Shadowing Practice: How a student changed her study habits by setting goals and managing time | Yana Savitsky | TEDxLFHS - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Reviewer Gopalco
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When I first told my friends that I was doing a talk on a study method that I used,
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I could see the collective look of disgust that slipped across their faces as they processed what I just told them.
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So, bear with me, as I firmly believe that the Pomodoro method has the power to change your life.
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My typical cycle of studying used to start out determined.
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I would come home, sit down at my desk, and do a couple of worksheets.
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The only problem was that productiveness only lasted for an hour, as I would easily get distracted.
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I would usually spend a couple hours on my phone, and then I would snap back into determination, but find myself getting burned out once again as the minutes ticked away.
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I would work until I physically couldn't anymore.
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I'd pass out, utterly exhausted.
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With my rigorous course choice this year, I had made myself promise that I would be productive.
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I had to.
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I had to succeed.
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And yet, I failed to do that every single day.
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I struggled to stay afloat, fatigued, stressed, and strained, and I snapped as a result.
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And quite truthfully, I was disappointed.
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Disappointed with myself.
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Then, one day, I came across a video.
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It was a video telling me how to study better, and I was intrigued by one specific tip, the Pomodoro method.
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So what is it exactly?
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We start out by deciding on a task and estimating the amount of time that it will take you.
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Take for instance this AP World Chapter outline.
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I estimate that it will take me four hours of work, give or take.
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But instead of thinking about the outline as four hours of work, I'm going to think about it in terms of 25 minute increments or Pomodoros.
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So this outline would in theory take me eight Pomodoros.
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The next step is to work for those 25 minutes with absolutely no distractions, or you have to restart the Pomodoro.
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But after that hyper-focused work, you get to reward yourself with a five-minute break, which serves to recharge and refresh you in preparation for the next Pomodoro.
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Four cycles of this pattern of 25-5 minutes, and then you get to take a long break, 15-30 minutes.
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For myself, I typically still try to stay off my phone during these breaks and make some coffee,
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take a short walk, or when I want to feel super productive, I'll do chores.
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I know.
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Shocker.
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This method was actually developed in the 90s by Francisco Cirillo, who named the system Pomodoro, which means tomato in Italian,
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after this 25-minute kitchen timer that he used to track his work.
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And it is important to know that although he developed a system for a 25-500 pattern, the Pomodoro is a fluid system.
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It's designed to help you and help you with your work.
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For myself, I stick to the traditional 25-500 pattern when I'm doing worksheets or studying for tests.
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But for longer, more time-consuming assignments like, let's say, projects or essays,
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I choose to work for much longer increments and take shorter breaks.
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So here I am now.
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I'm still not the perfect student, and I want to iterate that, but the Pomodoro has changed me.
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It's changed the way I think and act about my work.
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When needed, I could spend a full day simply working, as I am just recharged and kept stimulated through the whole day.
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With the timer constantly ticking, I find myself working quickly in order to achieve and accomplish those goals through each 25-minute increment.
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And quite truthfully, it just feels so much more rewarding and fulfilling, being able to check things off after the other, watching your pile of work go down,
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knowing that you accomplished something that day instead of not to call you out but wasting two hours on Netflix.
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So, now it's my turn to ask you, are you as efficient as you can me?
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Are you productive, or does your time seem to just slip away?
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Do you complete your work, or is it scraped together at the last minute?
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The Pomodoro is a fluid system designed to help you produce higher quality work in a shorter amount of time.
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But whatever method, I encourage you to think about your time differently, to set goals for yourself and strive to meet them,
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to set aside the constant distractions and focus on your tasks at hand.
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You never know how much time you really have until you start to use it.
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And it looks like my break is over.
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Thank you.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This video featuring Yana Savitsky is an excellent resource for English learners wanting to improve their speaking skills. The speaker discusses her journey of transforming her study habits using the Pomodoro method, which not only enhances productivity but also encourages clear expression of thoughts. By shadow speaking to the video, learners can emulate Yana's intonation, speech patterns, and vocabulary. Engaging with the content allows learners to align their speaking pace with natural English rhythms, leading to more fluent conversational skills. Incorporating this practice into your routine can significantly enhance your overall English speaking practice, making it both enjoyable and effective.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In her talk, Yana uses several effective grammatical structures and expressions that learners can benefit from:

  • Conditional Statements: "If I am productive, I will succeed." This helps learners understand how to express possibilities and outcomes in their speech.
  • Descriptive Phrases: "I was disappointed with myself." This phrase can teach how to express emotions clearly and emphatically.
  • Present Simple for routines: "I come home, sit down at my desk, and do worksheets." Understanding this structure aids learners in discussing habitual or repeated actions.
  • Imperative Forms: "Decide on a task…" These commands are common in advice-giving contexts, making them practical for learners to use in similar situations.

Using these structures in your speech can enhance clarity and impact, essential for effective communication.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you shadow speak to the video, pay attention to the following pronunciation challenges that Yana presents:

  • Pomodoro: The Italian origin of this word can be tricky due to its unique vowel sounds. Practice saying it slowly and clearly: "po-ma-do-ro."
  • Productivity: This longer word has several syllables that can be difficult to pronounce accurately. Break it down: "pro-duc-tiv-i-ty."
  • Distraction: The consonant cluster at the beginning can cause confusion; practice saying "dis-traction" with emphasis on the 'd' sound.

By focusing on these common pronunciation traps, you can improve your clarity and make your shadow speech practice even more effective, ultimately enhancing your overall English speaking skills. Consider using a shadowing app or shadowing site to facilitate your pronunciation practice and track your progress.

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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