Shadowing Practice: LearnStorm Growth Mindset: How to write a SMART goal - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Welcome back.
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So, we've learned that it's important to keep working through your frustrations by using the right learning strategies.
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The more you work through your frustration, the more your brain grows, right?
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But it can be difficult to work through that frustration without a clear direction.
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That's why it's important to make SMART goals.
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It's an acronym.
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Goes like this.
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Specific.
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Measurable.
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Actionable.
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Realistic.
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Timely.
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Because look, you can wish all you want
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and say one day I'm going to go to the moon and you can want that like your life depended on it.
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But a wish is not a goal.
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An example of a moon plan that consists of smart goals would go something like this.
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In 20 years I will have studied enough physics and chemistry, flown jet planes in the Air Force, worked out four times a week, and gotten a job as an astronaut for NASA.
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And this will enable me to fly a spacecraft to the moon and put my feet on it for science reasons.
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Put your feet on the moon.
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Measurable.
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Are your feet touching the surface of the moon?
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Actionable.
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It is actionable, that is to say doable, to study physics and chemistry, enlist in the Air Force, and go to the gym.
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Realistic.
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It's hard, but it's not impossible to become an astronaut.
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Timely.
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Here's where more realism kicks in.
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You won't be able to go to the moon as an astronaut overnight.
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20 years seems a little more reasonable.
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But let's take this back to a more sensible time scale and look at our friend Thinky Pinky.
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Hey buddy.
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TP here is interested in pull-ups, wants to be able to lift their entire mass with just the arms, this one.
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But pull-ups are hard.
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So let's take a look at Thinky Pinky's reflection journal.
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Quote, I want to be able to do two consecutive pull-ups
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by the end of the year by practicing pull-ups at the gym three times per week.
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Why is this a SMART goal?
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S is for specific.
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TP wants to work on pull-ups, and they're not interested in biking or weight training.
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There's one skill that Thinky Pinky wants to work on, and that's pull-ups.
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M is for measurable.
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What's the metric for TP's success?
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Two in a row.
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Two pull-ups, one right after the other.
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You've either done it or you haven't.
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Measurable.
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A is for actionable.
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Can it be broken down into individual tasks?
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Yeah, going to the gym three times a week to practice feels very actionable indeed.
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R is for realistic.
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TP is not training to lift a car, just some pull-ups.
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T is for timely.
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There's a time limit on this.
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Thinky Pinky wants to do this in a year's time.
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Altogether, that's a smart goal you got there, TP.
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With the power of persistence, smart goals, and the right kind of help, you can do anything you set your mind to.
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You can learn anything.
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Happy goal setting!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “LearnStorm Growth Mindset: How to write a SMART goal”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: ups, pull, goal, moon, actionable. This video has 58 sentences and 506 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:50. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| actionable adjective | /ˈæk.ʃə.nə.bəl/ | Able to be acted on; able to be used as the basis for taking action. |
| measurable adjective | /ˈmɛʒəɹəbəl/ | Able to be measured. |
| astronaut noun | /ˈæstɹəˌnɔt/ | A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose. |
| timely adjective | /ˈtaɪm.li/ | Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt. |
| frustration noun | /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The feeling of annoyance at impossibility from resistance or inability to achieve something. |
| realistic adjective | /ˌɹɪəˈlɪs.tɪk/ | Expressed or represented as being accurate, practicable, or not idealistic. |
| acronym noun | /ˈækɹənɪm/ | Generally such abbreviations, including those pronounced as individual letters (initialisms such as "TNT"). |
| doable adjective | /ˈduː.ə.bəl/ | Possible to do; feasible. |
| enlist verb | /ɛnˈlɪst/ | To enter on a list; to enroll; to register. |
| persistence noun | /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/ | The property of being persistent. |
| realism noun | /ˈɹi.əlɪzəm/ | A concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary. |
| spacecraft noun | /ˈspeɪsˌkɹæft/ | A vehicle that travels through space. |
| metric adjective | /ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/ | Of or relating to the metric system of measurement. |
| consist noun | /kənˈsɪst/ | A lineup or sequence of railroad carriages or cars, with or without a locomotive, that form a unit. |
| sensible adjective | /ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/ | Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason or wisdom, or reflecting such ability. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| work through verb | To get past a difficult or stressful situation by thinking or talking about it. | |
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | we've learned · have studied |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will have · will enable · won't be |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as haven't, I'm, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: actionable /ˈæk.ʃə.nə.bəl/, measurable /ˈmɛʒəɹəbəl/, frustration /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, reflection /ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: actionable /ˈæk.ʃə.nə.bəl/, measurable /ˈmɛʒəɹəbəl/, realism /ˈɹi.əlɪzəm/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/, consecutive /kənˈsɛkjʊtɪv/
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 actionable, measurable, astronaut.
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.