Shadowing Practice: How To ACTUALLY Look Expensive In 2026 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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What used to work back in the days like this or like this outfit, if you want it to look expensive, unfortunately, this no longer works.
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I'm sorry to say, something has really shifted in recent years and I want to update you on what it is.
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I also do have a bit of a rant about it, not gonna lie.
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And yes, we are gonna revisit my old niche, which is all about styling and how to look more elevated.
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I am only revisiting this topic because I have something important to share with you today.
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So let's start today's conversation.
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If you remember my videos from then, you remember, I would always teach you about the fundamentals of a high quality looking style.
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Now, all of these things, they still work, but something has changed.
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And the big change is that it has never been easier than before to actually look expensive,
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which I am so happy about because I'm so happy that nobody's gatekeeping information anymore.
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Everybody has now equal access to information, meaning that if you are somebody you want to elevate yourself, your life,
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the internet can now tell you exactly what you should be
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doing in whatever scenario in order to have a best chance at life and maybe even level up.
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However, what has unfortunately happened in the style department is that we have had a large influx of aesthetics.
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As you know, you've heard about quiet luxury, old money aesthetics, and a bunch of other aesthetics that have been trending,
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taking off, and really gone viral, if not mass market.
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And so what that did was that
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that actually helped people to spread the information further on how to actually look old money,
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or look quiet luxury, or dress expensive.
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Now the formula to this is everywhere
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which in my opinion i think it's a good thing i
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think more people should be educated on how to dress properly there's nothing wrong with that however what unfortunately also comes
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with something when it goes completely mass market or becomes a hype is
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that there becomes an over situation of it we are seeing it everywhere
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and so whenever somebody is wearing them something like that, that actually starts, in my opinion,
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influencing negatively what originally was a style identity.
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Now we have a copy and paste pandemic in our society where everybody looks the same.
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You have no idea whether this is even their authentic style.
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And mind you, this look, I think looks good.
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There's nothing wrong with this look.
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However, again, internet is making something oversaturated, not just online,
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but also as a result offline at first you're like oh that's a nice that's a nice look
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but when you've seen it like hundreds
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and hundreds of times you're like what the hell am i just re-seeing the same person over
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and over again a beautiful look can now just feel very generic very mass market
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and that always downgrades the elevation because in my opinion this is technically a very elevated Definitely, you look on point, you look polished.
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But the mass market feeling of it diminishes the elevating effect.
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Do you see where I'm heading with this?
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That the oversaturated effect can actually kill a style.
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And you know it did that for me.
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If we speak about the elegant style, I was so passionate about that aesthetic for so many years.
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And of course still it's my preference in aesthetic, but I've simmered down a bit now.
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I also used to love the color beige, but once quiet luxury came and just made that at Signum and we saw it everywhere.
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Still today I'm kind of struggling with wearing the color beige okay.
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It still has a place in my heart.
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I still kind of like it but I can't wear it the same way I used to wear it.
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I'm sure I'm not the only one so please let me know in the comments below if you felt the same.
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But you know on a positive note I think during that time it actually inspired me to wear something else than beige.
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It really did push me to wear more prints, to go more for color.
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So maybe I don't know, there was a good, good thing in the end that came with that.
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But, you know, so what I'm claiming in today's conversation is that, yes, everything that we were taught of how to look expensive,
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all those basic rules, they still work because that's the kind of fundamentals for a good style.
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However, I would argue that it's no longer enough to just apply those rules.
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You kind of need something extra today because now kind of everyone looks expensive.
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Like it's not very difficult to look expensive.
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So you need something extra to stand out, to look a bit more exclusive.
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But so what is now needed to look more expensive?
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I'm actually going to argue and say authenticity and individuality.
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Because now the problem is that everything goes viral in an instant.
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everything becomes easily mass market.
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And if you want to somehow stand out and look exclusive, there has to be something a little bit different about you. And
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if you think about what always makes people look elevated are
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usually the ones who are somehow either creative in their personal style or they make sure they do have a personal style.
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They're not just following an aesthetic or they are doing a copy and paste of something.
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I'm not claiming by the way that they all have to be super creative
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or avant-garde or I mean listen not everybody's into style
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and styling so you can be how can I say basically dressed but that is still a personal style.
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I think personal style is something that comes from
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when you are reaching for clothes that are truly representing who you are okay clothes
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that also are somehow part of your life and regular lifestyle clothes
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that you generally live in i feel like personal style is really a mixture between elements
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that you really identify with elements that you really want to express things
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that you generally love you know we also definitely have to talk about the whole cosplay effect right and that unfortunately
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happens when you are overdoing the aesthetic, do you know what I mean?
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Even if it's truly authentic to you, and this is kind of where there is a very complicated nuance that I'm going to try my best to explain.
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So let's say the old money aesthetic is truly an authentic self-expression to you and it's very authentic to you.
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Now you may wear that style and walk around looking like a Pinterest board.
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You look very much like a caricature of an old money person.
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This can sometimes happen, you know, when somebody discovers a new style, let's say that they really like and they just want to identify with the style so much.
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So they just buy the entire package, like the every little detail, everything from the loafer, the Cartier watch, the little cardigan that they put on their shoulders,
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the tennis look, the sailing look, the equestrian look, the pearl earrings.
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I mean, you name it.
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The list is long with some very typical identifiable items
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that look very old money and really does represent the old money aesthetic.
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I am not saying you cannot wear those things, but when you go out and buy the entire package, that to me is when it starts feeling like a cosplay,
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when it's starting to feel a bit inauthentic.
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An important conversation that I want to have with you today is not that you cannot wear an aesthetic, is not that you are faking something
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if you feel like you want to change style or you want to now have this look or something.
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No, you're free to experiment and do whatever you want and really have fun with style.
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My advice to you is to generally to buy things that you truly love.
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You might not love everything in the old money aesthetic.
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Maybe you do.
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If you do, however, it would be very important to just go over all the things that you truly, truly love from this aesthetic and just ask yourself,
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would I still actually like this garment or this item if it wasn't associated with this aesthetic?
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Because sometimes we are more kind of obsessed about the overall identity versus the actual item.
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And here I'm talking about that I suggest, you know, that you connect with the items.
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Because otherwise you're just buying the entire stereotype package.
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And that's not at all what I suggest you to do.
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Because that's when it starts looking like copy and paste, cosplay, not authentic whatsoever.
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But when you are truly connecting with whatever it is you're wearing, you love this item, you're also flexible enough to introduce other items,
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maybe not related to this aesthetic that you are now embodying.
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As an example, let's say you love the old money aesthetic, the quite luxury aesthetic, maybe don't wear it 100%.
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Maybe introduce some more unexpected items, maybe even some contradictive items,
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and mix and match it a little bit so that it becomes a little bit more unique.
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And I think that is what personal style really is when you are doing a bit of mixing and matching.
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Now another element that we have to also address has to do with the designer handbag.
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In my older videos I would always tell you
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that of course a designer handbag is going to be a
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little bit of a fast track to a more elevated style because it's true.
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You can wear a very simple outfit, wear a designer handbag and all of a sudden it has kind of elevated your entire look.
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It is a shortcut or okay, it used to be.
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I must argue and say that I think that the designer handbag has lost its luster a bit.
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It does not signal the same elevation as it used to.
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And that is because it has become so much more accessible.
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And you know, I actually think all of this is a good thing.
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Simply because now we don't need to perhaps obsess about the designer handbag as much.
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It has anyway diluted the effect.
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It does not have the same potency anymore you know now it's like okay everybody has a designer handbag
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if i would be you i would spend my shopping budget differently today i wouldn't be
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so hyper focused on investing in
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that designer handbag the same way maybe i was 10 years
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ago times were very different 10 years ago back then yes it would absolutely elevate you in an instant
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but because we see the designer handbag on so many people today
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and by the way many are also not wearing the real deal many are wearing fakes it's becoming
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so normalized now but because it's so widespread it has lost its exclusivity
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so it doesn't have
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that elevating effect it used to have before what you actually
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can do instead without money let's say you want to buy a handbag go
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and buy a very stylish quality looking bag Don't think about that.
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It has to be a designer logo attached to it.
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I've always said this, though, but I am going to reemphasize on this point.
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Take that designer handbag budget and actually distribute it instead in other areas of your wardrobe.
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I would rather invest that money on buying some really high quality garments that you wear often,
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like a nice pair of tailored trousers that it looks so on point, have such expensive looking fabric,
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or maybe a really expensive looking coat.
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So skip the designer bag and put your money there.
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You know, I want you to know that the point for today's video is not about me just bitching about how, oh my gosh, internet has made everybody look the same, you know?
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But I do think it has never been more important than ever before to think about your authentic self.
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As cheesy, cliche as it sounds, it is so much easier to fall into the trap of losing your individuality because of the internet,
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because of how hype works, because of sheep behavior from people.
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And I'm not saying that by trying to be mean to people as a whole, but there are people who sometimes they don't think about who they are authentically.
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They don't think about their own personality.
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They just jump in a trend because they don't know how to think for themselves, maybe.
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And I want to encourage you to think for yourself.
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I mean, you are a smart cookie.
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The point is, ladies, the new luxury is now individuality.
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They're truly tuning into what's genuinely me and creating a personal style.
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You don't have to be super creative or have a very avant-garde personal style.
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You can wear something super basic and that is perfectly fine to be your personal style.
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The point is you have chosen this item or these items because you generally love them, because they're generally a representation of who you are,
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instead of you hiding behind a facade or hiding behind a trend.
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Speaking Goals for This Clip: Master Authentic Expression & Nuanced Tone
This video is perfect for IELTS speaking practice, as it targets expressing complex ideas (like the impact of oversaturation on style) and conveying personal opinions with clarity. You’ll practice balancing critique with positivity, a key skill for speaking exams. It also helps with natural rhythm—the speaker uses pauses, emphasis, and conversational asides (“mind you,” “however”) that mirror real-life dialogue, essential for sounding fluent.
Phrase Bank: Reusable Expressions for Daily & Exam Speaking
- “shifted in recent years” – Describe cultural or trend changes.
- “copy and paste pandemic” – Critique uniformity (great for IELTS part 3 discussions on society).
- “simmered down a bit” – Soften a strong opinion.
- “diminishes the elevating effect” – Explain how something loses impact.
- “oversaturated effect” – Discuss overuse of trends (useful for topics on media or fashion).
Fix Your Weak Spots: Pronunciation & Rhythm for Natural Flow
Use this clip with a shadowing app to master connected speech. Notice how the speaker links words like “something has” (“sumthin’ haz”) and shortens “I am” to “I’m.” Focus on stress patterns in phrases like “mass market feeling” (stress “mass” and “feeling”) to avoid flat delivery. Also, practice pausing before transitions (“However,” “And so”) to create natural breaks—this makes your speech easier to follow, a must for high IELTS scores. Shadow speech repeatedly to mimic the speaker’s tone: she softens when sharing personal struggles (“I can’t wear it the same way”) and strengthens when making a point (“the formula is everywhere”). This nuance will make your English sound more authentic and engaging.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to work · used to love · used to wear |
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If you do, however, it would be · if i would be you i would spend |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has really shifted · has changed · has never been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | should be educated · were taught · is now needed |
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.