Shadowing Practice: S3 165462 21cc2e cpt l2 u1 f - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Reviewer Gopal Hi, my name is Frank and I collect secrets.
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It all started with a crazy idea in November of 2004.
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I printed up 3,000 self-addressed postcards, just like this.
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They were blank on one side, and on the other side, I listed some simple instructions.
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I asked people to anonymously share an artful secret they'd never told anyone before.
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And I handed out these postcards, randomly on the streets of Washington, D.C., not knowing what to expect.
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But soon the idea began spreading virally.
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People began to buy their own postcards and make their own postcards.
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I started receiving secrets in my home mailbox, not just with postmarks from Washington,
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D.C., but from Texas, California, Vancouver, New Zealand, Iraq.
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Soon my crazy idea didn't seem so crazy.
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What I'd like to do now is share with you a very special handful of secrets from
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that collection starting with this one.
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I found these stamps as a child and I've been waiting all my life to have someone to send them to.
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I never did have someone.
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Secrets can take many forms.
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They can be shocking or silly or soulful.
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They can connect us to our deepest humanity or with people we'll never meet.
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Maybe one of you sent this one in?
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I don't know.
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This one does a great job of demonstrating the creativity creativity that people have when they make and mail me a postcard.
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This one obviously was made out of half a Starbucks cup with a stamp
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and my home address written on the other side.
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Dear birth mother, I have great parents.
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I've found love.
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I'm happy.
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Secrets can remind us of the countless human dramas of frailty
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and heroism playing out silently in the lives of people all around us, even now.
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Inside this envelope is the ripped up remains of a suicide note I didn't use.
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I feel like the happiest person on earth now.
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This is the last postcard I have to share with you today.
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When people I love leave voicemails on my phone, I always save them in case they die tomorrow,
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and I have no other way of hearing their voice ever again.
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When I posted this secret, When they adopted this secret, dozens of people sent voicemail messages from their phones, sometimes ones they'd been keeping for years,
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messages from family or friends who had died.
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They said that by preserving those voices and sharing them, it helped them keep the spirit of their loved ones alive.
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One young girl posted the last message she ever heard from her grandmother.
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Secrets can take many forms.
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They can be shocking or silly or soulful.
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they can connect us with our deepest humanity or with people we'll never meet again.
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First Safe Voice Message.
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It's somebody's birthday today
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Somebody's birthday today
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The candles I lighted on somebody's cake And we're all invited for somebody's sake.
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You're 21 years old today.
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Have a real happy birthday.
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And I love you.
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I'll say bye for now.
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Thank you.

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

This video is a goldmine for English learners looking to boost their speaking skills—especially with shadowing! The speaker, Frank, shares personal stories in a warm, conversational tone, making it easy to mimic his natural rhythm and intonation. Whether you use a shadowing app, a shadow speak tool, or a shadowing site, practicing with this dialogue helps you master real-world communication. You’ll learn to express emotions, share anecdotes, and connect with listeners—skills that go beyond textbooks. Plus, the mix of silly, soulful, and shocking secrets keeps the practice engaging, so you’ll stay motivated to repeat and refine your speech.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Let’s break down 3 key structures from the video to elevate your speaking:

  • "It all started with a crazy idea in November of 2004." Using "it all started with" is a great way to introduce a story. Practice this to make your narratives flow smoothly.
  • "Secrets can take many forms. They can be shocking or silly or soulful." Repeating "can be" creates rhythm and emphasis. This structure helps you describe multiple qualities of a topic clearly.
  • "I always save them in case they die tomorrow." "In case" is perfect for talking about precautions. Use it to explain why you do something, like "I carry an umbrella in case it rains."

Common Pronunciation Traps

Watch out for these tricky words and sounds in the video:

  • "Anonymous" (uh-NAH-nuh-muhs) – Don’t rush the "nym" part; stress the second syllable.
  • "Frailty" (FRAYL-tee) – The "ai" sounds like "ay," not "eye." Avoid saying "fry-lee."
  • "Voicemails" (VOYS-maylz) – Combine "voice" and "mails" smoothly; don’t pause between them. Listen closely to how Frank says it, then use a shadowing app to practice matching his pace.

Learning English with videos like this—paired with shadowing tools—makes practice fun and effective. Keep repeating, and soon you’ll speak with more confidence and fluency. You’ve got this!

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.