Shadowing Practice: How to Think Clearly | The Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius - Learn English Speaking with Video
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40 sentences
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Almost everyone thinks they are a good thinker, but in reality, few people really are.
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A truly great thinker is constantly growing and evolving, so take a look around you: how many people do you see moving forward in life?
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How many people do you see solving problem after problem?
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And on the contrary, how many people do you see running in circles?
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How many people do you see still trying to solve the same problems they were working on years ago?
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The better you get at thinking, the better you get at solving problems.
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And good thinking begins with clarity.
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A clear thought is unambiguous, captures the essence of a thing, and is formulated logically.
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A clear thought can be communicated through a simple if-then statement.
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For example, if you turn on the tap, then you can get water.
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A clear thought leads to clear and intentional action.
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For example, the statement "if you turn on the tap, then you can get water" leads to clear action when you're thirsty.
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And clear and intentional action leads to clear feedback.
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When you go to test the tap for water, you will immediately find out whether your original thought was true or not.
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Either water will come out or it won't.
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And because clear feedback proves or disproves your thought, it helps improve your understanding of the world.
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Either you'll find out that your understanding of the world is correct or incorrect, and finding out you are incorrect helps you move closer towards correctness.
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And the more correct your worldview is, the better you'll be at solving problem.
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Let's take a look at an example.
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Marcus Aurelius earned the titles of "the last of the Five Good Emperors of Rome" and "philosopher-king" by becoming a great leader.
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And he became a great leader by becoming a great thinker.
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And he became a great thinker by learning to think clearly.
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And he learned to think clearly by writing a private philosophy for himself which we now refer to as his _Meditations_.
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In his _Meditations_, Aurelius organizes his thoughts in a logical way, reflecting on the relationship between his actions and their effects.
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And if you want to think clearly and improve your ability to solve your own problems, it would be wise of you to do the same.
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Organize your thoughts.
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Reduce their ambiguity and make them clear by turning them into simple if-then statements.
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Clear logic leads to clear thoughts.
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Clear thoughts lead to clear and intentional action.
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Clear and intentional action leads to clear feedback.
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Clear feedback leads to an improved understanding of the world.
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And a clearer understanding of the world leads to a better ability to solve problems.
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For example, let me formulate a clear, logical thought: “if I publish a how-to video with a philosopher in the title, then it will get over 100 000 views".
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That's a clear thought with clear logic.
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That clear thought leads to clear action: I will write that video and publish it.
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Now when this video is published, I’ll get clear feedback.
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We’ll both find out if that thought is true.
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And once I find out whether that thought is true or false, my understanding of the world will improve.
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And by improving my understanding of the world, I'll be better equipped to solve my problem of being a successful YouTuber.
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So in conclusion, good thinking begins with clear thinking, and clear thinking begins by turning your thoughts into unambiguous, logical statements.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “How to Think Clearly”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: clear, lead, action, understanding, feedback. This video has 40 sentences and 583 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:24. The speaker talks slowly, about 108 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| thinker noun | /ˈθɪŋ.kɚ/ | One who spends time thinking, contemplating or meditating. |
| intentional adjective | /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/ | Intended or planned; done deliberately or voluntarily. |
| formulate verb | /ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊleɪt/ | To put into a clear and definite form of statement or expression. |
| unambiguous adjective | Clear, and having no uncertainty or ambiguity. | |
| philosopher noun | /fəˈlɑsəfɚ/ | A lover of wisdom. |
| incorrect adjective | /ˌɪn.kəˈɹɛkt/ | Not correct; erroneous or wrong. |
| organize verb | /ˈɔɹɡənaɪz/ | To arrange in working order. |
| ambiguity noun | /æm.bɪˈɡjuː.ɪ.ti/ | The state of being ambiguous; the state of leaving room for more than one interpretation. |
| correctness noun | Freedom from error. | |
| disprove verb | /dɪsˈpɹuv/ | To prove to be false or erroneous; to confute; to refute. |
| logically adverb | /ˈlɑd͡ʒɪˌkli/ | In a logical manner, with logic. |
| worldview noun | An individual's, ingroup's or society's view of the world and how it is to be interpreted. | |
| equip verb | /ɪˈkwɪp/ | To supply with something necessary in order to carry out a specific action or task; to provide with (e.g. weapons, provisions, munitions, rigging). |
| thirsty adjective | /ˈθɝs.ti/ | Needing to drink water or any liquid that can supply water. |
| evolve verb | /ɪˈvɑlv/ | To move (something) in regular procession through a system. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| get over verb | To overcome. | |
| look around verb | To inspect a building or area. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How many people do you see solving problem after problem?
- Let's take a look at an example.
- We’ll both find out if that thought is true.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, you'll, we'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thinker /ˈθɪŋ.kɚ/, thirsty /ˈθɝs.ti/
- Long words — get the stress right: intentional /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/, philosopher /fəˈlɑsəfɚ/, ambiguity /æm.bɪˈɡjuː.ɪ.ti/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like thinker, intentional, formulate.
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.