Shadowing Practice: Learn English with Podcast | Calm Speaking, Shadowing & Conversation Practice A2-B1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello my friends.
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Welcome back to English Unleashed.
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I'm Tom.
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In today's episode, I'm going to talk about a very useful book called The Practicing Mind.
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The author is Thomas Sterner.
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This book is about practice.
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It is about patience.
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It is about focus.
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It is about how to stay calm while you are trying to improve at something.
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It is a very helpful book for anyone learning a skill.
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Maybe you are learning English.
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Maybe you are learning music.
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Maybe you are learning how to write, speak, teach, work, or build a better life.
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The message of this book can help you.
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The main idea is very simple.
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Enjoy the process.
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The process means the steps you take every day.
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It means the practice.
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It means the small actions.
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It means the daily work.
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The result is the thing you want at the end.
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For example, speaking English fluently is a result.
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Playing a difficult song beautifully is a result.
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Writing a book is a result.
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Building a successful business is a result.
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But the process is what you do today.
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Listening for 10 minutes is process.
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repeating one sentence is process writing one paragraph is process taking one smallest step is process the author says
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that many people become unhappy
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because they focus too much on the result they think about where they want to be
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and then they compare it with where they are now This creates stress.
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They say, I'm not good enough yet.
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I am too slow.
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I should be better.
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Why am I still making mistakes?
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Why is this taking so long?
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This way of thinking makes practice painful.
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If you always look at the result, the present moment feels like a problem.
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You feel that today is not enough.
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You feel that your current level is not enough.
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You feel that practice is only something you must suffer through before you get the reward.
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But this book teaches a different way.
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Practice is not punishment.
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Practice is not a boring road before life begins.
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Practice is life.
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Practice is where growth happens.
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Practice is where your mind becomes stronger.
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Practice is where your skill becomes deeper.
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This is very important for English learners.
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Many learners say, I will be happy when I am fluent.
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But what happens before fluency?
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If you only wait for fluency, you may feel unhappy for many years.
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Every mistake feels sad.
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Every slow conversation feels bad.
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Every difficult listening exercise feels terrible.
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You keep thinking, I'm not there yet.
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But what if you change the focus?
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What if you say, today I am practicing.
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That is enough.
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What if you say, this sentence is my work today?
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What if you say, this mistake is not a failure, it is part of practice?
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What if you say, I do not need to arrive today, I only need to practice today?
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This makes learning lighter, it makes practice calmer.
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The book says that when we focus on the process, we become more patient.
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We stop fighting the present moment.
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We stop thinking that practice is only a problem.
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We begin to see practice as the path itself.
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This does not mean we forget our goals.
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Goals are useful.
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they give direction if you want to speak english fluently the goal can guide you
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if you want to pass an exam the goal can guide you
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if you want to play a piece of music the goal can help you
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but the goal should not steal your piece a goal should point the way it should not make
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every step feel wrong for example imagine you are climbing a mountain the top of the mountain is your goal
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but if you only look at the top you may feel tired and frustrated it looks far away it looks difficult,
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you may think, I'm still not there.
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But if you focus on the next step, climbing becomes possible.
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One step, then another step, then another one.
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Language learning is like this.
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fluency is the mountain top today's listening is one step today's speaking practice is one step
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today's vocabulary review is one step today's mistake is also one
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step you climb through practice another important idea in this book is that practice trains the mind
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Many people think practice only trains the skill.
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For example, English practice trains English.
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Piano practice trains piano.
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Exercise trains the body.
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But practice also trains your attitude.
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It trains patience.
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It trains attention.
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It trains emotional control.
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It trains discipline.
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When you practice English slowly and carefully, you're not only learning English, you are learning how to stay with difficulty.
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You're learning how not to run away.
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You're learning how to continue without anger.
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You are learning how to be present.
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Present means here, now, in this moment.
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The practicing mind is a mind that can stay in the present.
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It does not always run to the future.
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It does not always say, when will I be finished?
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It pays attention to what is happening now.
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It says, this is my task.
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I will do it carefully.
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This is a peaceful way to learn.
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If you are repeating one English sentence, repeat that sentence.
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Do not think, why am I not fluent yet?
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Just listen and repeat.
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Feel the sound.
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Notice the rhythm.
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And try again.
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If you're reading one paragraph, read that paragraph.
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Do not think, why can't I read a whole book?
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Just read the words in front of you.
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If you are speaking for one minute, speak for one minute.
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Do not judge your whole English ability.
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Just practice this one small moment.
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This is the practicing mind.
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So, in this episode, I will talk about process.
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I will talk about patience, focus, discipline, present moment practice.
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I will talk about mistakes, calm repetition, and how to enjoy learning.
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I will connect the ideas from this book to English learning because language learning needs a practicing mind too.
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So, the first lesson from this book is simple.
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Do not hate practice.
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Practice is not the thing between you and success.
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Practice is the thing that creates success.
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And when you learn to enjoy practice, the whole journey becomes lighter.
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all right one of the biggest ideas in this book is this focus on the process not only on the product
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the product is the final result it is what you want
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to have it is the finished thing for example fluent english
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is a product a perfect performance is a product a completed project is a product A high exam score is a product.
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A successful business is a product.
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The process is what creates the product.
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The process is the daily practice, the small steps, the repetition, the listening, the speaking, the revealing,
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the correcting, and the trying again.
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Many people want the product, but they do not enjoy the process.
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This is why they suffer.
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They want the final result so much that every step feels too slow.
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They do not enjoy today because they're always thinking about tomorrow.
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For English learners, this is very common.
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A learner says, I want to speak English fluently.
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This is a good goal.
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But then they listen to themselves speaking today and feel disappointed.
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They say, well, my English is not fluent.
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They compare today's English with the dream.
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The dream is far away, so today feels bad.
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But this is not a helpful way to learn.
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The book teaches us to bring our attention back to the process.
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Instead of asking, am I fluent yet?
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Ask, did I practice today?
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Instead of asking, why am I not advanced?
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Ask, what small skill can I improve now?
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Instead of asking, when will I finish?
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Ask, can I give full attention to this step?
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This changes everything.
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When you focus on the product, you feel pressure, you feel stress.
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When you focus on the process, you feel direction.
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Pressure says you must be there now.
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Direction says take the next step.
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The process is always available.
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You may not be fluent today, but you can practice today.
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You may not understand a whole movie today, but you can understand one short scene.
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You may not speak perfectly today
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but you can answer one simple question you may not know many words today
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but you can learn three useful phrases so the process is always available
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and this is why process is powerful it gives you something you can do now the product is in the future
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The process is in your hands today.
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The author explains that when we become too focused on the product, we become impatient.
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We want to finish quickly.
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We rush.
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We become frustrated.
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We do not enjoy the work.
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We judge ourselves all the time.
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But real skill needs patience.
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Real skill grows slowly.
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Real skill comes from repeating simple things with attention.
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Think about pronunciation.
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You cannot improve pronunciation by being angry with your pronunciation.
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You improve by listening, repeating, recording, correcting, and repeating again.
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The process is simple, but it needs patience.
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Think about speaking.
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you cannot become a confident speaker by waiting for perfect confidence
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you become confident by speaking a little feeling nervous trying again
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and slowly becoming more comfortable think about vocabulary you cannot own
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a word by seeing it once you need to meet it
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many times you need to hear it many times you need to read it say it use it
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and review it this is process a process focused learner is
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calmer they do not need every day to feel amazing they understand
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that practice is practice some days are easy some days are hard some days you feel progress some days you feel
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slow but the process continues this is very important process does not depend on mood mood means how you feel
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if you only practice when your mood is good your progress will be unstable
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but if you follow a process you can practice even
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when you do not feel excited
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so your progress will be stable you can do the small
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step you can listen for five minutes you can repeat one
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sentence you can write one line a small process is better than no process the book also helps us see
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that the product is not always under our control you cannot fully control
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when you will become fluent you You cannot control every exam result.
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You cannot control how fast your brain will absorb everything.
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You cannot control how other people judge you.
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But you can control practice.
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You can control your attention.
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You can control today's step.
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This gives peace.
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A learner who only focuses on the product may feel helpless.
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They keep looking at the distance.
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They say, I'm still far away.
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But a learner who focuses on the process says, today I can practice.
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Today I can improve one small thing.
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That is a stronger mindset.
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Another important idea in the book is that when we focus on the process, we enjoy learning more.
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The daily practice becomes meaningful.
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You start to feel satisfaction from doing the work, not only from finishing the work.
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For example, you may feel proud because you listened today.
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You may feel calm because you repeated a sentence carefully.
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You may feel happy because you understood a phrase that was difficult before.
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The process becomes satisfying.
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This is important because the product may take a long time.
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If you cannot enjoy the process, you may quit before the product arrives.
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But if you learn to enjoy the process, you can continue for many years.
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This is how strong skills are built.
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So, the lesson of this part of the book is clear.
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Do not live only for the product.
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Respect the product, but love the process.
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The result gives direction, but the process gives life.
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The goal shows where to go, but practice is where you actually live.
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Your English grows in the process.
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Your confidence grows in the process.
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Your discipline grows in the process.
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Your practicing mind grows in the process.
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So today, do not ask only, how far am I from fluency? be.
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Instead, ask, what is my next small practice?
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Then do it with attention.
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And that, my friend, would be your practice for today.
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Another important idea in the practicing mind is presence.
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Presence means being here, being in this moment, paying attention to what you are doing now.
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This sounds simple, but it is difficult.
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Our mind likes to travel.
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It travels to the future.
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It says, when will I be good? When will I finish?
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What if I fail?
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What if people judge me?
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It also travels to the past.
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It says, I made mistakes before.
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I failed before.
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I was embarrassed before.
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I should have started earlier.
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The mind moves everywhere, but practice happens only now.
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You cannot practice yesterday.
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You cannot practice tomorrow.
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You can only practice now.
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This is why presence is so important.
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When you are present, your practice becomes deeper.
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You hear more, you notice more, you learn more, you become calmer, you stop fighting the moment.
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For English learners, being present means paying attention to the sentence you are hearing now.
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Not worrying about the whole language, not judging your whole level.
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Just listening to this sentence, repeating this phrase, understanding this short part,
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speaking this answer one moment at a time.
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Imagine you are shadowing an English sentence.
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Shadowing means you listen and repeat.
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Or you speak with the audio.
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If your mind is busy with fear, you may not hear the rhythm, you may not notice the stress,
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you may only think my pronunciation is bad.
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But if you are present, you listen carefully, you notice the sound, you try again, you improve.
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Presence makes practice better.
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So the book suggests that many people create stress because they're not in the present.
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They are doing one thing, but thinking about another thing.
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They are practicing, but thinking about the result.
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They are learning, but thinking about failure.
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They are working, but thinking about finishing.
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This creates tension.
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means tightness it can be in the body or the mind
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when you are always trying to be somewhere else the present feels uncomfortable but
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if you accept the present practice becomes peaceful this does not
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mean practice is always easy it means you stop fighting the fact that practice is needed For example,
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if you are a beginner, you are a beginner.
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That is not a problem.
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It is the current moment.
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If you make a mistake, you made a mistake.
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That is not the end.
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It is information.
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If you need to repeat something 10 times, you need to repeat it 10 times.
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That is the process.
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presence says this is where I am this is what I'm doing I will give attention to this step and
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that is very powerful a present learner does not say I
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should already be fluent a present learner says today I am
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practicing this sentence a present learner does not say I hate being slow A present learner says,
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slow practice helps me learn.
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A present learner does not say, I must finish quickly.
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A present learner says, let me do this carefully.
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Careful practice is often better than rushed practice.
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This is true for speaking too.
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Many learners rush because they want to sound fluent.
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they speak too fast, then they make more mistakes.
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Their pronunciation becomes unclear.
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Their ideas become messy.
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But if they slow down and speak with presence, they often sound better.
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Fluency is not only speak, fluency is flow.
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A person can speak slowly and clearly, and still communicate well.
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So, do not rush. Be present.
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Say one sentence clearly, then another sentence, and then another one.
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For example, I think daily practice is important.
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Pause.
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It helps your brain remember English.
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Pause.
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Listening every morning can improve your listening.
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Pause.
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You see, this is clear, calm speaking practice.
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You say a sentence, you pause, and you give yourself time.
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Presence also helps with listening.
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Many learners panic when they miss one word.
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They hear one unknown word and think, ah, I don't understand anything.
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Then they stop listening.
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But a present listener continues.
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They say, well, I missed that word, but I can still understand the main idea.
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They stay with the audio.
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And that, my friend, is a skill.
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Do not let one missed word take you out of the moment.
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Stay present.
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Listen for what you can understand.
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Then listen again.
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The practicing mind is patient because it knows that every repetition is useful.
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So be patient.
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When you repeat a sentence, you're not wasting time.
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You are training.
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When you listen again, you're not failing.
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You are learning deeper.
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Repetition is not a sign that you are weak.
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Repetition is how skill grows.
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Presence also helps with anxiety.
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Anxiety often comes from future thinking.
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What if I fail?
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What if I forget?
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What if I sound stupid?
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These questions are about the future.
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They may not happen, but your body reacts as if they are happening now.
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To come back to the present, focus on a small action.
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Take one breath.
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Listen to one sentence.
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Say one phrase.
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Write one word.
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Answer one question.
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Small actions bring the mind back.
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For English practice, you can use this sentence.
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Right now, I only need to practice this.
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This is a calming sentence.
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Right now, I only need to listen.
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Right now, I only need to repeat.
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Right now, I only need to speak for one minute.
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Right now, I only need to try again.
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This helps reduce pressure.
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The book reminds us that practice is not something to rush through.
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Practice is where we live.
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If we are always waiting for the future, we miss the life inside today.
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This is true beyond English it is true in music work relationships health
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and personal growth the present moment is the only place where change happens.
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So the lesson of this part is simple.
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Be present while you practice.
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Give attention to the step in front of you.
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Do not fight your current level.
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Do not rush.
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Do not judge every second.
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Listen, repeat, notice, and try again.
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Your mind will run away sometimes.
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That is normal.
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Gently bring it back.
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One sentence, one breath, one step.
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This is the practicing mind.
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Now, many people hear the word discipline and think of something hard.
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They think discipline means forcing yourself, pushing yourself, being strict, feeling guilty,
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working even when you hate it.
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But the book gives us a calmer idea of discipline.
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Discipline does not have to be stressful.
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Discipline can be peaceful.
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Discipline can simply mean doing the next right thing with attention.
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It means staying with the process.
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It means returning to practice.
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It means not letting every emotion control your action.
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This is important because many learners have a painful relationship with discipline.
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They say, I must study.
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I should be better.
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I am lazy.
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I never do enough.
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This creates shame.
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and shame does not help learning.
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A better kind of discipline is gentle and steady.
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Gentle means kind.
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Steady means stable and regular.
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Gentle discipline says, I will practice today, but I will not attack myself.
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It says, I will take this seriously, but I will stay calm.
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It says, I will return to the habit even after a bad day.
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This kind of discipline lasts longer.
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The book teaches that when we focus on the process, discipline becomes easier.
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Why?
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Because the task becomes smaller.
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You're not thinking about the whole future you're only doing the step in front of you for example
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if you think i must become fluent the goal feels huge
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but if you think i will listen for 10 minutes the action feels possible
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discipline is easier when the action is clear and small do not discipline yourself with big
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pressure guide yourself with small actions for english learners this
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means creating simple routines maybe every morning after coffee you listen to english for 10 minutes
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maybe every night before sleep you review five phrases maybe every
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afternoon you speak for one minute about your day these actions are not dramatic
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but if you repeat them they become powerful
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so discipline is not one heroic day discipline is returning again
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and again repeating again and again another important idea is
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that discipline grows when we remove unnecessary emotion from practice sometimes we make practice too emotional
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if it goes well we feel excited if practice goes badly we feel terrible
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if we miss one day we feel like failures if we make one mistake
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we feel hopeless this emotional roller coaster makes learning hard a roller coaster goes up
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and down quickly emotional practices like that one day you feel high one day you feel low you depend
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too much on feelings the practicing mind is more stable it
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says today's practice is today's practice some parts were good some
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parts need work i will continue this is calm for example
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if you listen to a podcast
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and understand only 50 you do not need to panic you can say good i understood some of it.
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I will listen again.
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If you speak and make mistakes, you can say, good, now I know what to practice.
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If you feel tired and only practice five minutes, you can say, good, I kept the habit alive.
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This is discipline without drama.
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Drama makes learning heavy.
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Calm practice makes learning possible.
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The author also teaches that we should not judge ourselves constantly.
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Judgment is when we keep saying, this is good, this is bad, I'm good, I'm bad.
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Of course, we need to notice mistakes.
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But constant judgment creates tension.
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There is a difference between observation and judgment.
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Observation says, I missed this word.
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Judgment says I am terrible at listening.
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Observation says my pronunciation of this sound needs practice.
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Judgment says my accent is awful.
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Observation helps.
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Judgment hurts.
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The practicing mind observes.
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It notices.
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It corrects.
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It continues.
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This is a very useful habit for English practice.
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When you record your voice, listen like a teacher, not like an enemy.
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Do not say, I hate my voice.
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Say, what can I improve?
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Maybe the answer is stress.
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Maybe the answer is rhythm.
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Maybe it is one sound.
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Maybe it is pausing more.
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Choose one thing and practice it.
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This is disciplined learning.
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discipline also means finishing the small action you planned not
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because you are afraid not because you hate yourself but
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because you respect yourself if you say I will listen for five minutes listen for five minutes
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if you say I will repeat one sentence repeat one sentence keeping small promises builds self-trust.
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Self-trust means you believe your own word.
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This is very important.
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Many learners break promises to themselves because the promises are too big.
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They say, I will study two hours every day.
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Then they stop.
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Then they feel bad.
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Instead, make a smaller promise
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and keep it for example i will listen for five minutes
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i will speak for one minute i will write one sentence
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i will review three phrases these small promises are easy to keep and
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when you keep them you feel stronger you begin to think i can trust myself this is discipline not pressure not
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shame, trust.
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Another part of discipline is returning after distraction.
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You will get distracted.
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Everyone does.
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Your mind will run away.
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Your phone will call you.
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Your mood will change.
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You may forget.
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The question is not, can I be perfect?
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The question is, can I return?
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Return
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to the sentence return to the audio return to the notebook
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return to the habit return to the present moment this is the practicing mind
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so the lesson of this part is simple discipline does not
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need to feel harsh real discipline can be calm gentle and steady it is doing the next small action it is
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observing without attacking yourself it is keeping small promises it is returning
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when you drift away you do not need to fight yourself
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to learn english you need to guide yourself with patience with
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attention with calm discipline okay one of the most surprising ideas in the book is
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that slowing down can help you improve faster at first this
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sounds strange many people think faster is better they want to
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learn fast speak fast finish fast improve fast they want quick
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results they want to move quickly from beginner to advanced
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but in many skills rushing creates mistakes rushing makes the mind
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tense rushing makes the body tight rushing stops you from noticing details
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and details matter slow practice is powerful
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because it gives your mind time to think time to notice
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when you slow down you can hear the sound you can
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feel the rhythm you can see the mistakes you can correct
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the movement you can understand the pattern this is true in languages in music in everything
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if a pianist plays too fast too early mistakes become
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habits but if they slow down and if they play slowly
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and correctly the fingers will learn the right movement later speed
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can come this is also true in english many learners want
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to speak fast they think fast speaking means fluent speaking but if you speak fast with unclear pronunciation weak grammar and panic,
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communication becomes hard.
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It is better to speak slowly and clearly first.
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Later, your speed will grow naturally.
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So, slow first, clear first, natural speed later.
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This is a very important idea.
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For pronunciation, slow practice is especially useful.
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Choose one sentence.
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Listen to it.
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Repeat slowly.
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Notice the sounds.
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Notice which words are stressed.
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Notice where the voice goes up and down.
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Then repeat again.
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Do not rush.
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Feel each word.
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Say it with rhythm.
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Slow practice helps your mouth learn.
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For listening, slowing down is also useful.
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You can listen to a short part again and again.
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You can use slower audio if needed.
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You can read the transcript.
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You can listen again without the transcript.
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You can focus on one phrase.
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This is much better than listening to one difficult video and understanding almost nothing.
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Slow learning is not weak learning.
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Slow learning is deep learning.
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Many learners feel ashamed when they need slow material.
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They think, I should understand fast English.
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But if slow English helps you build the foundation, use it.
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There is no shame.
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A strong foundation makes advanced listening easier later.
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The practicing mind does not care about looking impressive.
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It cares about real improvement.
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This is a beautiful point.
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Sometimes we want to practice in a way that makes us feel advanced.
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We choose hard materials.
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We speak too fast.
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We avoid basics.
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We want to prove something.
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But practice is not about proving.
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Practice is about improving.
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If slow practice improves you, slow practice is intelligent.
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If simple material helps you, simple material is intelligent.
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If repeating one sentence helps you, repetition is intelligent.
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Do what helps you, not what looks impressive.
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Slowing down also helps with stress.
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When you rush, your body becomes tense.
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Your breathing becomes short.
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Your thoughts become noisy.
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But when you slow down, your body relaxes.
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You can think more clearly.
547
You can learn more calmly.
548
For English speaking, try this.
549
Before answering, pause for one second.
550
Take a breath.
551
Then speak.
552
This short pause can make your answer better.
553
It gives your mind time.
554
It makes you sound more thoughtful.
555
It reduces panic.
556
A pause is not failure.
557
A pause is control.
558
Many learners are afraid of silence.
559
They think they must answer immediately.
560
But even native speakers pause.
561
Good speakers pause.
562
Teachers pause.
563
Leaders pause.
564
A short pause can make speech stronger.
565
So practice calm pauses.
566
If someone asks you a question, you can say, that's a good question.
567
Let me think for a second.
568
Or I would say, These phrases give you time.
569
They help you slow down.
570
Slowing down also helps you avoid multitasking.
571
Multitasking means doing many things at the same time.
572
Many people listen to English while checking messages, thinking about work, and looking at social media.
573
This is not deep practice.
574
It may give some exposure, but it is not focused.
575
For deep practice, choose one thing.
576
Just listen.
577
Just repeat.
578
Just read.
579
Just speak.
580
One task with attention is better than five tasks with no attention.
581
The book teaches that focus grows when we keep bringing the mind back to the task.
582
You do not need perfect focus.
583
Your mind will move away.
584
That is normal.
585
When you notice, bring it back gently.
586
If you're listening, return to the sound.
587
If you're reading, return to the sentence.
588
If you're speaking, return to the idea.
589
If you're practicing pronunciation, return to the mouth movement.
590
This is mental training.
591
Slow practice also helps you enjoy the process.
592
When you rush, you do not enjoy anything.
593
You only want to finish.
594
But when you slow down, you can notice small improvements.
595
You can enjoy one clear sentence.
596
You can enjoy one phrase you understand.
597
You can enjoy one sound that becomes better.
598
Joy in practice is important because it helps you continue.
599
For English learners, here is a simple, slow practice routine.
600
Choose 30 seconds of audio.
601
Listen once for meaning.
602
Listen again and notice phrases.
603
Choose one sentence.
604
Repeat it slowly five times.
605
Record yourself once.
606
Listen and choose one small improvement.
607
Repeat again.
608
This is not a long practice, but it is deep.
609
It is focused.
610
It is calm.
611
It is powerful.
612
So the lesson of this part is simple.
613
Slow down.
614
Do not rush your learning.
615
Do not confuse speed with skill.
616
Practice slowly enough to notice, correct, and understand.
617
Slow practice builds strong foundations.
618
Strong foundations make future speed possible.
619
If you want to go faster later, learn slowly now.
620
Alright, now let's talk about mistakes.
621
Mistakes are a normal part of practice.
622
But many people hate mistakes.
623
They feel embarrassed.
624
They feel angry.
625
They feel discouraged.
626
They think a mistake means they are not good.
627
They think a mistake means they are failing.
628
But the practicing mind teaches us to see mistakes differently.
629
A mistake is not the enemy.
630
A mistake is information.
631
It shows you what needs attention.
632
It shows you where to practice.
633
It shows you the next step.
634
If you are learning English and you make a grammar mistake, the mistake is not proof that you cannot learn.
635
It is just showing you a pattern that needs more practice.
636
If you pronounce a word unclearly, the mistake shows you which sound to practice.
637
If you forget a sound while speaking,
638
the mistake shows you that you need to use that word more often.
639
Mistakes guide practice.
640
Without mistakes, you would not know what to improve.
641
This is why the practicing mind does not panic when mistakes happen.
642
It observes, it corrects, and it tries again.
643
Observation is calm.
644
Panic is noisy.
645
A calm learner says, I made a mistake.
646
Good.
647
Now I know what to practice.
648
A noisy mind says, I am terrible.
649
I will never improve.
650
Which one do you think helps more?
651
Of course, the calm mind.
652
Patience is also very important.
653
Patience means you allow growth to take time.
654
You do not demand instant results.
655
You understand that skill is built through repetition.
656
Many learners are impatient because they compare themselves with others.
657
They see someone speaking well and think, why not me?
658
But they do not see that person's full journey.
659
They do not see the years of practice.
660
They do not see the mistakes.
661
They do not see the silent work.
662
Comparison can steal your peace.
663
Your path is your path.
664
Your practice is your practice.
665
Your progress is your progress.
666
This does not mean you cannot learn from others.
667
Of course you can.
668
Good speakers can inspire you.
669
Teachers can guide you.
670
Advanced learners can show you what is possible.
671
But do not use other people as a weapon against yourself.
672
Use them as inspiration, not punishment.
673
The practicing mind stays with its own step.
674
One step at a time.
675
One sentence at a time.
676
One practice session at a time.
677
Okay, now let's bring everything together.
678
The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner is a book about learning how to practice with focus,
679
patience, and peace.
680
It teaches us that real growth comes when we stop fighting the process and start living inside it.
681
This message is very important for English learners.
682
Many learners want fluent English, but they do not enjoy practice.
683
They want the final result, but they feel frustrated by the daily steps.
684
They want to speak naturally, but they feel ashamed of mistakes.
685
They want to understand fast English, but they get angry when they miss words.
686
This book gives us a better way.
687
The first lesson is to focus on the process, not only on the result.
688
The result is fluency.
689
The process is listening today, repeating today, speaking today, reviewing today.
690
You cannot control the exact day when fluency will arrive, but you can control today's practice.
691
So, come back to the process.
692
The second lesson is to be present.
693
Practice happens now, not yesterday, not tomorrow, now.
694
If you are listening, listen.
695
If you're repeating, repeat.
696
If you're speaking, speak.
697
Do not judge your whole future while practicing one sentence.
698
One sentence deserves your attention the third lesson is calm discipline
699
discipline does not need to be harsh you do not need
700
to insult yourself to improve you do not need shame you need a small plan a steady routine
701
and the ability to return gentle discipline lasts longer than angry discipline the fourth lesson is slow down.
702
Slow practice is not weak.
703
If you want to speak faster later, practice clearly now.
704
The next lesson is to see mistakes as information, and the next lesson is patience.
705
English takes time.
706
Any real skill takes time.
707
You cannot force growth, but you can support it.
708
You can show up, you can repeat, you can practice, you can continue.
709
So now let's make this practical.
710
How can you use the practicing mind for English every day?
711
Start with a small practice session, maybe 10 minutes, maybe 5 minutes, maybe even 2 minutes on a very busy day.
712
Make the practice simple enough to repeat.
713
Choose one short audio, Listen to it without pressure.
714
Try to understand the main idea.
715
Listen again.
716
Notice useful phrases.
717
Then choose one sentence.
718
Repeat it slowly.
719
Feel the rhythm.
720
Copy the pronunciation.
721
Then use the sentence in your own way.
722
Change one word.
723
Make it personal.
724
Make it about yourself.
725
and then speak for one minute.
726
Talk about your day.
727
Talk about your learning and talk about your goal.
728
This is a simple process.
729
Listening, noticing, repeating, changing and speaking. Do it calmly.
730
Do it patiently.
731
Do it without attacking yourself.
732
Do it with attention. Do it again tomorrow.
733
This is the real power.
734
If you feel tired, say, I can do the small version today.
735
If you miss one day, say, I'm back.
736
All right.
737
Thank you so much again for listening to English Unleashed.
738
I hope this episode helped you understand the main ideas of the book, The Practicing Mind in Easy English.
739
Listen again if you can.
740
The first time, understand a message.
741
The second time, notice useful vocabulary.
742
The third time, shadow the sentences and practice speaking.
743
Bye for now.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Learn English with Podcast”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: practice, process, english, mistake, sentence. This video has 743 sentences and 5926 words to shadow. The speech runs for 56:20. The speaker talks slowly, about 105 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| discipline noun | /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ | A controlled behaviour; self-control. |
| learner noun | /ˈlɜɹnəɹ/ | One who is learning; one receiving instruction. |
| pause noun | /pɔːz/ | A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation. |
| fluent adjective | /ˈfluənt/ | That flows; flowing, liquid. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| pronunciation noun | /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ | The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken. |
| patience noun | /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/ | The quality of being patient. |
| fluency noun | /ˈfluːənsi/ | The quality of smoothness of flow. |
| repetition noun | /ˌɹɛp.əˈtɪʃ.ən/ | The act or an instance of repeating or being repeated. |
| rhythm noun | /ˈɹɪð.əm/ | The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter. |
| panic noun | /ˈpænɪk/ | Overwhelming fear or fright, often affecting groups of people or animals; (countable) an instance of this; a fright, a scare. |
| judgment noun | /ˈd͡ʒʌd͡ʒ.mənt/ | The act of judging. |
| observation noun | /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/ | The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance) |
| gentle adjective | /ˈd͡ʒɛntl̩/ | Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition. |
| habit noun | /ˈhæb.ɪt/ | An action performed on a regular basis. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| slow down verb | To decelerate. |
| run away verb | To flee by running. |
| go up verb | To move upwards. |
| move away verb | To go away from a place, especially when permanently changing one's residence. |
| show up verb | To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Why am I still making mistakes?
- Do not think, why am I not fluent yet?
- Do not think, why can't I read a whole book?
- Instead of asking, am I fluent yet?
- Ask, did I practice today?
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 you think i will listen · if you say I will listen · if you say I will repeat |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be finished · are built · is needed |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may feel · may think · may not be |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keep thinking · stop fighting · stop thinking |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 28 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/, thoughtful /ˈθɔːtfəl/, breathe /bɹiːð/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, patience /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/, repetition /ˌɹɛp.əˈtɪʃ.ən/, observation /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, repetition /ˌɹɛp.əˈtɪʃ.ən/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, intelligent /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like discipline, learner, pause.
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.