Shadowing Practice: How to Know What You Really Want...And Why That's So Important - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
159 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
I want to talk about one of the most powerful practices that I think we can do.
2
And it'll sound remarkably simple.
3
Okay, so, but it's incredibly powerful.
4
And I'd invite you to maybe try it out for like a month or something, right?
5
Give it some time.
6
Now, it sounds simple.
7
But the really interesting thing about it is when you start to do it,
8
as simple as it sounds you'll actually realize it's it's a lot more difficult than it sounds okay
9
so deceptively simple
10
but incredibly powerful incredibly powerful for i would say the main
11
thing is giving you focus okay now it's not going to be a cognitive exercise
12
or something about trying to hold your attention on a candle or something it's different so what the exercise is
13
it is very simple for 30 days if you like
14
if you want to try this practice what you do is very simply in your journal
15
or wherever you write or reflect all you're going to ask is one question what do I want?
16
okay, simple right?
17
what do I want?
18
because many of us think well yeah, obviously I know what I want I mean, I'm organizing my life around the things that I want
19
but if you stop for a while and you really start looking at it
20
when you begin this practice of what do i want the first thing
21
that usually comes up is how disparate the things
22
that you want are and
23
and the lack of clarity about it right there might be all sorts of different things
24
that you feel that you want
25
which again makes it quite difficult to get focus on anything that's really really important for you really important
26
because with this process the more you do it on a daily basis of sitting with
27
that question and writing it down and reorganizing it
28
and looking at it and reordering the things that are in
29
that list of things that you want you will realize after a
30
while that some of these things are actually much more important than others for me personally that's super helpful
31
because if if certain things on that list of things
32
that you want for your life start to keep coming up again
33
and again and they're not going away and others are falling off
34
and maybe you're deleting some of them out of the list entirely this is super powerful and helpful
35
because it can it can focus your attention now it's a
36
difficult process for many reasons first of all you realize okay exactly what it is i thought
37
that i kind of knew what i wanted
38
but maybe i'm not as clear about what it is that I wanted as I thought.
39
But it's difficult for many reasons.
40
One of them is there's a lot of emotional resistance that comes up around this when you do it for a while.
41
And this is good, right?
42
You want to be thinking, this isn't as straightforward as I thought it was, actually.
43
All sorts of things like, well, I can't get that come up.
44
Self-doubt come up.
45
Self-esteem questions come up.
46
questions or beliefs about your capabilities come up
47
and that's kind of showing you where your blocks are
48
but the issues those limiting beliefs that might reveal themselves don't don't mean
49
that the thing that you want changes right the thing
50
that you want is there that's true there's honesty in that
51
and admitting to yourself what it is you want
52
so a big part of it is no longer allowing yourself to repress those things or be in denial about them.
53
A major benefit of this practice also is
54
that it helps us get out of survival mode or what I would call sometimes obligation mode.
55
Usually the way we're conditioned in our culture is that when we wake up in the morning, what we're thinking is, okay, what do I have to deal with?
56
Where's the fire?
57
Where's the emergency?
58
Okay, I have to do this.
59
I have to do that.
60
And we can get stuck in that mentality, that mindset for a long time.
61
And maybe after, who knows, years, we realize, when was the last time I actually tried to think in terms of what I want to happen,
62
instead of maybe reacting all the time to the outside world or changing circumstances,
63
or trying to catch up all the time or compensate for things or stop things falling apart.
64
and usually the emotional payoff for that is you'll notice
65
if you've been in that mode for a
66
while one of the big telltale signs for
67
that is let's say at the end of the week what
68
is the emotional payoff for it what is the emotional experience
69
like typically it's a relief right oh god thank god
70
that is not really good right we don't want to be having relief as the emotional payoff in life.
71
We want to be having needs met, right?
72
We want to be feeling a sense of fulfillment in things rather than just relief that things didn't go bad.
73
So again, it's not a big complicated practice, but in my experience, it's one of the most powerful things you can do and challenging things.
74
If you want to challenge yourself, I would invite you to do this practice for a month, 30 days.
75
what do I want
76
of course you have different needs
77
so there's not going to be just one thing on
78
that list probably right but that's cool you're beginning now to attune to
79
which of these things take priority
80
which of these things am i not willing to let go
81
and then of course you don't have to it's not about
82
like um well okay that's what i want how am i going to get it you can totally ignore
83
that part of the question right how am i actually going to get it
84
that can maybe come later right but the main thing is that you're focusing on is
85
actually the what is it that I want?
86
What am I connecting with here?
87
What am I resonating with?
88
What is, again, that part of me that feels excited about life to sit up and pay attention to something here, right?
89
And again, a lot of us don't have that feeling because we're not practiced in asking this question an awful lot.
90
Now, there is the practical issue, too, of if you actually do want some of those things to happen in your life, acknowledging that you want them to happen is a pretty big step in
91
that i would say right it's much less likely
92
that we will have these things happen in our life
93
if we're not willing to say well actually i want
94
that to happen i want that thing
95
and i would say another thing is don't be don't challenge yourself not to be overly realistic
96
and i would also say challenge yourself not to be overly spiritual in it.
97
Try to be plain old human in it.
98
So that means really some of the, especially at the start, you might have this sense of, well, that's very kind of egocentric or that's a bit shallow, that thing that I want.
99
But that's not the right way.
100
That's just a layer of judgment that you're putting on it.
101
The only thing you're asked to do is not to be spiritual or evolved in the things that you want.
102
What you've been asked to do with this exercise, this practice, is to be brutally honest about what you want, right?
103
And again, I think that's the main thing in all of this work that we're doing.
104
What are we trying to accomplish?
105
Honesty, just the truth.
106
Now, maybe you look at something that you write down and it's, okay, that's something that I want.
107
And you think to yourself, well, that's a bit shallow.
108
But if you generally want it, it belongs in that list.
109
Now, it may be the case that, who knows, over time, that thing may change.
110
You may realize it's not something that you want.
111
But if you're starting out from that position of, well, that is what I want, that deserves and needs to be on that list, right?
112
It may not change over time.
113
It might be this shallow thing that you think you want.
114
And the more you sit with it, you realize, and you can realize a few things.
115
You might realize, well, actually, it is what I really want after all.
116
And you might also notice maybe it's not even that shallow, right?
117
If you want a million dollars or, you know, a big fancy car, whatever it is that you want.
118
Okay.
119
Who, who, who is, who is the judge on that to say
120
that that's shallow for you now even as i say
121
that right those shallow things you might notice a little bit
122
of i don't know about this i don't know about actually doing
123
that that sounds a little bit the opposite of where i want to go on my life
124
but again it's just about writing it down
125
and just being honest it might not be those things you might decide what i want is really good health
126
or what I want is to have a greater peace of mind in my life, right?
127
It could be anything that you want.
128
It could be that you want a big nice car.
129
It doesn't matter.
130
As long as it's what you're being honest with yourself about what it is that you want.
131
That is, again, that's another reason why this exercise, it sounds very simple.
132
And in therapy as well, for instance, what is the goal of therapy?
133
What are we trying to accomplish in therapy?
134
but really what we're trying to do is be not be honest that's it it sounds sounds
135
so simple just be honest but let's assume
136
that being honest with ourselves is easy it is incredible i would say it's probably the hardest thing
137
that we can do in life is to be really honest about what it is
138
that we want and again that's
139
because of all the social conditioning right we're told to want
140
things we might not even want them right we're told to impress people
141
that we don't even care about impressing so
142
that would be an invitation right
143
if you're looking for something like a personal project don't complicate
144
it don't turn it into well how am I going to actually do all these things
145
that are right on the list all you do is sit down for a few minutes
146
and write down the list the things that you want
147
and on a daily basis keep revisiting it watch
148
if it changes you're totally love to change it right change
149
it on a daily basis you might think okay yesterday this felt important today this one feels more important
150
and you just keep working with it keep being in contact with it
151
but you're asking that question what do i want what do i want
152
and again it's helping you get out of that obligation mode
153
or sometimes i'd say even a survival mode we're in all the time
154
so it helps us to change out of that mentality as well
155
so there's the invitation hope useful and um
156
if you want to work with me one-to-one my information is below you can contact me directly
157
and thanks for being with me
158
and subscribe to the channel it helps me reach more people
159
and um i really appreciate you making this far in the video see you again soon take care bye
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B25
447 sentences
How to change your life by journaling in 2026
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B24
119 sentences
The Psychology of Suddenly Wanting to Change Everything at Once | B2 English Shadowing
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
135 sentences
How Much Do You Love Yourself? Jay Shetty & Quinlan Walther on Self-Reflection & Real Change
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B25
64 sentences
10 Ways to Make The Most Out of Every Day (no, you don't have to be more productive)
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B25
347 sentences
Why You Keep Falling Off Your Goals (5 Neuroscience Backed Reasons)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
107 sentences
How To Identify Your Core Values: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
217 sentences
6 Steps To Reclaim Your Life, Start Today
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B26
506 sentences
English Podcast for Learning English | Real English Conversation Practice | I Choose Myself
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
244 sentences
I’m Begging You: Replace Scrolling With These Habits
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
195 sentences
I’ve Meditated 27 Years, These 5 Lessons Change Everything
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
215 sentences
15 Questions Every Adult Should Answer
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “How to Know What You Really Want...And Why That's So Important”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: realize, simple, sound. This video has 159 sentences and 1963 words to shadow. The speech runs for 10:51. The speaker talks fast, about 181 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 90% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| shallow adjective | /ˈʃæloʊ/ | Having little depth; significantly less deep than wide. |
| mentality noun | /mɛnˈtæləti/ | A mindset; a way of thinking; a set of beliefs. |
| overly adverb | To an excessive degree. | |
| impress verb | /ɪmˈpɹɛs/ | To affect (someone) strongly and often favourably. |
| honesty noun | /ˈɑ.nɪ.sti/ | The act, quality, or condition of being honest. |
| accomplish verb | /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/ | To finish successfully. |
| obligation noun | /ˌɑ.blɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/ | The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone. |
| invitation noun | /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/ | The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company. |
| attune verb | /əˈt(j)un/ | To bring into musical accord. |
| complicate verb | /ˈkɑmplɪkeɪt/ | To make complex; to modify so as to make something intricate or difficult. |
| deceptively adverb | /dɪˈsɛptɪvli/ | In a deceptive manner; misleadingly. |
| disparate adjective | /ˈdɪsp(ə)ɹət/ | Composed of inherently different or distinct elements; incongruous. |
| egocentric adjective | /ˌiːɡəʊˈsɛntɹɪk/ | Selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed. |
| fulfilment noun | /fʊlˈfɪl.mənt/ | The act of fulfilling or the state or quality of being fulfilled; consummation; completion; realization. |
| reorder verb | To place in a new order; to rearrange. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| write down verb | To produce or set (something) down in writing; to record something. |
| catch up verb | To pick up suddenly. |
| fall apart verb | To disintegrate, to break into pieces. |
| fall off verb | To become detached or to drop from. |
| go away verb | To depart or leave a place. |
| sit up verb | To assume a sitting position from a position lying down. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What am I connecting with here?
- What am I resonating with?
- What are we trying to accomplish?
- You may realize it's not something that you want.
- What are we trying to accomplish in therapy?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've been · you've been asked |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is let · you've been asked |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 46 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shallow /ˈʃæloʊ/, accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/, obligation /ˌɑ.blɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: mentality /mɛnˈtæləti/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, deceptively /dɪˈsɛptɪvli/, egocentric /ˌiːɡəʊˈsɛntɹɪk/, remarkably /ɹɪˈmɑɹkəbli/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like shallow, mentality, overly.
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.