Shadowing Practice: The pain of chasing your dreams - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Good evening.
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I'm Steve Jobs from Apple Computer.
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We're very glad to be here tonight.
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Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life.
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That's it.
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No big deal.
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Just three stories.
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The first story is about connecting the dots.
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I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit.
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It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
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The minute I dropped out, I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me
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and begin dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting.
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Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country.
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Throughout the campus, every poster, every label on every drawer was beautifully hand-calligraphed, and I found it fascinating.
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None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life.
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But 10 years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me.
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If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on that calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do.
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Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college, but it was very, very clear looking backwards.
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So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.
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You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever,
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because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart
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even when it leads you off the well-worn path.
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My second story is about love and loss.
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I was lucky.
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I found what I loved to do early in life.
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Was and I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was 20.
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We worked hard, and in 10 years, Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees.
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And then I got fired.
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What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone.
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I really didn't know what to do for a few months.
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I felt that I'd let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down.
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I'd been rejected, but I was still in love.
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I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
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The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again.
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It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life.
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During the next five years I started a company named Next, another company named Pixar, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world.
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I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.
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You've got to find what you love.
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Your work is going to fill a large part of your life
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and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.
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And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.
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If you If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.
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As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.
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My third story is about death.
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When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like, If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.
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The past 33 years, I've looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?
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Because almost everything, all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, These things just fall away in the face of death.
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Remembering
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that you are going to die is the best way I
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know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.
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There is no reason not to follow your heart.
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Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
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Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.
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Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
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They somehow already know what you truly want to become.
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Everything else is secondary.
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Stay hungry, stay foolish.
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Thank you all very much.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice English speaking skills using a powerful speech by Steve Jobs that touches on themes of pursuing dreams and overcoming challenges. The transcript offers rich language opportunities and thought-provoking concepts, making it ideal for enhancing your vocabulary and fluency. You will engage in shadowspeak, where you mimic the speaker's intonation and rhythm, allowing you to improve your pronunciation and conversational skills. This exercise not only helps you learn English but also inspires you to reflect on your aspirations.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Connect the dots - making sense of experiences and choices in your life
  • Drop out - to leave a school or university before completing studies
  • Calligraphy - the art of beautiful handwriting
  • Love what you do - to be passionate about your work
  • Trapped by expectations - feeling confined by others' beliefs and pressures
  • Beginner's mindset - approaching life with a fresh perspective, free from the weight of past success
  • Live each day as if it were your last - a reminder to value each moment
  • Courage to follow your heart - the bravery to pursue your true interests

Practice Tips

When practicing shadow speech with this video, aim to capture the emotion and rhythm of Steve Jobs' delivery. His speaking pace is moderate, so take your time to articulate each word clearly. Begin by listening closely to a passage, then repeat it out loud, trying to match his tone and inflection. Don't rush; make sure to pause where he pauses and emphasize key points in the same way he does.

Consider breaking the speech into smaller segments, focusing on one story at a time. This will allow you to practice without feeling overwhelmed. Use a mirror to observe your facial expressions and body language, as these play a vital role in communication. By incorporating these elements, your english speaking practice will become more dynamic and engaging.

Finally, remember that the essence of shadowspeaks lies not just in mimicking sounds but in understanding the underlying message. Reflect on the lessons in Jobs' stories while you practice, making your learning meaningful and personal.

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.