Shadowing Practice: Red Note Q&A - Half a Million Followers and Monetizing - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hey everyone, this is John, and I have about half a million followers on the Red Note app, and I've been monetizing there for probably about the last year or two,

and I wanted to answer some common questions you might have about the app, either as a creator or just a viewer.

So the first thing is, what exactly is the Red Note app?

So a lot of people have been saying, okay, it's the Chinese version of TikTok.

No, that's not true.

Actually, there are two versions of TikTok.

You have the international version, which you're probably watching right now, and then the Chinese version, which is called Douyin.

Red Note is more like a combination of Instagram and Pinterest.

So as soon as you open the app, it's just a bunch of pictures or like banners or screenshots, thumbnails, and you can actually pick what you want to watch.

If you watch a video, then you can start scrolling.

So it's more of a combination of those two.

In fact, for a long time, Red Note, which I believe used to be called Little Red Book, but anyways, was more compared to the Chinese version of Instagram.

Now, next question is, can you use it in English?

Now, I've seen some people say, I don't understand all the buttons or anything.

Just in case there is an English interface option, just go to the settings and look for the English settings there.

Now, the next question is, what is the demographic?

Who uses the app?

So obviously it is a Chinese app

but there are also a lot of foreigners there as well now especially a lot more now.

Now generally it tends to be more female.

This app Red Note compared to the other local apps is more more of like a fashion

and lifestyle and like a foodie app but honestly now over the year, the last year it's really become kind of everywhere, all sorts of things.

For example, I teach English, I do comedy there.

Like I said, I have about over half a million followers there right now.

Now, what can you post?

That's a good question.

What can you post there?

Again, video or picture, all good.

You can kind of equate it to like, for example, how Instagram has photo posts or reels, which are videos.

Now, can you post in English?

Absolutely, yes you can.

Actually, in my honest opinion, I feel just as a creator there

that most of the users on this app tend to be usually the best English levels.

So as an example, I sell English courses.

I feel like on Red Note, I don't really sell that great there because most people there actually speak good English already.

They're more international in that sense or whatever, I guess semantics.

Now, here's the biggest question.

So if you are a creator, can you make money there?

No, you cannot.

Well, let me explain this.

So like I said, I've been monetizing there because I sell courses in a live stream, but that's because I have a Chinese company.

That's a whole different thing that if you're not in China, you probably will not be able to do.

They do not have a pay for view program, for example, like the TikTok creator fund, that does not exist on this app.

But what a lot of people do is they get sponsorships, they get ads, and if you are already a big creator there,

there's been a lot of celebrities that are already on the app already, so you never know, it could work out.

Honestly, as you can see, I would recommend for all creators, regardless where you are, you could consider localizing for different countries as well, especially China.

Now, the last thing, and I think this is a really interesting one.

So as you know, censorship is a thing in China.

Okay, that's all that needs to be said here, more so than on international apps or American apps.

Will you be able to post anything you want?

And here's the thing.

So either the AI like moderation or human moderation will come to get you eventually.

And your content might just get taken down.

So for example, you'll see what's very common that a lot of really pretty girls will, for example, on TikTok or Instagram,

will post some cleavage or post some kind of revealing photos.

On an app like Red Note, you'll see they'll actually kind of censor, they'll cover it up with like a little sticky, a sticker emoji or a cloud or something like that.

So be aware of that.

If your app gets taken down for some reason, you should know that Red Note, to comply with Chinese laws, will be working, especially right now,

super overtime to make sure that they are not getting themselves in trouble.

That's a very common thing on Chinese social media, okay?

So guys and girls, again, I don't really usually post this type of content, but honestly, I see a lot of people posting videos about Red Note that honestly,

in my opinion, are just trying to kind of capture like a viral trend right now.

Again, I've been creating content there for over a year, half a million followers, been monetizing there, have a decent business there as well.

So if you have any questions, you can write me in the comments.

I'll try my best to answer.

But again, this account is primarily a language and comedy account as well.

So guys, good luck.

Hope TikTok doesn't get banned, but if not, I'll see you over there at Red Note.

Peace.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 69 sentences and 953 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:32. The speaker talks at a natural 172 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
creator noun	/kɹiːˈeɪ̯təː/	Something or someone which creates or makes something.
follower noun	/ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/	One who follows, comes after another.
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…
primarily adverb	/ˈpɹaɪ.mə.ɹə.li/	Of a primary or central nature, first and foremost.
regardless adverb	/ɹɪˈɡɑɹd.lɪs/	Without attention to warnings or indications of bad consequences.
cloud noun	/ˈklaʊ̯d/	A visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air.
reveal verb	/ɹɪˈviːl/	To uncover; to show and display that which was hidden.
capture verb	/ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/	To take control of; to seize by force or stratagem.
decent adjective	/ˈdiː.sənt/	Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
celebrity noun	/səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/	Fame, renown; the state of being famous or talked-about.
lifestyle noun	/ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl/	A style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.
banner noun	/ˈbænɚ/	A flag or standard used by a military commander, monarch or nation.
interface noun	/ˈɪn(t)ɚˌfeɪs/	The point of interconnection or contact between entities.
viral adjective	/ˈvaɪɹəl/	Of or relating to a biological virus.
anyways adverb	/ˈɛn.iˌweɪz/	Anyway, anyhow, in any case.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
take down verb		To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed.
work out verb	/ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/	To calculate.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 17 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, don't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, censorship /ˈsɛnsɚʃɪp/, screenshot /ˈskriːn.ʃɑt/, moderation /ˌmɑdəˈɹeɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: primarily /ˈpɹaɪ.mə.ɹə.li/, celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/, demographic /ˌdɛm.əˈɡɹæf.ɪk/, moderation /ˌmɑdəˈɹeɪʃən/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like creator, follower, compare.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	I've been monetizing · have been saying · I've been creating
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is called · be called · be said
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've seen · there's been
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	version, which is · reels, which are

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: Red Note Q&A - Half a Million Followers and Monetizing - Learn English Speaking with Video

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English Listening Practice - Level B1 - Entertainment and Media

Video 1

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?