This speaking lesson is built on the video “NEVER GIVE UP - Motivational Video”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: fail, willing, quit. This video has 72 sentences and 568 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:41. The speaker talks at a steady 121 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
guarantee noun	/ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/	Anything that assures a certain outcome.
complain verb	/kəmˈpleɪn/	To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
bitter adjective	/ˈbɪ.tɚ/	Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance).
mathematics noun	/mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/	An abstract representational system studying numbers, shapes, structures, quantitative change and relationships between them.
depressed adjective	/dɪˈpɹɛst/	Unhappy; despondent.
surrender verb	/səˈɹɛndə(ɹ)/	To give up into the power, control, or possession of another.
bounce verb	/baʊns/	To change the direction of motion after hitting an obstacle.
broker noun	/ˈbɹoʊkɚ/	A mediator between a buyer and seller.
fragile adjective	/ˈfɹæd͡ʒəl/	Easily broken, not sturdy; of delicate material.
utter verb	/ˈʌtəɹ/	Sometimes preceded by forth, out, etc.: to produce (a cry, speech, or other sounds) with the voice.
conquer verb	/ˈkɑŋkɚ/	To defeat in combat; to subjugate.
circumstance noun	/ˈsɝ.kəmˌstæns/	Something which is related to, or in some way affects, a fact or event.
astronaut noun	/ˈæstɹəˌnɔt/	A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose.
stockbroker noun		A person who buys and sells shares (stock) on a stock exchange on behalf of clients. May also provide investment advice and/or company information, depending…
crave verb	/kɹeɪv/	To desire strongly, so as to satisfy an appetite; to long or yearn for.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
give up verb		To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).
get up verb		To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb.
go through verb		To travel from one end of something to the other.
come back verb		To return to a place.
come up with verb		To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
fall down verb	/fɔl ˈdaʊn/	To fall to the ground. To collapse.
get down verb	/ɡɛt ˈdaʊn/	To bring or come down; to descend; to cause to bring or come down.
get out verb		To leave or escape.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

We can't have another bad year.
I'm willing for people laugh at me.
I'm willing to gut this out.
I'm willing to make this happen.
Tomorrow's going to be your first day.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 28 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like guarantee, complain, bitter.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: NEVER GIVE UP - Motivational Video - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson