Shadowing Practice: THE TOMMY PODCAST EP. 21 | FIVE HABITS STOPPING YOU FROM SPEAKING ENGLISH FLUENTLY - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Welcome back to the Tommy Podcast.
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Welcome back to the Tommy Podcast.
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You dreamed of speaking English fluently.
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You paid a lot of money for the courses.
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And you spent hours learning and practicing English.
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But until you get rid of these five habits,
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you're never going to be fluent and confident in speaking English.
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Hi, my name is Tommy.
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And welcome back to the Tommy Podcast.
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This is where I believe a healthy life starts with a healthy mind.
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So if you are looking for a place to improve your English,
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get some positivity for your day and end your day with peacefulness.
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You are exactly where you need to be.
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This is a special one for English learners who have just started learning English.
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Because I will have the slow version where I speak English very slowly so that you can practice your listening skill,
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you can get some vocabulary and especially you can get some positivity for your day.
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And today, we will be discussing about the 5 habits that are really stopping you from communicating in English fluently and confidently.
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Let's see how many habits you have.
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Are you ready?
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Let's get started.
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Let's go first with habit number 1.
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Being afraid of being judged.
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How do you feel when somebody says something bad about you?
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Maybe in front of you or maybe behind your back.
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You don't like it, right?
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But don't be afraid.
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You know, I've had a lot of people don't like me.
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And they don't like what I do.
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They even criticize me.
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They hate me.
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They tell me that I am showing off with my English.
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They don't like my voice because I have a vocal fry.
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But that never stopped me from trying.
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It actually pushed me to try even harder.
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So if you are being judged, don't worry.
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It is normal.
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Remember that you have something that they want but they can't have.
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That is the willingness to try.
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The courage to face your imperfections.
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The attitude to even do it when you know that you are not good at it.
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You know, your name will be spoken in rooms that you will never walk into.
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People don't even know you will talk about you.
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But that doesn't mean that you are doing anything wrong.
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That just means that you are doing just right.
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You're doing just fine.
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You are trying, you are learning, and you are growing.
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Remember that real people don't judge.
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Because they understand that everybody starts from the beginning.
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A genius was once a beginner.
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So they encourage you to try and to make mistakes instead.
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The people who judge you are actually projecting their own fear and their own limitations onto you.
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And you have nothing to do with that.
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You know, forget about the noise around you when you learn English.
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Focus on your own journey.
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Just speak whenever you can,
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post your video on social media to keep track.
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Be proud of your imperfections,
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take constructive feedback, but never be afraid of trying.
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Work on yourself every single day and become better every single That is habit number one.
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I hope that you are not afraid of being judged when you practice speaking English.
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Let's move to habit number two.
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Trying to be perfect.
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We often delay things, the things that should be done,
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until we are ready, until we have everything figured out.
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Because we may think that we are not ready,
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we are not perfect, but you know what?
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You will never be ready.
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Your first will be bad,
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but you can't make your hundred without making your first.
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So if you keep delaying the things until you are ready,
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you are gonna be waiting forever.
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become weeks, weeks become months,
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and that moment becomes a memory.
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So speaking English is the same.
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You can't wait until you are perfect to speak English.
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You know, I am currently living in Danang city and it's not so far from Hoi An ancient town.
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You may have heard about Hoi An ancient town, a pretty famous place.
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When I was a child,
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my dad used to take me there and I admired the people in Hoi An so much.
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You know, they speak English so confidently and freely with foreigners.
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And I even asked myself a question,
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how can these people be so confident talking to foreigners using English?
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Did they join any expensive classes?
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And then one day, I realized myself something important, something really powerful.
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Something that they have and we all have,
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but maybe we don't know how to use it yet.
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The fearless attitude.
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They just start.
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They don't wait to be perfect.
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They start with something really normal.
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Like they ask foreigners, how are you?
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Why are you here?
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do you want.
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When they don't know the words,
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they just use their hands and their facial expression to explain.
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And when they forget the phrase, they just smile.
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That's the language.
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It's a tool to connect people.
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It's a bridge.
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It shouldn't be a pressure.
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So my friend, Remember, don't chase perfection when you learn English.
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Chase progress.
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You just need to be better,
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like maybe 1% better than yesterday.
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And that is more than enough.
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So take that first step,
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speak English, make mistakes, learn from them.
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Remember that you will never be perfect.
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And that's alright, that's okay, that's normal.
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You don't have to be great to start.
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You just need to start to be great.
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So that is habit number two.
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Don't wait until you are perfect to speak.
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Just speak.
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Habit number three.
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Relying too much on motivation.
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Hey, Tommy, what are you saying?
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I watch a lot of your videos,
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you know, they were so motivational and inspirational and you know,
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they helped me a lot in learning English and now you're saying relying on motivation is a bad habit.
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I get it, I get it.
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So, here's the truth and it's something that I hate about motivation
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and let me just tell you the difference between motivation and discipline.
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Motivation is doing thing when you feel like doing it.
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You start big, you start strong,
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full of excitement But that motivation goes down because you don't wake up feeling motivated every day.
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So one day you'll feel stressed out,
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maybe you're tired, you're busy,
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or your day gets a bit tougher and you choose to skip practice.
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You choose to give up.
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But discipline is totally different.
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Discipline is doing things regardless of how you feel,
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how tired, how depressed, how busy,
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or how terrible your day is.
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Discipline is sacrifice a short-term comfort for a long-term result.
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So my friend, don't just rely on motivation when you practice English.
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Be disciplined instead.
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clear goals and break them down into smaller steps.
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Choose a fixed time to practice English and remember stick to it no matter what.
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Remember motivation gets you started but discipline makes you fluent.
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So that's habit number three.
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I hope that you can be more disciplined in learning English.
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Habit number four focusing too much on input and forgetting output.
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I think this is the question that a lot of my followers ask me and even my students.
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Tommy I can read, I can understand,
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I can listen, I can watch your videos and I can understand perfectly
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but when I have to use English to talk to my boss
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or when I have to communicate with my friends in English.
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I freeze.
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The words don't just come out.
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Why?
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It's fair.
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Makes sense, right?
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Because what you put in is exactly what you take out.
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Think about that.
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You spend hours listening.
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Your listening skill improves.
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You read English every day.
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Your reading skill gets better.
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I mean you study grammar and vocabulary.
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You will know more grammar rules and vocabulary words.
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But if you never practice speaking,
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of course you can't speak.
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The only way for you to be fluent in English is to actually In English,
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it's to actually open your mouth and practice and speak.
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So speaking is not a theory, it's a muscle.
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So you have to put in the work every single day.
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Balance your input with your output.
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Yes, read and listen.
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But don't forget to speak and write.
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How?
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Think in English.
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Whatever it is, whatever happens in your day,
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try to think in English.
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Just like when you are watching my podcast episode today,
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you might be thinking in your head,
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wow, this is a very useful and powerful episode.
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I think that I can understand Tommy perfectly.
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I will try to listen or to watch podcasts to learn English.
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That is how you think in English.
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Or you may try to write your journal in English.
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Change your phone language to English.
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Label the items around your house in English.
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And practice speaking whenever you can.
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Just have the camera on and speak to a camera about whatever topic that you can.
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Remember, the more familiar English becomes,
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the easier the words will come out when you speak.
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So that's habit number 4.
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I hope that you find ways to balance your input with your output.
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Habit number 5.
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Learning English is a school subject.
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You may think, oh, I learned English to get a high score,
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I learned English to pass a test,
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I learned English to get a job,
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or I learned English just to get a certificate.
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And that's it, I don't like English.
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But you know what my friend?
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They say, if you want to do something well,
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if you want to master something,
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you have to fall in love with it first.
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So English is not something to learn,
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it's something to live with,
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it's something that you love.
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So make it fun my friend.
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You don't have to always use complicated grammar structures or even advanced words to express your idea.
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Come on, take it easy.
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Do your vlogs in English.
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Go out, interview people in English.
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Talk about your favorite activities in English.
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Talk to your kids in English.
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English is fun.
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Just imagine that you can speak English fluently.
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You can read English books.
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You can watch English movies.
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You can have more foreign friends.
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You can get a better job.
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And endless opportunities.
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See, English is fun.
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Don't overcomplicate it.
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So that's habit number five.
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I hope that you don't treat English like a subject.
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I hope that you fall in love with English, with this language.
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So that's it for today's episode.
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I hope that you enjoy it and I hope that you love the journey of learning English.
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I hope that you forget the noise around you when you practice English.
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I hope that you don't wait to be perfect to speak, just speak.
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And I hope that you practice more, speak more.
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And I hope that you can be more disciplined in learning English.
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I hope that you try to be better every single day.
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So that's it.
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Thank you so much for joining.
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Thank you so much for listening.
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If you find this episode helpful,
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please, please support me by hitting a follow button on whatever platform that you are on.
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And don't forget to send this episode to your friends who may need it.
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And that's it.
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I hope you have a beautiful evening and I will see you around.
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Good night.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice essential speaking skills to enhance your fluency in English. Through the discussion of common habits that hinder speaking, you will learn how to overcome fear and gain the confidence to communicate effectively. By the end of this session, you will be equipped with not only valuable insights but also practical tips on using the shadowspeak technique to improve your English pronunciation.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Fluently - able to express oneself easily and articulately.
- Judged - evaluated or criticized by others.
- Courage - the ability to confront fear or challenges.
- Imperfections - flaws or weaknesses in one's abilities.
- Encourage - to inspire or support someone to take action.
- Beginner - someone who is just starting to learn a skill.
- Confidence - belief in one's own abilities or qualities.
- Criticism - the expression of disapproval based on perceived faults.
Practice Tips
To maximize your improvement, utilize the shadowspeak technique while listening to the slow version of this podcast. Here are some effective strategies:
- Shadowing Technique: Listen closely to Tommy's speech, and then repeat what he says immediately after him. This will help you improve your English pronunciation and rhythm.
- Focus on Emotion: Pay attention to the tone and emotion conveyed in his words. Try to replicate not just the words but also the feelings behind them.
- Slow It Down: Since this session provides a slower version, take advantage of this pace to clearly pronounce each word, ensuring clarity as you practice.
- Record Yourself: After shadowspeaking, record your voice and compare it to the original. This will help you identify areas of improvement.
- Daily Practice: Incorporate shadowing practice into your daily routine. Even 10-15 minutes a day will contribute significantly to your IELTS speaking practice and overall fluency.
By consistently applying these techniques, you'll build the confidence needed to overcome the fear of being judged and embrace your journey as an English learner.
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.
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