Shadowing Practice: Learning to Speak ... Again - Learn English Speaking with Video

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It's well known that between the ages of approximately one and five, the offspring of Homo sapiens, slowly and at times lopsidedly,
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do something called learn to speak.
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They acquire some key words, lunch, cat, mummy, fart, assemble some basic grammar and are, by the time they're the size of a chair,
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well on the way to one of the key markers of human competence.
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Except for one thing, shortly after they learn to speak, children also learn, as it were, not to speak.
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At first, they aren't very good at not speaking, which is why, for a precious time, they're very funny indeed, as well as occasionally rather excruciating.
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They use their newfound linguistic skill to come out with utterances like, Granny smells under her legs, Jane looks a bit like a giraffe,
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and can you put a poo back in your bottom once it's come out?
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Then, sure enough, to the mixed relief of the adults around, children learn not to speak.
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They become careful custodians of their more charged insights.
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Out go the large questions, rude observations and naked confessions.
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By eight, they know how to say, I'm very well, thank you, how are you?
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By eleven, they might tell you, I don't mind that my parents are getting divorced, I get to go to Disneyland.
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And by seventeen, pretty much all of the wonder
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and pain of being alive has ceased to make it out of their lips.
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Something evidently goes astray, so much so that we might posit
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that becoming a true adult might rely on going in the opposite direction, on a process of remembering how to speak once again,
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in emotional rather than grammatical terms.
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We accede to genuine maturity
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when we can dare to once again take people into the phenomenal mystery and agony of being ourselves,
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with all the fear, joy, questions and doubts implied.
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It can take a while to realise just how much we've grown used to not saying.
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Silence on the key areas tends to become our second nature.
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It isn't just that we're deceiving others, we've lost the thread even within ourselves, omitting so much as to notice all the anger,
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terror or joy coursing through us at subterranean levels.
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Imagine therefore a somewhat bold experiment, in its way as challenging and rewarding as taking up a new sport or mastering a new recipe.
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Imagine if we attempted to undo three
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or five decades of experience to travel back to the raw state we knew in our original home.
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We would of course have to take some precautions
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but it's part of the incoherence of adult social life to picture ourselves unable to do so.
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We don't in reality face such a stark choice between honesty and ostracism.
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There are well-worn ways of being at once true and kind, honest and unfrightening.
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We can wrap our moments of candor in levity and good sense.
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Imagine if we said, for example, forgive me but as much as I want to be kind here there's something I might be a bit furious about, which is obviously crazy, but bear with me.
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Or, it's not that I don't like you, I'm scared that you're going to reject me, which probably explains why I've been behaving like a bit of a weirdo these past days.
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Or, I'm not just gazing out of the window, I'm actually worrying that you're going to find me bad in bed later.
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Or, I'm not really grumpy, I'm actually going out of my mind with anxiety.
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We've picked up the message that such truths are extremely dangerous to share.
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no one could get a view of our actual levels of pain, worry, desire and still be on our side.
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But that's to forget a bedrock fact that we're all beneath a layer of social subterfuge, longing for reassurance that there are echoes of our intimate,
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bewildering experiences in the minds of others.
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We're all mad, sick with worry, entirely lost and desperately anxious about our appearance, achievements and likability.
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We become more charming when we speak up because
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so much of what makes us unpleasant is related in the end to our unwitting deceitfulness.
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Not only don't we want to have lunch, we see no option but to pretend that we would like to.
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Not only do we leave relationships, we can't bear to own up to our wish to do so and therefore come across as sentimental and confusing.
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How much better if we have the confidence that we, like small children except more so because we have greater self-control and tact,
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are at our most beguiling when we can stick as close as possible to how things actually are.
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When we can say, this is lovely but I don't want to take it any further, I'm so sorry.
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Or I'm really furious, there's a part of me that wants to scream and sob on the floor.
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Or I make no assumptions at all but I really do find you attractive, I hope it's okay to tell you.
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Or I'm so worried that I failed in your eyes, I do apologise.
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We'll learn to properly live when we stop being so morbidly embarrassed of our reality.
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No one asked us to be alive, no one asks us to suffer as we do, we're not responsible for how peculiar it is to be ourselves.
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What is in our power is to be unfrightened by the contents of our minds
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and to use our artfulness and intelligence to share as much of it as possible with those we come across.
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We will, in the process, reassure them of their normality, deepen our friendships and feel less peculiar about our natures,
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we'll get a little closer to experiencing life as it actually is.

Context & Background

The video titled "Learning to Speak ... Again" explores the journey of language acquisition in children and reflects on how adults often suppress their authentic voices as they grow up. The speaker highlights a critical transition that occurs when children, once free-spirited in their expressions of joy, curiosity, and even awkwardness, learn to conform to societal norms. This loss of candidness can lead to a lack of genuine communication as adults. By understanding these dynamics, language learners can enhance their English speaking practice, embracing honesty and emotional expression as they develop their skills.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I’m so sorry, but I’m really furious about this.” - A candid way to express frustration while maintaining politeness.
  • “Can you forgive me?” - An essential phrase for asking for understanding and compassion during conflicts.
  • “I actually have some worries I'm struggling with.” - A more vulnerable way to communicate anxiety, allowing for deeper conversations.
  • “It’s lovely, but I don’t want to take it any further.” - A mature way to express boundaries in a situation.
  • “Life can be overwhelming sometimes.” - A relatable expression that opens the door to discussions about shared experiences.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Shadowing is a powerful technique to improve English pronunciation and fluency. To effectively utilize this video for shadowing practice, follow these steps:

  1. Select a Shadowing App: Choose a reliable shadowing app that allows you to play video or audio at controlled speeds. Look for features that will help you repeat phrases easily.
  2. Listen Actively: Watch the video closely, focusing on the speaker's tone, intonation, and rhythm. Make notes of specific phrases that resonate with you.
  3. Repeat and Record: Use the shadowing app to repeat phrases out loud. Record your voice as you shadow the speaker to track your progress and identify areas for improvement.
  4. Focus on Emotional Delivery: Emphasize not just the words but the emotional undertones behind them. This practice will help you convey authenticity in conversations, a key aspect of effective communication.
  5. Share with Others: Engage in English speaking practice by sharing your recordings with friends or language partners. Seek feedback on both pronunciation and emotional expression to refine your skills further.

By truly committing to this shadowing process and remembering the emotional layer of communication, you can break free from the constraints that often inhibit adult conversation, leading to a more genuine mastery of the English language.

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.