Shadowing Practice: I Stopped Studying and Started SPEAKING 4 Languages — Here's the Method - Learn English Speaking with Video
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I am a native English speaker, but I have also learned three foreign languages.
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In addition to English, I speak German, Portuguese, and Polish.
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And after learning three foreign languages, I know that there is this massive period of time where you understand the language, you are studying the language,
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you are doing everything you can to become fluent in the language, but you cannot speak the language.
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Or maybe you can in bits and pieces, but when you actually get into a real conversation, it feels extremely difficult to hold the conversation.
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And this is frustrating because you're working so hard.
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You are studying nonstop and you just want to actually feel fluent.
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You want to actually feel like you can speak the language, like you can hold a conversation, like you can live in the language.
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So today I'm going to share with you the three things that I do in order to get there.
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in order to get from studying the language to speaking the language.
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And with only just a couple quick fixes in your studying routine, you are going to see a massive difference between your output,
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between how you are speaking and how you hold conversations.
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Let's get started.
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So the first one is twofold.
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One thing you need to do is you need to stop being a perfectionist.
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Now, learning a language is a huge feat.
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It requires so much of you.
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You have to learn the grammar.
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You have to learn vocabulary.
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You have to practice.
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You have to take an input.
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You have to do so much.
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And it takes so much time.
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It takes so much effort.
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and then you go to speak and you worry that you don't sound perfect and you worry that you make mistakes.
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Guess what?
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We all make mistakes speaking the language.
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Think about your native language.
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Even in your native language, you make mistakes.
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Your friends make mistakes and what do you do when you do it?
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Sometimes you correct it but most of the time we just keep going.
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We just keep speaking.
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The goal is fluency.
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The goal is communication.
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It's about actually getting somewhere with our conversation, being able to exchange ideas, being able to talk with someone else.
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The goal is not perfect grammar.
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And this is true even in your native language.
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So if you imagine in a foreign language, first of all, nobody else really cares.
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And I know that it's hard for you, but you have to just let your guard down a little bit, accept that you're going to make mistakes,
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try your best, and instead of getting hung up on it, just keep going.
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Don't spend time trying to fix it.
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Don't spend time obsessing over the mistake.
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Just, I just noticed I did that.
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Just keep talking.
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Just forget about it.
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Just keep going.
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If you want to be fluent, you cannot obsess over mistakes.
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You cannot be a perfectionist.
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You just have to speak and just keep going.
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So that is one thing.
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Another thing you're going to have to do is you need to stop translating in your head.
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And I know this is easier said than done.
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There are so many resources out there that are like, yeah, just stop translating.
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Just don't.
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And I know it sounds impossible, but I can tell you after learning three languages, there is a difference when you make
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that shift in your mind to say okay I'm done I'm done translating every word
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and from now on I am just going to produce in
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that language and spit it out
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that shift is hard to get to don't get me wrong that's a hard thing to decide
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but once you actually make that decision your language is
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so much more fluid you are thinking in ideas and concepts in sentences rather than individual words.
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When you speak in individual words, it's harder to communicate.
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You make more mistakes.
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It just is a fact.
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And even if you're still making mistakes when you're thinking in the language and you're not translating, that's okay.
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But you're speaking so much more fluidly, so much more fluently, and you're going to communicate so much better.
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now
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if you don't believe me just try it out just say
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you know what this week I'm gonna make the decision I'm
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going to think in the language I'm gonna stop translating just try it
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and it's gonna be hard but you're gonna see
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that there is going to be a shift in your mind at the way
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that you build those language skills and you are going to get better
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so much faster and honestly that is the true road to fluency the sooner you make
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that decision the sooner you're going to become fluent If you try to just translate word for word forever, you're never going to get there.
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Or maybe you will, but it's going to take so much longer.
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So the first step is really making that decision.
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So the second thing that I have always done and
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that you need to do if you're working towards speaking the language is you need to add more output.
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So output is actually producing the language.
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It's speaking the language, writing the language, right?
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We have input.
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We take in movies, TV shows, podcasts, music.
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We listen, listen, listen.
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Yeah, you need to create.
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You need to produce the language.
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And there are a bunch of ways you can do this.
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One way is thinking in the language.
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Another way is speaking in the language.
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Another way is actually talking with someone, right?
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So you can produce output on your own and you can do it with another person.
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Here are some things I've done and that I recommend.
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One thing is the daily journal.
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I am a huge advocate of the daily journal.
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It is something I did not start doing the first time I learned a language.
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I started it later on on my language learning journey.
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And there was a big difference between when I did and when I didn't.
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So I started that with the third language I learned.
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And that language I learned the fastest by far.
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And the idea here is that you keep a journal, a notebook, some place that is dedicated for that language
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and I would sit down before bed every night and just write two sentences about my day, about my thoughts, my feelings, my emotions.
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I mean, super simple stuff.
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It would be like, today was a stressful day.
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There was a lot on my plate.
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I had a lot of work, period.
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That's it.
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Or I have this event coming up tomorrow.
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I'm really excited.
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I'm not sure what I should wear.
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Really normal everyday stuff.
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And one thing here is that it makes it easy to be consistent because it's so small.
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It's just two sentences.
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So it really makes that barrier of just doing it so much easier because you're like, you know, I can do two sentences.
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When you're thinking to yourself, I need to sit down, study my workbook, spend two hours.
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I mean, really dedicate mental energy.
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It feels a lot harder to just jump in.
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But when it's two sentences, even if you're exhausted, you're like, you know, I'll keep my streak.
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I can do two sentences.
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It will take me two minutes and then I'm done.
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So that's one thing.
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You're going to be consistent creating output, which is huge.
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That's so important when you're learning a language.
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But another thing is that you are actually talking about your real thoughts, real emotions, real things that are going on in your life.
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And that is going to build your vocabulary.
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That is going to build the way that you speak.
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I mean, even build your personality in the language.
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And you're going to feel much closer to the language.
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When you are actually accessing the language every day, you feel close to it.
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When you are studying once, twice, three times a week even, you just feel a little further removed from the language.
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And then if you find yourself in a situation where someone wants to talk to you, they're like, oh, you speak Spanish?
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I speak Spanish.
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Let's talk together.
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You all of a sudden freeze up.
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You're like, oh, I was not ready for that.
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I only do Spanish on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and this is a Thursday, right?
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You know what I mean?
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so actually engaging with the language every single day just helps
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keep it fresh in your mind it keeps it in the
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front of your brain you are like a well-oiled machine
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and it just makes a big difference in that feeling so for
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so many different reasons I recommend the daily journal it's such an easy thing to do just just trust me
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and start doing it if you hate it you can quit
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but I bet that you're going to see some improvement in your language skills.
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So give it a try.
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Then another option for adding in more output is 10 minutes of self-talk throughout the day.
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Now this can be one 10-minute sprint if you'd rather just set a timer and say, okay, I'm going to talk to myself for 10 minutes.
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Or this can be scattered throughout the day.
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I personally like an integrated mindset when I learn a language.
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So I try my best to have a very short period of active studying
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and I try to bring in the rest throughout my day.
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So if I'm cooking, maybe I'll just narrate out loud exactly what I'm doing in the language.
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If I'm on a walk, maybe I'll talk to myself a little bit in the language, talk about my day.
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I mean, super chill stuff.
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You're not giving a lecture.
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You're not writing an essay.
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It's just about producing in the language.
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And so however you can fit that in your day, if you need to set a timer and say, Hey, I'm going to do five minutes of talking to myself out loud, practice my pronunciation, practice my sentence building.
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If you want to do that, do it.
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But if you want it to be integrated throughout your day, just seamlessly meld into what you're doing, do that.
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But the key here is that you should be doing it every day.
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Consistency is truly, truly key when you are learning a language.
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So whatever you can fit in, do it, but add in some more output.
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And then of course, you can talk to friends on the phone.
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You can send voice messages.
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I like to send WhatsApp voice messages to friends in foreign languages.
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And then if it's really bad too, you can just delete it and restart.
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Talking on the phone, FaceTiming.
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Of course, you need a friend that speaks that language.
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But if you do have one, that's a great option.
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And then there's also personalized classes.
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You can always find these online, like things like Italki, something like that.
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So you can find personalized lessons.
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And then you can find group lessons.
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These are all different ways to warm up your output.
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But amping up that output production is key.
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And so you need to find ways that you can do it and be consistent with it.
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The third step that I take when I'm learning a foreign language to really bridge
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that gap with speaking is I use filler words to buy time.
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Now, over time, this will come naturally, even if you don't actively study this part.
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If you are just listening to a lot of input, creating output, actually talking to people, you're in the environment, you're going to quickly pick up on how people buy time.
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You're going to hear, oh, in English we say, or we say, I mean, you know, just little phrases or pauses, you know, to fill the space.
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And then you can keep going on with your thought.
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And every language has these native speakers use filler words all the time.
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So of course, as a non-native speaker, not only are you thinking in the language
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but you also have to build your thought we need filler words we need to buy time
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so the first time I learned a language that was German
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and I just slowly discovered oh people say good now to everything
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and they say and they say nah yeah or they say I'd so all the time just filling these pauses.
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And, you know, so it took me a while.
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I was already learning the language for a couple of years.
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And then I was like, oh, if I need a minute, I'll just throw that in there.
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And that made a huge jump in my speaking journey.
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Then when I was learning Portuguese, I actually just asked my teacher in the first week.
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I said, how do people buy time in the language?
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Like, just tell me what, how can I buy time?
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What should I say?
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And she told me right then and there, she gave me a couple of things you can do.
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And so that really helped me to just say, you know, when I'm speaking and I need just another second, let me just throw in this filler word.
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And it made it feel so much easier to speak.
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When you're speaking and you feel like you just have to go straight all the time, like you cannot take a break or you're just going to crash and burn.
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First of all, that's not the truth.
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Native speakers take breaks it's hard to just speak non-stop and it's also unnatural.
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So first of all, it's not true.
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And second of all, there's a solution.
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Every language has filler words.
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So try to discover those right away.
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Ask your teacher, look them up, do what you need to do, but figure out how to fill those in.
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And then when you're listening to things, when you're getting your input, listen for those filler words.
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Try to notice how people are using them.
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And then you're going to learn to fit those in how you're speaking really naturally.
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One thing to note here though is a lot of the time the input we take is perfectly curated.
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We take in music, we take in movies, we take in podcasts where people are very precise with how they speak.
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Everyday conversation does not flow like that.
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People do not speak to each other in perfect script form.
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It's messy.
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We take breaks, we interrupt each other, We use filler words, right?
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That is all part of fluent natural speech.
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And learning those filler words early on, learning how to fill the pauses naturally early on will make a huge difference in how you speak,
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how you communicate, how you come across.
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So in English, if you need your filler words, use you know, I mean, or well.
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And all of those will do the trick.
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Those are the three steps that I take when I'm trying to make that jump into actually speaking the language.
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First, I stop translating and I stop trying to be perfect.
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Second, I introduce more ways to create output.
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I talk to friends on the phone.
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I talk to myself.
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I write in my daily journal, etc. And third, I use filler words.
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I buy time.
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I try to find natural ways to fill the pauses.
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And that is how I really bridge that gap.
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And honestly, I know that if you add in those three things, you are going to be able to do the same.
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You're going to be able to speak better and you're going to be able to communicate so much better, so much more fluently.
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And remember, fluency is not about knowing more.
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It's not about more grammar, more vocabulary.
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It's about speaking with what you already know.
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So finding ways to take all the knowledge you've already learned and communicate effectively.
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And that is the name of the game in every level.
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No matter if you're A1 or C1, you still have to build that skill.
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And so practicing that early on
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and improving it as you deepen your language knowledge is going to make it so that you actually are building fluency.
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Please comment below what you're struggling with to actually start speaking
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and what you are going to start doing to make that jump.
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Now, if this video helped you, please like and subscribe and I'll catch you in the next video.
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From Studying to Speaking: Overcoming the Fluency Block
Many English learners face a common struggle: they understand grammar, memorize vocabulary, and practice daily, but when it’s time to speak, words get stuck. Conversations feel forced, and self-doubt creeps in. The video shares a game-changing approach to bridge this gap, focusing on actionable steps to move from studying to english speaking practice that actually works.
The Scenario: Breaking the Perfectionism Trap
The dialogue highlights a relatable scenario: learners spend hours mastering the language but freeze in real conversations due to fear of mistakes. The key insight? Fluency isn’t about perfect grammar—it’s about communication. In your native language, you don’t fixate on every error, so why do it in English? Letting go of perfectionism is the first step to confident speaking.
Useful Chunks & Collocations for Fluent Speaking
- Get hung up on: "Don’t get hung up on mistakes—keep talking."
- Let your guard down: "To speak freely, you need to let your guard down."
- Exchange ideas: "The goal is to exchange ideas, not impress with grammar."
- Hold a conversation: "Practice daily to learn how to hold a conversation."
- Obsess over: "Don’t obsess over errors—focus on communication."
Your Shadowing Challenge: Improve Pronunciation & Fluency Today
The shadowing technique is a proven way to boost speaking skills. Here’s your task: Find a short English video (2-3 minutes) with clear audio. Play a 5-second clip, pause, and repeat it immediately—mimic the tone, speed, and improve english pronunciation by copying the speaker’s intonation. Do this 5 times, then try a 10-second clip. For extra practice, use a shadowing app or shadowing site to record yourself and compare. This trains your brain to think and speak in real time, breaking the "study but can’t speak" cycle.
Remember: Fluency comes from speaking, not perfection. Start small, embrace mistakes, and use shadowing to build confidence. With consistent practice, you’ll move from "I can’t speak" to "I can communicate"—and that’s the real win.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if I'm cooking, maybe I'll just · If I'm on a walk, maybe I'll talk · if I need a minute, I'll just |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have also learned · have always done · I've done |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is dedicated · can be scattered · be integrated |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keep speaking · keep talking · stop translating |
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.