Shadowing Practice: Motivational Minute #1 - Believe in Yourself - Learn English Speaking with Video

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11 sentences
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1
I had some tantrums of saying, I can't do this, this is too hard.
2
When I was a kid and comparing myself to everyone else and saying, I can't do it, I'll never be able to do that.
3
My parents always sat me down and said, Look Nick, yes, there are things that you can't do, but don't say, I can't do it.
4
Ask yourself, how can I do it?
5
You know, there's ways around it.
6
You can get from one side of the mountain to another, but you don't just have to walk over it.
7
Maybe you can go underneath it or around it or there's always ways in achieving the same goal.
8
The way that I've achieved in my life doesn't always look the same for everyone else.
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But the key to that success was I believed in myself.
10
If someone else could do something, then I could try and work out how.
11
It starts with believing in yourself.

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About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Motivational Minute #1 - Believe in Yourself" 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.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowI've achieved
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionI'll never be
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessaryhave to walk

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 →