Shadowing Practice: iPad mini 4 Years Later as a Minimalist | Digital Minimalism - Learn English Speaking with Video
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a couple weeks ago in my capsule tech setup video i
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mentioned i wanted to make an updated ipad mini video
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because even though i have done that many times it's been about six months or so
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and i do feel like i have some more takes on
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why this is this single best device to fit in a
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minimalist lifestyle at least in my opinion i'm going to talk about how it fits into my routine
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and my specific use cases.
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And I'm hoping to at least give a little inspiration to those of you who commented on
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that video and told me that you do in fact have an iPad mini, but don't really know what to use it for.
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Here's why I think the iPad mini is the perfect device for a minimalist.
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But first, if you're new to my channel, thank you for stopping by.
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Here we talk about minimalism, frugal living, tech, and things of that nature.
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So if that sounds good to you, and you end up liking the video, be sure to like, and please tell the subscribe button you'll represent them in a trial by combat, but they never show up.
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Let's get started.
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The first thing is it does mostly everything rather well.
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I feel like this is the best point to start out with
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because it really encapsulates why my iPad mini is in fact so useful for me.
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No it's not the most powerful device to game on
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and no it doesn't have the best camera out there
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but it's still sort of a swiss army knife in my daily life because of the things it does excel at.
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Handling the things that I do pretty much every day like reading and responding to emails, or having music or movies on while I'm sitting at my desk at home or at work,
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and handling those things that I do on a more weekly or even monthly basis, like writing or paying bills.
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I actually don't even think I made an update since this OS 26 came out, and admittedly, I actually kind of hated it at first, but it has grown on me,
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and being able to completely resize the windows has been very convenient when I need to multitask.
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And although on paper it's not the most powerful or state -of -the -art iPad, I would make the argument that for some of the reasons I'm going to talk about here in a second,
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it really might be the most powerful in a use case or practicality sense.
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And to back that up is the next point on this list is it's pretty much the perfect size.
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Not too long ago in a video I talked about how it seems everything, especially tech and electronics, are just getting bigger with every release.
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And yes, that offers things like better batteries because they're bigger, but I have yet to see where that's been a really good thing for at least me personally.
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I have to make the very bold statement
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that I think the iPad mini is the single best electronic device I've ever used as far as size and ergonomics go.
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It fits perfectly into my small bag and pretty much everywhere I've ever decided to keep it.
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And I don't know if this matters to anybody, but if being inconspicuous is a factor for you, this is where that small form factor can shine the most.
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If I had this thing in high school, I would have never gotten anything done.
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I still didn't get a lot done, but this would have just made it way worse.
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I would even go as far as to say is its size has influenced how much I actually use it
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because it's a huge reason why I bring it with me daily in the first place.
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Its size reinforces the idea that I don't need the biggest or most powerful option, just what fits my life.
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It can replace multiple physical items.
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I don't think I'm as extreme as I once was
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when it just comes to owning as few things as humanly possible in order to feel like a minimalist.
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That being said, the iPad mini can absolutely replace many physical things if I wanted to or just needed it to.
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If I really felt that need to, I could declutter the journals that I used to write, physical books to read, and my gaming device and just use the iPad mini for all these things,
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albeit with some compromise.
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I used to draw a lot in high school, and the iPad mini helped me rediscover that love for drawing, and it just helped me not have to commit to buying
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any sort of supplies just to try it out to see if I even wanted to do it again.
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I mean, yes, I do have the Apple Pencil, but that serves some other purposes as well.
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More so in the early stages of minimalism, when I was more focused on getting down to the lowest number of items,
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I was just able to centralize several hobbies and methods of productivity into this one small device.
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Not to mention, there are plenty of ways to get free books, movies, shows, and games on here completely for free.
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So in a way, this could replace a lot of physical media across a lot of categories as well, unless you're someone who likes physical media.
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Overall, in regards to living a minimalist lifestyle, this can really reduce as many things in my daily life as I allow it.
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Perfect true creativity with low commitment.
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I just talked about how the iPad mini made me fall in love with drawing again, but specifically as a minimalist, it offers me the ability to sketch,
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animate, and even edit pictures and videos at a pretty intermediate level without having to commit to buying any additional products.
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I don't personally edit videos here, but you can literally just record videos straight from the iPad's camera and import it to iMovie, which is a free app on here,
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and edit decent videos that way.
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Editing pictures here is super convenient
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because it feels about the size of a photo you would have printed and hanging on the wall anyways.
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And where it shines the absolute brightest, in my opinion, is when you take advantage of Procreate.
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Genuinely the best $10 I've ever spent in my entire life, and I'll make my case known right now in case I ever work with Procreate, it is the single best iPad app.
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I usually just make thumbnails on here by adding text and messing around with colors, but I've seen people who make full animated cartoons here.
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And while Procreate's one of the many apps you can use to sketch and draw, there are plenty of other creative apps where you can make things like comic strips and cartoons.
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I think a really popular one is called ToonSquid.
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To me, Regular Show is one of the best cartoons ever made, and I wanted to make a cartoon like that one day, so I was looking into apps.
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Essentially, I think no matter what level of artist you are, and especially if you're a beginner, this at the very least aligns with minimalist decision making because
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if you want to eventually commit
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and invest into a hobby you can at least try it a little bit here on this iPad.
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And it means that decision will just be a little bit more intentional now.
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It lowers the pressure to upgrade.
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Now I know this video praising the iPad Mini in itself can create a sense of FOMO
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or fear of missing out but I really didn't even think about this up until four years of owning this iPad.
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And being someone who used to heavily fall for the hype of new products, I never felt the need to upgrade or replace this iPad because of how versatile and capable it is.
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Of course, resisting the urge to upgrade tech is more of a case of willpower and intentionality, but it absolutely helps when what you already have does everything you need it to.
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Ultimately, living as a minimalist just means there's more intention behind these purchasing decisions, especially expensive ones like electronics.
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And the purchases that I do make, well, I just don't want to be able to see the end of ownership with them, at least anywhere in the near future.
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In the end, I simply think everyone's version of minimalism will look vastly different.
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And if there ever was a point where minimalism was a contest about getting to as few number of items as possible, well, we're just way past that.
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And I think it's evolved quite a bit.
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These are just a few of the reasons why I think iPad mini is still perfect for minimalist
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or even someone who just wants to at least minimize their tech space.
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I hope you found some value in the things that I talked about here today.
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Let me know some of your specific iPad mini use cases if you have any.
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Anyways, as always, I appreciate the time you spent here and I appreciate you watching.
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If you did like this video and you like this type of content, be sure to like and consider subscribing to my channel and I'll see you next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 85 sentences and 1575 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:26. The speaker talks fast, about 212 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mini adjective | /ˈmɪn.i/ | Miniature, tiny, small. |
| edit verb | /ˈɛdɪt/ | To change a text, or a document. |
| cartoon noun | /kɑɹˈtun/ | A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings. |
| commit verb | /kəˈmɪt/ | To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto. |
| upgrade verb | /əpˈɡɹeɪd/ | To improve, usually applied to technology, generally by complete replacement of one or more components. |
| lifestyle noun | /ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl/ | A style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group. |
| electronics noun | /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɑ.nɪks/ | The study and use of electrical devices that operate by controlling the flow of electrons or other electrically charged particles or by converting the flow of… |
| shine verb | /ʃaɪn/ | To emit or reflect light so as to glow. |
| convenient adjective | /kənˈviː.niənt/ | Serving to reduce a difficulty, or accessible with minimum difficulty; expedient. |
| anyways adverb | /ˈɛn.iˌweɪz/ | Anyway, anyhow, in any case. |
| sketch noun | /ˈskɛt͡ʃ/ | A rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not intended as a finished work, often consisting of a multitude of overlapping lines. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| hobby noun | /ˈhɑ.bi/ | An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. |
| commitment noun | /kəˈmɪtmənt/ | The act of sending a legislative bill to committee for review. |
| desk noun | /dɛsk/ | A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| get down to verb | To start focusing on doing something serious | |
| miss out verb | To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed. | |
| show up verb | To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 27 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shine /ʃaɪn/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, inspiration /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, ownership /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/, intention /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: electronics /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɑ.nɪks/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, inspiration /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, productivity /ˌpɹɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/
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 mini, edit, cartoon.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to write · used to draw · used to heavily |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have done · has grown · has been |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who likes · iMovie, which is · people who make |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being said · is called |
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.