Shadowing Practice: How to recover from rejection | Mel Robbins #shorts - Learn English Speaking with Video

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A lot of people don't believe in themselves.
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Well, what would you say to the person who's listening?
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Like, maybe they've been rejected after trying for a little bit.
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It's taking too long.
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And so that self-doubt is really there.
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What would you say to the person who's listening?
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Who's like, Benny, I want that.
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But I don't know how to start believing in myself.
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How bad did the rejection hurt?
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Okay, that's first what I want to know.
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How bad was it being rejected?
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Is it bad?
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Yeah, you ask someone out when you're a kid and they say no.
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and you're embarrassed for a few hours
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and then you come back to school the next day
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and nobody gives a because a new person got asked out and rejected.
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You really want to say it was this terrible thing and I couldn't get out of bed for 16 years.
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No, it wasn't that bad.
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It sucked.
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It sucked for a second.
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It wasn't that bad.
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Okay.
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So rejection's not that bad.
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So that's not your excuse.
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Okay.
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Is it going to be hard?
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Yeah, it's going to be hard.
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What?
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You just want to like immediately be the best at something in the world?
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No. You're going to have to work at it.
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Okay?
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You're going to have to work at it.
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And you're going to fail.
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And you're going to have so many barriers.
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And you're going to have so many times where you want to quit.
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But you're not going to.
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Because you know that if you do quit, you're just giving space for that other person trying the same thing to just get right ahead of you.
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Oh, God.
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That's a good one.
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Yeah.
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That the second you quit, you actually just...
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Open the door for someone else.
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Thank you.

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Dealing with Rejection: A Real-Life Conversation

The video features a relatable dialogue about overcoming self-doubt after rejection, a scenario many face. The speaker addresses the pain of being turned down, the struggle to keep going, and the motivation to persist—making it a great resource for learning natural, conversational English. Whether you’re practicing shadow speech or aiming to improve English pronunciation, this dialogue’s casual tone and everyday language offer practical learning opportunities.

Useful Chunks & Collocations to Memorize

  • "self-doubt is really there": A common way to describe feeling uncertain about oneself.
  • "it sucked for a second": Informal but natural phrasing to say something was unpleasant briefly.
  • "have so many barriers": Refers to challenges that block progress, a useful collocation for discussing obstacles.
  • "giving space for that other person": Means creating an opportunity for someone else, a flexible phrase for competitive contexts.
  • "open the door for someone else": A metaphor for making it easier for others to succeed, often used in motivational talks.

These chunks help you speak more fluently, as they’re phrases native speakers use without overthinking. They’re perfect for learn english with videos since they fit real conversations.

Your Shadowing Challenge

To practice shadowspeaks and improve your pronunciation, try this: Watch the video once to understand the message. Then, play short 5-second clips and repeat them immediately, mimicking the speaker’s tone, speed, and stress. Focus on phrases like "it wasn’t that bad"—notice how the speaker shortens "wasn’t" and emphasizes "that." Repeat until you can match the rhythm. This shadow speech exercise trains your mouth to move like a native and helps you internalize natural intonation. Do this daily, and you’ll soon feel more confident speaking English in casual settings.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itthey've been rejected · being rejected
Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see comingIs it going to be · it's going to be · You're going to have
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessaryhave to work

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →