Shadowing Practice: Lorelai's Writing Rant - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Sounds like you're overthinking this.
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Maybe if you just put pen to paper.
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I tried that.
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I thought, I'll just sit down and write.
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Whatever comes.
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No judgment.
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No inner critic.
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Boy, was that a bad idea.
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Really?
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Why?
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Because my brain is a wild jungle full of scary gibberish.
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I'm writing a letter.
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I can't write a letter.
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Why can't I write a letter?
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I'm wearing a green dress.
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I wish I was wearing my blue dress.
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My blue dress is at the cleaners.
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The Germans wore gray.
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You wore blue.
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Casablanca.
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Casablanca's such a good movie.
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Casablanca, the White House, Bush.
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Why don't I drive a hybrid car?
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I should really drive a hybrid car.
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I should really take my bicycle to work bicycle, unicycle, unitard, hockey puck, rattlesnake, monkey monkey underpants.
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Hockey puck, rattlesnake, monkey monkey underpants?
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Exactly.
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That's what I'm saying.
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It's a big bag of weird in there.
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So I think, well, I need inspiration, you know, I need a muse.
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Perhaps I need the muse.
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Maybe it would help if Sharon Stone would appear to me in an alarming caftan and coup inspirational words in my ear.
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Just write what you feel.
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That's all writing is.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Lorelai's Writing Rant" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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 →