Shadowing Practice: How to REALLY Learn English Fast | The Truth Nobody Tells You - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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I'm Emily.
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I'm Emily.
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Hello, Emily!
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Hi everyone!
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I am so happy to be here today.
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I'm Paul and we have some real talk for our listeners today.
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Yes, we do.
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Today, we are talking about the real secrets of learning a new language.
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This is great because, honestly,
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there was a lot of bad advice out there.
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You are right, Paul.
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To really learn, you need to move beyond the books and start living the language.
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So, what is the first real secret?
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What actually works for people?
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The first secret is high exposure and active speaking from the very first day.
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Many people wait until they are ready to speak.
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I did that for years.
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And you were never ready, right?
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Nobody ever feels 100% ready.
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Never.
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was always waiting for more grammar or more words in my head?
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You have to start with what you have.
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Even if you only know ten words, use them. But how?
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If I only know hello and coffee,
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how do I have a conversation?
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You find a partner online or a friend.
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You use those ten words and add some signs.
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Ah.
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So it is more about the action than the perfection.
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Yes, exactly.
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Your brain needs to solve the problem of,
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how do I say this?
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That makes sense.
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When I'm stuck, my brain works much harder to find the answer.
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That struggle is where the learning happens.
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It's like a workout for your communication skills.
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What about finding people to talk to?
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Some people live in places where no one speaks English.
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That is not an excuse anymore.
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We have the internet.
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That is true.
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There are so many apps and websites to find language partners.
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Yes!
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You can join Discord servers for your favorite hobbies.
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If you like games, play in English.
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Oh!
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I love that!
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You are having fun and practicing at the same time.
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Exactly.
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If you are playing a game with friends online,
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you have to communicate to win.
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The pressure of the game makes you forget you are studying.
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That is very smart.
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That is the secret.
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You need a reason to speak that is bigger than just learning a language.
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So, instead of studying English,
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I should be learning how to cook in English.
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Yes.
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Go to YouTube and find a recipe in English.
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Try to follow it.
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I hope I don't burn my dinner while I look for a dictionary.
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If you do, you will never forget the word for burn.
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That is a real-life lesson.
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That is a very good point.
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Real-life experiences create strong memories.
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Another great way to speak every day is to talk to yourself.
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I do it all the time.
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Really, Emily?
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Do you talk to yourself in the mirror?
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Sometimes I narrate my day.
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I say, now I am making coffee,
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and I need to find the sugar.
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That sounds a bit funny,
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but I can see how it helps with vocabulary.
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It does.
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It helps you realize which words you are missing for your daily life.
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Hmm.
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I should try that while I'm driving to work.
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Yes.
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Describe the cars, the weather,
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or your plans for the day.
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It's like a private practice session.
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No one is there to judge my mistakes.
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Exactly.
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And when you finally talk to a real person,
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you feel much more comfortable.
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Speaking of real people, what about texting?
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Does chatting on WhatsApp count?
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Absolutely.
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Texting is a fantastic way to practice because you have time to think.
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Yes, I can check my spelling before I hit send.
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It builds your confidence.
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You see that people can understand you.
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I think that is a big secret.
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Confidence comes from seeing that the language actually works.
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Yes.
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When you send a message and someone replies, it's a small victory.
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So, we should look for groups online,
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like on Reddit or Facebook.
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Yes.
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Find a group about something you love.
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If you love dogs, join an English dog group.
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My dog is very cute.
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That is a great start for a conversation.
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It really is.
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People love talking about their pets.
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It makes the conversation natural and light,
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not like a boring classroom.
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That is what we want.
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We want English to be a part of your social life.
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But what about the people who say,
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I'm too busy to find friends?
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Well, if you are too busy to use the language,
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you are too busy to learn it.
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Oh, that is a hard truth, Emily.
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It's true, Paul.
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You have to make space for it.
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Even 20 minutes of chatting helps.
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I agree.
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If something's important, you find the time for it.
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And it's not about studying for an hour.
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It's about checking your messages in English during lunch.
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It's about replacing your old habits with English habits.
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Yes, exactly.
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Change your phone settings to English right now. That is scary.
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What if I can't find my settings again?
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You will learn the words for settings and display very quickly.
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That is another real-life problem to solve.
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I like your style, Emily.
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Thanks, Paul.
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I like things that are practical and fast.
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You know, I think one big problem is that people use their own language too much while learning.
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Yes.
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They translate everything in their head.
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That is a very slow way to speak.
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How do we stop doing that?
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It feels like an automatic habit.
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You have to dive into the deep end.
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Stop using subtitles in your own language.
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But I won't understand anything.
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It will just be noise.
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Use English subtitles.
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Then you hear the word and see it at the same time.
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Ah, that is a good middle step.
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It helps the brain connect the sounds to the letters.
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Yes, and after a while you will realize you don't need the text anymore.
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That sounds like a dream,
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to just listen and understand naturally.
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It takes time, but it happens faster if you stop translating.
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I think our listeners would love to have a place to practice all this.
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That is so true, Paul.
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And that brings me to some very exciting news.
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Oh, is it time to tell them?
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I've been waiting for this.
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Yes, we are building something huge to strengthen our Mr. English community.
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I'm so happy about this.
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Tell them what it is.
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We are launching a special community on Telegram for all of you.
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It's going to be a place where everyone can talk,
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share their progress, and meet new friends.
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Yes, it's all about getting closer to each other and practicing in a real way.
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And what about the special guest, the digital one?
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Oh yes!
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You will also be able to practice your English with the Mr. English AI.
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This is amazing.
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You can have a conversation with the AI anytime you want.
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Exactly!
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If you are shy or if your friends are asleep,
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the AI is always there to chat.
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It's a great way to practice the real-life talk we were discussing today.
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We are going to release access slowly,
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so you need to be ready.
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We really want to know who is interested in this.
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It's for you guys.
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Yes, please tell us in the comments.
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Who would join our Telegram community?
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Who is excited to talk to the Mr. English AI?
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Let us know.
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We want to see your names in the comments.
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Tell us if you are ready to take this step with us.
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I think it's going to change everything for a lot of people.
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I agree, Paul.
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Community is the best way to stay motivated and learn fast.
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It's much better than studying alone in a room with a boring book.
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Definitely.
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We want to hear from you.
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Are you in?
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I hope they are.
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It's going to be so much fun.
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If you are enjoying this conversation,
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don't forget to like the video,
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subscribe to the channel and share it with a friend who is learning English yes
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and if you are still listening comment the word community below yes community
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that shows us you are a real part of our family here I love
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that we have such a great group of people following us we really do
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and we want to give them the best tools to succeed.
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So, Emily, back to our secrets.
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What about grammar?
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People always ask about grammar.
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Honestly?
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Stop obsessing over grammar rules.
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The teachers at school would be very angry if they heard you say that.
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Well, I mean, don't study rules in a vacuum.
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Learn them through patterns.
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Patterns?
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Like how words go together naturally?
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Yes.
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Instead of learning present perfect,
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learn the phrase, I have been to London.
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Ah, so if I learn the whole phrase,
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I don't need to think about the rule?
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Exactly.
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You just use it because it sounds right.
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Your brain is a pattern recognition machine. That feels much lighter.
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It takes the pressure off my memory.
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Yes.
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If you read a lot and listen a lot,
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you will feel when a sentence is wrong.
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That happens to me sometimes.
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I hear something and I think, hmm, that sounds strange.
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That is your brain learning the grammar naturally.
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Good job, Paul.
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Wow, I didn't know I was doing that.
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You are.
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That is how native speakers do it.
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We don't think about rules when we talk.
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That is very true.
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I don't think about my own language's rules either.
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Exactly.
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We just speak.
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And that should be your goal in English, too.
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What about mistakes?
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I still make a lot of mistakes.
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Good.
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If you aren't making mistakes,
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you aren't trying hard enough.
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But it's embarrassing.
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I feel silly when I say the wrong word.
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Don't be.
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Most people are just happy that you are trying to talk to them.
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You know, you're right.
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When someone tries to speak my language, I don't judge them.
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Exactly.
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I find it very impressive when someone speaks a second language.
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So we should just be brave and jump into the conversation?
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Yes.
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Be brave, be messy.
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Just keep the communication going.
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What if someone doesn't understand me?
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You try again.
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Use different words, point at things.
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It's like a game, a puzzle to solve.
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Yes.
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And every time you solve it,
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you become a better speaker.
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I think that is a very important secret.
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Communication is more important than perfection.
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Yes, exactly.
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100% correct.
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I think our listeners feel much more relaxed now.
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I hope so.
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English is not a test.
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It is a bridge to other people.
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Do you have any tips for listening?
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Sometimes native speakers talk too fast.
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Oh, I know.
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We can be very fast and messy when we talk.
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Yes, it sounds like one big word sometimes.
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My advice is to listen to podcasts or videos about things you already know well.
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So, if I am a programmer,
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I should watch tech videos in English?
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Yes.
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Because you already understand the context,
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you can guess the words.
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That is a very smart trick.
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The context helps the brain fill in the gaps.
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Exactly.
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And don't try to understand every single word.
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Oh, that is a big mistake I make.
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I stop the video if I miss one word.
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Don't do that.
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Just try to get the gist, the general idea.
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If I know the general idea,
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I can keep following the story.
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Yes!
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And the more you listen,
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the more those missing words will start to make sense.
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It's like a picture that starts blurry and becomes clearer over time.
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That is a beautiful way to say it, Paul.
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I love that.
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Thank you.
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I have my moments.
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You really do.
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So, we have speaking from day one,
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real immersion, social connection, and patterns.
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Anything else?
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One more thing.
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Consistency is better than intensity.
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Ah, so back to the not-just-Sundays rule.
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Yes, but not just ten minutes.
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Try to have English around you all day.
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All day?
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Like music and news and everything?
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Yes.
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Listen to English music while you clean the house.
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I can do that.
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I love singing in the shower.
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Perfect.
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Singing is great for your pronunciation and rhythm.
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I'm singing in the rain,
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just singing in the rain.
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Great job.
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See, you are practicing right now.
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It feels good.
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It feels natural.
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That is the secret.
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Make it a part of who you are,
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not just something you do.
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I think that is the best advice of all.
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I agree.
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Yes.
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Well, Emily, I think we have covered a lot of ground today.
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We have.
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I hope everyone feels ready to start speaking more.
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I'm sure they are.
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And they are going to love the Telegram news.
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Yes!
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Don't forget to tell us in the comments if you want to join.
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We want to build this community with you guys.
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It's going to be a great journey for all of us.
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I am so excited to see everyone practicing with the Mr. English AI.
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Me too!
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It's going to be a game changer.
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Well, I think it's time to say goodbye for now.
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Yes!
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Thank you all for listening to our conversation.
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Don't forget to subscribe and like the video if you enjoyed it.
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and share it with your friends.
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Let's grow this community together.
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See you in the next one.
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Bye-bye.
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Goodbye, everyone.
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Happy learning.
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Bye.
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Bye.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will explore effective techniques to learn English quickly by engaging actively with the language. You will discover the importance of high exposure and practical speaking right from the start. By understanding the value of using even a few words to express yourself, you’ll learn how to overcome the fear of speaking and initiate conversations, making the language learning process both fun and productive. This session emphasizes that the journey to fluency begins with action, not perfection.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- High exposure: Engaging with the language in a meaningful way, often through listening and speaking.
- Active speaking: Practicing speaking out loud from the very first day, regardless of your current skill level.
- Language partner: A friend or online contact that you practice speaking English with.
- Communicate: The act of exchanging thoughts and messages effectively.
- Conversation: An informal talk involving two or more people that can enhance your understanding of the language.
- Problem-solving: The mental process you go through to express your thoughts when you struggle with vocabulary.
- Practice: Regularly using the language to improve your skills through real-life scenarios.
- Fun: Enjoying the process of learning, which can significantly boost motivation and retention.
Practice Tips
To get the most out of this lesson, consider using a shadowing app, which allows you to listen and repeat phrases in real-time. This can enhance your pronunciation and fluency as you mimic the speakers from the video. The shadowspeak technique involves listening to the dialogue at a comfortable speed and trying to match the intonation and rhythm of the speakers. Start by focusing on shorter segments of the video; this will allow you to gradually build up your confidence and skills.
As you practice, utilize the shadow speech method by pausing the video after a sentence and repeating what you hear. This reinforces your learning and helps solidify the vocabulary in your mind. To do this effectively, ensure you're also exposing yourself to various accents and speaking styles, either through learn English with YouTube channels or interactive platforms. Experiment with speaking out loud wherever you are; this could include practicing in front of a mirror or using your new vocabulary in conversations with friends.
Lastly, remember that consistent practice—whether in gaming environments, online discussions, or dedicated conversation time with a partner—creates opportunities for real application. Immerse yourself in your language journey and embrace the challenge; the struggle is indeed where the learning happens!
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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