Shadowing Practice: I'M GOING TO WIN - Best Motivational Speech Video (Featuring Denzel Washington) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
88 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Strength Leadership Power Authority Guidance Patience are God’s gift to us as men.
2
We have to cherish that, not abuse it.
3
I Prayed this morning to be a better listener.
4
Didn’t work so well.
5
We’re human.
6
You get back up.
7
Yes, I’ve been high up on the mountain.
8
I’ve been blessed, but that’s a slippery slope - Yeah - And it’s lonely up there.
9
You know, people don’t know that side of it.
10
We did not come this far to just break down and lose now.
11
I'm a winner.
12
I'm going to win.
13
True desire in the heart that itch that you have whatever it is you want to do that thing that you want to do to help others and to- to grow and to make money that desire, that itch, that's God's proof to you sent beforehand already to indicate that it's yours.
14
Aspire to make a difference See, you are what you are in this world.
15
That's either one of two things, Either you're somebody, or you're nobody.
16
Never give up.
17
Without commitment you'll never start but more importantly without consistency you'll never finish.
18
It's not easy If it were easy, there’d be no Denzel Washington.
19
So, Keep working.
20
Keep striving. Never give up.
21
Fall down seven times, get up eight.
22
Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.
23
So Keep moving, keep growing, keep learning.
24
See you at work.
25
While it may be frightening, it will also be rewarding.
26
So you got to get out there.
27
You got to give it everything you got, whether it’s your time, your talent, your prayers, or your treasures.
28
Because taking risks is not just about going for a job.
29
It’s also about knowing what you know and what you don’t know.
30
It’s about being open to people and to ideas.
31
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did because the chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love, the faith that you have, that’s what’s going to define you.
32
I found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.
33
Nothing. Nelson Mandela said, “There is no passion to be found playing small and settling for a life that’s less than the one you’re capable of living.” Now, I’m sure in your experiences in school and applying to college and picking your major and deciding what you want to do with life, I’m sure people have told you to make sure you have something to fall back on.
34
Make sure you got something to fall back on, honey.
35
But I never understood that concept, having something to fall back on.
36
If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything I want to fall forward.
37
I figure at least this way, I’ll see what I’m going to hit.
38
Fall forward.
39
This is what I mean.
40
Reggie Jackson struck out 2,600 times in his career, the most in the history of baseball, but you don’t hear about the strikeouts.
41
People remember the home runs.
42
Fall forward.
43
Thomas Edison conducted 1000 failed experiments.
44
Did you know that? I didn’t know that.
45
Because the 1001st was the light bulb.
46
Fall forward.
47
Fail big Today is the beginning of the rest of your life and it can be- it's going to be very frightening.
48
It's a new world out there, and it's a mean world out there, and you only live once.
49
So do what you feel passionate about.
50
Take chances, professionally.
51
Don’t be afraid to go outside the box.
52
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
53
Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big but remember dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment.
54
So have dreams, but have goals.
55
Life goals, yearly goals, monthly goals, daily goals.
56
I try to give myself a goal everyday.
57
Sometimes just to not curse somebody out.
58
Simple goals, but have goals and understand that to achieve these goals you must apply discipline and consistency.
59
In order to achieve your goals, you must apply discipline, which you have already done.
60
And consistency everyday not just on Tuesday and miss a few days.
61
You have to work at it.
62
Hard work works.
63
You will never see a Uhaul behind a hearse.
64
I don't care how much money you make, you can't take it with you.
65
The Egyptians tried it they got robbed.
66
That's all they got.
67
You can't take it with you.
68
And it's not how much you have.
69
It's what you do with what you have.
70
We all have different talents.
71
Some of you will be doctors, some lawyers, some scientists, some educators, some nurses, some preachers.
72
The most selfish thing you can do in this world is help someone else.
73
Why is it selfish?
74
Because the gratification, the goodness that comes to you, the good feeling.
75
The good feeling that I get from helping others.
76
Nothing is better than that.
77
Well, one or two things but nothing is better than that not- not jewelry, not the big house I have, not the cars, but- the- the- it's the joy.
78
That's where the joy is in helping others. That's where the success is.
79
And anything you want, good you can have.
80
So claim it.
81
Work hard to get it.
82
When you get it, reach back pull someone else up.
83
Each one, teach one.
84
Remember just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done.
85
Remember that, just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done.
86
Don’t confuse movement with progress.
87
My mother told me, she said Yeah, yeah, cause you can run in place all the time and never get anywhere.
88
So continue to strive, continue to have goals, continue to progress.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B21
The #1 BEST Motivational Speech EVER! - When You Want To Succeed - Motivation For Success
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
IT'S NOW OR NEVER. - Powerful Motivational Speech Video
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2I CAN DO IT - Powerful Motivational Speech Video (Featuring Lisa Nichols)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
WHY NOT YOU 2.0 - Powerful Motivational Speech Video
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
KILL THAT WEAK VERSION OF YOURSELF IN 2026 - Powerful Motivational Speech | David Goggins
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU - Powerful Motivational Speech | Alex Hormozi
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
NEVER GIVE UP - Best Motivational Speech Video (Featuring Coach Pain)
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
THE MINDSET OF A WINNER | Kobe Bryant Champions Advice
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C11
IT'S TIME TO FOCUS AND VALUE YOURSELF - Best Motivational Speech | Matthew McConaughey
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
REWIRE YOUR MIND FOR SUCCESS - Powerful Motivational Speech | Andrew Huberman Motivation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HARD 3.0 - The Most Powerful Motivational Speeches Compilation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2FOCUS ON YOURSELF & DO IT ALONE IN 2026 - Powerful Motivational Speech | Mel Robbins Motivation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
YOU VS YOU - Best David Goggins Motivational Speech Compilation Ever (1 Hour Long)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C19
Best Short Motivational Speech Video - 24 HOURS - 1-Minute Motivation #2
University StudentsWorking Adults
B22
SELF DISCIPLINE - Best Motivational Speech Video (Featuring Will Smith)
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B15
10 Minutes For The Next 10 Years Of Your Life! - POSITIVE MORNING MOTIVATION | Listen Every Day!
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B217
PUSH YOURSELF, MAKE IT HAPPEN - Best Motivational Speech Video | Eric Thomas
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2Best Motivational Speech Compilation EVER #30 - CHOOSE YOUR HARD | 1 Hour of the Best Motivation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B25
FOCUS ON YOURSELF AND STAY SILENT - Best Motivational Speech | Shi Heng Yi
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B215
5 Minutes to Start Your Day Right! - MORNING MOTIVATION | Admiral McRaven's Speech For Your Day
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B23
51 sentences
Fail Better - Peter Dinklage | Best Motivational Speech
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
![Denzel Washington NAACP Image Awards 2017 Speech [ FULL VIDEO ]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZFPmyCTlxQw/mqdefault.jpg)
B22
29 sentences
Denzel Washington NAACP Image Awards 2017 Speech [ FULL VIDEO ]
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B121
36 sentences
HARD WORK WORKS | Denzel Washington's Life Advice Will Leave You Speechless | 1 Minute Motivation
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B24
189 sentences
Law of Attraction.
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B28
105 sentences
Justin Bieber's Life Advice Will Leave You SPEECHLESS (Must Watch)
Business EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B238
129 sentences
One of The Greatest Speeches Ever by President Obama | Best Eye Opening Speech
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B23
58 sentences
Unbroken - Motivational Video
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
101 sentences
The 70 Most Famous Quotes of All Time
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
183 sentences
How to Master Action with the "I Will Do It or Die" Rule (Jim Rohn Seminar)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
217 sentences
The 15 Minutes You Need When You Stop Believing | Lewis Hamilton Motivation
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
72 sentences
You still have a lot to fight for.
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “I'M GOING TO WIN - Best Motivational Speech Video”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: goal, fall, dream, forward. This video has 88 sentences and 962 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:07. The speaker talks at a steady 118 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| consistency noun | /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/ | Local coherence. |
| frighten verb | /ˈfɹaɪ.tən/ | To cause to feel fear; to scare; to cause to feel alarm or fright. |
| itch noun | /ɪt͡ʃ/ | A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area. |
| strive verb | /ˈstɹaɪv/ | To try to achieve a result; to make strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently. |
| selfish adjective | /ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/ | Holding one's own self-interest as the standard for decision making. |
| aspire verb | /əˈspaɪɚ/ | To have a strong desire or ambition to achieve something. |
| gratification noun | /ˌɡɹætɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | The act of gratifying or pleasing, either the mind, or the appetite or taste. |
| hearse noun | /hɝs/ | A framework of wood or metal placed over the coffin or tomb of a deceased person, and covered with a pall; also, a temporary canopy bearing wax lights and set… |
| strikeout noun | /stɹaɪːkæʊt/ | An instance or the act of yielding nothing. |
| listener noun | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast. |
| cherish verb | /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/ | To treat with affection, care, and tenderness; to nurture or protect with care. |
| educator noun | /ˈɛd͡ʒəkeɪtɚ/ | A person distinguished for their educational work, a teacher. |
| hardship noun | /ˈhɑɹdˌʃɪp/ | Difficulty or trouble; hard times. |
| slippery adjective | /ˈslɪpəɹi/ | Of a surface, having low friction, often due to being covered in a non-viscous liquid, and therefore hard to grip, hard to stand on without falling, etc. |
| beforehand adverb | /bɪˈfɔɹhænd/ | At an earlier or preceding time. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fall back on verb | To turn to as a substitute; to rely on as a backup. | |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). | |
| break down verb | To stop functioning. | |
| fall down verb | /fɔl ˈdaʊn/ | To fall to the ground. To collapse. |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. | |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. | |
| strike out verb | To lash out; to strike or hit at someone or something, particularly something in arm's length of the striker and at or near the level of the striker's head. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Yes, I’ve been high up on the mountain.
- You know, people don’t know that side of it.
- Did you know that?
- You can't take it with you.
- It's what you do with what you have.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been · I've been blessed · have told |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | I've been blessed · be found |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 35 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: selfish /ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/, gratification /ˌɡɹætɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, cherish /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/, hardship /ˈhɑɹdˌʃɪp/, passionate /ˈpæʃənɪt/
- Long words — get the stress right: consistency /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/, gratification /ˌɡɹætɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, educator /ˈɛd͡ʒəkeɪtɚ/, disappointment /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/, importantly /ɪmˈpɔɹ.tənt.li/
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 consistency, frighten, itch.
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.