Shadowing Practice: JaackMaate Reveals His Regrets - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Do you regret any of those videos as you've matured?
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You say you've mellowed out and matured now and you even spot
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that you were doing them from like a not an authentic place, right?
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Do you regret them?
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There's some I definitely do regret, yeah.
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The majority I'd say no. Obviously we both know that I'm a big fan of Ricky Gervais and he always,
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one of his mantras is there needs to be a why in comedy.
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Why are you doing something?
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If you're targeting someone, why are you doing it? like um
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and a lot of my early main channel content like for
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anyone who doesn't know like i made a video reacting to um
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so well as advent calendar everybody knows it's got like six
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million views isn't it yeah crazy it did all right
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that changed the game for me in terms of youtube i
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was i was going to quit the the upload before
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that i was going to quit and then i upload
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that video and it changed the game but like
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when i look back on videos like that i have no regrets
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because it was funny it the comedy almost like it wrote
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itself like there was a reason why i was doing it
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it was it was a sketch that's all it was
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but there would be times when i fell into the trap of like
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okay people know jack mate for being the guy to slag stuff off
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and that's funny whatever and then i'd find a few things
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that naturally did piss me off and i could draw humor from it
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and then when the content dried up it was kind of like well i've now got to go
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and look for someone who's doing something wrong
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and become this kind of like sort of white knight of the internet sort of thing
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and it was like it's never who I was
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so I did my first ever video with Ricky Gervais and
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and that was the biggest moment ever for me and then I remember uploading the video and the interview was
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brilliant and the top comment was this is good Jack
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but Ollie White's released some new t-shirts that you haven't spoken about
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and i thought fuck me so i've got now that's what you want from me is that
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so then i'd go i didn't go out of my way
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to go okay zoella in the title bangs views what is she up to oh she's released a book now
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that book there was nothing wrong with that book
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but i'm trying i'm actively trying to pick flaws in it
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that i can dissect on my channel
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and it's like there that's kind of like the stuff i i i regret i remember ksi
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and joella they did their
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when i was trying to be edgy boy edgy boy jack
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mate they did their first press conference for their fight and
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that was in in manchester i think it was and i
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and and because i was the black sheep of youtube i would never get invited to them
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so therefore by default the jealousy would take over
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and i'd be like this is shit i want nothing to do with it where deep down i knew
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that i wanted something to do with that
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that whole youtube boxing scene in fact i'm a boxing fan i'm a youtube fan
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So why would that not appeal to me?
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And they did a press conference.
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And JJ, he said something about Joe Weller's medication, which I don't agree with.
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But in the context of a press conference, you say anything you can to get the upper hand.
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And I remember just turning on my camera straight away.
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I was like, KSI needs to be cancelled, blah, blah, blah.
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Because I knew it would bang views.
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But JJ is a hero of mine, as I'm sure he is to any YouTuber, any content creator.
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Joe Weller, I used to watch every single one of his videos.
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I love Joe Weller.
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So they're the ones I regret when I wasn't being authentic and not even really being funny.
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Just actually trying to go in on someone because I wanted
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that check at the end of the ad revenue to be higher that month.

Why This Video Is Perfect for English Speaking Practice

This conversation between JaackMaate and his interviewer is a goldmine for learning natural, conversational English. The tone is casual yet reflective, with pauses, filler words, and real emotions—exactly the kind of speech you’ll hear in everyday life. It’s ideal for practicing improve english pronunciation because it uses common phrases and varied intonation, making it easy to mimic. Plus, the personal stories keep you engaged, so learning feels less like work and more like a chat with a friend.

Breaking Down Natural Speech: 3 Key Phrases

  • “There's some I definitely do regret, yeah.” Notice the contraction “there's” and the casual “yeah” at the end. Native speakers often shorten words and add small tags like “yeah” to soften statements. This makes the sentence flow naturally, not stiff.
  • “It was like it wrote itself, like it was a sketch that's all it was.” The repetition of “like” and the simple structure (“that's all it was”) show how we simplify thoughts when speaking. Mimicking this helps you sound less formal and more relatable.
  • “Fuck me, so that's what you want from me is that?” This exclamation with “fuck me” (a common informal reaction) and the fragmented question structure (“is that?”) captures real surprise. Learning these nuances helps you express emotions accurately in English.

A Simple Shadowing Routine to Try

Shadowing—repeating speech immediately after hearing it—is a proven way to boost fluency. Here’s how to use this video: First, watch a 10-second clip and listen closely to the rhythm and pronunciation. Then, play it again and shadow speak along, copying the speed and tone. Use a shadowing app to record yourself; comparing your version to the video will show where you can improve. Focus on phrases like “the comedy almost wrote itself” to practice linking words smoothly. Do this daily for 10 minutes, and you’ll notice your English sounding more natural in no time. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. Keep going, and you’ll master conversational English with videos like this one!

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 →