Shadowing Practice: Michelle Obama Dishes on Her White House Return and Her Friendship with Oprah Winfrey | Tonight Show - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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-Welcome back, everybody.
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-Welcome back, everybody.
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We are here with the one and only Michelle Obama.
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Now... [ Cheers and applause ] We're always so happy you come on the show.
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Thank you very much. I noticed that you went back -- you went back to the White House recently.
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You haven't been back. -No. Wasn't invited.
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[ Laughter ] Ooh, shade.
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[ Laughter ] -Wow. Wow.
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I'm adding a chapter right here. Hold on.
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-Oh, yeah. -And so you return.
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What did it feel like to go back and you go, "Oh, yeah, I lived a lot of time in this place"?
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-We were -- We were good when it was time to go.
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No, it was really a beautiful experience because, you know, that's a tradition.
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You do your official portraits.
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The next president is supposed to invite you back to hang them.
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We were never invited back.
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So these pictures had been done for a long, long time.
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But it's also a chance for the staff to come back and reminisce and to be together.
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It's a -- It's a ritual. So it was good to see everybody.
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It was good to see all of the staff.
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I mean, as quiet as it's kept, my girls lived in the White House longer they lived any house. -Yeah.
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-So that's where they grew up.
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So to go back and to see all the staff that are still there, to see all the people that they grew up with, it was really -- Well, the girls weren't there at the time, but it was good for Barack and I to see everyone.
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-Do you ever have dreams that you still live there?
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-Oh! No. Oh, I'm sorry.
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I didn't mean to say that like that.
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It's like -- No, no, I don't -- I don't have dreams.
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-You don't ever go like, "Oh, yeah, I'll go down the steps here and do that." -No. No. Funny story.
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At Biden's inauguration, all the formers gathered, and they were doing a public service announcement.
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And then we had to leave.
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And this is the first time Barack attended -- I think he was there when somebody else's presidential motorcade was out.
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So he walks out, and usually the first car up is the President, right?
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And he goes walking to the first car, and his security is like, "Sir, um, that's not -- that's not your car." -Oops. -He's like, "Oh." He's like, "Okay. Well, where do I go?" So we had to pass the presidential motorcade, then the VP, and then we went way back, and then it was ours.
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Because you go in descending order.
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-You're like, "But I was just..." -But the thing was, we were so glad to get in that back motorcade and to go home...
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-Yeah. -...to our house.
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-To your actual house.
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-You know, that's the progress of democracy.
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You do your time, you pass it on, you let the next president lead.
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And so it was -- it's kind of a relief.
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-In this book, there's so many great stories about your life, but there's also tips on how to deal with what we're dealing with, with everything, with what we all -- isolation with COVID.
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And just everything is kind of touched in this book.
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And one thing I loved is "the power of small." -Yeah, yeah, that's one of the early chapters because -- I wrote this chapter particularly for young people who are feeling so anxious about the state of the world.
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I mean, no wonder.
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Climate change, riots on Capitol Hill, gun violence, on and on.
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And these young kids, young kids as young as 15, are trying to figure out how to solve these problems, and they're getting all twisted because they don't yet have the power because they're trying to bite off too much, too soon.
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And so "the power of small" is to focus on what you can uniquely control.
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And for a kid in high school, it's graduating from high school.
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You know, get your education because you can't do that -- You can't end violence in your neighborhood unless you focus on what's at hand.
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So starting small, even for us as adults, is about focus on your own knitting because there's power in that.
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You know, if each of us just raise the children we bring into the world -- you know, if we did nothing else but do that -- oh, just imagine where we would be as a nation, as a human race, if we just took care of that, if we showed them the love and the focus and if we put our time and energy into that instead of trying to solve all the big problems.
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So change happens in small bites.
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It's not just the big stuff.
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-Yeah, because it starts small, then it goes to a family, then it goes to a community.
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And it was great. There's also a chapter dedicated to "when they go low, we go high." -Well, people still keep asking me, "You still mean that?" -Yeah.
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But that was -- that was an epic line.
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That was just -- It stuck in everyone's head.
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Did you realize how powerful that would be years after?
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-No, no. I didn't know I'd be known for that line.
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But I'm proud of that.
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People ask me, do I still -- do I ever go low?
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And, yeah, I go low.
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-You do. -I go low a lot of times.
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But I think for people who have a platform, who are being looked up to, we have a responsibility to stay high because kids are watching us.
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If you need to go low, go low at home.
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Do it with your kitchen table, with your spouse.
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But we set the example, because leaders set the tone.
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And we felt what it felt like to be led with low, and it didn't feel great.
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That's why it's important. It's a practice. It's a habit.
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It's something we show the next generation, that we don't -- That doesn't mean we settle.
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That doesn't mean we're complacent.
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It means we think before we speak, because words matter, and I still believe that.
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And I try the best that I can when I'm in the public eye, when I know that kids are watching, to stay high because high begets high.
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-That's right.
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[ Cheers and applause ] Now, uh...
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you went on a book tour around the country, and you had amazing conversations with amazing people.
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Our pal Gayle King, who we love. Tyler Perry.
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-Lots of great people. -Hoda Kotb.
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-David Letterman. -David Letterman.
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-Oh, so many. Sure. Conan O'Brien. Sure.
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-Alright. Alright. You were busy.
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-Yeah, yeah. It's interesting.
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But, you know, there's always time for another book, you know? Um...
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But the list is -- Amazing people.
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And you turned it into a podcast.
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-Yeah. -And this is great.
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It's a great thing. You have to listen to it.
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It's such great conversation. -"The Light Podcast." So, for those who missed the book tour, we've recorded every conversation, edited down to the best of the best.
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And, you know, it touches on the book, but we also each share our own stories of finding light and developing friendships and relationships.
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It's really a fun set of conversations that are now on Audible.
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-And then you have -- One of the interviews or the conversations are with Oprah Winfrey.
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-The one and only. -Yeah. Oprah Winfrey.
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And it airs -- -That Oprah.
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-That Oprah.
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And it's airing on April 25th on Netflix as a special.
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-Yeah, that will be televised because when you're with Oprah, you just televise it.
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-I just feel like, yeah, you have to televise it.
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Yeah, but you have actually become friends with Oprah Winfrey. You guys are really -- -I mean, Oprah was one of the very early supporters before Barack was even thinking about running.
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I mean, she spotted him when he was a U.S. senator.
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And she has sort of been -- Oprah is that person who never asks for anything but is always there with her generosity and love and support.
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There isn't anything you can't ask her to do if you're a friend that she won't try to do.
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She is who she appears to be. -Yeah.
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-And I am lucky to call her a friend.
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-I want to show a clip from your special.
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Here's a look at "The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey." -When you first arrived in Hawaii, you were looking for -- and I understand why -- You were a working woman and had never been to Hawaii.
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So you're looking for the Hawaii in "Hawaii Five-0." Those of you who remember that show.
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-Mai Tais and sunsets on the beach.
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-And honeymoon suites. -Instead...
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-Yeah, instead, it was a trip home to visit his family.
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That's where he was from.
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He wasn't going back to some island vacation.
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He was going back to be with his people.
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But I was young and I was -- It was cold in Chicago, and I thought, "I'm going to Hawaii with my man.
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It's going to be so romantic." [ Laughter ] And then we landed, and we went straight to Toot and Gramps' apartment. No ocean.
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It was a high-rise building.
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Go up to the 10th floor. You know, walk in.
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Looks like my grandparents' house.
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Might as well be on the South Side of Chicago.
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-[ Laughs ] It's not reality. I love it.
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Michelle Obama, everybody.
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"The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey" premieres April 25th on Netflix.
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More "Tonight Show" after the break.
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Stick around. Thank you, as always.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice English speaking skills by listening to a conversation featuring Michelle Obama on a late-night talk show. This engaging dialogue focuses on themes of nostalgia, personal growth, and the power of small actions. As you watch and listen, you will enhance your understanding of informal speech patterns and conversational nuances. By using shadowing techniques, learners can significantly improve their English pronunciation and fluency, making this session valuable for anyone looking to upgrade their english speaking practice.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- White House - The official residence and workplace of the President of the United States.
- Portraits - A painting or photograph of a person, often used in official contexts.
- Tradition - A custom or belief that has been passed down through generations.
- Nostalgia - A sentimental longing for the past, often in idealized terms.
- Motorcade - A procession of vehicles, often used for transporting important individuals.
- Focus - To concentrate attention or effort on a particular task or goal.
- Power of small - A concept suggesting that small, manageable actions lead to significant change.
- Control - The ability to influence or direct outcomes and decisions.
Practice Tips
To get the most out of your practice session, try the following shadowing tips while watching the video:
- Start Slow: Begin by listening to smaller segments of the conversation, pausing after each sentence to repeat what you hear. This will help you capture the rhythm and intonation used by the speakers.
- Record Yourself: Use a recording tool to capture your voice as you practice. Play it back to identify areas where your pronunciation may differ from the original speakers.
- Emulate Tone and Emotion: Pay attention to the emotions conveyed in the dialogue. Mimic the tone and expression to practice delivering phrases with the same intensity.
- Use Repetition: Go over challenging phrases multiple times. Shadowing shorter segments allows for focused improvement on specific words or sounds.
- Engage with the Content: After shadowing, take a moment to reflect on what you've learned. Consider how the themes discussed, such as the "power of small," relate to your own experiences.
By incorporating these tips into your practice sessions, whether through a shadowing site or independently, you will find yourself making great strides in your English pronunciation and overall speaking skills. Remember, the more you practice shadow speech, the more fluent you will become.
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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