Shadowing Practice: Social Media and Your Mental Health - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
20 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
You can get a lot out of your social media accounts.
2
Updates from friends and family?
3
New connections?
4
and opportunities to express yourself.
5
But you may also end up with things you never asked for.
6
Studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found frequent social media use increases the risks of anxiety,
7
Depression and and low self -esteem in teens and adults.
8
And those issues can sneak up on you so subtly that you might not even realize where they're coming from.
9
When your social life is filtered through a screen, it's easy to feel overshadowed or left out by the people around you.
10
Their digital lives can seem so much happier and more interesting than the life you experience every day.
11
You may end up measuring your whole life against the best, most filtered pieces of someone else's.
12
And when negativity invades your favorite platforms, you can end up stuck in a cycle of frustration and bad news.
13
Luckily, social media doesn't have to be an emotional minefield.
14
You can improve your relationship with social media by reflecting on the interactions you enjoy, Which experiences make you unhappy, and how much time you want to commit to your social networks?
15
When you have your answers, make a plan.
16
Where do you want to focus your attention online?
17
How will you limit your exposure to content that distresses you?
18
And when will you know when it's time to take a break?
19
Finding a plan that works may take some trial and error.
20
But when you meet social media on your terms, your screen time can feel like quality time again.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B23
45 sentences
Selfie Obsession
TeensDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B2221
34 sentences
Billie Eilish On Mental Health & Friendship | Ad Council
TeensDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B24
100 sentences
Social Media Does NOT Corrupt Human Interactions | Liam Hackett | Part 4 of 6
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13
367 sentences
Why Gardening Is the Best Way to Relax | Easy English Conversation for Beginners
TeensDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B216
12 sentences
80. Mental Health and Well-Being (Intermediate B1-B2) - English Reading Practice
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2155
26 sentences
🤐 WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER SHOW OFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C137 sentences
Your Brain Isn't Rotting. Here's What Doomscrolling Actually Does
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2125
9 sentences
Speaking Practice: Why do some people become addicted to social media? #fy #socialmediatips
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B25
48 sentences
3 experts explain everything you need to know about loneliness
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B237 sentences
Cyberchondria: The good and bad of symptom searches
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B210
173 sentences
The Psychology of People Who Don't Post Their Photos on Social Media
TeensDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C12
32 sentences
Digital Wellbeing | Explained in 3 Minutes
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 20 sentences and 273 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:30. The speaker talks fast, about 181 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- filter /ˈfɪltɚ/ (noun) — A device which separates a suspended, dissolved, or particulate matter from a fluid, solution, or other substance; any device that separates one substance from…
- anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/ (noun) — An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event.
- exposure /ɪkˈspəʊ.ʒə(ɹ)/ (noun) — The condition of being exposed, uncovered, or unprotected.
- reflect /ɹɪˈflɛkt/ (verb) — To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.
- commit /kəˈmɪt/ (verb) — To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.
- interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/ (noun) — The situation or occurrence in which two or more things act upon one another to produce an effect; the effect resulting from such a situation or occurrence.
- frequent /ˈfɹiː.kwənt/ (adjective) — Done or occurring often; common.
- unhappy /ʌnˈhæpi/ (adjective) — Not happy; sad.
- sneak /sniːk/ (verb) — To creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen.
- frustration /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The feeling of annoyance at impossibility from resistance or inability to achieve something.
- distress /dɪˈstɹɛs/ (noun) — Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
- luckily /ˈlʌk.ɪ.li/ (adverb) — In a lucky manner; by good fortune; fortunately.
- esteem /ɪˈstiːm/ (verb) — To set a high value on; to regard with respect or reverence.
- invade /ɪnˈveɪd/ (verb) — To move into.
- minefield /ˈmaɪnˌfild/ (noun) — An area in which land mines or naval mines have been laid.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- end up (verb) — To bring to a conclusion.
- ask for (verb) — To request; to order.
- come from (verb) — To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
- leave out (verb) — To omit, to not include, to neglect to mention.
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: exposure /ɪkˈspəʊ.ʒə(ɹ)/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/, frustration /fɹʌsˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, overshadow /ˌoʊ.vɚˈʃæd.oʊ/
- Long words — get the stress right: anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/, negativity /ˌnɛɡ.əˈtɪ.vɪ.ti/, overshadow /ˌoʊ.vɚˈʃæd.oʊ/
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 filter, anxiety, exposure.
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.