Shadowing Practice: How To Learn Photoshop As Fast As Possible - Learn English Speaking with Video
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198 sentences
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When I was trying to learn Photoshop, I made a painful mistake that costed me years of time and effort.
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I would spend hours every single day trying to learn Photoshop by watching YouTube tutorials, and it felt like my work was barely improving.
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In fact, it wasn't improving.
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This was incredibly frustrating and demotivating because I spent
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so much time trying to learn this software and I had nothing to show for it.
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This was my experience for years until I completely changed my learning strategy, and once I did, my progress skyrocketed and completely changed my life.
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In one year, I went from making cringe -worthy images to having my own
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creative business amassing tens of thousands of followers who like my work.
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Here's exactly how I did it.
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so when most people start their journey of learning photoshop their first move is to start watching tutorials on youtube
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which is exactly what i did i go to youtube look up photoshop tutorial
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and i'd scroll through the results until an impressive looking thumbnail caught my eye I'd go through the video
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and follow each and every step to the T and I would make the final product perfectly.
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So I kept doing this over and over and over again, nailing it each and every time.
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Feeling pumped up, I'd finally start to work on my own personal project and it was horrible.
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It was frustrating because I saw such amazing results when I followed tutorials, but my own work honestly made me cringe.
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My reasoning for these outcomes was that I just hadn't watched enough tutorials
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so i would restart the process
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and inevitably get the same results i kept going through the same loop over
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and over again until eventually i made a huge change i
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stopped watching tutorials don't get me wrong i think there is a time
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and place for tutorials but the reason i was seeing no progress was
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because i was trying to absorb information just for the sake
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of absorbing information i had nothing to apply it to i'd follow a tutorial
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and learn how to get from a to B, but when I started my own work, I didn't even have an A to start with.
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What you really want to do is start with an idea.
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Open Photoshop with an end goal in mind and let yourself get stuck.
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For example, maybe you want to cut someone out of a photo, so you try using a specific tool and it doesn't work at all.
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That is when you look for a tutorial of how to cut someone out.
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That way, you're actively listening and applying what you learned.
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You have to get that information to stick because otherwise you'll never get over that obstacle.
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The idea behind this strategy is
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that you want to start making something with a goal in mind
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and deliberately find things that you don't know how to do.
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This will prompt you to search for those answers.
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This also forces you to focus on step 1 instead of
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trying to cram step 1 to 100 in your head all at once.
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Honestly, I don't think following tutorials is a bad thing at the very beginning, but I do think your goal should be to get off of them as soon as possible.
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Watching tutorials without an end goal in mind is actually a lot like driving somewhere.
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You could look at a map and memorize every turn and street name, but when you get into the car to leave, it's extremely unlikely you'd know how to even get to your destination.
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It's only after driving towards your end goal do you really learn what the route is.
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You take wrong turns, you subconsciously notice buildings and points of interest that you drive by, and you get a sense of how long it takes to get there.
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It's the exact same idea as when you're learning Photoshop.
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You need to start and then learn.
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Don't learn and then start.
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I think that when I started learning Photoshop, I didn't realize that learning came from failure.
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Following a tutorial using these perfect images to create this very specific effect wasn't giving me enough failure
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or any obstacles for me to overcome.
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Doing this will force you to retain more information and build up your muscle memory on how the software works.
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But anyone who's ever gotten serious about learning something new knows that doing the actual work is only half the battle.
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The most difficult part for most people is just opening the software and start it.
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Holding on to that initial motivation to keep learning is probably where most people fail.
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Fortunately, it doesn't have to be.
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Beginning the process of learning something can honestly be a huge uphill battle.
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We have to consciously memorize information, do research on simple tasks, and will inevitably spend tons of time going down the wrong path.
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This is also paired with the aspect of constantly being disappointed with your final product.
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I mean, the reason we start learning something like Photoshop is almost always because we're inspired by something.
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You'll be scrolling through Instagram, Behance, or ArtStation, and some amazing piece of work will catch your eye.
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You think, I want to do that, and feel so motivated to get to that goalpost where you can make something as cool as that.
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In the learning process, you work so hard to create different things over and over and over again.
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time chipping away at your initial motivation every single time thoughts
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start filling your mind like maybe this just isn't my thing
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or maybe this is a waste of time after all time
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is our most precious resource every minute we lose we'll never get back the days
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or weeks or months you spend learning something that you won't stick with
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or will never pay off by definition will be a waste of your time and really a waste of your life
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That got kind of dark, but what I'm saying is probably relatable to anyone trying to learn something new like Photoshop.
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I personally went through the exact same process and I can confidently say
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that learning is not what creates that soul -crushing grind.
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It's your learning strategy.
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Before I tell you how to learn faster and more effectively, I think it's really important to understand why learning something like Photoshop can be grindy and tough.
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To do that, will compare to something that's definitely not grindy
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and tough games
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when we play games whether that's a video game a board game a game on the playground
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or a drinking game with friends you don't really feel
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that uphill battle that's because games are fun but why do we find them fun
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and why are certain games considered fun while others aren't this is
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because of something called gamification now we could go pretty deep on the concept of gamification
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but the main thing that want to highlight is the fact
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that something is considered fun based on their challenge to reward ratio
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when something is too challenging it's not fun
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but the same goes for something that's too easy an activity
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or game is considered fun when it delicately runs the line between challenging
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and easy for example throwing a ball in the direction of
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someone isn't really fun at all the same could be said
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if you were to try
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and play catch with someone with your eyes closed it'd be too hard
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and you'd almost never catch the ball playing catch is fun throwing
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and catching the ball effectively is the challenge and doing
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so successfully is the reward so to make something like photoshop less grindy
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and tough you need to make it fun to do
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that you need to make things in photoshop
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that are easy enough for you to complete
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but are also difficult enough to actually force you to put some effort into it to succeed
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so trying to copy that amazing piece of artwork
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that initially inspired you to start learning photoshop will most likely
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be way too hard for it to be fun what you want to look for is something
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that inspires you
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but also feels just out of your capabilities personally the best
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way i've accomplished this is by creating a library of other people's work
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that i can either copy for practice
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or create my own variation of in my spare time i'll scroll through websites like pinterest instagram artstation
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or behance and constantly be liking and saving anything that inspires me or I feel is just out of my capabilities.
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I do this constantly when I'm waiting for an appointment on the toilet or just when I need a break from work.
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See when I started learning Photoshop half of the battle was just maintaining the motivation to just open up the program.
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When you start learning something new that motivation is pretty strong
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but after so many inevitable failures and obstacles that initial motivation starts to fade.
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Making the learning process fun helps maintain that intrinsic motivation
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but for most people making the process fun 100 % of the time might be unrealistic.
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This is why we need to maximize each type of motivation
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so that we have as many forces as possible pushing us to learn and improve.
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There's actually six different types of motivation but for the sake of not making this video 99 % about motivation types, we'll just focus on 3.
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Intrinsic, extrinsic, and identified motivation.
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Intrinsic motivation is when you're motivated to do something because you inherently find it meaningful to you and it brings you joy.
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This is another aspect as to why making a learning process fun is so important.
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When something is fun to you, that force that's pulling you away from photoshop trying to convince
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you to play video games instead is much weaker external motivation is
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when you don't necessarily want to do something
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but you have something outside of your personal desires pushing you to do
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so this can either be a reward you'll receive for accomplishing the task
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or a punishment
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that you're avoiding it's the cliche carrot on a stick type
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of motivation now we don't necessarily want to start integrating punishments
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into our life especially is something that's supposed to be fun like photoshop
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but i do think
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that creating a reward system is perfect for any type of creative work here are two ways
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that i maximize external motivation the first way i do this is with social media everyone knows
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that these social media platforms are hooking us in by constantly
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rewarding us with dopamine even though this can have a negative effect on our wellbeing.
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We can actually change how we interact with these platforms so that they help us instead of hurt us.
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I started posting my work on Instagram, Twitter, ArtStation, and sometimes Behance.
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If you want to just use one, I'd definitely stick with Instagram as you get a lot more feedback that way.
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The more I posted, the more my engagement and follower count grew.
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Eventually, I created a schedule where I would try to post another piece of artwork every week to stay consistent.
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The external motivation reward came from the positive feedback and dopamine I was receiving whenever I gained a follower,
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received a positive comment, or some of my work got a lot of likes.
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Society always kind of puts a negative light on the idea of doing something for positive attention through social media,
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but I think as long as you don't let the lack of positive attention affect you
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and you don't compare yourself to others, I think you're safe.
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Just remember that you're posting your work to help you learn.
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You're not learning to post your work.
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The second way I receive external motivation is through client work.
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Now if you're just starting to learn photoshop this type of motivation might take a
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while to build up
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but I think it'd be a great idea to make it kind of a goal for yourself to find clients.
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I know freelance work isn't for everyone and
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if you honestly have no desire to do it then that's totally okay
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but I think freelance work is an awesome type of external motivation for a lot of reasons
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when someone is paying you money to make something for them
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there's actually a lot of different things pushing you to finish a project
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since there's an exchange of value you end up wanting to put more effort into
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that project so
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that your client feels like their money was well spent also there's always almost some type of deadline
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that the project needs to be finished by personally i've also found that
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when i'm creating a piece of digital art for a client
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their requests often push me outside of my comfort zone
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and force me to learn things
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that i don't already know how to do maybe a lot of you will relate to this
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but i feel like sometimes when i'm working on a personal project
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and i have to do something time consuming
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or difficult sometimes i just won't do it but
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when someone is literally paying you to do it you can't
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really avoid it finally the third type of motivation we want to optimize is identified motivation.
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This is when you're motivated to do something because it relates to something that's important to you.
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In this case, learning Photoshop is the thing that would be important to you.
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The way I optimize this type of motivation is by creating a routine.
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Every morning at 7am, I'd wake up
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and immediately start working on my personal projects in Photoshop until I started my full -time job at 9am.
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Now you don't necessarily have to work on Photoshop for three hours every morning
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but you should definitely create a daily routine
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that works for you whether that's working on photoshop for 15 minutes before bed
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or for two hours before work as long as you get
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that minimum amount of practice
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that you set for yourself i promise you will see huge improvements as long as you stay consistent
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that daily practice will have a compounding effect
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and your skills will skyrocket having a daily routine like this
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is one of the strongest ways to keep yourself motivated through
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the learning process although you might not feel like you want
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to open photoshop every single day the motivation to stick to
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your routine is what's pushing you forward kind of like brushing your teeth i personally hate brushing my teeth
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but i do it twice a day every single day
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because it's just part of my routine sticking with your daily
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routine of learning photoshop over time will yield you the exact
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same perspective a few years ago i thought where i am now with digital art
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and photoshop was completely unattainable i thought it was for people who are naturally talented
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or super creative
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but in reality those thoughts are only symptoms of my brain trying to discourage me from doing something difficult
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and challenging i feel like a lot of people
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that are on the same journey as i am trying to
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learn a creative skill can probably relate to this i made this video in hopes
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that i could share my experiences and knowledge in hopes
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that you guys don't have to make the exact same mistakes
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that i did i'm going to be putting the upload date
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of my next video in the banner of my channel as well as promote it on like instagram
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and twitter and stuff like that but if you want a notification for
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when my next video comes out when you subscribe if you click the bell button then i'll send you a notification, and you'll know right away.
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Okay, thank you for watching the video.
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See ya.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “How To Learn Photoshop As Fast As Possible”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: photoshop, learning, motivation, learn, tutorial. This video has 198 sentences and 2662 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:15. The speaker talks fast, about 187 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| photoshop verb | /ˈfoʊ.toʊ.ʃɑp/ | To digitally edit or alter (a picture or photograph). |
| tutorial noun | /ˌtjuːˈtɔːɹɪəl/ | A self-paced learning exercise; a lesson prepared so that a student can learn at their own speed or convenience. |
| motivate verb | /ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/ | To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate. |
| inspire verb | /ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ | To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by… |
| grindy adjective | /ˈɡɹaɪndi/ | Resembling or characteristic of grinding. |
| intrinsic adjective | /ɪnˈtɹɪn.zɪk/ | Innate, inherent, inseparable from the thing itself, essential. |
| follower noun | /ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/ | One who follows, comes after another. |
| obstacle noun | /ˈɑbstəkəl/ | Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress, either physically or figuratively |
| scroll noun | /skɹoʊl/ | A roll of paper or parchment; a writing formed into a roll. |
| dopamine noun | /ˈdoʊ.pəˌmin/ | A monoamine C₈H₁₁NO₂ that is a decarboxylated form of dopa, present in the body as a neurotransmitter and a precursor of other substances including adrenalin. |
| frustrate verb | /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ | To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired. |
| gamification noun | The use of gameplay mechanics for non-game applications (as for example making work less onerous; incentivization; or pedagogy). | |
| memorize verb | /ˈmɛm.əˌɹaɪ̯z/ | To fully learn so as to have entirely available to the memory; to learn by heart, commit to memory. |
| optimize verb | /ˈɑptɪmaɪz/ | To act optimistically or as an optimist. |
| skyrocket verb | /ˈskaɪˌɹɒk.ɪt/ | To rise or increase suddenly and extremely; to shoot up; to surge or spike. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| get back verb | Return to where one came from. | |
| get over verb | To overcome. | |
| go down verb | To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one. | |
| look up verb | /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ | To have better prospects. |
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 | is also paired · is considered · could be said |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | i've accomplished · i've also found |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | start watching · stopped watching · start making |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was trying · wasn't improving · was seeing |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 61 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: photoshop /ˈfoʊ.toʊ.ʃɑp/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/, cliché /kliˈʃeɪ/, variation /ˌvɛəɹiˈeɪʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: inevitably /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, capability /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/, delicately /ˈdɛlɪkətli/
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 photoshop, tutorial, motivate.
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.