Shadowing Practice: How to Be Unforgettable - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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I could feel my pulse finally slowing down.
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All day my heart had been thumping with anticipation.
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But the moment I'd been dreading was finally over.
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After weeks of intense preparation, I had just delivered my final presentation, in my freshman year business communications class.
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I was thrilled with my performance.
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"Leaving the class, I was on such a high.
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I knew that I had nailed it and that I probably left every one of my classmates filled with inspiration.
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The next day, I ran into one of my peers who was in the class the day before.
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We got to talking about our final presentations and In one quick sentence, she absolutely crushed me.
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She asked me.
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So are you excited to get yours over with next week?
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I was devastated.
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That presentation that I had been feeling so good about yesterday hadn't even left a dent in her memory.
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Thank you.
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After all that work, I was completely forgotten.
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That day I learned an important lesson.
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With all the things that our audiences hear and are exposed to on a daily basis, It's very easy for what you say to be forgotten.
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But fortunately, since then, I've also learned that It's just as easy to be memorable.
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Of course, Being memorable feels good on the old ego.
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but it's also critical to make sure that your content stays top of mind amongst all of today's distractions.
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Particularly in the business world, people are inundated with presentations and pitches.
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Each of us, after we graduate, will probably hear at least one presentation per day.
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And for those of us who are aspiring entrepreneurs, At the top VCs see at least 50 presentations per week.
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With all those presentations competing for your audience's attention, it's important to stand out.
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But standing out alone isn't enough.
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According to a Yale study, 20 minutes after a presentation, The audience only remembered about 60 % of the presenters' content.
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After half a day, that number dropped to 40%.
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And after just one week, audience members remembered only about 10 % of what was said to them just a week before.
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The tips we'll give you today will help make sure that your presentation isn't one of the ones that's forgotten.
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By using the few tips that we outlined today, you'll find that it's easy to be memorable.
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Aiden, that introduction itself showed me how to be memorable.
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Your storytelling caught my attention and honestly, I felt surprised when it took a turn.
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This is a great segue into our first tactic.
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Shock the audience.
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Let's start by watching the beginning of Pablo Zapata's "Locino," during which he tells a story of an incredible dive he experienced.
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This could be the dive I've always dreamed of.
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As I descended, I was surrounded by over 70 sharks from different species.
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We reached the sandy floor and from the semicircle.
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My mom.
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was to my left.
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I started shooting away.
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My favorite.
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A beautiful lemon shark arrived.
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Finally, 20 minutes into the dive.
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the thing I've been waiting for. to massive Tiger sharks.
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One of them, measuring over 15 feeding length.
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They started circling the group and getting close.
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Very close.
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As the larger of the two sharks, Swamp past me.
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Amen.
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heading towards my mom.
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I saw its eye turn white.
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Something they do.
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right before biting.
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The shark suddenly turned and smacked me with its tail.
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I lost my balance, but as soon as I regained it, I click the shutter.
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and saw the scariest image I've ever taken.
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The shark.
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took a bite at my mom.
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Pablo goes on to talk about his love of the ocean
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and to promote ocean conservatism and how the ocean should be a sustainable food source.
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But what a way to start and capture the audience's attention.
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Thank you.
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Pablo used twists and turns in a story and used stunning, frankly scary visuals, especially to someone who is deathly afraid of sharks like I am.
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These are both great tactics to shock the audience, especially from the get -go.
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We all know from experience how critical the first 30 seconds of a presentation can be.
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Other great tactics to shock the audience are the use of props, like Roberto during his presentation,
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sensory effects like a loud noise, or a surprising statistic.
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For example, in his presentation of the original iPod, Steve Jobs used the statistic "1000 songs in your pocket" to shock the audience.
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This statistic was so powerful that it went on to become the iPod's tagline.
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Why is it so important to shock the audience?
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Oftentimes, we don't come to a presentation with our listening caps on.
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we know what the situation is.
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We're distracted or tired from everything that life's thrown our way.
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And the last thing we're ready to do is engage with the presentation.
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But that's why it's critical to shock the audience.
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It's easy to be memorable if you shock the audience.
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And once your audience has recovered from the shock, How do you sustain attention?
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One trick we've learned on that front is to show, don't tell.
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Thank you to avoid making ourselves into complete hypocrites.
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Let us show you what we mean with two examples.
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Take a moment to feel the difference in imagery, experience, and emotion that comes from hearing two versions of the same reality.
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one.
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Michael is struggling with some serious Zoom fatigue.
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two.
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As the professor started speaking, All Michael could hear was the silent scream of his pounding headache.
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He had only spent three hours on Zoom that day, but his eyes and brain had decided to give up.
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The first example is factual and to the point.
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While you were listening, you probably understood that yes, Michael, like many of us, is indeed feeling some Zoom fatigue.
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The second example, however, pulled you into Michael's shoes.
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You felt his pounding headache, perhaps literally and figuratively, and his sense of resignation at his fate.
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And if you didn't feel a little more pulled in by that example, Wow.
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You might be a sociopath.
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For our second example, let's watch a former GSB -er giving a low key note about how to manage anxiety.
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One second, one second.
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So how about we handle this situation like a pro? And pause.
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Reframe.
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Maybe spilling juice all over myself makes this more entertaining for you and there'll be more views
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and own I'm not feeling what I'm feeling right now because I spilled juice over myself.
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It's because I had an expectation internally that this talk will fall asleep. for managing anxiety.
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Pause reframe and own, Polkett shocked the audience into attention and brought his advice to life in the most realistic way possible.
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by handling it like a pro.
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So the next time you're working through a presentation, Think about Michael and Paul K.
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When you're trying to communicate a data point or a fact, How might you use story to bring it to life?
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When you're giving a recommendation or a piece of advice, Could you find a way to demonstrate it to your audience?
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As Pilkitt showed us, it could be as easy as finding a red drink to spill on your white shirt.
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It's easy to be memorable if you show, don't tell.
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it's easy to be memorable.
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Show me with your fingers how many times did you hear this phrase today?
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Twice, three times.
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Someone's saying seven.
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And you still hear this a couple more times, because that's the mantra of our presentation.
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Soundbites that we're emphasizing over and over for you to associate it with the delivery.
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Mantras and soundbites are some of the easiest ways to remember any type of historical moment.
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In fact, Let's go back in time for a bit.
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What's the first thing that comes to mind if I ask you about the moon landing?
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That's one small step for men.
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one giant leap for mankind.
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What if I asked you about Obama?
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even the most passionate Republican will think, Yes, we can.
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Does it work with presentations?
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Steve Jobs iPhone launch.
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reinvent the phone.
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For my international friends, Is it a US only thing?
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No, in Brazil, every single person knows that on the event of brazil's independence from portugal The emperor said,
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independence, or death.
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But these sidewives and mantras didn't just come to their minds in the middle of these historical moments.
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They're carefully crafted and prepared beforehand.
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Armed with your message, there are three ways to stick it into your audience's memories.
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Number one, Repeat the phrase.
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over and over.
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Number two.
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punctuated.
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with a boss.
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that gives them time to process and write it down.
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Number three, Project the words in the slide.
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Thank you.
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This creates visual stimulus for their memories.
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Remember, It's easy.
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to be memorable.
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Thank you.
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Finally, Here are some rhetorical devices that will help you assemble an unforgettable mantra.
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Number one, imitate a famous phrase.
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So for example, the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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could become never give a presentation, you wouldn't want to sit through yourself.
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Number two, repeat words at the beginning of a series.
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It was the best of times.
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It was the worst of times.
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It was the age of wisdom.
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It was the age of foolishness.
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Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.
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Number three.
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Repeat the words in the middle of a series.
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Thank you on every side.
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yet not distressed.
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We're perplexed.
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but not in despair.
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persecuted, but not forsaken.
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cash down.
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but not destroyed.
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of a soap ball to the Corinthians.
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And finally, number four, You got it repeat words at the end of a series.
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And that government, of the people by the people.
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for the people shall not perish from the earth.
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Lincoln on his famous Gettysburg Address.
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It's easy to be memorable if you have a mantra.
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Thinking back to my final presentation all those years ago, I can now see that it was totally forgettable.
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I didn't shock the audience.
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I definitely told rather than showing.
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And I didn't have a mantra.
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No wonder my talk didn't stand out among a huge roster of final presentations.
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Maybe you've also given a presentation that no one remembered.
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Or maybe you've been in a popcorn -style team check -in where you were called on twice
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because no one remembered you already gave your update.
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No matter what the scenario, these tips can help you to be more memorable.
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In your next speaking engagement, we'd like to encourage you to try one of the tactics we suggested.
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shock the audience show don't tell or maybe you have a mantra.
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With these tips, You guessed it.
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It's easy to be memorable.
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Music.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “How to Be Unforgettable”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: presentation, audience, memorable, shock, mantra. This video has 180 sentences and 1790 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:05. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| memorable adjective | /ˈmɛm.(ə)ɹə.bl̩/ | Worthy to be remembered; very important or remarkable. |
| mantra noun | /ˈmɑn.tɹə/ | The hymn portions of the Vedas; any passage of these used as a prayer. |
| spill verb | /spɪl/ | To drop something so that it spreads out or makes a mess; to accidentally pour. |
| reframe verb | To mount in a frame again. | |
| fatigue noun | /fəˈtiːɡ/ | A weariness caused by exertion; exhaustion. |
| headache noun | /ˈhɛdeɪk/ | A pain or ache in the head. |
| pause noun | /pɔːz/ | A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation. |
| aspire verb | /əˈspaɪɚ/ | To have a strong desire or ambition to achieve something. |
| classmate noun | /ˈklæs.meɪt/ | A student who is in the same class at school. |
| conservatism noun | /kənˈsɜːvətɪzəm/ | A political philosophy that advocates traditional values. |
| deathly adjective | /ˈdɛθli/ | Appearing as though dead, or on the verge of death. |
| figuratively adverb | In a figurative manner. | |
| foolishness noun | /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/ | The state of being foolish. |
| forgettable adjective | Possible to be forgotten. | |
| forsake verb | /fɔɹˈseɪk/ | To abandon, to give up, to leave (permanently), to renounce (someone or something). |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| stand out verb | To jut out, protrude (from a surface etc.). |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
| sit through verb | To unwillingly stay seated until the end of an event. |
| slow down verb | To decelerate. |
| work through verb | To get past a difficult or stressful situation by thinking or talking about it. |
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 | was thrilled · was devastated · are exposed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've also learned · I've always dreamed · I've ever taken |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 35 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, don't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: deathly /ˈdɛθli/, sociopath /ˈsəʊ.si.ə(ʊ)ˌpæθ/, thrill /θɹɪl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: foolishness /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/, perish /ˈpɛɹɪʃ/, shutter /ˈʃʌtəː/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/, distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: conservatism /kənˈsɜːvətɪzəm/, rhetorical /ɹɪˈtɔɹɪkəl/, sociopath /ˈsəʊ.si.ə(ʊ)ˌpæθ/, unforgettable /ˌʌnfə(ɹ)ˈɡɛtəbəl/, devastated /ˈdɛv.əˌsteɪ.təd/
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 memorable, mantra, spill.
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.