Shadowing Practice: How I’d Learn English from Scratch | Beginner to Advanced - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hey everyone, welcome back to the channel.
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If you're new here, hi, I'm Hannah.
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And today we're talking about something so many of you have been asking me about, including my mom, because she recently started learning English.
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How do I start learning English if I'm a complete beginner?
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But the advice I'm going to share today isn't just for beginners.
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It applies to anyone at any level who's feeling stuck or wondering what to do next on their English learning journey.
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I know that starting out can feel overwhelming.
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There are millions of words, so many grammar rules, and it feels like everyone around you already speaks English better than you.
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But here's the good news.
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You do not need to know everything to start speaking English.
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You just need a clear plan and a fun one too.
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So in this video, I'm going to give you a step-by-step study plan for beginners and not only.
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Where to begin, what to focus on, and how to study without burning out.
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By the end of this video you'll know exactly how to build your English skills day by day.
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And trust me, it's gonna be much easier than you think.
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So let's dive in.
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Step one, start small and real.
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Okay so here's the biggest mistake beginners make.
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They try to learn everything at once.
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They buy a huge grammar book, download five different apps, memorize hundreds of words.
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And after a week, they're completely overwhelmed.
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The first time you learn to drive, nobody gives you a Formula One race car.
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You start simple.
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Think small.
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Imagine you're moving to another country tomorrow.
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What would you actually need on your first day?
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Well, probably not words like government, philosophy, or environmental sustainability, right?
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You'd probably need things like, hi, my name is, and insert your name, my name is Hannah.
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How much is this?
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Can you help me?
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Where is the bathroom?
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A very important one.
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I don't understand.
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These are real life phrases that you'll actually use.
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I like to think of English as building a house.
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You don't start with the roof.
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You don't even start with the walls.
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you start with the foundation.
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Every simple phrase you learn is another brick and once you have enough bricks suddenly you're able to build conversations.
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Here's something that I recommend instead of learning 100 random phrases in one day big just five.
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Write them down say them out loud and use them throughout the day.
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For example, introduce yourself throughout the day.
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Even if you're just talking to a cat, say something like, hi, my name is Hannah.
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Or every time someone gives you something, even at home, say thank you.
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It might feel silly at first, but that's exactly how habits are built.
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The goal isn't to know thousands of words.
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The goal is to make a small number of useful phrases feel completely natural.
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Step 2.
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Focus on listening and repeating.
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If I could give every beginner only one piece of advice, it would be this.
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Spend more time listening than studying grammar.
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Why?
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Why?
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Because language isn't math, it's music.
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Before you worry about writing essays, build your ears.
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When babies learn their first language, nobody sits them down and explains grammar.
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Nobody says, today we're studying the present continuous.
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They simply hear thousands and thousands of sentences every day.
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Their brain starts recognizing patterns naturally.
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And that's exactly what we want to recreate.
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Watch movies.
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Watch short videos.
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Watch cartoons.
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Watch YouTube.
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Watch YouTube shorts.
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Watch TV shows.
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Literally anything that's interesting to you.
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But here's the important part.
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Don't just watch.
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Participate.
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Pause, let's say, every other sentence and repeat it.
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copy everything.
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Not just the words.
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Copy the rhythm, the speed, the pronunciation.
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Copy the emotion.
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If somebody says, what are you doing?
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Don't just repeat those words.
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Say them exactly the way they did.
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Imagine you're an actor trying to imitate another actor perfectly.
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This technique is called shadowing and it's incredibly powerful because you're training several skills at the same time.
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You're improving your listening, you're working on your speaking, you're improving your pronunciation, your speaking speed, and your confidence.
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Even if you don't understand every word yet, keep copying.
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Your brain is collecting pattern without you even realizing it.
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Step three, vocabulary in context.
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This is one of the biggest reasons people forget vocabulary.
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Many beginners make the mistake of memorizing random word lists.
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They learn words instead of language.
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Think about it.
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If I just tell you the word umbrella, you'll probably remember it for a little while.
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But if I tell you, don't forget your umbrella, it's gonna rain.
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Now there's a situation.
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There's a picture.
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There's a story.
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Your brain loves stories.
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Our brains aren't designed to remember disconnected information.
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They're designed to remember experiences.
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That's why I almost never recommend memorizing long vocabulary lists.
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Instead, learn entire chunks.
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For example, don't just learn the word hungry.
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Learn I'm hungry.
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You added one little piece, but it's already a sentence.
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Don't just memorize the word busy.
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Say I'm very busy today.
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Don't just memorize late.
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Say sorry I'm late.
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Now Now you've learned vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation all at the same time.
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Even better, every time you learn a new word, immediately create three sentences with it.
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Let's say today's word is coffee.
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You could say, I drank coffee every morning, or I need another coffee, or this coffee is too hot.
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And congratulations, you didn't just learn one word, you practiced English.
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Step four, light grammar.
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Don't stress.
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Grammar is important, but here's what wish more beginners knew grammar is supposed to
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help you speak it's not supposed to stop you from speaking
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so don't try to learn all 12 english tenses in one
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week you'll probably confuse yourself instead master the basics first present
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simple past simple future with will think of these as your three time machines.
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Present tells people what's true now.
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I work.
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I like pizza.
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I live in Chicago.
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Past tells people about yesterday.
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I worked yesterday.
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I watched a movie.
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I visited my friend.
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And future lets you talk about tomorrow.
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I will call you tomorrow.
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I will study tonight.
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I will travel next year.
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And you know, that's even enough to have real conversations.
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In fact, Imagine someone asks you, how was your weekend?
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That was in the past simple.
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Or what do you do?
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It's in the present simple.
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Or what are your plans for next week?
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It's in the future.
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See, you've already covered a huge part of everyday English.
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Later, you'll learn the other tenses naturally because you'll keep hearing them.
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Don't try to memorize every grammar rule.
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Notice the pattern.
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Use them and repeat them.
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Grammar becomes much easier when it's connected to real communication instead of pages in a textbook.
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Step 5.
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Make English part of your life.
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The students who improve faster aren't always the smartest.
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They are usually the ones who spend most time around English.
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Not studying, but living with English.
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Imagine you move to England tomorrow.
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You'd improve much faster simply because English would surround you all day.
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Now, most of us can't just move to another country, but we can bring English into our daily lives.
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For example, change your phone to English.
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Read product labels in English.
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Watch YouTube in English.
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Listen to podcasts in English.
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Read comments under videos.
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Talk to yourself while, let's say, cooking.
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I need a knife.
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I'm making dinner.
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The water is boiling.
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simple things.
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Nobody has to hear you.
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You're simply giving your brain thousands of little opportunities to practice.
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Think of English like watering a plant.
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You don't pour 50 gallons of water on it once a month.
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You water it little by little every day.
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Consistency is everything.
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15 minutes a day is better than two hours every two weeks.
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Think about it like exercise as well.
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It's better to move every single day little by little than run a marathon once a month.
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Those small daily movements are what make the biggest difference over time.
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Now step six, start speaking before you feel ready.
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This might be the hardest advice in the entire video.
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Start speaking before you feel ready.
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Because here's a secret, nobody ever feels ready, not even advanced students.
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Everyone thinks I'll start speaking after I learn more vocabulary.
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Then I'll start after I finish grammar.
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And then maybe I'll start next month.
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And that day never comes.
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Think about learning to ride a bicycle.
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You can watch videos, read books, study balance, understand how bicycles work.
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But until you actually get one and start riding it, you won't learn.
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Speaking is exactly the same.
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Yes, you'll make mistakes.
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Yes, you'll forget words.
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Yes, sometimes your brain will completely freeze and that's normal.
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Mistakes aren't signs that you're bad at English.
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They're signs that you're actually using English.
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Every mistake teaches your brain something and you don't need to find a native speaker either to speak to them.
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Talk to your friends.
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Join an online speaking group.
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Use language exchange groups.
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Use language exchange apps.
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Read out loud.
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That's a very good one.
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Describe pictures.
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Talk to yourself while driving.
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Or stand in front of a mirror and pretend you're filming your own YouTube video.
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The goal isn't perfection.
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The goal is building confidence.
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Because confidence doesn't come first.
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Confidence comes after thousands of small conversations.
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So don't wait until your English is perfect.
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Start speaking now and let speaking make your English better.
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And step number seven, don't study English.
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Live in English.
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Here's the biggest mindset shift I want you to leave with today.
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Stop asking yourself, how can I study more?
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Instead, ask, how can I use English more?
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Every time you order coffee, watch Netflix, scroll TikTok, write a shopping list, send a text, or think about your day,
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those are opportunities to practice English.
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The students who became fluent aren't necessarily the ones who studied the hardest.
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They're the ones who make English part of their everyday life because language isn't something you memorize.
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All right, let's wrap it up.
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If you follow this, you'll be surprised how fast you'll start speaking and understanding English.
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Remember, learning English isn't about perfection.
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It's about progress.
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Every sentence you learn and speak brings you one step closer to fluency.
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So don't give up, don't wait for the perfect time, and most importantly, enjoy the journey.
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Alrighty you guys, if you found this video helpful, thumbs up please.
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Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and the bell.
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And let me know in the comments what's the hardest part of learning English for you.
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I'd love to read your story and I'll see you in the next one.
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Bye.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 223 sentences and 1801 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:00. The speaker talks at a steady 139 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| grammar noun | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general. |
| beginner noun | /bəˈɡɪnɚ/ | Someone who is just starting at something, or has only recently started. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| pronunciation noun | /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ | The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken. |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| everyday adjective | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions. |
| hungry adjective | /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ | Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| brick noun | /ˈbɹɪk/ | A hardened rectangular block of mud, clay etc., used for building. |
| perfection noun | /pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/ | The quality or state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing substandard remains; the highest attainable state or degree of excellence. |
| bicycle noun | /ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/ | A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s… |
| tense noun | /tɛns/ | The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists. |
| umbrella noun | /ʌmˈbɹɛl.ə/ | A cloth-covered frame used for protection against rain or sun. |
| necessarily adverb | /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/ | Inevitably; of necessity. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| burn out verb | To destroy by fire. | |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). | |
| read out verb | /ˌɹiːd ˈaʊt/ | To read something and say the words to inform other people; to call. |
| start out verb | To emerge suddenly; to jump out. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If you follow this, you'll be |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | students who improve · ones who spend · students who became |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are built · is called · aren't designed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've learned · you've already covered |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 82 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, you'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: marathon /ˈmæɹəθən/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/, thumb /ˈθʌm/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, perfection /pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/, participate /pɑːˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/
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 grammar, beginner, vocabulary.
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.