Shadowing Practice: No Matter How Hard It Gets, I’ll Keep Going! | Easy English Podcast Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
464 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hello, everyone.
2
Welcome back to Elia English Channel.
3
My name is Elia, and today I am here with my friend Daniel.
4
We talk about simple and useful topics in English.
5
Hi, Elia, and hello, everyone.
6
I am very happy to be here.
7
Today's topic is something we all understand because everyone has difficult moments in life.
8
Yes.
9
Our topic today is No Matter How Hard It Gets, I'll Keep Going.
10
We will talk about difficult days, failure, fear, and not giving up.
11
I really like this topic.
12
Sometimes life feels easy, but sometimes everything feels difficult.
13
We can feel tired, worried, or even ready to stop.
14
I think everyone has felt that way.
15
Maybe you worked hard but did not get good results.
16
Maybe you tried something and failed.
17
Or maybe you wanted something very badly, but it did not happen.
18
These moments can make us ask, why should I keep trying?
19
That is a difficult question, but I think the answer is simple.
20
We keep going because one bad moment does not decide our whole future.
21
I agree.
22
A difficult day is only one day.
23
A failure is only one event.
24
It doesn't mean that your whole life will be difficult.
25
Exactly.
26
Sometimes we look at one problem and think it will last forever.
27
But problems can change.
28
Feelings can change.
29
Our situation can change, too.
30
Yes.
31
I have had difficult times when I thought things would never get better.
32
But later, something changed, and I realized I was worrying too much.
33
I have experienced that, too.
34
When we are inside a difficult situation, it can be hard to see the future clearly.
35
That's true.
36
When we feel sad or tired, we often think about the problem again and again.
37
It becomes bigger in our mind.
38
So sometimes we need to stop and take a breath.
39
We do not need to solve our whole life today.
40
We can simply focus on the next step.
41
I love that idea.
42
We often think about ten steps at once.
43
Then we feel scared.
44
But one step is usually much easier.
45
For example, imagine you want to learn English.
46
You may think, I need to learn thousands of words and understand every grammar rule.
47
That sounds scary.
48
If I think about everything at once, I may want to close my English book and go to sleep.
49
Exactly.
50
But you can make the goal smaller.
51
Learn five new words today.
52
Read one short text.
53
Speak English for ten minutes.
54
Then tomorrow you can do it again.
55
After one month, those small actions can become a big improvement.
56
I think this is true for almost every goal.
57
We do not need to make a huge change in one day.
58
Small actions can be very powerful.
59
Yes.
60
Sometimes people give up because they expect fast results.
61
They work hard for one week and think, why am I not successful yet?
62
That happens a lot.
63
We live in a world where we see fast results everywhere.
64
We see people becoming successful and think it happened overnight.
65
But we usually don't see the years of work behind that success.
66
We see the final result, not all the difficult days before it.
67
That is an important point.
68
We see someone's success, but we do not see their mistakes, failures, stress, and long nights.
69
Exactly.
70
We should remember that every successful person had difficult moments.
71
Nobody has a perfect journey.
72
Daniel, have you ever wanted to give up on something important?
73
Yes, many times.
74
I remember working on something for several weeks.
75
I gave it a lot of time, but the result was not good.
76
How did you feel?
77
I felt disappointed.
78
I also felt angry with myself.
79
I thought, maybe I am not good enough.
80
Maybe I should stop trying.
81
That feeling can be very strong.
82
When we fail, we sometimes think the failure says something about who we are.
83
Yes, but later I understood something important.
84
Failing at something does not mean you are a failure.
85
I completely agree.
86
You can fail at a test without being a failure.
87
You can lose a game without being a loser.
88
You can make a mistake at work without being a bad worker.
89
You can make mistakes while learning English without being a bad English learner.
90
Exactly.
91
Mistakes are information.
92
They show us what we need to improve.
93
I like that.
94
A mistake can teach us something if we are willing to learn from it.
95
Sometimes we need to ask ourselves, what can I learn from this, instead of asking, why am I so bad at this?
96
That question changes everything.
97
The first question gives you a chance to improve.
98
The second question only makes you feel worse.
99
And feeling bad does not always help us move forward.
100
Sometimes we need to be kind to ourselves while still taking responsibility.
101
Yes, being kind to yourself does not mean making excuses.
102
It means saying, I made a mistake, but I can learn from it.
103
I think that is a very healthy way to think.
104
We can accept that something went wrong and still believe that tomorrow can be better.
105
Absolutely.
106
Another important thing is patience.
107
Some goals take a long time, and we need to accept that.
108
Learning a language is a great example.
109
You may study for months before you feel truly comfortable speaking.
110
And sometimes you may feel like you are not improving, but then one day, you understand a conversation that you could not understand before.
111
That moment feels great.
112
You suddenly realize that all those small lessons were helping you.
113
Yes, progress is sometimes difficult to see while it is happening.
114
You may only notice it when you look back.
115
That is why we should not judge our progress every day.
116
One bad day does not mean we are going backward.
117
Exactly.
118
Maybe today you are tired.
119
Maybe you cannot study for two hours.
120
That's okay.
121
You can do ten minutes instead.
122
Ten minutes is still something.
123
One page is still something.
124
One new word is still something.
125
And if you continue doing small things, things, they can become something much bigger over time.
126
I also think we should understand that resting is not the same as giving up.
127
Very true.
128
Sometimes you need to stop for a while.
129
You need sleep, food, fresh air, or time with people you love.
130
Rest can give you energy.
131
Giving up means deciding that you will never continue.
132
And those are very different things.
133
You can take a break today and start again tomorrow.
134
You can even start again tonight.
135
You do not need to wait for Monday, next month, or New Year.
136
That is something many people forget.
137
We think we need a perfect starting point, but we can start whenever we choose.
138
I love that idea.
139
You do not need a perfect day to make progress.
140
You only need one small action.
141
And sometimes that action is very simple.
142
Open the book.
143
Write one sentence.
144
Make one phone call.
145
Take one step.
146
The important thing is to keep moving.
147
Maybe you move slowly, but you are still moving.
148
Yes.
149
Life is not a race.
150
Your journey does not have to look like someone else's journey.
151
Some people reach their goals quickly.
152
Others need more time.
153
That does not make one person better than the other.
154
Exactly.
155
Everyone has a different starting point, different problems, and different responsibilities.
156
So when life becomes difficult, we should try not to compare ourselves too much.
157
We should focus on our own path.
158
I agree.
159
Compare yourself with who you were yesterday, not with someone who has a completely different life.
160
That is a great way to think.
161
If you are a little better than yesterday, that is progress.
162
And if yesterday was difficult, that's okay, too.
163
You can still wake up and try again today.
164
So maybe keeping going does not always look strong or exciting.
165
Sometimes it simply looks like getting up and trying one more time.
166
Yes.
167
Sometimes strength is very quiet.
168
It is saying, today was hard, but I am not finished.
169
I will take one more small step.
170
I think another important part of keeping going is dealing with fear.
171
Fear can stop us before we even begin.
172
Sometimes we imagine everything that could go wrong.
173
Yes.
174
We think, what if I fail?
175
What if people laugh at me?
176
What if I am not good enough?
177
These questions can make a small problem feel very big.
178
But we cannot know what will happen before we try.
179
Maybe we will fail, but maybe we will succeed.
180
We need to give ourselves a chance.
181
Exactly.
182
If you never try, you already know the result.
183
Nothing changes.
184
But if you try, something can change.
185
I think courage does not mean having no fear.
186
Courage means doing something even when you feel afraid.
187
I agree.
188
You can be nervous and still take action.
189
You can be scared and still move forward.
190
You do not have to wait until the fear disappears.
191
Sometimes people say, I will start when I feel confident.
192
But confidence often comes after we start, not before.
193
That is very true.
194
Think about riding a bicycle.
195
You become better because you practice.
196
You do not become confident by sitting and watching someone else ride.
197
The same thing happens with speaking English.
198
You may be afraid to speak because you think you will make mistakes.
199
But if you never speak, your fear stays.
200
When you speak more, you slowly become more comfortable.
201
Practice makes the fear smaller.
202
And making mistakes is okay.
203
Sometimes you say something wrong and people still understand you.
204
Then you realize the mistake was not as scary as you imagined.
205
Yes.
206
I remember making a silly mistake while speaking English.
207
I felt embarrassed for a few seconds, but then I laughed about it.
208
Exactly.
209
Sometimes we take our mistakes too seriously.
210
A small mistake today can become a funny story later.
211
And mistakes can help us remember the correct answer.
212
If you make a mistake and learn from it, you may never forget it again.
213
Another thing that helps me is remembering why I started.
214
When something becomes difficult, I ask myself, why did I begin this?
215
That is a powerful question.
216
Your reason Reason can give you energy when your motivation is low.
217
For example, maybe you are learning English because you want a better job, or you want to travel,
218
or you want to speak with people from other countries.
219
Maybe you are studying because you want to help your family.
220
Maybe you want to become more independent.
221
Your reason does not have to be the same as someone else's.
222
Yes, when you know your reason, difficult days can feel a little easier.
223
You remember that your work has a purpose.
224
I think purpose is very important.
225
If you only focus on how hard something is, you may want to stop.
226
But if you remember why it matters, you can continue.
227
Sometimes motivation disappears, though.
228
We cannot feel motivated every morning.
229
What do you do when you have no motivation?
230
I try not to wait for motivation.
231
I start with something very small.
232
Once I begin, I often feel more motivated.
233
I do that too.
234
I tell myself, just do five minutes.
235
Five minutes doesn't feel difficult.
236
And sometimes five minutes becomes 20 minutes.
237
The hardest part is often starting.
238
Yes, starting is sometimes harder than continuing.
239
When we finally begin, the task may not be as bad as we imagined.
240
That happens to me with cleaning.
241
I look at my room and think, this will take forever.
242
Then I clean one small area, and suddenly I want to clean more.
243
I understand that.
244
The same thing happens with exercise.
245
Putting on your shoes can feel harder than the actual workout.
246
Exactly.
247
Once the shoes are on, you are already halfway there.
248
Small actions can break the feeling of being stuck.
249
I think being stuck is another reason people give up.
250
They do not know what to do next.
251
When that happens, I think asking for help is a good idea.
252
We do not have to solve every problem alone.
253
That is important.
254
Asking for help is not weakness.
255
Sometimes another person can see a solution that we cannot see.
256
Yes, a friend, teacher, family member, or co -worker may have useful advice.
257
Even talking about the problem can make it feel smaller.
258
I have noticed that too.
259
When I keep a problem inside my head, it can become very big.
260
When I talk about it, I can understand it better.
261
Talking can also remind us that we are not alone.
262
Other people have problems too.
263
Everyone has difficult days.
264
We sometimes look at other people and think their lives are easy, but we only see a small part of their lives.
265
Exactly.
266
Someone may look happy online, but we do not know what they're dealing with privately.
267
So we should not compare our difficult moments with someone else's best moments.
268
That is a great point.
269
Comparison can make us feel like we are behind, but life is not a competition.
270
Another thing I want to talk about is rejection.
271
Rejection can be very painful, especially when we really want something.
272
Yes.
273
You apply for a job and they say no. You ask someone for an opportunity
274
and they say no. It can make you feel disappointed.
275
But one no does not mean every future answer will be no. Exactly.
276
Sometimes rejection simply means that opportunity was not right for you at that time.
277
And sometimes rejection can push us towards something better.
278
We may not understand it immediately.
279
I agree.
280
I know people who were rejected from one job and later found a much better job.
281
At first they were sad, but later they were thankful.
282
That is why we should not make big decisions when we are very disappointed.
283
Strong emotions can change how we see things.
284
Yes.
285
When you were upset, take some time.
286
Sleep, walk, talk to someone, and then think about your next step.
287
I like the idea of taking a pause instead of giving up.
288
A pause gives you time to recover without ending the journey.
289
Exactly.
290
You can stop for a moment without stopping forever.
291
Sometimes you just need to breathe and begin again.
292
Another important lesson is that progress is not always straight.
293
Some days you move forward and other days you move backward.
294
That is normal.
295
Maybe you study English for five days, then miss two days that doesn't erase the five days of work.
296
Right.
297
One bad week does not destroy months of progress.
298
We should look at the whole journey.
299
And when you make a mistake, you can return to your routine.
300
You do not need to punish yourself.
301
I think being too hard on ourselves can actually make things worse.
302
If we constantly say, I am lazy, we may start believing it.
303
Yes, it is better to say, I had a difficult day.
304
What can I do differently tomorrow?
305
That question is much more useful.
306
It focuses on the future instead of keeping us trapped in the past.
307
Exactly.
308
We cannot change yesterday, but we can choose what we do today.
309
And sometimes today only requires one small choice.
310
– turn off the phone, open the book, go outside, start the task.
311
Small choices can change the direction of a day, and repeated small choices can change the direction of a life.
312
That is why I believe we should respect small progress.
313
It may look unimportant today, but it can become important later.
314
Yes.
315
One page becomes a book.
316
One lesson becomes knowledge.
317
One workout becomes a habit.
318
One step becomes a journey.
319
I really like that.
320
We often want to see the whole result, but we should also appreciate the small steps.
321
Because without the small steps, we never reach the big result.
322
Every big achievement is made from many small actions. so
323
when things get hard maybe
324
we should ask ourselves one simple question what is the smallest thing i can do right now i love
325
that question it takes away some pressure
326
you do not need to solve everything right now you only need to find the next small step
327
and once you take
328
that step you can look for another one slowly
329
you begin moving again yes you may still feel tired you may still feel afraid
330
but you are moving and sometimes
331
that is enough daniel i think we have talked about many difficult parts of life
332
but i want to talk about one more important thing hope
333
Why do you think hope is important?
334
I think hope gives us a reason to continue.
335
When we have hope, we believe tomorrow can be different.
336
Even when today is difficult, we know that things can change.
337
I agree.
338
Hope does not mean believing everything will be easy.
339
It means believing that difficult moments can pass and better moments can come.
340
Exactly.
341
Sometimes we only need enough hope to take one more step.
342
We do not need to know everything about the future.
343
We only need to believe that another day is possible.
344
I love that idea.
345
We cannot see the whole road.
346
We can only see the next part.
347
But that is enough to keep walking.
348
Yes.
349
And sometimes the road changes.
350
Maybe our original plan does not work.
351
That does not mean our life is over it may simply mean
352
we need a new plan changing your plan is not the same as giving up
353
sometimes changing direction is exactly what we need I completely agree.
354
Giving up means deciding that you will never try again.
355
Changing direction means looking for another way to reach your goal.
356
And sometimes the other way is better.
357
We may discover something new because our first plan did not work.
358
That is true.
359
A closed door can be disappointing, but sometimes it helps us notice another door that we did not see before.
360
I think we should also remember that we do not have to be strong every minute.
361
It's okay to cry, rest, and say, this is hard.
362
Yes, being honest about your feelings does not make you weak.
363
You can say that something is difficult and still decide to continue.
364
Sometimes people think they must always be positive, but I don't think that's realistic.
365
Life has sad days, stressful days, and confusing days.
366
I agree.
367
We do not need to pretend everything is perfect.
368
We can accept that today is difficult and still have hope for tomorrow.
369
So, if someone listening today is going through a difficult time, what would you say to them?
370
I would say, do not decide your whole future
371
because of one difficult day take a breath rest
372
if you need to
373
and take one small step I would say the same you may not see the result today
374
but your efforts still matter keep learning keep trying and keep moving
375
and remember you do not have to do everything at once one small step is enough for today maybe
376
you failed yesterday that's okay today is another chance
377
you can begin again maybe someone said no to you that's
378
okay too one rejection does not decide your future maybe you feel tired rest take care of yourself then
379
when you are ready continue maybe you are afraid that's okay you can be afraid
380
and still be brave courage is moving forward even
381
when you feel fear maybe you feel like you are behind in life remember
382
that everyone has a different journey your speed does not have
383
to match someone else's speed exactly do not compare your beginning with someone else's middle
384
you do not know how long they've been working or what problems they faced i also think we should celebrate small wins.
385
Maybe you studied for 10 minutes today.
386
Maybe you finished one task.
387
Maybe you finally started something you were avoiding.
388
Those things matter.
389
Small wins give us confidence.
390
They remind us that we are capable of making progress.
391
And when we notice small progress, we become more patient.
392
We understand that big changes usually happen slowly.
393
Yes.
394
Think about learning English.
395
One new word may seem very small, but one new word every day can become hundreds of words over time.
396
The same is true for exercise, reading, work, and personal goals.
397
Small actions can create big results when we continue.
398
That is why consistency is so important.
399
You do not have to be perfect every day.
400
You just need to keep returning to your goal i really like
401
that you can miss one day
402
and return the next day you can have a bad week
403
and start again yes starting again is a skill the people who succeed are not people who never fall
404
they are people who learn how to get back up that is a powerful message.
405
Falling down is not the biggest problem.
406
Staying down forever is the bigger problem.
407
Exactly.
408
You can fall.
409
You can make mistakes.
410
You can feel tired.
411
But you can always ask, what can I do now?
412
And that question brings us back to action.
413
Instead of thinking about everything that is wrong, we can think about one thing we can control.
414
Maybe we can control our next decision.
415
Maybe we can control whether we study today, make that phone call, finish that task, or take care of ourselves.
416
We cannot control everything in life, but we can control our effort, our attitude, and our next step.
417
And sometimes that is enough.
418
One small step today can create a completely different situation I think this is a good time to remember our main message,
419
no matter how hard it gets.
420
i'll keep going yes not because life is always easy but
421
because we believe our future is worth working for not
422
because we never fail but every failure can teach us something not
423
because we never feel afraid but because we can be afraid
424
and still take action not because we have all the answers
425
but because we can take one step and learn along the way
426
and not because we are perfect but
427
because we are willing to try again i really love
428
that daniel i think today's conversation gave us a lot to think about life can be difficult
429
but difficult does not mean impossible exactly if today is hard take it slowly
430
if you need to rest rest
431
if you make a mistake learn from it then try again
432
and if you feel like giving up remember why you started think about your dreams your goals
433
and the people you want to help your reason can give you strength
434
when you know why something matters it becomes easier to continue when the road gets difficult.
435
To everyone listening, I want you to remember something simple.
436
You do not have to change your whole life today.
437
You only need to take one small step, then another one tomorrow.
438
Slowly, those steps can take you somewhere amazing.
439
Thank you so much for spending your time with us today.
440
We hope you enjoyed this conversation and learned some useful English.
441
Thank you everyone.
442
We hope this podcast gave you some new words, useful ideas, and maybe a little motivation too.
443
If you are learning English, keep practicing.
444
Do not be afraid of mistakes.
445
Every mistake is part of your learning journey.
446
And if you are working toward a personal goal, keep going.
447
Your progress may be slow, but slow progress is still progress.
448
Remember, Remember, one bad day does not define your life.
449
One failure does not define you.
450
One rejection does not decide your future.
451
You can always learn.
452
You can always change.
453
You can always start again.
454
And you can always take another step.
455
So when life gets difficult, take a breath and tell yourself, I may be tired, but I will keep going.
456
And when tomorrow comes, take another small step.
457
You do not need to see the whole road.
458
You only need to keep moving forward.
459
Thank you for listening to Elia English Channel.
460
We're happy to learn English with you, and we hope this conversation stays with you.
461
Thank you, everyone.
462
Keep learning, keep believing, and keep going.
463
No matter how hard it gets, your story is not over.
464
See you next time!
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B11
How to Have a Calmer Life! | Easy English Podcast Conversation in Daily Life
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
Why Do I Feel Stuck in Life? | Easy English Podcast Conversation for Daily Life
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
Talent Without Hard Work Is Nothing! | Easy English Podcast Conversation in Daily Life
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
The Most Dangerous Habit – Laziness | Easy English Podcast Conversation in Daily Life
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
A2471
10 sentences
Never Give Up 💪✨ | Keep Going, Keep Growing | English Motivation | #easyenglish #englishforbeginners
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
415 sentences
Be Kind to Yourself — You Are Enough & Love Yourself | English Motivation for Beginners
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
255 sentences
How to Stay Positive During Hard Times | English Learning Podcast for Easy Daily Life Conversation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B13
32 sentences
Every Step Is Important #english #readingeanglish
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
906 sentences
Why You Lose Motivation After a Few Days and How to Fix That | English Listening Practice
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
424 sentences
Learn English with Podcast | Why You Shouldn't Quit English (Our Honest Story)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
414 sentences
Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life 🌱 | Real English Conversation for A1-B1 Level
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B1109 sentences
How to talk about Feelings in 2026 in English | English conversation practice | Easy English podcast
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
232 sentences
The Problem Isn't Life, It's Your Expectations | Slow English Podcast #learnenglishpodcast
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
374 sentences
It's Time to Change Your Life | Easy English Conversation Podcast
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “No Matter How Hard It Gets, I’ll Keep Going!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: difficult, step, mistake, exactly, English. This video has 464 sentences and 4073 words to shadow. The speech runs for 27:53. The speaker talks at a steady 146 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 92% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| rejection noun | /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/ | The act of rejecting. |
| motivation noun | /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/ | Willingness of action especially in behavior. |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
| compare verb | /kəmˈpɛɚ/ | To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it… |
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| disappointed adjective | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/ | Defeated of expectations or hope; experiencing disappointment; let down. |
| solve verb | /sɒlv/ | To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out. |
| courage noun | /ˈkʌ.ɹɪd͡ʒ/ | The quality of being confident, not afraid or easily intimidated, but without being incautious or inconsiderate. |
| worker noun | /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ | One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor. |
| remind verb | /ɹəˈmaɪnd/ | To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person). |
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| define verb | /dɪˈfaɪn/ | To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly. |
| succeed verb | /səkˈsiːd/ | To follow something in sequence or time. |
| shoe noun | /ˈʃu/ | A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom part composed of thick leather or plastic sole and often a thicker heel, and a softer upper part made of… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). | |
| move forward verb | To cause to make progress. | |
| fall down verb | /fɔl ˈdaʊn/ | To fall to the ground. To collapse. |
| 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. | |
| look back verb | To think of (past events) in retrospect (in hindsight). | |
| take away verb | /ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/ | To remove something and put it in a different place. |
| turn off verb | To power down, to switch off, to put out of operation, to deactivate (an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- We think, what if I fail?
- What if people laugh at me?
- What if I am not good enough?
- What do you do when you have no motivation?
- What can I do differently tomorrow?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has felt · have had · have experienced |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being stuck · were rejected · is made |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who has · people who were · people who succeed |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should I keep · should remember · should stop |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 10 contractions and reduced forms, such as doesn't, don't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, thankful /ˈθæŋkfəl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: rejection /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, shoe /ˈʃu/, patience /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/, consistency /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/, unimportant /ˌʌnɪmˈpɔɹtənt/
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 rejection, motivation, topic.
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.