Shadowing Practice: Steal These 5 Speaking Habits From Obama - Learn English Speaking with Video
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We always tell them, Do not let people think you do not belong.
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Because I promise you, you...
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Once you sit at these tables, at these fancy places, with folks with fancy titles.
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and they got a big bank account.
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And you talk to him?
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And you go, "Oh." They ain't all that.
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They've been given the confidence of feeling like they belong, But if you...
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sit down and talk to 'em.
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Turns out Hmm.
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Obama is one of the best communicators in the world but he wasn't born that way.
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Early on his communication was actually pretty average and his small talk often super awkward.
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But over time he developed a few very specific habits.
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In this video I'll show you the five communication habits you can steal to speak like Obama.
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First habit: Let me show you a quick clip where Obama is interviewed by the comedian Mark Maron.
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Check out if you can spot what Obama does here.
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"I can't imagine anything tougher or more terrifying than doing stand -up comedy.
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Did you spot it?
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Before making a point, before asking a question, before talking about himself, he starts with a compliment.
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Now he acknowledges the other person and that's a powerful communication habit.
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Now because compliments break the ice, they make the other person feel respected and they make them like you more.
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And obviously when people like you, well communication becomes so much easier.
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Now, here's how you can start this habit yourself.
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The key is to make your compliment specific.
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Don't say, "Oh, great job." Instead say, "I love the example you used earlier about customer feedback.
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So vivid." Instead of saying, "Mmm, nice presentation." The way you explained the strategy in three steps made it so easy to follow.
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I love this.
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Do you see?
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Specific compliments feel genuine.
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But let's now move to the next communication habit Obama uses all the time.
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Second habit: Check out this short clip where Obama is interviewed by Trevor Noah.
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I just want to say thank you so much for being on the show.
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thank you for being an inspiration and most importantly
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Thank you for giving me an opportunity to see what i
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would look like of the eight years of the toughest job in the world you know i i will say
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that i uh...
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I resent
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how young and good looking you are because I used to think of myself in those terms and
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It's been downhill for quite some time.
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Did you know this?
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Instead of defending himself or trying to look impressive, he loves it himself.
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And that's a powerful communication habit.
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Because self -deprecating humor lowers the tension, it makes you more relatable and makes you more likeable.
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Research actually shows that leaders who occasionally make fun of themselves, they're often seen as more confident, not less confident.
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Because it shows that you are secure enough to laugh at yourself.
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But here's how you can use this habit yourself: The key is to make fun of something small and harmless, not something that completely undermines your competence.
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"Hmm, that sounded much better in my head." Or if you're presenting after someone that was an amazing speaker,
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say, Well, I was hoping that the person before me would be terrible, but Unfortunately, that was not the case.
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Now small jokes like that instantly lighten the room.
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They make people smile.
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And when they smile, communication becomes so much easier.
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Alright, let's now move to the next communication habit Obama uses all the time.
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Third habit.
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Let's check out those next two clips and see if you can spot the next communication habit.
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Two things I guess.
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I do for myself.
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Two things happen.
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Now, did you notice?
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He doesn't just launch into this big explanation.
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He structures his answer upfront, saying two things.
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That instantly makes us relax because we know that there's a plan, that there's a structure behind what he's saying.
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So, before you go into the content, tell them what to expect.
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For example: Well, there are two main reasons for this.
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First, duh duh duh.
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Or, well, it comes down to three simple steps.
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Step one: da da da.
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Or here's one thing that changes everything.
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That one sentence, that's something powerful.
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It tells your listener: "Oh, I can relax.
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I know where this is going." Habit number four: In that next interview, Obama is explaining why public debates have become so difficult.
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But he does that in a way that is super memorable.
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"One of the most pernicious things
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that has happened is we have a situation now where we're not just arguing policy or values or opinions,
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but basic facts are being contested.
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And that is a problem, because then the marketplace of ideas of the democracy don't work.
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I've said this before, but I always repeat it.
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You and I can have an opinion about...
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this little side table.
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You know, you might not like the design, you might not like the color or how it's finished, but we can have that discussion.
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If I say to you,
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this is a "Lawn mower?" "You'll think I'm crazy." And if I really believe it,
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I'll think you're crazy.
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And we're now in a situation in which we are having These just basic factual arguments.
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Now, instead of explaining this issue in abstract political language, he turns the idea into a picture.
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A table and a lawnmower.
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Now, that's something everyone can instantly visualize.
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Great communicators don't just explain ideas.
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They help the listeners see their ideas.
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You can use this technique anytime you need to explain something more complex.
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Just take that complex idea and compare it to something the audience already knows.
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new thing is like that thing you already know.
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So for example instead of saying "oh this new software will
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take some time to understand" you could say "learning the software is like learning to drive.
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At first sure it feels very awkward
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but after a few weeks it becomes automatic."
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Or instead of saying "our strategy is too complicated" you might
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say "oh Our strategy right now feels like a Swiss army knife.
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Sure, it does a lot of things, but none of them particularly well.
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When people see the picture, they understand the idea much faster.
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But let's now move on to the next communication habit.
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Habit number five.
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This might be the most powerful habit of all.
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If you want to become more memorable when you speak, this is the one you need to master.
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- You know, we get mobbed, we have to leave the zoo.
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I'm kind of depressed about the whole thing.
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And Malia, who's sitting in the back seat with Sasha, she says, "Dad, you need an alias." And Sasha's like, "What's an alias?" And it's like,
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"Well, it's like a fake name you use, so you disguise your identity." So it should be like Johnny McJohn John.
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I said, "You think that should be my name?" Yeah, she said, "But the problem is, you also have to disguise your voice, because it's too distinctive.
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You talk really slow.
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You need to speed up how you talk and use a higher voice." So she had a whole plan.
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Sasha agreed to the plan.
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We get home.
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They explain the plan to Michelle.
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Michelle says, "Hun, you know, the only way that, uh...
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Daddy's gonna disguise himself as if he has surgery to pin back his ears.
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Which I found somewhat offensive.
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This is a communication superpower and Obama knows it.
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In almost every interview, he shares personal stories.
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Now why?
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Because stories change how people listen.
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The moment you tell a story, your listener's brain releases oxytocin.
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Oxytocin is often called the trust hormone or love hormone.
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It makes people feel more connected to you and trust you more.
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So, try to tell a story in your next conversation.
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Share this small personal moment.
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And don't worry, you don't need to have this massive life -changing story.
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Often a tiny moment is enough.
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For example, instead of saying, "My daughter thinks that I work too much," you could tell this micro story where you say like,
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"Last week, my daughter looked at my phone and she asked me, 'Daddy, do you work for your phone
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or do you work for your phone?' "Does your phone work for you?"
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or instead of saying "Our customer support is overloaded." You might tell this micro story
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and say: "Yesterday one of our support agents told me.
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I answered 84 emails before lunch and my inbox still looked the same." Moments like
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that make your message more emotional and more vivid.
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People can see it, they can feel it and they'll remember it for the rest of their lives.
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But I know, storytelling can feel overwhelming when you're starting off.
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storytelling techniques.
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See you there.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Steal These 5 Speaking Habits From Obama”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: habit, communication, Obama, instead. This video has 137 sentences and 1484 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:42. The speaker talks at a natural 171 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| compliment noun | /ˈkɑmpləmənt/ | An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect. |
| disguise verb | /dɪsˈɡaɪz/ | To change the appearance of (a person or thing) so as to hide, or to assume an identity. |
| alias noun | /ˈeɪ.li.əs/ | Another name; especially, an assumed name. |
| communicator noun | /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtə/ | Someone who, or something that communicates. |
| oxytocin noun | /ɑksiˈtoʊsɪn/ | A hormone that stimulates contractions during labor, and then the production of milk; also plays a role in social bonding. |
| listener noun | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast. |
| storytelling noun | The act and skills of presenting stories and tales. | |
| vivid adjective | /ˈvɪvɪd/ | Clear, detailed, or powerful. |
| microwave noun | /ˈmaɪkɹoʊˌweɪv/ | An electromagnetic wave with wavelength between that of infrared light and radio waves. |
| hormone noun | /ˈhoɹmoʊn/ | Any substance produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity. |
| memorable adjective | /ˈmɛm.(ə)ɹə.bl̩/ | Worthy to be remembered; very important or remarkable. |
| deprecate verb | /ˈdɛp.rɪˌkeɪt/ | To express disapproval of, protest or plead against. |
| lawnmower noun | /ˈlɔn.moʊ.ɚ/ | A device used for cutting grass to a chosen height, typically of landscaped lawns of residences or institutions. |
| lighten verb | /ˈlaɪ.tn̩/ | To alleviate; to reduce the burden of. |
| likable adjective | /ˈlaɪkəbl̩/ | Of a person, having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| come down to verb | To reach by moving down or reducing. | |
| pin back verb | To keep at a distance | |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. | |
| speed up verb | /spiːdˈʌp/ | To accelerate; to increase speed. |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. | |
| start off verb | To begin. | |
| turn out verb | To end up; to result. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Did you spot it?
- Did you know this?
- I've said this before, but I always repeat it.
- I'm kind of depressed about the whole thing.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | They've been given · wasn't born · is interviewed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | They've been given · It's been · have become |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 24 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pernicious /pɚˈnɪʃəs/, visualize /ˈvɪʒuəˌlaɪz/
- Long words — get the stress right: communicator /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtə/, oxytocin /ɑksiˈtoʊsɪn/, comedian /kəˈmiː.di.ən/, importantly /ɪmˈpɔɹ.tənt.li/
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 compliment, disguise, alias.
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.