Shadowing Practice: Steve Jobs: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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When I was young, There was an amazing publication called the Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the Bibles of my generation.
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When I was young, There was an amazing publication called the Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the Bibles of my generation.
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It was created by a fellow named Stuart Brand, not far from here in Menlo Park and he brought it to life with his poetic touch.
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This was in the late 60s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras.
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It was sort of like Google in paperback form 35 years before Google came along.
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It was idealistic, overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
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Stewart and his team put out several issues of the Whole Earth Catalog.
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And then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue.
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It was the mid -1970s and I was your age.
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On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road
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the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous.
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Beneath it were the words, "Stay hungry, stay foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off.
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Stay hungry, stay foolish.
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And I have always wished that for myself.
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And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
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Stay hungry, stay foolish.
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Thank you all very much.

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What You'll Practice in This Lesson

In this lesson, you'll dive into a memorable speech by Steve Jobs, focusing on improving your speaking skills through shadowing technique. You'll practice mimicking natural rhythm, intonation, and emphasis, all while learning meaningful phrases from a real-world talk. Whether you're prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to sound more confident, this video is a perfect tool—its warm, conversational tone makes it ideal for honing your skills.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases to Master

  • Overflowing with: Filled with (e.g., "The catalog was overflowing with great ideas").
  • Run its course: Reach the end of its natural lifespan (e.g., "After several issues, the catalog ran its course").
  • Sign off: To end a message or project (e.g., "They signed off with a final quote").
  • Begin anew: Start fresh (e.g., "As you graduate, you begin anew").
  • Idealistic: Focused on perfect ideas (e.g., "The catalog was idealistic and inspiring").

Tips for Shadowing Success

The video's pace is moderate, with pauses that let you keep up—perfect for shadow speak practice. Here's how to make the most of it: First, listen to a 10-second clip, then repeat it immediately, matching Jobs' tone (warm and reflective) and stress (he emphasizes words like "hungry" and "foolish"). Use a shadowing app or shadowing site to record yourself and compare—this helps spot differences in rhythm. For tricky phrases like "overflowing with neat tools," break them into chunks: "overflowing with" + "neat tools." Practice daily for 10 minutes, and you'll notice your fluency and confidence grow—great for IELTS speaking practice or everyday conversations. Remember, every mistake is a step forward—keep going, and soon you'll sound as natural as the speaker in the video!

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.