Shadowing Practice: How to get fluent FAST in any language? - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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You spent years learning a language and still can't speak.
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101 sentences
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You spent years learning a language and still can't speak.
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Let me guess, you did everything right.
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Grammar, classes, vocabulary, and still it didn't work.
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Good news, it is not you, it is the system.
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And I will show you how to fix it.
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My name is Anna, I speak five languages and these are the three things I wish I knew earlier.
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Number one, mistakes.
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At school, if you make a mistake,
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you get a bad grade.
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So now you think that if you make a mistake,
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you get a bad reputation.
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people will think that you're stupid,
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but they actually don't care.
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They will talk to you and forget in two minutes.
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When I first started learning Chinese,
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I did not care much about the tones.
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I wanted to say dead,
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so I kept saying ba ba first tone,
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and at some point a native speaker started laughing.
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I was like, why are you laughing?
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And she said, because you just said poop three times.
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Apparently ba ba first tone is poop,
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and ba ba fourth tone is dead.
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Stupid?
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Maybe.
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But I I opened a new door.
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And after that, I actually started paying attention to the tones.
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That's how my speaking got better and people understood me better.
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Here's how I think about this.
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Fluency is opening new doors.
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For each person and for each language,
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the number of doors is different.
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One mistake is one door that you open.
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No mistakes, no progress.
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So now making mistakes actually takes you further than being perfect and not making mistakes because you learn more.
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and even if you get a funny moment like I did,
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you will remember that.
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And your speaking will get better.
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Number two, use the easiest option.
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I know you want to sound smart,
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so you make long and difficult sentences,
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but then you can't find the right word,
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start translating, pause too long,
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and it just feels awkward.
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And the worst part, next time you don't even want to try.
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Let's look at two examples.
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Anna number one makes long and difficult sentences because she wants to sound smart,
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but then she can't find the right word and freezes.
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She gets stressed and thinks that languages are just not for her.
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Anna number two uses the easiest option.
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Gestures when she doesn't know how to say something and gets excited because even though she only started,
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people can already understand her.
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And that is how I learn languages.
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I use the easiest words I know and instead of making one long sentence,
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I make too short.
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And suddenly, when you don't overthink, speaking gets easy.
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But I don't want to sound simple.
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I want to sound more advanced.
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You can't skip levels.
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The only way to sound more advanced is to start simple
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and then build up naturally when you learn more words your sentences are gonna get better
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and this last one is the biggest mistake
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that people make you think of languages as of a subject you go to classes learn grammar new words
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and it feels productive like you do something you learn
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but nothing changes somehow you still can't use all of this knowledge
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when you need it the most
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and it's demotivating like you sit you work you study
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but what for all of these grammar rules are are just way too abstract for your life.
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So learning languages feels like work when it should be fun.
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And that is the mistake because languages are not school.
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Languages are life.
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Yes, you do need a base.
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You will have to learn some basic grammar and some basic vocabulary,
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but afterwards ask yourself, how can I use this in my life?
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If you can get a better job,
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find articles in your field or try writing emails.
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If you want to reconnect with your family, talk to them.
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And if you want to travel,
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watch 10 minute travel videos.
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That is exactly what I did.
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Instead of trying to set aside time to study,
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I replaced it with what I already did.
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So I could just scroll through some articles
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while I was on the subway or turned on some music or podcasts while I was doing my laundry.
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I learned as I lived.
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And that is when learning stopped feeling like work,
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because now it had a purpose.
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And when learning stopped feeling like work,
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I was excited about this and I spent a lot more time than I did in class.
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Now you might be thinking,
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okay, but what if I don't understand anything yet?
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How do I listen then?
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How do I read?
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That is the hardest part.
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That is why I'm making an app that is going to help you use your own content and learn as you go.
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So if you want to use real content without feeling lost,
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subscribe so you don't miss it.
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Let me know what other problems you have or what other videos you would like to see.
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I'd be very happy to help.
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Thank you for watching and I'll see you next time.
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Bye

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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

This video is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to improve their English speaking skills quickly and effectively. As demonstrated by the speaker, Anna, learning from real-life experiences and making mistakes are essential components of the language acquisition process. Unlike traditional classes where mistakes might be penalized, this approach embraces them as stepping stones towards fluency. By practicing with this video, you’ll engage in meaningful conversations, enabling you to open new doors in your language journey. You will discover that making mistakes not only helps you learn but can also lead to memorable and funny moments that enhance your learning experience.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several key expressions highlight the importance of less stressful language use. Here are three you can focus on:

  • “Good news, it is not you, it is the system.” - This phrase conveys reassurance and shifts the blame from the learner to the teaching method, emphasizing that struggles are a common part of the language learning process.
  • “One mistake is one door that you open.” - This metaphor encourages learners to view mistakes positively. You can incorporate similar metaphors in your discussions to make your speech more illustrative and engaging.
  • “Use the easiest option.” - This straightforward advice encourages learners to communicate effectively rather than complicating sentences unnecessarily. It’s essential for IELTS speaking practice, as simple sentences can be just as impactful.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When practicing with this video, pay special attention to specific words and phrases that may pose pronunciation challenges:

  • “Ba ba” - In the example shared, the tonal quality of Mandarin Chinese significantly changed the meaning. This serves as a reminder about the importance of intonation in pronunciation, applicable even in English.
  • “Poop” versus “dead”: The humorous contrast emphasizes how essential it is to understand the subtleties of pronunciation in tonal languages, which can parallel some English pronunciations that vary meaning.

Implementing the shadowing technique can help you improve your accent and fluency. Practice saying sentences aloud while listening to the video or repeating after Anna's speech. This form of shadow speech will assist you in mastering difficult phrases and will improve your English pronunciation over time.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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