Shadowing Practice: How did I learn Grammer? | Slow English - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hello everyone and welcome back to Slow English Podcast.
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I'm Sahar and today I want to talk about something that completely changed my English.
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I want to tell you how I improved my grammar.
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And honestly, this story might surprise you.
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Because grammar was never my favorite part of learning English.
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When I first started learning English, grammar felt impossible.
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Every grammar book seemed full of rules, exceptions, charts, and formulas.
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I felt like there was always something new to memorize.
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Whenever I finished one grammar lesson, another lesson appeared.
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Whenever I learned one-tons, there were three more waiting for me.
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And because of that, I started believing that good grammar meant memorizing hundreds of rules.
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So that's exactly what I did.
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I bought grammar books.
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I watched grammar videos.
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I wrote notes.
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I highlighted important pages.
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I filled notebooks with explanations and for a short time I felt productive.
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I felt like I was improving but then something strange happened.
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A week later, I couldn't remember half of what I had studied.
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A month later, most of it was gone.
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and every time I opened my grammar book again, I felt like I was learning the same thing for the first time.
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It was frustrating.
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I remember thinking maybe I wasn't talented enough.
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Maybe grammar wasn't for me.
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Maybe some people were naturally good at grammar
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and I wasn't one of them
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but thankfully I was completely wrong the problem wasn't my memory the problem was my method at
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that time I was treating grammar like information
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but grammar isn't information grammar is a skill
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and skills don't go through memorization skills grow through repetition one
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day I stopped trying to finish grammar books instead I started trying to remember grammar
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and those are two completely different goals before
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that my goal was to complete lessons after
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that my goal became making grammar stay in my head so I changed my routine Instead of studying new grammar every day,
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I started reviewing old grammar.
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At first, I felt strange.
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I thought I was wasting time.
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I thought I should always be learning something new. But slowly,
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I noticed something the grammar points I reviewed started feeling familiar then comfortable then automatic
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and that's exactly what I wanted I also stopped writing line
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grammar explanations most of the time I never read them again
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anyway instead whenever I learned a grammar point I try to understand it deeply once
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and then revisit it many times later
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that simple change saved me from forgetting another thing
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that helped me was becoming more patient before I expected myself to remember everything immediately
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if I forgot a grammar point I felt disappointed now I understand
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that forgetting is normal in fact forgetting is part of learning every time I forgot something
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and reviewed it again it became a stronger in my memory
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so instead of feeling frustrated
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when I forgot grammar I started seeing it as part of the process
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that mindset helped me a lot around the same time I
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also noticed another mistake I had been making I was separating
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grammar from English grammar was one thing reading was another thing listening was another thing
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and speaking was another thing as well everything was separate
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but real language doesn't work that way grammar leaves inside English
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so I started paying attention to grammar while doing other activities
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while reading I noticed grammar patterns while listening I noticed grammar patterns
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while watching videos I noticed grammar patterns without realizing it I was reviewing grammar all day long and
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because I was seeing it in different places it became much
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harder to forget little by little grammar stopped feeling like a
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school subject it is started feeling like a natural part of language and
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that was the beginning of the biggest improvement I had ever
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experienced as my grammar started improving I became curious about something why was I remembering some grammar points for months
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while forgetting others after only a few days the answer taught
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me one of the most valuable lessons of my English journey the grammar
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that stayed in my memory was the grammar I kept meeting.
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The grammar that disappeared was the grammar I studied once and never saw again.
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That sounds simple, but it changed the way I learned forever.
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From that moment, I stopped chasing new grammar
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topics i stopped chasing new grammar topics instead i focused on creating a system that brought
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old drummer back again and again every week i spent time reviewing things i had already learned Not because I enjoyed reviewing.
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No, not because it was exciting,
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but because I realized that remembering is more important than learning.
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Many learners spend years learning grammar.
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Very few spend years remembering grammar.
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And that's why so many people feel stuck.
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Another thing that helped me was lowering my expectations.
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For a long time, I believed I needed perfect grammar.
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I thought good English meant making no mistakes.
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That belief created pressure.
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That pressure made learning harder.
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Eventually, I accepted that mistakes were not signs of failure.
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They were signs of progress.
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Every mistake showed me something I needed to improve.
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Instead of feeling embarrassed, I became curious.
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Why did I make that mistake?
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why did I forget
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that structure why did I choose the wrong tense those questions
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helped me learn much faster I also became much more consistent
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before I started grammar in big bursts of of motivation before
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i studied grammar in big bursts of motivation one day i
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studied for three hours then maybe i didn't touch grammar for
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a week later i started doing smaller amounts more regularly the sessions were shorter
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but the results were much better consistency was more powerful
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than intensity that lesson applies to almost everything in language learning another thing
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that surprised me was how much listening improved my grammar at
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first i thought listening was only useful for improving listening skills
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but i was wrong the more english i heard the more familiar grammar became.
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I wasn't memorizing rules.
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I was becoming familiar with patterns this is incredibly powerful many
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times I knew a sentence was correct without remembering the grammar rule behind it
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that happened because my brain had heard similar structures
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so many times before before I continue I want you to
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write for me in the comments how much grammar is hard for you i will read all of your comments
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and finally the biggest change happened
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when i stopped seeing grammar as something separate from communication for
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years grammar had been a subject a collection of rules a list of things to memorize
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but finally grammar became something different it became a tool a tool
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that helped me express my ideas more clearly a tool
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that helped me communicate more confidently when
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that shift happened everything became easier I wasn't studying grammar anymore i was using grammar
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and that's the real goal looking back now i can honestly say
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that my grammar improved
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when i stopped searching for shortcuts there was no secret book
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no magical course no perfect method there were only small habits
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repeated for a long time reviewing old grammar being patient with myself accepting mistakes staying consistent
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paying attention while reading and listening
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and most importantly giving grammar enough time to become familiar
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if you are struggling with grammar right now I want you to remember something
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so important you don't need to memorize everything you don't need
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to be perfect you don't need perfect grammar tomorrow you don't
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need to finish every grammar book you own you only need to keep coming back to the same grammar points
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again and again until they become part of you that's what I did
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and that's how my grammar slowly became stronger over time thank
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you for listening I will see you in the next episode don't forget to subscribe my channel
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and turn the notification on that you will be the first one to watch my videos
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because I upload video five
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or six days a week don't forget to write your opinion your comments are
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so valuable for me and thank you for your support good like in this perfect way
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Why This Video Is Perfect for Learning English with Videos
This video is a goldmine for English learners because it uses slow, clear speech and relatable storytelling—key for building listening and speaking skills. The conversational tone mimics real-life communication, making it easy to follow and replicate. Unlike formal lessons, it feels like a chat with a friend, which reduces anxiety and helps you focus on natural phrasing. Plus, the focus on grammar as a skill (not just rules) aligns with how we actually use language, making it actionable for practice.
Breaking Down Natural Speech Patterns
Let’s look at a few lines that sound authentic and why: - “Grammar was never my favorite part of learning English.” The casual “was never my favorite” is a common way to express dislike, avoiding stiff phrases like “I did not enjoy.” - “I felt like I was improving, but then something strange happened.” The contrast “but then” mirrors how we pause and shift in spoken English, making it flow naturally. - “Forgetting is normal. In fact, forgetting is part of learning.” Short, repetitive sentences emphasize a point—something we do when speaking to be clear, not just to follow rules. These examples show that natural speech prioritizes clarity and rhythm over complex structures.
A Simple Practice Routine Using the Shadowing Technique
To turn this video into speaking practice, try this repeat-and-record loop:
- Listen and mimic: Play a 5-second clip, pause, and repeat it immediately (this is the shadowing technique). Focus on matching the tone and speed.
- Record yourself: After 3-4 mimics, record your version. Compare it to the video—note differences in stress or pauses.
- Review and repeat: Use a shadowing app or site to slow down tricky parts. Repeat the process daily for 10 minutes, focusing on 2-3 clips.
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 | wasn't talented · is started |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was improving · was learning · was treating |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | started learning · started believing · stopped trying |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the biggest · the most valuable |
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.