃən/, uncertainty /ʌnˈsɜːtənti/

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 temporary, passion, pursue.

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 →

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