Shadowing Practice: Selena Gomez Tearfully Accepts Woman of the Year Award at Billboard's Women in Music 2017 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Thank you guys so much.
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Thank you guys so much.
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To be honest, I think Francie should be getting this award.
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Because she saved my life.
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Sorry.
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All right, all right, okay.
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Um, I am I feel incredibly lucky because I
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was very confused to feel like if I said too much maybe I wasn't doing enough and Honestly,
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I couldn't be more grateful for the position
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that I've been given in my career from 7 to 14 to now I want people to know
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that I respect the platform that I have so deeply
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because I knew that I wanted to be a part of something great
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and I wanted people to feel great because I love people.
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But specifically this year, I would like to thank my amazing team and my family
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because they stuck with me through some really hard times.
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And I got to do a lot this year,
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even though I had a couple of other things to do
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but I feel like for me with my music have really been able to illustrate the things
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that I want and I'm reminded by a team of people who believe in me even
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when I don't myself and I couldn't be luckier
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but I don't feel more proud I've never felt this proud to be a woman in the industry than I do today.
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And that's because I actually feel comfortable with every single woman that has encouraged me.
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But how crucial it is that the voices that are being heard for the first time is so great.
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And I'm so grateful for all the older women who have lifted all of us up
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because I couldn't be here without any of you.
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So thank you for all of you that have inspired so many girls who don't feel like they have a voice.
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I am very, very lucky.
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I love you guys and thank you Billboard,
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thank you to my team and my four-year-old sister Gracie, I love you.
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And thank you to these beautiful women.
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I don't know how I'll ever repay it
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but maybe I'll make an epic album next year for you guys and everyone else.
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Thank you.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with Selena Gomez's heartfelt acceptance speech at the 2017 Billboard Women in Music event provides an excellent opportunity for English learners to enhance their speaking skills. This video captures genuine emotion while addressing themes such as gratitude, empowerment, and the significance of community support. By practicing with this video, learners can:

  • Understand the context of public speaking: Observing how Selena expresses her emotions can help learners grasp the dynamics of effective communication.
  • Learn to articulate complex feelings: The video encourages learners to express appreciation and vulnerability, which is essential for meaningful interactions in English.
  • Improve fluency through shadowing: By mimicking Selena's speech patterns, learners can develop a more natural flow in their own speaking, enhancing their overall communication skills.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

This transcript presents several key grammatical structures and expressions that are useful for English speaking practice:

  • ("I feel incredibly lucky"): This phrase demonstrates the use of the simple present tense to convey feelings, which is a common way to express personal states in English.
  • ("I couldn't be more grateful"): This negative construction (couldn't + comparative) emphasizes strong emotions and can be helpful for learners wanting to express gratitude effectively.
  • ("I want people to know that I respect the platform"): This structure discusses intentions and personal beliefs, providing a model for learners to express their own opinions clearly.
  • ("Thank you for all the older women who have lifted all of us up"): Here, the use of the present perfect tense ("have lifted") highlights ongoing relevance and importance, a crucial element for effective storytelling in English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice with this video, pay attention to certain pronunciation challenges that can arise:

  • Emotion-laden phrases: Pay close attention to words associated with strong feelings, such as "grateful," "lucky," and "proud." Emphasizing the right syllables can enhance your emotional delivery when speaking.
  • Smooth transitions: Selena uses smooth transitions between thoughts. Practicing phrases and sentences can help improve your overall fluency and connected speech, essential for effective english speaking practice.
  • Intonation patterns: Notice the rise and fall of her voice when expressing gratitude versus when discussing challenges. Mimicking these patterns can significantly improve your English pronunciation.

Using a shadowing app, learners can record their repetitions of Selena's speech, focusing on intonation and emotion. This method not only aids in improving english pronunciation but also enhances the ability to convey messages more effectively in spoken English.

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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