Shadowing Practice: Matthew McConaughey winning Best Actor | 86th Oscars (2014) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Why are you laughing?
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What?
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Is this funny?
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Oh, okay.
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It's such an honor to present this next award.
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The five men...
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I'm still watching you.
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The five men nominated in this category delivered resonating, evocative, and captivating performances.
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Here are the nominees for performance by an actor in a leading role.
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Christian Bale, American Hustle.
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Bruce Dern, Nebraska.
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Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street,
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Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave,
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Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club.
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And the Oscar goes to...
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Yeah.
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Seal that up.
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Matthew McConaughey.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you to the Academy for this.
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All 6,000 members.
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Thank you to the other nominees.
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All these performances were impeccable, in my opinion.
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I didn't see a false note anywhere.
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I want to thank Jean-Marc Vallée, our director.
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I want to thank Jared Leto,
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Jennifer Garner, who I worked with daily.
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There's a few things, about three things to my account that I need each day.
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One of them is something to look up to,
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another is something to look forward to,
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and another is someone to chase.
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Now, first off, I want to thank God,
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because that's who I look up to.
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He's graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand.
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He has shown me that it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates.
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In the words of the late Charlie Lawton,
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who said, When you got God,
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you got a friend, and that friend is you.
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Um, to my family, that's who and what I look forward to.
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To my father, who I know is up there right now with a big pot of gumbo.
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He's got a lemon meringue pie over there.
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He's probably in his underwear,
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and he's got a cold can of Miller Lite,
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and he's dancing right now.
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To you, Dad, you taught me what it means to be a man.
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To my mother who's here tonight,
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who taught me and my two older brothers,
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demanded that we respect ourselves.
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And what we in turn learned was then we were better able to respect others.
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Thank you for that, Mama.
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To my wife Camilla and my kids Levi,
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to Mr. Stone, the courage and significance you give me every day I go out the door, is unparalleled.
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You are the four people in my life that I want to make the most proud of me.
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Thank you.
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And to my hero, that's who I chase.
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Now, when I was 15 years old,
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I had a very important person in my life come to me and say, who's your hero?
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And I said, I don't know,
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I've got to think about that.
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Give me a couple of weeks.
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I come back two weeks later,
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this person comes up and says, who's your hero?
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I said, I thought about it.
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You know who it is?
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I said, it's me in 10 years.
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So I turned 25, 10 years later.
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That same person comes to me and goes,
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so are you a hero?
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And I was like, not even close.
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No, no, no. She said, why?
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I said, because my hero is me at 35.
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So you see, every day,
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every week, every month, and every year of my life,
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my hero is always 10 years away.
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I'm never going to be my hero.
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I'm not going to attain that.
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I know I'm not.
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And that's just fine with me,
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because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.
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So to any of us,
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whatever those things are, whatever it is we look up to,
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whatever it is we look forward to and whoever it is we're chasing,
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to that I say, amen.
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To that I say, all right, all right, all right.
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And to that I say, just keep living, huh?
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Thank you.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing your spoken English through engaging content, such as Matthew McConaughey's acceptance speech at the 86th Oscars, is an effective way to enhance your english speaking practice. This video offers a unique opportunity to observe and imitate a fluent speaker in a high-pressure situation, showcasing how to express gratitude and deliver heartfelt messages. By utilizing the shadowing technique, you can improve your pronunciation, intonation, and overall fluency. Furthermore, practicing with authentic materials like this not only boosts your confidence but also makes learning enjoyable and relatable.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

McConaughey's speech uses several key grammatical structures and expressions that are beneficial for learners:

  • Expressions of gratitude: Phrases like "Thank you to the Academy" and "Thank you to the other nominees" are great templates for expressing appreciation in any context.
  • Parallel structure: McConaughey says, "Something to look up to, something to look forward to, and someone to chase." This repetition creates a rhythm that enhances the message and makes it memorable.
  • Personal anecdotes: His story about his father adds a personal touch to his speech, showing how sharing personal experiences can resonate with an audience. This is an excellent technique to practice in your own speaking.
  • Use of direct address: Using direct address, as in "To you, Dad," creates a sense of intimacy and connection, an important aspect when speaking English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice shadowing this video, pay attention to specific pronunciation challenges that may arise:

  • Names and places: Words like "McConaughey," "Nebraska," and "Dallas Buyers Club" can be tricky due to varying syllable stresses. Practice them repeatedly to ensure correct pronunciation.
  • Connected speech: Notice how McConaughey blends his words, especially in phrases like "thank you" which may sound like "thankyoo." This connected speech is common in natural conversation.
  • Intonation patterns: Observe the rise and fall in his tone, especially when expressing emotions or emphasizing gratitude, which adds depth to his speech. Imitating these patterns can greatly enhance your overall speaking skills.

Utilize this video as a valuable resource on your shadowing site. Remember, by utilizing the learn English with YouTube approach, you can effectively practice your english speaking practice and develop a natural flow in your communication. Happy practicing!

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.

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