Shadowing Practice: My Dad Ranking - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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I gotta show you what I got for Father's Day.
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I wanted one of those classic Father's Day mugs, but I thought number one dad was kind of...
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braggy and also dishonest.
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Like, come on, am I really the number one dad?
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So I asked my daughter, who is six years old, to give me something more realistic,
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and that's how I wound up being the number 1 ,093 ,750 ,000 and 12th Dad.
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Here's how we came up with the number.
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I gave her a sheet of paper on which I'd drawn a line, and I said, "If this is the worst dad, and the other end of the line is the best dad,
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put a little mark where you think I would fit." And, well, this is what she did.
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Yeah, bottom half.
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Something about screen time and candy amounts.
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Anyway, the point is I measured where she placed her mark as precisely as I could
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and then I applied that fraction to the estimated total number of dads currently alive on Earth, which is somewhere between one and a half and two billion.
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Now that only took me to one billion, 93 million, 750 ,000 because I could only measure so precisely at that scale.
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So I added an extra 12 to make it look a little bit more specific
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This gift And so that is how I placed 1 ,093 ,750 ,012 in this year's annual DAD competition.
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Not gonna lie, next year I'd like to place a little bit higher.
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I'd love to crack the top billion, have one less digit in my ranking.
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That would be pretty cool.
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But until then, I'm just really loving this daily reminder, not just of love, but of...
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Honesty. and math.
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you

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will enhance your English speaking skills by engaging with a humorous and insightful story about a Father's Day gift. The video presents an entertaining narrative that combines math with personal reflection. As you follow along, you will practice listening skills, improve your pronunciation, and enrich your vocabulary. By participating in this exercise, you will learn how to articulate thoughts clearly, which is essential for effective communication in English. This is a great opportunity to learn English with YouTube while enjoying a light-hearted subject matter.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Braggy - showing excessive pride; boastful.
  • Dishonest - not truthful or deceptive.
  • Mark - a symbol or indication; in this context, it refers to a point on a line.
  • Screen time - the amount of time spent using devices such as smartphones and tablets.
  • Estimate - to find an approximate value.
  • Ranking - a position in a hierarchy based on comparison.
  • Competition - a contest or rivalry to achieve something.

Practice Tips

To effectively practice your English speaking skills while watching the video, try the following techniques:

  • Shadowing: Listen carefully to the speaker's tone and pace. Since the narrator speaks in a conversational manner, take note of the natural pauses and intonation patterns. Try to mimic these aspects as closely as possible to improve your English pronunciation.
  • Repeat Key Phrases: After listening to a sentence or phrase, pause the video and repeat it out loud. This helps solidify your understanding and improves fluency, which is particularly beneficial for IELTS speaking practice.
  • Record Yourself: Use your smartphone or another recording device to capture your own voice as you practice. Comparing your pronunciation and intonation with the original can highlight areas for improvement in your speaking skills.
  • Engage with the Content: Reflect on the story shared in the video. Consider your own experiences or feelings related to Father's Day, and try to express them in English. This personal connection enhances your vocabulary and allows natural speaking practice.
  • Consistency is Key: Aim to integrate this practice into your daily routine. Regularly watching videos and shadowing the material will help you to improve English pronunciation and build confidence in your speaking abilities.

By actively engaging with this video and applying these practice tips, you will find that your English speaking practice sessions become more effective and enjoyable.

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 →