Shadowing Practice: How to Learn English as a Muslim | 10 Habits That Will Change Your Mind as a Learner - Learn English Speaking with Video
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What if learning English could actually become an act of worshiping God?
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Think about that for a second.
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What if 20 or 30 minutes you spend learning English every day could benefit you, not only in this life, but also in the next?
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Welcome back to the English Zone channel.
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If you're a Muslim learning English, I want you to stop thinking about English as just another skill.
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Yes, English can help you get a better job.
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It can help you travel.
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It can help you communicate with more people.
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It can help you study, build relationships, and share beneficial knowledge.
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Yes, but there's something more important than all of that.
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And even more important than your goal of becoming fluent, your intention.
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So today I'm going to share 10 simple habits
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that can help you completely change the way you learn English as a Muslim.
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And these aren't just English learning tips.
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They're habits that can help you connect your English journey to your faith, to your purpose, and your relationship with God, Allah.
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So let's start with the most important one.
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Start with your intention.
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Before you watch an English lesson, before you start a class, before you open your book, ask yourself, why am I learning English?
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Why am I trying to become fluent in English?
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Really think about it.
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Is it only for money?
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Is it only for getting a better job?
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Or do you want to use English to communicate better, help your family, serve other people,
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gain beneficial knowledge, or share what you know with others?
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Because when your intention is sincere and your goal is clear,
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even studying English can become an act of worship, an act of ibadah.
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And that's a completely different way of looking at learning a language.
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You're not just learning English, you're learning a skill that you hope to use for something meaningful.
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But having the right intention is only the beginning.
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What do you do when things become difficult?
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That's where habit number two comes in.
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Ask Allah for help.
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Ask God for help and success.
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Make dua, make a prayer before your study session, before your English class, before you start a difficult lesson.
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Ask Allah or God for help.
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Ask him for understanding.
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Ask him for focus.
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Ask him for consistency.
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Ask him for better and sharper memory.
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And if consistency is difficult, if you have poor routines, ask God to help you become more consistent.
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Think about how often we make study plans.
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We buy an app.
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We download a program.
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We buy a notebook.
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We buy a course.
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We create a schedule.
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We say, I'm going to study English every day.
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And then three days later, we stop.
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So instead of only asking, how can I make a better plan?
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Ask, have I asked God to help me follow the plan?
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So ask God for beneficial knowledge, for useful knowledge.
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Ask him to help you use that knowledge in a beneficial way.
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And that's one of the reasons I teach English.
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I've learned things that have benefited me and now I have to share that with you.
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I want to share those things with other people.
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So don't underestimate a sincere dua, a sincere prayer.
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Don't think that's a small thing.
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It's a big deal.
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But there's another incredibly simple habit that you can add to every session.
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Actually, to every good thing that you do in your daily life.
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Begin with Bismillah in the name of God.
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That sounds extremely simple, And it is, but it's super powerful.
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Before you open your notebook, before you open your phone, before you start speaking, before you start your car, before you start your class, say, Bismillah.
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Say, in the name of God.
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Why?
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Because it reminds you that God is a part of your life.
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You're not doing it for yourself.
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That's number one.
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And you're not doing by yourself.
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You're not alone.
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You're using the abilities that Allah has given you while asking him for help.
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And imagine doing this every day.
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Imagine how many blessings you can bring to your life if you do this every day.
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Every English lesson begins with Bismillah.
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Every study session begins with Bismillah.
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Every time you practice speaking, you remember God.
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Now, your English journey is not something separate from your life as a Muslim.
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It's connected to it.
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But now let's get practical.
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When should you actually study in order to learn much more quickly?
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Because you can have the best intentions, but if you're studying when you're exhausted, distracted, and checking your phone every two minutes, you're going to struggle.
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Study at the best time of day.
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If possible, try studying in the early hours of the day, especially after morning prayer, after Fajr.
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There are authentic narrations from our prophet, peace be upon him, about the blessing of the early morning.
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And for many people, it's one of the quietest times of the day.
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Everyone else is sleeping.
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Your phone isn't constantly ringing ding, ding, ding, getting text messages, notifications.
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You have fewer distractions and your mind is fresh.
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You don't need three hours.
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Just try 20 minutes.
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Listen to something, read something, complete your lesson, practice speaking,
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review vocabulary, and then you're done because 20 minutes of focused practice is better than two hours of distracted learning, distracted studying.
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But that brings us to another huge problem for English learners.
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Because even if you choose the perfect time to study, what happens when your phone starts distracting you?
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Protect your focus.
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Protect your attention.
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One of the biggest enemies of learning these days is distraction.
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Constant notifications.
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Constant text messages and sounds coming from your phone.
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You sit down to study English.
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You open your book and then ding a notification.
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You check your phone.
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You see another message.
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You open Instagram for just one minute and suddenly 20 minutes are gone.
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We've all done it.
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I'm guilty of it.
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We're all guilty of it.
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So before your study session, put away your phone or if you need your phone for the lesson, put it on Do Not Disturb so that you can focus,
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you can protect your attention.
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Close all the apps that you don't need, turn off notification and give your lesson your 100% attention.
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Don't just try to study more.
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Learn to study with focus.
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But even focused practice is not enough.
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There's another important hack that determines whether you're actually learning, whether you will actually become fluent.
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This might be the most important practical habit in this entire video. Be consistent.
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Because you don't become fluent by studying English once in a while.
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No, you become fluent through repetition.
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You become fluent through practice, through consistency.
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And consistency is already part of our lives as Muslims.
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We pray five times a day.
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We don't say, I'm going to pray five times a day this week and next week I'm going to take a break.
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No, that's not how it works.
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We build our lives around consistency and routines and small things, right?
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And you can apply that same practice, that same principle to English learning.
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You don't need to study for three hours every day.
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Like I said, start with 30 minutes, but do it consistently every single day.
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Five words every day becomes hundreds of words over time.
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One lesson every day becomes an entire course.
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And a few minutes of speaking every day becomes hours of speaking practice over a year.
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So remember, consistency is always better than intensity.
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Don't try to become fluent in one week.
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Build a routine that you can continue that's doable to follow for one year, for two years.
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But now here's the question.
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What should you actually do during those 20 or 30 minutes?
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Practice with lessons that you will actually use when you go outside.
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Learn things that you'll actually use in your own daily conversations.
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If you learn a new word, make a sentence with it.
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Say it out loud.
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Write it down.
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Use it in a conversation.
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Write it in your journal.
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And here's something even more powerful.
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Teach it to someone else.
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If you learn a new expression today, explain it to your friend.
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Explain it to your husband or your wife.
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Explain it to your children.
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Or share it with us in the comment section below.
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Because when you use English, it becomes part of your life.
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And that's exactly what you want.
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You don't want English to live inside your notebook or in your computer.
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No, you want English to become something that you actually use.
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But here's another question.
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What should you be watching, listening to, or reading?
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Because not everything you consume, not everything that you study is going to help you.
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Choose beneficial content.
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Everything you consume, everything you read, you watch, you listen to affects you.
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It affects your mind, it affects your heart, it affects your life, it affects your English, and of course, it affects your religion, your faith.
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So choose content that's good, that benefits you.
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Listen to beneficial podcasts, Listen to educational lessons.
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Watch educational videos and read good books.
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Learn from people who teach you meaningful lessons, something useful.
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And ideally, choose content that improves your English while also improving you as a person.
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Because you don't want to spend two hours improving your English while filling your mind with things that are not good, things that are bad, right?
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Use English as a tool for personal growth, personal development to help you improve your life in general,
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increase your vocabulary, improve your listening, increase your confidence as a person.
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And that brings us to number nine, because this is something I especially recommend to Muslim English learners.
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Read the Quran in English.
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If you're able to read the Quran in Arabic, that's amazing.
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And keep doing that.
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But reading an English translation can also be incredibly beneficial for improving your English.
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Think about what's happening when you're reading the Quran.
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You're reading English.
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You're building vocabulary.
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You're improving your reading comprehension.
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You're reflecting on the meaning of the Quran.
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And the Quran teaches some of the most powerful lessons.
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It has some of the most powerful stories and life advice that you will not find anywhere else.
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And now you're combining two things.
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You're improving your English while strengthening your connection with God, right?
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Personally, I've learned so much through reading English translations of the Quran, and I do it every single day, even if it's like three to five verses.
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So don't think that your English learning and your religious learning have to be completely separate.
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No, they can support and complement each other.
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They complete each other.
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Now we've reached habit number 10.
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This one becomes especially important when you feel like your English is not improving.
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End with gratitude and trust in Allah.
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Trust in God.
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When you finish your lesson, don't immediately close your book and grab your phone.
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No, don't do that.
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Pause, say, Alhamdulillah.
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All praise to God.
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Thank God for giving you the opportunity to learn.
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Thank Him for the time that you had to study.
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Thank him for your ability to read, to listen, to see, to learn.
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And then trust him with the outcome.
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Trust him with the result.
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Because sometimes you're going to study for a month, six months, or a year, and you're going to think, why am I not improving?
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Why am I not fluent yet?
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Why isn't my English improving faster.
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And that's when you need to remember that the result is not in your hand.
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The result is in God's hand.
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Your job is to make the effort.
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Your job is to keep trying every single day because you don't control the outcome.
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Maybe you have a two-year goal and that's okay, but you don't need to live for and always think about this two-year goal.
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Your job is to focus on your lesson today and trust God for the outcome tomorrow.
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Today, learn five words.
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Today, listen for 20 minutes.
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Today, speak for 10 minutes.
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Today, read two pages and then say, Alhamdulillah, thanks to God for this opportunity.
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And then come back tomorrow because every day you're building something.
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You're building vocabulary.
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You're building speaking skills.
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You're building listening skills.
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You're building confidence.
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You're building discipline.
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You're building things that will always be with you.
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And you might not see the results immediately, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening.
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Think about a seed that you plant in the ground.
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You put it in the ground.
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You don't come back tomorrow and say, where's the tree?
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Where's the plant?
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Where are my fruits?
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No, you keep watering it.
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You are patient.
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You keep taking care of it.
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And eventually you see what was being built under the surface.
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You see what was growing underneath.
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And your English can be like that.
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So don't underestimate small, consistent actions.
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Don't underestimate 20 minutes of listening every day.
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Don't underestimate five words.
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Don't underestimate reading one page a day.
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But most importantly, don't underestimate sincere intentions.
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Because if your intention is good, then you will have God's blessing with you.
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You will have God's baraka.
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And with baraka, with blessings, even small actions can have a much bigger impact than you expect.
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And this is the message or advice that I want you to take from this entire video.
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Learning English isn't just about speaking another language fluently.
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It's about becoming someone who can communicate better.
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It's about someone, someone who can help other people, someone who can share beneficial knowledge, someone who can help their family and their community,
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someone who can use a new language for something meaningful.
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So don't ask yourself, how can I become fluent?
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Ask yourself, what am I going to do with this language when I become fluent?
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How am I going to help other people when I become confident in English?
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And maybe that's the question that changes your entire English journey.
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Let's quickly go through the 10 habits.
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Number one, start with the right intention.
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Number two, ask Allah for help and success.
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Number three, begin with Bismillah.
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Number four, study at the best time of day.
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Number five, protect your focus, protect your attention.
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Number six, be consistent.
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Number seven, practice what you learn.
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Number seven, practice with lessons that you can use.
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Number eight, choose beneficial content.
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Number nine, read the Quran in English.
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And number 10, end every study session, every lesson with Alhamdulillah and trust in Allah.
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Now, I want you to do something very simple.
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Don't try to start all 10 today.
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Choose one, just one.
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Which habit are you going to start today?
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Tell me in the comments.
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And if you found this video beneficial.
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If you like this video, share it with another friend who is learning English.
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Maybe this video will help them too.
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Thanks for watching.
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I'll see you in the next one.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 267 sentences and 2494 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:42. The speaker talks at a natural 159 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 88% 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 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- lesson /ˈlɛs.ən/ (noun) — A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
- beneficial /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əl/ (adjective) — Helpful or good to something or someone.
- fluent /ˈfluənt/ (adjective) — That flows; flowing, liquid.
- habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/ (noun) — An action performed on a regular basis.
- intention /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/ (noun) — A course of action that a person intends to follow.
- consistency /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/ (noun) — Local coherence.
- underestimate /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/ (verb) — To estimate too low; to perceive (someone or something) as having a lower value, quantity, worth, etc., than what he/she/it actually has.
- consistent /kənˈsɪs.tənt/ (adjective) — Of a regularly occurring, dependable nature.
- skill /skɪl/ (noun) — A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
- blessing /ˈblɛs.ɪŋ/ (noun) — Some kind of divine or supernatural aid, or reward.
- notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/ (noun) — The act of notifying.
- sincere /sɪnˈsɪɹ/ (adjective) — Genuine, honest, and free from pretense or deceit; heartfelt.
- vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ (noun) — A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
- distract /dɪˈstɹækt/ (verb) — To divert the attention of.
- prayer /pɹɛɚ/ (noun) — A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- think about /ˈθɪŋk əˌbaʊt/ (verb) — To ponder.
- come back (verb) — To return to a place.
- come from (verb) — To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
- come in /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/ (verb) — To enter.
- do by (verb) — To perform on behalf of someone or with someone in mind; to behave in a manner befitting someone.
- do in (verb) — To kill or end; to defeat.
- do with (verb) — Only used in to do with
- go through (verb) — To travel from one end of something to the other.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 71 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, authentic /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/, strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: beneficial /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, intention /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, translation /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/, worship /ˈwɝ.ʃɪp/
- Long words — get the stress right: beneficial /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, consistency /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/, underestimate /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/
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 lesson, beneficial, fluent.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who teach · someone who can · friend who is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've learned · has given · we've reached |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most important · the best · the quietest |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | stop thinking · start speaking · practice speaking |
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.