Shadowing Practice: Practice: What Will I Be Proudest Looking Back - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Come and join me for a few minutes in a practice that I call,
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What Will I Be Proudest of Looking Back on My Life?
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Settle wherever you are in whatever position is comfortable.
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You can let your eyes close or simply soften your gaze toward whatever is in front of you.
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Take one deep breath and let whatever you were doing a moment ago set itself down.
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There's nowhere else you need to be right now.
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Take another deep breath, a little slower.
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Feel the weight of your body where it rests, your feet on the floor,
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your hands in your lap, or on the armrest of your chair.
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Take one more breath, slower still.
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Let your shoulders drop.
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Let your jaw relax.
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Feel yourself arriving here.
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And now when you feel ready, imagine yourself at age 80, looking back over your whole life.
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A friend or a close family member asks you with genuine curiosity, what are you proudest of?
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Don't answer yet.
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Notice how the body reacts.
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the question just sit for a moment and notice what the mind offers first by way of an answer.
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For many of us what might arrive first is a list of achievements,
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Things that are visible to others that might fill you with pride and a sense of accomplishment.
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If it arises, let the list of accomplishments be there and observe how how it makes you feel inside.
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Now ask the question again more slowly.
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What would I most want to be proud of at the end of my life?
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Not what you think you ought to answer, but what you would really want to be true.
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See if the answer changes.
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Notice what comes up.
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Suppose whether your answer landed somewhere in the body.
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Maybe it's brought a particular person to mind or a particular stretch of your life.
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Perhaps it hasn't and that's fine too.
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If something is still there, stay with it a moment longer.
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Now, gently let that 80-year-old go and come back to today,
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to this week, and ask,
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whatever it was that I could picture being proud of, what would a version of that look like today?
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Not the whole of it, but one thing that I could actually do.
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Something maybe the size of a phone call or 10 minutes without the phone in the room,
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one question asked and the answer actually listened to.
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Let one specific thing come to mind and set an intention to put that thought into action.
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If nothing comes to mind, that's fine.
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The question can keep working on its own for a while.
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And now, when you're ready, gently return to the rest of your day.
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Thank you.

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

This video offers a unique shadow speech opportunity, blending mindfulness with language practice. The slow, reflective tone makes it ideal for the shadowing technique—you can easily mimic the speaker’s pace, pauses, and intonation. It also creates a natural context for discussing personal values, a key topic in IELTS speaking practice. By engaging with questions like “What will I be proudest of?”, you’ll build fluency in expressing deep thoughts, a skill that impresses examiners and connects with others. Plus, the guided structure helps you focus on meaning while improving pronunciation—perfect for a shadowing site session.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video uses several useful structures to note:

  • “Let whatever you were doing set itself down” – The imperative “let” + noun clause softens commands, a polite way to guide others. Useful for giving advice or leading discussions.
  • “Notice how the body reacts” – “How” clauses describe processes, great for explaining observations (critical in IELTS part 2).
  • “What would I most want to be proud of?” – Conditional “would” for hypothetical questions, essential for exploring ideas in speaking tasks.
These phrases aren’t just grammar—they’re tools to sound natural and thoughtful.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Watch for tricky words:

  • “Genuine” – Often mispronounced with a hard “g”; the speaker uses a soft “j” sound (“jen-yoo-in”).
  • “Accomplishment” – The stress falls on the second syllable (“uh-kom-PLISH-ment”), not the first.
  • “Intention” – Avoid rushing the “sh” sound; the speaker clearly enunciates “in-TEN-shun.”
Practicing these with shadowspeaks (repeating immediately after the speaker) will sharpen your clarity.

Whether you’re prepping for IELTS or just want to speak more authentically, this video is a goldmine. Grab your device, hit play, and let the shadowing technique turn reflection into fluent speech.

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.