Shadowing Practice: If nobody watches your videos, do this. - Learn English Speaking with Video

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The new YouTube algorithm, brand new algorithm, the YouTube algorithm has changed.

It's weird, isn't it?

One disappointing upload and suddenly you're questioning everything.

maybe youtube's too saturated maybe the algorithm just hates me maybe

i'm not talented enough maybe i'm just wasting my time

and before long those little doubts start making decisions for you

because when nobody's watching your videos it's very easy to convince yourself

that you've already failed when in reality you're judging your entire journey from your first few steps

so whenever i'm making a video

i get ridiculously invested in it like i'll spend hours writing the script

i'll move the camera around the room 20 times trying to get the right shot

i'll sit there messing around with the edits for hours

and i love doing that you know i love pouring my heart

and soul into these videos but then eventually you have to actually upload the video and suddenly your video,

this creative project that you're really proud of, gets reduced to a bunch of numbers on a screen.

And I think that is the moment where you have to completely change the way that you think about YouTube.

Because when you're creating the video, I think you should be emotionally invested in it.

You know, you should care about your videos.

You should try and create things that you're genuinely proud of.

But the second that video is uploaded, you almost need to switch off that emotional part of your brain.

And the way I think about this is really simple you need to create like an artist, but study like a scientist.

So once I've actually posted a video to YouTube, I try to just look at it like data.

Because really, every video that you upload is essentially a little experiment.

You know, you're testing an idea.

You're testing a title and thumbnail.

Maybe you're testing a new video style.

And whatever happens after that is just the result of that experiment.

It doesn't say anything about your self -worth.

It doesn't say anything about you as a person.

It's just data, you know, it's just numbers on a screen.

But what happens when it's not just one video?

What happens when you've posted 20, 30, 40 videos and you still feel like you're stuck in exactly the same place?

Well, I've definitely, definitely been through periods like that myself. And something

that has really helped me over the last few years of doing this is to change the story that you tell yourself.

Because think about it like this, two creators can be in the exact same situation and tell themselves completely different stories.

So one creator could post 30 videos and think, oh, I've made 30 videos and I'm still getting no views.

Clearly, this isn't working.

Clearly, I'm not caught out for this.

And then another creator could post those exact same 30 videos and think, OK, you know, the results haven't caught up yet,

but I'm getting better every time I post and I'm having so much fun doing it.

Same number of videos, same number of views but

which creator do you think is more likely to actually grow their channel

because eventually the story that you keep telling yourself starts changing the way

that you create if you are constantly telling yourself

that you're not good enough

then you are going to start creating like someone who doesn't really believe in their own work whereas

if you still see yourself as someone who is learning

and experimenting and improving then you are going to be way more likely to actually see some real results.

Okay, so now there is one final question that we need to answer.

What one thing is actually gonna keep you going when nobody is watching?

Because if the only reason you are doing YouTube is to make money or just for clout, then eventually that motivation is gonna disappear,

especially during those months where you're putting everything into your videos and getting absolutely nothing back.

So something that I found is you need a deeper reason behind what you are doing.

You need something that still matters to you even when the views and the subscribers aren't there yet.

And you can think of that deeper reason as your North Star.

For example, my North Star is to help creators who are basically where I was a few years ago,

where you're making videos and trying to grow your channel, but you still feel like you're miles away from where you wanna be.

And for me, having that

North Star is probably the reason why this channel is where it is today.

Because when I was posting videos that weren't getting any views having

that deeper reason was the thing that got me to set

that camera back up every time and keep going

so i would really recommend taking a piece of paper

and literally writing down one question what is my personal north star

that makes all of this worth it

and then whatever answer you write down keep coming back to it

because during those periods where youtube is giving you absolutely nothing back

that is the thing that's going to remind you why you're doing all of this in the first place.

Okay, so hopefully you enjoyed this video.

I had a lot of fun making it.

And if you do want to learn more about how to actually break out of

that dead zone period at the beginning of your journey, then click onto this video just up here and I'll see you there.

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156 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “If nobody watches your videos, do this”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: youtube, creator, algorithm, views, star. This video has 72 sentences and 935 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:58. The speaker talks fast, about 188 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 89% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
creator noun	/kɹiːˈeɪ̯təː/	Something or someone which creates or makes something.
algorithm noun	/ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/	A collection of ordered steps that solve a mathematical problem. A precise step-by-step plan for a computational procedure that possibly begins with an input…
upload verb	/ˈʌpˌloʊd/	To transfer data to a computer on a network, especially to a server on the Internet.
experiment noun	/ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/	A test under controlled conditions made to either demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of…
invest verb	/ɪnˈvɛst/	To spend money, time, or energy on something, especially for some benefit or purpose; used with in.
essentially adverb	/ɪˈsɛnʃəli/	In essence: by nature.
whereas	/(h)wɛɹˈæz/	In contrast; whilst on the contrary; although.
remind verb	/ɹəˈmaɪnd/	To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person).
script noun	/skɹɪpt/	A writing; a written document.
edit verb	/ˈɛdɪt/	To change a text, or a document.
talented adjective	/ˈtæləntɪd/	Endowed with one or more talents.
convince verb	/kənˈvɪns/	To make someone believe, or feel sure about something, especially by using logic, argument or evidence.
motivation noun	/ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/	Willingness of action especially in behavior.
scientist noun	/ˈsaɪəntəst/	One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research…
genuinely adverb	/ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/	In a genuine manner; truthfully, truly.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
write down verb	To produce or set (something) down in writing; to record something.
back up verb	To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so.
caught up verb	Involuntarily involved in a situation.
switch off verb	To stop or disable a device by turning a switch or a lever.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

One disappointing upload and suddenly you're questioning everything.
You know, you're testing an idea.
You're testing a title and thumbnail.
Maybe you're testing a new video style.
It doesn't say anything about your self -worth.

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	has changed · you've already failed · I've actually posted
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	should be emotionally invested · is uploaded
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	someone who doesn · someone who is

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 41 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: algorithm /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/, thumbnail /ˈθʌm.neɪl/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/
Long words — get the stress right: experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like creator, algorithm, upload.

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 technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: If nobody watches your videos, do this. - Learn English Speaking with Video

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