Shadowing Practice: Gossip - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Hey y 'all, this video is sponsored by Incogni.
2
Wipe your personal data and erase yourself off the internet by going to incogni .com slash domics
3
and use the code domics for 60 % off from me to you.
4
Enjoy the video!
5
I think I know too much about people I don't personally know.
6
On top of that, I think I know too much about people who aren't even relevant to my sphere of interests.
7
This is definitely due to the ease of access of media on the internet.
8
Not to say a little tea isn't nice, nah I'm saying.
9
Sometimes a little cup of that "ooh you caught who lying about what?
10
Earl Grey tea is a nice treat on a random Thursday night." Personally, I'm a fan of gossip.
11
Hold up.
12
Wait a minute.
13
Hear me out!
14
Not necessarily speaking it, but I'm one who likes to gather anecdotal information from people.
15
I believe the negative part of gossip comes from blindly believing rumors and secondhand information.
16
Of course, it's easy to fall into that bias if it's the only source you have.
17
But when I open my doors to gossip, I feel like I get to play this mini -game of: What truths am I willing to let through these gates?
18
Who believes what?
19
Who told you these facts?
20
Appreciate it if you don't tell anyone about this That's starting to sound like.. manipulation!
21
Congratulations, you may have a pathological liar in the friend group!
22
"Wow, gossip !" Listen guys, I get it.
23
Many of us were raised not to talk behind someone's back, but from experience I've found
24
that strictly following this mindset without critical thinking tends to protect those who are actually guilty of the accusation.
25
Is it gossip if it's true?
26
Plus if it leads to talking in front of someone's back.. no that sounds weird.
27
If it leads to a confrontation and clarification of any misunderstandings, then isn't that a better outcome than lingering on suppressed thoughts and feelings?
28
That being said, this really only works in a personal setting with a network of people
29
that you actually know and can directly communicate with.
30
With social media becoming a staple in modern life,
31
it has become increasingly accessible for a completely faceless stranger to know about another stranger's personal life,
32
and in turn, potentially develop a parasocial relationship with them.
33
Take it from a guy who's made a career out of storytelling on the internet.
34
On one hand, it's fun to share stories as if we're gathered around a campfire.
35
On the other, it's a little weird to have this many people at a campfire.
36
I have the mindset to not overshare sensitive information that doesn't necessarily add value to the story.
37
Overall, social media has proven to be quite exhausting for me.
38
On the side of uploading personal content, I'm terrible at keeping my following, the majority of which are strangers, updated about the current events of my life.
39
Sure, I share stories about major events that I've experienced, but not the day -to -day stuff and recent things that I've been up to.
40
For example, after I had a really bad fall from bouldering a few years, years ago where I helicopter crash landed on my ankle, I got into playing volleyball.
41
And it's become a major hobby of mine these days.
42
And also for a bit, I was heavily invested in the Digimon TCG and even competed at nationals in 2023.
43
Maybe I'll make a video about those, I don't know yet.
44
My updates are so sparse that I'm usually assumed dead until further notice.
45
Immediately after hitting the upload button, I just cease to exist.
46
I have no object permanence, I am only in this realm in short bursts of time.
47
The thing is, if I were to put myself in the shoes of someone following me, I don't think I'd care too much about what I would be posting about.
48
Is that anxious thinking?
49
I just don't think my daily life is that interesting.
50
Sure, I have this platform, but I live a pretty mundane and uneventful life, for the most part.
51
I don't party, I love being at home, I'm extremely introverted, I just like keeping to myself.
52
And when I do go out and do things, I forget to take photos and videos because I'm just.. in the moment.
53
And I'm lazy.
54
From my understanding of human behavior, we post and publish things for some level of validation, even if it's the teensiest amount.
55
It makes sense.
56
When you share something with someone, you're leaving yourself open to some level of criticism.
57
the internet, we're able to present things in a manner that narrows possible critiques to mostly positive ones.
58
When people show and tell, they usually aim for some sort of praise or positive feedback.
59
They don't try to show and get shit on.
60
Usually.
61
Admittingly, that's kind of the basis of my whole channel.
62
For years, I've been sharing stories of my life with you guys.
63
Stories about relationships, experiences during public events, butts, working in retail, you name it.
64
And as genuine as I wanted those stories to be, I can't claim that they are all 100 % free of all bias.
65
They are all true, of course, but they were presented with my truth.
66
Social media has also been tiring as a consumer.
67
So many trends to keep up with endless memes in the palm of my hand for
68
that easy dopamine hit right before going to bed and contributing to my insomnia.
69
I catch wind of so much drama between parties that have absolutely nothing to do with me.
70
Why do I care if some guy cheated on a speedrun in a video game?
71
Why?
72
It does not affect my life in any way.
73
Why?
74
If it affects yours, That's fine!
75
You can care about it.
76
I'm just wondering why I do.
77
Why did I read that twit longer about person A talking about person B cheating with person C?
78
I'm not in that alphabet.
79
I'm so uninvolved I'm like person Gamma.
80
But then, why did I proceed to look up multiple YouTube videos to get the perspectives of drama channels
81
that report on it?
82
And then, I scroll down to the comments section to read the opinions of other people
83
that are as uninvolved as I am.
84
Would that even be a meaningful conversation?
85
Hey did you hear about blah blah blah saying racial slur for the seventh time blah blah?
86
No, I haven't because I don't watch or support this stranger.
87
So are you saying you don't care about racism?
88
You don't care about sexism?
89
Poverty?
90
War?
91
Climate change?
92
AI art?
93
Endangered animals?
94
Ableism?
95
My mother?
96
There's a term in Filipino, Tagalog.
97
Chismis.
98
It means gossip or rumors and it's the base word of chismosa, one who gossips.
99
Which is what we call all the aunties at the fam jams gathered in the kitchen
100
while the dads are in the backyard drinking and the kids are upstairs playing on the Nintendo 64.
101
Thank you.
102
I feel like I've become a tita chismosa.
103
Every time I go on Twitter or X or whatever, there's that little Pandora's box of trending topics and one is usually an anime spoiler, but sometimes it's someone's name.
104
Sometimes a name I'm not even familiar with.
105
So why do I click on them?
106
Because I'm a chismosa!
107
Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep!
108
We're at an era of easily accessible knowledge where anyone can share anything and everything to everyone.
109
And while I believe in many cases that's a positive thing, like the ability to teach yourself almost any skill, learning about cultures you've never experienced,
110
looking up how to efficiently clean sticker residue, unhealthily indulging in.
111
I've been drinking too much chronically online tea, and I have a little tummy ache.
112
Hmm?
113
What's that?
114
Oh no, I simply mustn't.
115
It can be scary being on the internet.
116
It's not always so easy to keep your personal info from getting leaked by these data chismosas.
117
They can get your full name, phone number, home address, social security, and just handing it out like food samples.
118
This gets really scary when you start hearing stuff about data leaks from services that you use on a daily basis, which could lead to some troubling stuff like phishing emails,
119
stalking, and even identity theft.
120
Incogni is here to help take that burden away, saving you time, trying to deal with thousands of data brokers one by one and all by yourself.
121
Seriously, I've only been using this for like a week
122
and it saved me a day's worth of time with contacting each of these companies.
123
And if you happen to know of a specific website
124
that has your personal info and Incogni hasn't gotten to it yet, no problem.
125
You can use the custom removal feature on their unlimited and family unlimited plan.
126
Value your privacy
127
and let Incogni erase your data from the internet by going
128
to incogni .com /domics with the code DOMICS for 60 % off.
129
Hope y 'all enjoy the rest of 2025 and I'll see you in the new year.
📺 Same Channel
B21
Crushes
TeensHigh School Students+1
B231
Asian Food
TeensHigh School Students+2
B25
Idioms
Daily Conversation
B23
Anger
TeensHigh School Students+3
B15
Jealousy ft. @bithapi @RingoTsuga
TeensHigh School Students+1
B27
Fears
High School StudentsUniversity Students+2
B15
Buying Used Things
TeensHigh School Students+3
B13
Growing Up Asian
TeensHigh School Students+1
B23
Exercise
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B22
Sleep
University StudentsWorking Adults+1
B12
Short
TeensHigh School Students+1
B21
Patience
University StudentsBusiness English+2
✨ Recommend Video
B27
15 sentences
Why Some People Never Gossip
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B21
349 sentences
THE DISCLAIMER: Let It Breathe
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B233
54 sentences
shadowing
High School StudentsUniversity Students+2
B21
350 sentences
English Conversation Practice | 22 minutes of Everyday English Listening | English Podcast
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B2444 sentences
people you should watch out for (how to spot toxic friends)
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B224
46 sentences
5-Minute English Shadowing Practice | Episode 8: "Call It What It Is" (B1-B2 Level)
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B22
87 sentences
Yippee - I'm Cancelled
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B21
86 sentences
Video
University StudentsWorking Adults+1
C110
34 sentences
Book Club Debate: Is Technology Making Us Lonelier?
British Accent, en-GBUniversity Students+2
B22
19 sentences
How to (Mostly) Never Run Out of Things To Say
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B231
65 sentences
My Best Friend Leaked My Secret To Impress A Woman (I Walked Away).
University StudentsBusiness English+2
B125 sentences
Evelyn spilled a string of juicy gossip. 🗣️😏#shorts
University StudentsWorking Adults+1
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you’ll practice understanding and speaking conversational English using a relatable video about gossip, social media, and daily life. You’ll work on following a casual, friendly tone, picking up on idioms, and improving your listening skills—all while using the shadowing technique to mimic pronunciation and rhythm. It’s a fun way to learn English with YouTube, blending real-life topics with practical speaking practice!
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Tea (slang): Gossip or interesting news. Example: “Spill the tea about the party!”
- Parasocial relationship: A one-sided connection where someone feels close to a public figure they don’t know. Example: “She has a parasocial relationship with her favorite YouTuber.”
- Overshare: To share too much personal information. Example: “I tend to overshare when I’m nervous.”
- Mundane: Boring or ordinary. Example: “My daily routine is pretty mundane.”
- Secondhand information: News heard from someone else, not directly. Example: “I don’t trust secondhand information—let’s ask her directly.”
Practice Tips
The video’s tone is relaxed and conversational, with pauses and casual phrases like “Hold up” and “Hear me out.” To practice shadow speak, play short 5-10 second clips, pause, and repeat immediately. Focus on matching the speaker’s pace—don’t rush! Notice how he emphasizes words like “definitely” and “weird” to add emotion. For extra help, use a shadowing app to slow down the audio if needed. Remember, the goal is to mimic not just the words, but the rhythm and intonation. Try shadowing the part where he talks about his hobbies (“after I had a really bad fall…”)—it’s a great mix of storytelling and everyday language. Keep practicing, and you’ll soon feel more confident speaking like a native!
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.