Shadowing Practice: Put God First - Denzel Washington Motivational & Inspiring Commencement Speech - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Number one, put God first.
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Number one, put God first.
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Put God first in everything you do.
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Everything that you think you see in me, everything that I've accomplished, everything that you think I have, and I have a few things.
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Everything that I have is by the grace of God.
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Understand that.
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It's a gift.
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40 years ago, March 27th, 1975, it was 40 years ago, just this past March, I was flunking out of college.
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I had a 1.7 grade point average.
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I hope none of you can relate.
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I had a 1.7 grade point average.
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I was sitting in my mother's beauty shop.
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They still call it beauty shop now.
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they call it?
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Yeah, I was sitting in the beauty parlor.
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I was sitting in my mother's beauty parlor and I'm looking in the mirror and I see behind me this woman under the dryer and every time she looked up, every time I looked up, she was looking at me, just looking me in the eye.
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I didn't know who she was and I said, you know, she said, somebody give me a pen, give me a pencil.
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I have a prophecy.
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March 27, 1975.
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She said, boy, you are going to travel the world and speak to millions of people.
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Now mind you, I flunked out of college.
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I'm thinking about joining the army.
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I didn't know what I was going to do.
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And she's telling me I'm going to travel the world and speak to millions of people.
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Well, I have traveled the world and I have spoke to millions of people, but that's not the most important thing.
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The success that I had, the most important thing is that what she taught me and what she told me that day has stayed with me since.
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I've been protected.
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I've been directed.
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I've been corrected.
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I've kept God in my life and has kept me humble.
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I didn't always stick with him, but he always stuck with me.
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So stick with him in everything you do.
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If you think you want to do what you think I've done, then do what I've done and stick with God.
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Number two, fail big.
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That's right.
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Fail big.
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Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, and it can be very frightening.
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It's a new world out there.
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It's a mean world out there.
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You only live once.
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So do what you feel passionate about.
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Take chances.
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Professionally.
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Don't be afraid to fail.
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There's an old IQ test.
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Nine dots.
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And you had to draw five lines with a pencil within these nine dots.
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Without lifting the pencil.
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The only way to do it was to go outside the box.
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so don't be afraid to go outside the box don't be afraid to think outside the box don't be afraid to fail big to dream big but remember
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dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment so have dreams
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but have goals.
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Life goals.
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Yearly goals.
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Monthly goals.
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Daily goals.
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I try to give myself a goal every day.
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Sometimes it's just to not curse somebody out.
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Simple goals but have goals.
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And understand that to achieve these goals you must apply discipline and consistency.
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In order to achieve your goals, you must apply discipline, which you have already done, and consistency every day.
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Now, just on Tuesday and miss a few days.
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You have to work at it every day.
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You have to plan every day.
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You've heard the saying, we don't plan to fail.
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We fail to plan.
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Hard work works.
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Working really hard is what successful people do.
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And in this text, tweet, twerk world that you've grown up in, remember just because you're doing a lot more doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done
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remember that just because you're doing a lot more doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done don't confuse movement with progress
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my mother told me she said yeah because you can run in place all the time and never get
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anywhere so continue to strive continue to have goals continue to
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progress number three you'll never see a u-haul behind a
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hearse i'll say it again you'll never see a u-haul behind a hearse i don't care how much money you make you can't take it with you.
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And it's not how much you have.
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It's what you do with what you have.
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We all have different talents.
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Some of you will be doctors, some lawyers, some scientists, some educators, some nurses, some teachers.
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Yeah, okay.
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Some preachers.
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The most selfish thing you can do in this world is help someone else.
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Why is it selfish?
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Because the gratification, the goodness that comes to you, the good feeling, the good feeling that I get from helping others, nothing's better than that.
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Not jewelry, not big house I have, not the cars, but it's the joy.
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That's where the joy is in helping others.
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That's where the success is.
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Finally, I pray that you put your slippers
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way under the bed tonight so that when you wake up in the morning you have to get on your knees to reach them
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and while you're down there say thank you for grace thank you for mercy Thank you for understanding.
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Thank you for wisdom.
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Thank you for parents.
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Thank you for love.
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Thank you for kindness.
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Thank you for humility.
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Thank you for peace.
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Thank you for prosperity.
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Say thank you in advance for what's already yours.
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That's how I live my life.
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That's why I am.
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One of the reasons why I am today.
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Say thank you in advance for what is already yours.
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True desire in the heart for anything good is God's proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it's yours already.
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I'll say it again.
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True desire in the heart, that itch that you have, whatever it is you want to do, that thing that you want to do to help others and to grow and to make money, that desire, that itch, that's God's proof to you
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sent beforehand already to indicate that it's yours.
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And anything you want good, you can have.
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So claim it.
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Work hard to get it.
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When you get it, reach back.
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Pull someone else up.
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Each one, teach one.
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Don't just aspire to make a living Aspire to make a difference
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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice improving your English speaking skills through the motivational and inspiring commencement speech by Denzel Washington. This exercise will allow you to enhance your pronunciation, intonation, and overall fluency using the shadowing technique. By listening carefully and mirroring the speaker, you will learn to articulate your thoughts more clearly and confidently, which is essential for effective communication.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Put God first: Prioritizing spiritual beliefs in one's life choices.
  • Fail big: Taking significant risks, understanding that failure is part of growth.
  • Dreams without goals: The idea that aspirations must be paired with actionable objectives.
  • Discipline and consistency: Essential practices for achieving success over time.
  • Think outside the box: Encouraging creativity and innovative thinking beyond conventional limits.
  • Work hard: The importance of effort and dedication in reaching one's goals.
  • Plan to succeed: The necessity of setting plans to avoid failure.

Practice Tips

To make the most of this shadowing site experience, follow these tips:

  • Listen attentively: Play the video and focus on the natural rhythm and flow of Washington's speech. Pay attention to his tone, emphasis, and pauses.
  • Repeat after him: Stop the video after each sentence or phrase and try to imitate his pronunciation and intonation. This will help you improve your English pronunciation and make your speaking more dynamic.
  • Use a shadowing app: Consider utilizing a shadowing app that allows you to control playback speed, enabling you to practice at your own pace while still mimicking the original speech.
  • Record your voice: After shadowing, record yourself speaking the same parts. Listen for differences in tone and pronunciation, and adjust accordingly for improvement.
  • Practice regularly: Consistency is key. Make shadowing a daily habit to reinforce your skills and build your confidence over time.

By regularly engaging with this speech through the shadowing technique, you will not only enhance your speaking abilities but also gain motivation from the powerful messages conveyed in Denzel Washington's words.

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.

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