Shadowing Practice: Homosexuality, Catholicism & burning man - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Link tree is in the description with all the spicy stuff.
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And I told the story about 11 months ago.
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I remember because I was up north visiting my sister at the time when I recorded it.
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I think he was technically a cousin, but he was more like an uncle.
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uh uncle cousin jack who was um fairly flamboyantly gay kind of in the way you know he spoke
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and his mannerisms you know he dressed uh like a normal dude um
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but like i said his you know voice and actions
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and mannerisms um he was on the flamboyant side and my family just
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he was just cousin jack honestly
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or uncle jack everybody loved him he was kind of the
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life of the party kind of guy um always laughing
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and joking and unfortunately he died of AIDS
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and that's what the story a year ago was about 11 months ago
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but his that whole experience and
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when he died nobody said nobody in my family was like oh well
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if he didn't do this this and that if he didn't live this way or that way, then he wouldn't have gotten this disease and whatever.
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Nobody said that, you know, everybody was sad.
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He was part of the family.
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And not only, again, not only part of the family, like he was, he was loved.
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And it was a, it was a sad day.
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uh i think that whole situation um had a big influence on me kind of subconsciously
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probably more than i even realize now um and
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so it kind of exposed me to someone like that from a very early age because i was only like nine
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when he died and her ten or something
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or 11 i don't know i was my mom was still alive um and
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so on to the departure from catholicism part uh it's funny i've said this on a few different platforms
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that i never there was a short period of time where i questioned my sexuality,
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but it was because I had bad luck with women and it wasn't because, um, I had any like feelings or, or, you know, I never,
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I never had any like confusion, I guess, if you want to use that word.
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And, um, but the whole Christian stance on homosexuality was one of the bigger things that led me away from it.
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Because once I got to a certain age, it was kind of like, why?
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Why is this bad?
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Why is this a sin?
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Why is this against the rules?
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And I just never got a satisfactory answer to that.
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It was like, they're not hurting anybody.
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like they're just we just condemn this
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because it says so in a book somewhere and so you know it wasn't a good enough answer for me
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if you're curious the other big thing was just the divinity of Jesus I just came to not believe
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that Jesus was the son of God and And so really those were two very, very big things.
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Probably the two biggest things that led me away.
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And it was like, I just, I can't pretend to believe things that I don't believe
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and I was like if these
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and there are there are other there are other things
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but it's like I I don't I can't go to church every Sunday and
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pretend that I believe stuff that I don't believe just to appease you know
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because I'm supposed to because like at
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that point it was just my dad just
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because my dad does you know so I guess I've always kind of had a
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a libertarian mindset when it comes to social issues it's like if you're not
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hurting anybody or damaging stuff
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or stealing what's the problem what's what's what's the big deal
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and I guess that's it this was a short one
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but I just see so many people that are
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like averse to the idea of gay dudes
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and maybe not averse but like I just wish we didn't have
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taboos on behaviors that don't hurt people.
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I saw this is kind of a random thought but I saw a YouTube short about
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a christian missionary was getting interviewed by somebody and he was talking about going to burning man
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and he was talking about how everybody's lost and um the evil and the devil and all this stuff
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And it was funny.
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I talked about a client that I had for a short time.
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He ended up moving away, which sucked.
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And a couple weeks in, he told me that he was gay.
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And before that, he had talked a couple times about going to Burning Man.
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And that he, I don't know if he went more than once, but I can't remember exactly what he said.
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almost like it was his
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I don't think he used the word cult I don't remember but he really liked Burning Man
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and like watching that YouTube short made me think of him
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and I was like because this guy was like just super smart super sharp person and like such a nice person and
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I just I I just don't I don't get
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it's it's kind of like confusing to me
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that someone would just go to this festival and just see people enjoying themselves and
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not hurting anybody and think that it's like demonic and evil
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and um i don't know
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but uh i find it fascinating how different people have different views of the world
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but anyway some random thoughts catch you on the next one

Context & Background

In this video discussion, the speaker shares personal experiences regarding the intersection of homosexuality, Catholicism, and personal belief systems. The narrative revolves around the speaker’s memories of a flamboyantly gay relative affectionately known as Uncle Jack, who passed away due to AIDS. This poignant story highlights the speaker’s family dynamics and unconditional love amidst societal stigma. Furthermore, the speaker reflects on their journey away from Catholicism, questioning traditional beliefs surrounding sexuality and the divine nature of Jesus. This narrative serves as a rich backdrop for learners to engage with complex social topics while improving their English communication skills.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Kind of the life of the party” - A description of someone who is very lively and entertaining.
  • “Part of the family” - An expression denoting someone’s importance and acceptance within a family unit.
  • “I can’t pretend to believe” - A phrase expressing dishonesty or discomfort in pretending to accept beliefs one does not hold.
  • “Condemn this because it says so in a book” - A rhetorical question highlighting the lack of logical reasoning behind certain rules or beliefs.
  • “Not hurting anybody” - A common argument used to defend a viewpoint that suggests a behavior is harmless.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively learn English using the shadowing technique from this video, follow this guide:

  1. Watch the video: Begin by watching the video once without any interruptions. Try to grasp the overall message and emotional tone of the speaker.
  2. Break down the transcript: Read through the transcript carefully. Identify key phrases and vocabulary that resonate with you and make a note of unfamiliar words.
  3. Repeat in real time: Utilize the shadow speak method by playing the video again. Pause at intervals, repeating what the speaker says immediately after they speak to mimic their tone and pronunciation.
  4. Focus on delivery: Pay close attention to the speaker's mannerisms and vocal nuances. This will help you not just with vocabulary, but also with the rhythm and intonation of natural speech.
  5. Practice regularly: Consistent practice is key. Revisit the video multiple times, gradually increasing the length you can shadow without pausing. Use a shadowing site or video platform to enhance your experience.

By engaging with such complex narratives, you can enrich your understanding of both the language and the societal topics they encompass, making your English learning journey more meaningful and relevant. Let’s connect over your progress as you learn English with YouTube.

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.