Shadowing Practice: I'm a K-Pop Idol. Here's What REALLY Happens During Fan Calls - Learn English Speaking with Video
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For many K -pop fans, a video call with their idols can be one of the most memorable moments of their life.
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They spend thousands of dollars, prepare weeks ahead of time, just to spend a few minutes with their favorite idols.
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But on the other side of the screen, it's a completely different world.
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Our staff watching our every move.
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Do idols actually know who's calling them? there's an entire operation happening on the other side that almost nobody gets to see.
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So, what actually happens during a K -pop fan call?
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Today I'm going to a fan call, and apparently, no one has ever properly shown the behind -the -scenes of a fan call.
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So I might as well take you guys with me and explain how this whole thing works.
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So, what actually is a K -pop fan call?
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Well, you probably already know that fan signs have been a culture in K -pop since forever now.
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When an artist releases new music, fans who buy their albums get a chance to meet their idols face -to -face through a lottery system.
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They go to the event, talk to the artists for a few minutes, and get their album signed.
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It's a system company uses to get fans to buy more than one copy of their albums.
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The more popular the group, the less chances you'll win, leading fans to buy hundreds of copies of the same album while companies profit more.
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Yep, classic capitalism.
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When COVID hit, restrictions made in -person fan signs impossible.
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Companies needed a different way to make profit, leading to the popularization of video fan calls.
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They basically work the same way as fan signs.
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They get a few minutes with the artists, their album gets signed and sent to them, all done remotely.
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Fan calls were supposed to be a pandemic workaround, but even after COVID passed, they ended up becoming a permanent aspect to K -pop culture,
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as they made events accessible to international fans while still working extremely well with the existing album sales model.
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Now, not all fan signs and video calls revolve around a group's comeback or promotion.
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For groups who aren't promoting a new release, they can replace signing albums with photo cards, posters, and magazines.
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Every video call is a little bit different, but their systems are basically the same.
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Fans buy albums.
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Their purchase counts as raffle entries.
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Winners are selected, or in a case where they're not promoting a release, fans purchase a fan call ticket.
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They receive instructions at time, verify their identity, and then show up for their call.
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As I said, I'm going to a fan sign event today, and I realized that no one has properly shown the behind the scenes of a fan call.
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Probably for a good reason, but I guess I'll bring you guys with me.
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Now let's set some expectations.
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This is not a get rich quick side hustle.
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You're not going to make thousands of dollars and it's definitely not going to replace your salary.
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Think of it more as a way to make a little extra pocket money while doing things you already enjoy.
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I know we're still skeptical so let me explain how it works.
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The more you progress in the game, the more rewards you can unlock.
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Once you reach the minimum withdrawal limit, you can cash out through PayPal, Visa, gift cards, and other available payout options.
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Just make sure you have app tracking enabled so the app can accurately track your progress.
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Hi hi, we're here at the fansign place.
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The other members are in the other room because they're too loud and I can't really talk.
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So I'm here to talk to you guys for a bit before I join them.
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A lot of you guys have been telling me to do something new with my hair, so I got a perm today.
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Anyways, there's things we have to do before we actually get into the fansign, So I'm going to take you through what our pre -fansign routine looks like.
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We usually arrive an hour before the event starts because there's quite a few things to do.
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They also give out signed photocards and polaroids, so we would get those signed first.
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All the organizers we work with always asked for drink menus and got us coffee.
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I don't know if it's a thing with fansigns, but I just know that whenever I have a fansign, I'm getting a free bubble tea with it.
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Here, we're taking a video of our fan call seating order, so the fans know who's going first and last.
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Then when the time comes, we move into the other room where the call would actually take place.
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This particular room is more cramped than usual, but the setup is basically the same.
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We have a large table setup with a lot of ring lights, because without good lighting, we look kind of wacky.
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I'm not gonna lie.
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In front of us are some marker pens.
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On the left, we have the list of participants we're going to be meeting today in order.
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On the right, we have posters we're signing with the names of the participants attached, so we don't misspell them.
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When signing for a fan call, our signature and a two blank blank are required.
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Some require additional messages, some don't.
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If not required, we're not allowed to write or draw anything other than our signs, because apparently the pricings are different and
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if we do whatever we wanted it's gonna mess up their
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system now the staff are on the other side of the table
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and these people are all staff of the organizer our staff
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isn't even in the room they're watching us from the outside my boss took this footage for me
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and he said we look like a bunch of call center workers trying to scam people Huh.
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The staff in the room are contacting and doing test calls with the participants, making sure they're prepared to go on cue.
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Look at those phones on the floor.
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A lot of these staff are also bi or trilingual, so they would help translate if the artist and the fan don't speak the same language.
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For this one, they didn't have translators, so when a member asks us for help, I would chime in like the nice guy I am.
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Then there's the phone.
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A name tag is usually attached to the phone, and there's two headphone jacks, one for the artist and the other for the staff.
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Now with this particular organizer, they're using their own app with these calls.
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So once we press start, it starts the call with the timer and automatically ends it once the timer is up.
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Usually with other organizers who uses Katok, Line, or Skype, staff would monitor the calls and time it.
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Once the timer is up, they would inform the fans to wrap up.
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So yes, most of the time, staff are monitoring the calls.
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Keep in mind that these staff aren't our staff and we don't know them.
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But I bet if there's a sensitive topic companies don't want their idols to be asked about, staff from the company would monitor instead.
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For today's event, we have three rounds of fan calls.
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A group fan call where the participants would go through each
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and every member a 3 -minute solo fan call with only one member, and a 5 -minute solo fan call.
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Each organizer would do something different, so sometimes it might be 1 minute, sometimes it might be 10.
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Yeah, 10 minutes.
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For group calls, a single phone is passed around to each member along with the signed poster.
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So yes, we do simultaneously sign the posters while we call.
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Then we get to our solo calls, which are usually done on one single phone.
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And let me tell you, we look better on Android cameras.
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With iPhones, the camera and lighting just makes us look so rough.
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So with our solo calls, if we get an iPhone, we're gonna look rough for the rest of the day.
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Common fan call etiquettes we're told to follow by the company and also because it's common sense.
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Let the fans ask you the questions unless told otherwise.
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They spent days preparing the conversations, so you don't want to let their hard work go to waste.
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Everything's recorded, so stay on your guard.
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No picking your nose, no accidentally saying anything weird.
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We're not allowed to go past the time limit as it's gonna delay and with each person, it's gonna stack up longer and longer.
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So when there's 10 seconds left on the clock, we're told to wrap up and say our goodbyes.
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Don't go into other members' fan calls.
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Sometimes fans don't like that.
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If we're uncomfortable and need help, look for the staff.
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Don't cause a scene.
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Obviously, don't fight with a fan.
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Try not to mispronounce names.
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If you can't pronounce it, ask them politely.
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Or just don't call them by their name.
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Don't mix up nationalities and cultures.
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That's gonna make you look like a fool.
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Yeah, I think that's pretty much it.
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I've often been asked, so what's it like to talk to strangers for a living?
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i like to think of our calls as friends catching up a lot of the participants are returning fans
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and i've actually gotten to know a lot of them throughout the years
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so every time i do a call with a fan i
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recognize i treat it like a catch -up session with a
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old friend i am an expensive friend to catch up with
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after three hours of talking to people we're done with our video call event
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and i'm ready to leave now i am home from the
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fan sign hi hi i've shown you how it works let
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me answer some juicy questions you guys have asked me about fan signs.
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Question one, do idols actually remember their fans?
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Yes, I can tell you that idols definitely can remember a fan, especially if we've seen you more than three to four times.
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I think that's when my brain starts recognizing you as an actual person in my life.
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Can the staff hear everything you and the fans say?
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Yes, the staff could.
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If you're shy, you're like, oh, I don't want staff to eavesdrop.
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They're not actually interested in our conversations.
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I don't think they care.
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And hey, they've seen weird stuff.
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Like believe me, no one can be weirder than what they've already seen.
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Unless you poop on camera.
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That's a different story.
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Can idols see the fan before the call connects?
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Before a call, sometimes we could see you.
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Especially if you're in katok or line, we can definitely see you.
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I've seen people laid down scrolling TikTok, retouching their makeup, leaving to the bathroom.
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Honestly, it's pretty funny.
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It's the highlight of the calls.
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Do idols get tired of talking?
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In the moment when we're working.
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There's this dopamine rush.
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I feel like everything's so hectic.
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So there's no time to be tired.
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So I feel like in the moment, we're locking.
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Next question.
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Do idols have scripts?
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Do you ever get awkward to run out of things to say?
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No, there's no given script.
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But I think in my head, I have this default list of conversation starters.
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So the call wouldn't get awkward.
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Hey, where are you at?
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What time is it?
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Are you tired?
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Your hair looks nice.
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I like your shirt.
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Basic socializing stuff.
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Can idols end the call if they want to?
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No. Idols are not allowed to end the call unless they're told to.
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That's crazy.
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That's like, give me your money and don't talk to me.
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That's crazy.
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Can you ask an idol literally anything?
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You can literally talk to them about anything.
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If you have something to say to them, if they did something wrong, you can scold us on the spot.
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No one's stopping you for doing that.
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This happens surprisingly often and there's no regulations on it.
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It's going to be an awkward phone call, but yeah, you can do it.
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Have you ever had to pretend you understood something when you had absolutely no idea what was happening?
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A lot of times the room is loud.
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We're right next to each other and I can't hear properly.
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And with video calls, the signal might be bad.
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I would say 40 % of the time, I couldn't hear you and I would pretend to hear you.
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You know, maybe like look at your face, try to puzzle the conversation together.
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I haven't been caught doing that though.
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Yeah, 40 % of the time, i couldn't hear what you're saying can you take breaks whenever you want technically yeah you can
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but that's going to be very selfish of you you know
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people are going to be waiting for you to go pee
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so just pee before you go in to the call anyways
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hope you guys learned something today tell me in the comments
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what topics i should talk about next again check out free cash
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What Really Goes Down During a K-Pop Fan Call: A Real-Life Glimpse
Imagine this: You’re a K-pop fan who’s spent weeks preparing and saved up to join a video call with your favorite idol. On the other side, the idol is navigating a behind-the-scenes operation—staff watching, strict schedules, and a system built around album sales. This is the real scenario from a video that pulls back the curtain on K-pop fan calls, blending excitement with eye-opening truths about how these beloved interactions work. It’s a lively, relatable conversation that’s perfect for practicing English through shadowing technique—here’s how to make the most of it!
Useful Chunks & Collocations to Master
- "prepare weeks ahead of time": A common phrase for planning in advance. Try saying it aloud to mimic the natural rhythm.
- "behind the scenes": Refers to hidden processes. Great for talking about what happens out of public view.
- "raffle entries": Used when purchases count toward winning a chance. Perfect for discussing contests or giveaways.
- "minimum withdrawal limit": A practical term for financial apps. Practice the stress on "withdrawal" to sound natural.
- "permanent aspect of culture": Describes something that becomes a fixed part of a community. Useful for talking about trends.
Your Shadowing Challenge: Speak Like a Native, Fast!
Ready to try shadowspeak? Here’s your task: Pick a 30-second clip from the video where the idol talks about fan call logistics. Play the clip, pause, and repeat it immediately—matching the speed, tone, and intonation. Do this 5 times. Then, try it without pausing: speak at the same time as the video. This shadow speech practice trains your mouth and brain to keep up with natural English. For extra help, use a shadowing app to slow down the audio at first. You’ll be amazed how quickly phrases like "pandemic workaround" or "access to rewards" start to roll off your tongue. Let’s go—your next conversation will sound smoother than ever!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been playing · have been telling |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have been · I've often been asked · i've actually gotten |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are selected · are required · is usually attached |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who bed · someone who already · calls, which are |
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.