Shadowing Practice: I reached C1 without moving abroad, so you can just copy me - Learn English Speaking with Video

Hey guys, welcome back to Easy English with Kat.

Now, today I want to acknowledge a huge myth.

The myth that you have to move somewhere in order to be fluent.

Now, I am a native English speaker, but I also speak German, Portuguese, and Polish.

And I, for one, learned German to a C1 level without moving there.

So today I'm going to show you exactly what I did to achieve that.

how I actually learned the language to a fluent level without having to live there.

Now, you always hear people say, well, you can't learn without immersion, dot, dot, dot.

And there is some truth.

You need immersion.

But the secret is that you can create immersion on your own.

You don't have to live in the place.

Now, step one is an input shift.

And this has to do with moving from textbook language to real world language.

And this is the same in every language.

Now, the way that you can do this is by doing a sort of audit in your daily life.

Now, take all of the things that you are doing anyways and try to put them in that language.

So these can be both small things and big things.

Small things you can change are things like putting your phone in that language.

All you have to do is go on your settings, select the language you are studying, and turn your phone into it.

That way, every time you are on your phone, you are going to be engaging with new vocabulary,

new nuances, new instances where you are using those words and phrases.

This is going to actually make it so that you are thinking in the language more.

Now that's a small thing that you can do because honestly, you get used to it so quickly.

So you just change it and then you forget that it's even in that language.

And to tell you the truth, you know your phone so well, it won't even be difficult to navigate.

You just all of a sudden are doing it in that language.

That's something you can do.

I try to change my mindset into if I'm doing something, it is in that language.

If I'm taking a shower, I'm thinking in that language.

If I'm going on a run, I'm thinking in that language.

If I'm cooking dinner, the ingredients are in that language.

If I'm going grocery shopping, my grocery list is in that language.

I mean, everything you can think of.

If you're going to watch TV, in that language.

Go onto Netflix and simply select the language you'll be able to find tons of shows available.

In today's day and age, there is so much media at your fingertips that you can truly create immersion for yourself.

And this honestly makes a huge difference.

This is what people mean when they say that you have to go to a place in order to speak a language.

They're not talking about your physical GPS location.

They are talking about the fact that you need a lot of input.

And that is true, but you can create that on your own.

You just need a little bit of focus, a little bit of vigor, and a little bit of intensity,

and you can do it on your own 100%.

So after you've created this input shift, after you've audited your life, and you've found the ways that you can introduce the language,

the next thing you need to do is you need to add a feedback loop.

Now, input is essential and it's great, but passive listening is only half the battle.

In order to reach C1, you really need a feedback loop and you need human connection.

I've always noticed that when I actually commit to doing one-on-one classes,

I find a huge difference in the speed at which I get to that more advanced level.

Because you're actually communicating with someone.

I mean, you can take in hours and hours and hours of input every day.

But if you are not participating in a loop, in a conversation, in input,

output, listening, speaking, you are not actually going to be able to reach that C1 level.

Now, once again, you don't have to move there, but you do need someone to talk to.

Now, passive listening is a great start, but it won't get you to a C1 level.

The biggest lesson that I learned in reaching fluency without moving abroad is that you need a real human feedback loop.

You can only get so far on your own.

And that is exactly why the cornerstone of my immersion strategy is Italki.

If you aren't familiar, Italki is a platform that connects you with native speaking teachers for personalized one-on-one lessons.

What I really love about italki is the personalized one-on-one lessons.

You aren't following some generic app.

You are getting undivided attention and instant feedback from native teachers,

which can significantly boost your listening and speaking skills.

I personally use the filters to find teachers who specialize in exactly what I need.

Whether that's professional nuance or just natural conversation flow.

With over 30,000 teachers worldwide,

it's honestly incredibly easy to find a mentor who really fits your vibe and your busy schedule.

In fact, let me show you exactly what this looks like in practice.

Here's a quick snippet from one of my recent German sessions on the platform. and that's all here.

And Catherine, do you often go to a trip?

Yes, I like to go to a trip.

It's a hobby, I can say.

I can go to a book and listen to a book or talk to friends.

It's really a good break.

There are no subscription apps, you just pay per lesson as you go.

And for my viewers who are just starting out, you can even find teachers who speak your native language to help you feel more comfortable.

If you're ready to build your own immersion engine from home, click the link in my description below to book your first session and start speaking today.

And use my promo code CAT26, buy $10 and get $5 off of your first lesson.

But the discount is only available for the first 50 users.

So hurry up and grab it.

Now step three is all about creating an output engine.

So you've done the input audit.

Now you have a feedback loop.

And so the next thing is to start creating output.

Once again here, it is essential that you get a little creative with it.

You need to have some fun with it.

Now there are a few tools that you can use to really build that engine.

One thing I always recommend doing is narrating your day.

Now I know it's uncomfortable, it feels a little weird.

I've been there.

I actually still do it all the time to practice my languages and it's weird.

I mean you are literally talking to yourself but you are able to learn so much.

You honestly improve so much more quickly when you start narrating to yourself and thinking in the language,

talking to yourself, just going about your day living in that language.

Now, one reason that it helps so much is because when you're by yourself and you're just narrating what you are doing,

you are in a very low stress situation.

And so you can kind of encounter grammar mistakes and new vocabulary and pause for a minute and think,

oh, how do I construct this? oh yeah like that

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and oh how do i use this word exactly did i do it correctly

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and it's okay you're not in a conversation you're not in

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a stressful work setting you're not at a party right you're just by yourself and

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so it really gives you the time to work through your thoughts work through the grammar work through the vocabulary

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and then later on

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when you actually are in higher stress conversations in more important settings you feel

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so much more comfortable

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because you have been practicing on your own all this time it's just like

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if you were running a race

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and for a long time you've been going on runs all by yourself just practicing

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and practicing and then it's race day

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and it's just a tiny bit different i mean you're still running you're just in a slightly different setting.

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You know, it really helps to build that confidence and comfort while speaking.

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So I really, really recommend narrating your day,

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talking to yourself, and shadowing other content in order to really build that mouth muscle memory.

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Now, the other thing that is essential here and often overlooked is that speaking a language is a real physical motion.

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You have to learn all the new sounds in your mouth.

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I mean, of course, you have to learn the words and you have to learn the grammar,

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but every language feels differently in the mouth and you actually have to train those muscles.

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That is exactly why I put together my seven day pronunciation workout for all my English learners, which you can also find in the description below.

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So really focusing on pronunciation is also essential here.

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And that is something I did in order to really get to a C1 level without living in the place.

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And it's something that if you're not living there, you really have to prioritize and focus on.

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This is another reason why having a feedback loop really helps because when you are speaking with a native speaker,

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you are really going to hear the nuances in pronunciation and be able to really practice those on your own.

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Now, step four

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and the last tip I have is about using the right tools in order to reach this level of fluency.

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Now, I know that there are a million tools out there, so I'm going to keep it really simple.

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I have a really, really simple system that honestly is extremely effective.

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All I do when I'm learning a language besides input,

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feedback loop, and output is I have a workbook that is at my right level.

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You don't want to be studying above or below your level.

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So a notebook that is really at your level.

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And if you don't know your level, you can just look up the language and then a test and test your level.

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And it will tell you right away, A2, B1, C1, whatever.

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Get the workbook in that level and every day I do about one chapter and I have two notebooks.

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One of these notebooks is for taking notes.

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It's messy.

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It is for grammar, practicing sentences, just everything in my workbook that I just want to get out of my head

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and onto paper that goes in my messy notebook

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and it really helps you just work through the language then

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i have a small notebook i like a really small one

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that i can keep in my purse here i keep all the new vocabulary words

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that i learn

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so as i'm working through my workbook every day anytime i

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see a new word i write it directly in my vocabulary book

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and then when i'm out doing anything else

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and i think of a word that I don't know and I look it up, then I write it directly in that vocab book.

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And once a week, I review all the new words.

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So it's really that simple.

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It comes down to three tools, two notebooks and one workbook.

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And when you keep it this simple, you can actually achieve a really good workflow and routine.

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Then your day-to-day life is pretty simple.

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It comes down to as much input as possible, having a feedback loop, a one-on-one conversation,

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talking to yourself, generating output, and using your materials to study a little bit every day.

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It becomes so simple and actually manageable.

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Now, if you stick to this routine and you are consistent about it, you will actually be able to reach a C1 level without moving there.

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I did it in German and I know that it is possible in any language if you put your mind to it.

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Here you have permission to be imperfect.

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You do not need to buy a plane ticket.

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You simply need some consistency and the right tools.

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Now remember the gap between studying and fluency is real world conversation.

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So head over to italki using the link in my description to start your immersion today.

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and don't forget to use the promo code cat26 at checkout.

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When you buy $10, you get $5 off your first lesson

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and there are only 50 spots available for this discount so grab yours while you can.

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Happy learning and thank you so much for watching.

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If this video helped you, please like and subscribe.

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It really helps my channel.

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I will catch you in the next video.

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Bye.

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 Practice: I reached C1 without moving abroad, so you can just copy me - Learn English Speaking with Video

Context & Background

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

What is the Shadowing Technique?