Shadowing Practice: Finding Joy in Everyday Moments | A1 Shadowing Practice - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello, everyone.
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Welcome to English Shadowing.
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Now, let me ask you something.
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Have you ever stopped and looked around you just for a moment and asked yourself, is there something here that can make me smile?
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Many people wait for big reasons to feel happy.
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They think they must buy new things, go far away, or change everything to feel good.
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But sometimes, the most beautiful part of life is already here, in front of us.
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We just do not see it.
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We are too busy or too tired, or we think we must always do more.
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But joy is not always loud.
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It is quiet.
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It can be very small.
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And that is what makes it special.
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When we learn to notice small things, we start to feel different.
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We start to feel full.
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We feel calm.
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We feel alive in a new way.
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This kind of joy does not need a reason
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It comes from your heart
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And you can find it every single day
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When the morning comes and you wake up
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You have a new start
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That alone is something to feel thankful for Your eyes open
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You take a breath
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Your feet touch the floor
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These simple moments are easy to forget but they are the start of something special.
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You are alive.
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Your day begins.
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And even if the day is simple, it is still yours.
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The sun may shine, or the sky may be gray.
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You may drink tea or just water.
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But in that first moment, when you sit and breathe, you have something that many people wish they had.
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Peace.
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even just for one minute you are here you are still you
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that is where joy begins we do many things each day
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we work we clean we cook we walk we talk we help others we plan we wait we try again
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All of these are part of life
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But inside these actions, there are small lights
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When your hands are busy and your mind is full, try to notice what feels gentle
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Maybe someone says a kind word
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Maybe you hear a laugh
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Maybe you feel the warm cup in your hand or see a plant growing near your window
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These moments are not big, but they can touch your heart
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They remind you that not everything needs to change for you to feel better
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Sometimes you just need to pause and notice what is already good
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Joy can be quiet
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It can come when you sit with someone you love and you do not even talk
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You just sit
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You feel safe
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You feel close
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You feel calm
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Or it can come when you are alone
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But you feel okay
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You read a book
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You look outside
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You remember something nice
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You do not feel lost
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You feel like you know yourself
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That is the kind of feeling that stays in your heart
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It helps you smile
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Even on days that are not perfect
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Not every day is easy
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Sometimes you feel tired.
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Sometimes you feel like nothing is working.
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But even in these times, it is still possible to find small reasons to keep going.
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When someone helps you.
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When you rest for five minutes.
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When you listen to a song you love.
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When the wind touches your face and reminds you that you are not stuck.
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You are still part of something bigger.
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You are part of life
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And life gives you new chances all the time
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You only need to say yes to them
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Some people wait for special days to feel happy
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They wait for the weekend or their birthday or a holiday
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But life is not only made of special days
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It is mostly made of normal days
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And if we learn how to feel good on normal days then we learn something very important.
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We can carry joy with us no matter where we are.
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It is not in the place.
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It is not in the gift.
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It is in the way we look at things, the way we feel them, the way we stay present.
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This is something we can all learn, even little by little.
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For example, when you eat, do you stop and really taste your food?
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When you walk, do you feel your feet touch the ground?
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When you talk, do you listen with your full heart?
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These small things can change your day.
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When you notice them, you stop feeling like time is running too fast.
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You feel more in control.
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You feel more alive.
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It is not always easy, but it gets easier when you practice.
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The more you look for good moments, the more you see them.
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They are there, just waiting for your attention.
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Even during hard times, this kind of joy can still be with you.
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When you feel sad, it is not about ignoring your feelings.
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It is about finding one small thing that helps your heart breathe.
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Maybe it is the light in your room.
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Maybe it is the smell of fresh bread.
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Maybe it is your pet sleeping near you.
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These are not answers to all problems, but they are small steps.
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And small steps help us move forward.
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Joy also lives in helping others.
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When you give your time, your smile, your care, you feel something soft grow inside you.
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You feel that what you give comes back to you, not as a gift, but as a warm feeling that stays.
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Even a short talk with someone who needs it can make your day feel better
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Not because of big words, but because you connected
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You shared a moment
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And shared moments make us human
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They make us remember that we are not alone
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Sometimes, joy is just knowing that you did your best
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Maybe the day was hard, but you tried
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Maybe you failed, but you got up again
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That quiet pride, that soft strength is joy too
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It does not need a crowd to clap for you
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It does not need to be posted or shown
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It loves inside
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It is your own kind of happy
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And when the day ends and you lie down in bed
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You can think about these things
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You can say, I saw something good today
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It may be a color, a sound, a smile, a feeling
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When you remember it, you carry it into your sleep
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And when you wake up, you know you can find more
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Not because your life changed, but because your eyes opened
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You chose to see
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And what you see becomes part of your story
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So if you ever feel like your life is too small, too boring, or too simple, please remember this
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Joy is not about size
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It is about depth
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You can feel deep joy from a cup of tea, from a child's drawing, from the way someone says your name
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These are not small
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These are real
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They are part of what makes life rich
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And you do not need to look far to find them
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You just need to come back to yourself
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Come back to this moment
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Come back to the breath
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From there, everything begins
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You are not behind
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You are not late
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You are here
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That is enough
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And from this place, you can find peace
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You can find light
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You can find meaning
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You can find joy
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Thank you for staying with me through this quiet
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but special journey I hope this helped
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you look at your life in a new way I hope you feel a little softer, a little slower, and a little more alive
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Joy is not far
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It is already with you
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It is in your breath
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It is in your eyes
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It is in your hands
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It is in your heart
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Let it stay.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Finding Joy in Everyday Moments”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: joy, moment, feeling. This video has 156 sentences and 1302 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:34. The speaker talks at a steady 136 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 96% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| remind verb | /ɹəˈmaɪnd/ | To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person). |
| ignore verb | /ɪɡˈnɔː/ | To deliberately not listen or pay attention to. |
| gray adjective | /ɡɹeɪ/ | Of a color between black and white, having neutral hue and intermediate brightness. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| gentle adjective | /ˈd͡ʒɛntl̩/ | Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition. |
| shine verb | /ʃaɪn/ | To emit or reflect light so as to glow. |
| pause noun | /pɔːz/ | A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation. |
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| thankful adjective | /ˈθæŋkfəl/ | Showing appreciation or gratitude. |
| clap verb | /klæp/ | To strike the palms of the hands together, creating a sharp sound. |
| quiet adjective | /ˈkwaɪ̯.ət/ | With little or no sound; free of disturbing noise. |
| smile verb | /ˈsmaɪl/ | To have (a smile) on one's face. |
| soft adjective | /sɔft/ | Easily giving way under pressure. |
| calm adjective | /kɑm/ | Peaceful, quiet, especially free from anger and anxiety. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. | |
| look around verb | To inspect a building or area. | |
| move forward verb | To cause to make progress. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is not only made · be posted |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may shine · may drink · may be |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most beautiful · your best |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | must buy · must always do · need to pause |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, thankful /ˈθæŋkfəl/, depth /dɛpθ/
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 breathe, remind, ignore.
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.