Shadowing Practice: Slow English Podcast I Ep.15: Change (Level 1) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hey there, welcome back to the Slow English Podcast.
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I'm Mark.
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It's really good to have you here.
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Today, we're going to talk about something that touches all of our lives at some point.
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It can be exciting, but also a bit scary.
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It can make us feel hopeful, but also a little lost.
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The topic is change.
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Change means when something becomes different.
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Sometimes change is small.
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Other times it's big.
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It can happen slowly over time or it can come suddenly like a storm.
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When I was younger I really didn't like change.
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I liked having the same routine every day.
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Routine means the things you do regularly, like brushing your teeth in the morning or walking your dog after dinner.
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My routine made me feel safe.
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It gave me a sense of control.
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I knew what to expect, but over time I started to realise something.
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Without change, we don't grow.
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Grow means to become better, wiser or stronger over time.
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Think about a tree.
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It starts small, like a seed.
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But with time, water and sunlight, it grows into something strong and beautiful.
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People are like that too.
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We need new experiences to grow.
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One big change I went through was moving to a new city.
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I had never lived away from my hometown before.
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At first, it was exciting.
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Everything was new.
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New streets, new people, new food.
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But then, the excitement faded.
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I started to feel lonely.
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I miss my friends.
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I miss the places I used to go.
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That's when change started to feel hard.
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lonely means feeling alone or like no one understands you.
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It's not a nice feeling, but sometimes feeling lonely helps us understand what really matters.
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During those first few months in the new city, I spent a lot of time walking.
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I didn't know anyone, so I just explored.
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One day, I found a small park.
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It had a little pond, some benches, and lots of birds.
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I started going there every morning.
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It became part of my new routine.
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Little by little, I met people.
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A man who walked his dog at the same time as me.
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An older woman who fed the birds.
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A kid who liked to draw pictures of ducks.
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We started saying hello hello, then small conversations, and soon I didn't feel so lonely anymore.
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That's something change teaches us.
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Even when it feels difficult at first, if we stay open, we find our way.
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Open.
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In this case, means willing to try new things or meet new people.
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Another time in my life, I had to change jobs.
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I had worked at the same place for five years.
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I knew the work.
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I knew the people.
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I was comfortable.
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But the company closed.
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Suddenly I had no job.
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No plan.
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I was scared.
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Scared means afraid or worried about something.
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I didn't know what would happen next, but I had to act.
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I updated my resume.
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I started applying for jobs.
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I went to interviews.
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At first, I got a lot of rejections.
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That felt painful.
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But each interview helped me get better.
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Each failure helped me learn.
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Eventually, I got a new job.
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And guess what?
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It turned out to be a better fit for me.
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I liked the people more.
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I enjoyed the work more.
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And I felt proud of myself for getting through that hard time.
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That's something I always try to remember.
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Sometimes change pushes us into something better, even if we can't see it right away.
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Let's take a moment to talk about personal changes, changes inside of us, like the way we think or feel.
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There was a time when I used to get angry easily.
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Small things would bother me.
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A late bus, a noisy neighbour, even someone chewing loudly.
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I didn't like feeling that way.
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So I decided to work on it.
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I started meditating.
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Meditating means sitting quietly and focusing on your breath or thoughts to feel calm.
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At first it was hard.
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My mind was always busy.
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But over time I noticed something.
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I was less angry, more patient, more calm.
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That change didn't happen overnight.
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Overnight means very quickly, from one day to the next.
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But with time, I felt different, better, more at peace.
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That's the thing about inner change.
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It takes time, it takes effort, but it can be powerful.
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Some changes are chosen, others are not.
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Like losing someone you love.
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That's one of the hardest changes of all.
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When my grandfather passed away, I felt a deep sadness.
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He had been such a big part of my life.
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He told the best stories.
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He made the best soup.
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He always knew how to make people laugh.
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After he was gone, everything felt different.
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I missed him so much.
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But over time, I started to remember the good things more than the sad ones.
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That's what grief is like.
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Grief means the deep sadness we feel when we lose someone or something important.
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Grief changes us.
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It breaks us a little, but it also softens us.
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It helps us understand love and how precious time is.
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Let me tell you something I learned from all these experiences.
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change is not the enemy it's not something to run from
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it's something to understand to work with to grow through of course change still scares me sometimes
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but now I try to meet it like a friend I ask it what are you here to teach me
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and usually it has an answer not right away but eventually.
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So if you're going through a change right now, big or small, know that you are not alone.
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We all go through it and we all come out stronger on the other side.
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Let's review today's vocabulary.
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Change.
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When something becomes different.
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Routine.
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The things you do regularly.
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Grow.
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To become better or stronger over time.
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Lonely.
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Feeling alone or not understood.
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Open.
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Willing to try new things or meet people.
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Scared.
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Afraid or worried.
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Meditating.
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Sitting quietly to calm your thoughts.
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Overnight.
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very quickly in a short time.
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Grief, deep sadness from losing someone or something.
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All right, that's it for today.
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Thanks for listening to this longer episode.
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I hope it brought you some comfort or inspiration.
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Whatever change you are facing, Take it slow.
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Take care of yourself.
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And remember, change is part of life.
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It's part of growing.
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This is Mark.
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Talk soon.
Context & Background
In this episode of the Slow English Podcast, the host Mark discusses a universally relevant topic: change. He expresses how change can evoke various emotions, from excitement to fear and hope to loneliness. Mark shares his personal journey of adjusting to change, highlighting the importance of embracing new experiences for personal growth. By reflecting on his own challenges when moving to a new city, he offers insights on the transformative power of change and the connections that emerge from it. This episode is not only compelling for those interested in personal development but is also a valuable resource for English learners looking to enhance their spoken language skills.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- Change means when something becomes different. – A simple definition that encourages discussions about transitions in life.
- My routine made me feel safe. – This can lead to conversations about personal habits and daily life.
- Without change, we don't grow. – An insightful phrase that can spark dialogue about growth and challenges.
- I felt lonely. – A relatable expression that can foster discussions around feelings and experiences of isolation.
- We find our way. – A hopeful phrase encouraging resilience in the face of challenges.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
If you want to improve your English pronunciation and speaking skills using the shadowing technique, follow these steps tailored to this podcast episode:
- Choose a segment: Select a short segment of the podcast that resonates with you or presents new vocabulary.
- Listen attentively: Play the segment, focusing on Mark's pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Understand the meanings behind his expressions.
- Pause and repeat: Use the shadowspeak method by pausing the audio and repeating what you hear, matching Mark's tone and pace.
- Record yourself: Once comfortable, record your voice while shadowing. This allows you to compare your pronunciation with the original.
- Practice regularly: Consistent practice using this shadowing site will greatly improve your narrative flow and confidence in everyday English speaking practice.
By engaging in this focused practice, you'll not only enhance your ability to communicate about complex topics like change but also foster a deeper connection with the English language itself.
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.