Shadowing Practice: Tom's Story of Learning Spanish: SUPER SLOW, CLEAR English Story for Shadowing & Listening Practice - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hey friends, welcome back to English Unleashed.
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Hey friends, welcome back to English Unleashed.
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I'm Tom.
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This is a podcast for learning English.
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But not fast English.
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Not difficult English.
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This is super slow English.
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Clear English.
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Simple English.
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For people like you who want to speak and understand English with confidence.
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today i want to tell you a story my story it's
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not about english no it's about spanish yeah i learned spanish step by step day by day
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and i want to share how i did it it.
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I will tell you what helped me,
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what didn't help, what was hard and what worked.
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Maybe my story will help you with your English too.
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So get ready, sit back and relax.
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I will speak very slowly,
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very simply, and I hope very clearly.
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Let's begin.
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So I started learning Spanish many years ago.
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I was younger.
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I was curious.
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I was excited.
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I said to myself, yes.
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This will be easy.
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I will learn fast.
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I had big dreams.
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I wanted to travel.
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I wanted to speak with people.
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I wanted to feel free in another language.
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But I was wrong.
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It was not easy.
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It was hard.
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I listened to people talk.
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They spoke and smiled.
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They laughed.
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They moved their hands.
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They looked happy. But me?
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I just sat there, I listened, and I understood nothing.
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Their words came so fast, too fast.
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It was like water, just moving, moving, and moving.
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And I could not catch it.
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Not even one drop.
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I felt lost, like I was outside the world.
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And I was quiet.
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I didn't ask questions.
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I didn't speak, not even one word.
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My voice stayed inside.
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My mouth stayed closed.
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I felt small and I felt afraid.
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I thought, maybe I can't do this.
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Maybe I'm not good at languages.
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But something inside me said,
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keep going, Tom, just one more try.
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So I stayed, I listened.
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And little by little, things began to change.
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So, there I was, still afraid, still confused, still quiet.
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But I made a decision,
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not a big one, a small one.
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I told myself, don't try to understand everything.
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Just try to understand one thing.
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One word.
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One sentence.
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One little piece of the puzzle.
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So I listened again.
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This time I heard a word.
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Someone said hola.
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It means hello in Spanish.
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That was it.
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That was it.
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Just one word.
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But it felt special.
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I said it softly.
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Hola.
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I smiled.
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Then I said it again.
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Hola.
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Hola.
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It was short.
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It was easy.
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It was mine.
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That one word gave me hope.
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It gave me a little light.
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I didn't need a full sentence, not yet.
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I just needed one word to hold.
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So I started doing this every day.
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I listened, I waited for one small word,
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and when I found it, I used it.
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I didn't write it down.
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I didn't memorize it.
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I lived with it.
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I said it when I woke up.
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I said it when I brushed my teeth.
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I said it while walking to the bus.
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One word a day.
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That was enough.
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I started to feel strong.
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Not perfect, but strong. Because small things grow.
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And that's how my learning really began.
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After many days, many weeks,
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I had learned a few words.
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Words like hola, grafias, pan.
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But I still had a problem.
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I could say words, but I couldn't speak like real people.
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I was slow.
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My mouth was slow.
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My brain was slow.
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I could think the word,
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but I couldn't say it fast enough.
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It felt like my brain and my mouth were not friends.
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Then something changed.
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One day I found a new idea, a new method.
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It was called shadowing. So, what is shadowing?
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It's simple, but very powerful.
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You listen to someone speak,
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and you speak with them at the same time.
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Not after, not before, with them.
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Like this.
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The speaker says, my name is Tom.
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And you say, my name is Tom. With them.
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Like a shadow.
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Like an echo.
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Like walking beside someone.
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At first, it was strange.
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My tongue felt tired.
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My brain felt slow.
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But I kept going.
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One minute.
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Then two minutes.
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Then five, I shadowed every day on the boss,
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at home, in the kitchen.
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And slowly, something amazing happened.
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My mouth started to move faster.
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My brain started to follow.
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I began to sound like Spanish speakers.
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Not perfect, but more natural.
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Shadowing became my friend, a silent teacher.
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Always there.
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I didn't need grammar books.
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I didn't need a classroom.
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Just a voice and my voice together.
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Now, I want to tell you about a small rule I made.
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A little promise.
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A quiet plan.
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Only for me.
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It helped me more than anything else here it is just 10 minutes every day
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that was my rule not one hour not 30 minutes just 10
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but every day 10 minutes of spanish that's it every single day sometimes i was tired
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Sometimes I was busy.
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Sometimes I didn't want to learn at all.
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But I said to myself,
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come on Tom, just 10 minutes.
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You can do 10 minutes.
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And I did.
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I listened.
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I shadowed.
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I whispered new words.
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Sometimes I did it in the morning.
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Sometimes before bed.
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Sometimes on a walk.
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No big goals.
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No big pressure.
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Just one little habit.
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Just ten minutes.
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But 10 minutes every day.
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That made the difference.
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After one week, I felt more comfortable.
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After one month, I understood more.
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After a few months, I could speak more clearly.
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Not because I worked hard for one day,
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but because I showed up every day.
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That is the power of small steps, tiny steps, simple steps.
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But every day.
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that was my little rule and it changed everything so now after all that time what did i learn
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did i speak perfect spanish no did i know every word no but i could speak i could listen
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i could understand people i could travel i could order food
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i could ask for help i could make new friends in spanish
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that felt amazing i was proud not perfect but proud
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and i learned something bigger too i learned
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that language is not a race it's not fast it's not big it's slow it's quiet
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it's one step and then another i also learned you don't need a big plan you don't need perfect
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grammar you don't need to move to another country what you need is one small word one small moment
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and one small step every day that's how i learned that's how i grew
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and now i want you to know this this.
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You can do it too.
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You.
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Even if you feel shy.
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Even if you feel slow.
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Even if you feel scared.
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You're not alone.
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You're learning.
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You are growing.
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Speak to your mirror.
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Say one new word today.
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Listen to this podcast tomorrow and just like me, you will change.
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Okay, my friends, thank you for listening to my story.
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I hope it helps you.
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I hope it gives you hope.
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This was a very special episode.
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Very slow, very personal.
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If you liked it, come back again.
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Share it with your friends.
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like this video and subscribe to our channel next time we will learn something new together
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I'm Tom and this is English Unleashed until next time stay slow stay strong and keep believing in yourself bye for now
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Context & Background
In the video titled "Tom's Story of Learning Spanish," presenter Tom takes his audience through his personal journey of learning a new language, specifically Spanish. He expresses the challenges and feelings of uncertainty that many language learners face, particularly when they're beginning their studies. Tom's approach is not about rapid mastery; instead, he emphasizes a gradual, patient method with super slow and clear English. His experience resonates with numerous English learners who encounter similar struggles, making his story relatable and motivational.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "I said to myself, yes." - This phrase showcases self-motivation.
- "I will learn fast." - A common belief among learners that may lead to frustration.
- "I understood nothing." - A candid expression of the struggle many face when learning a new language.
- "I felt lost." - This phrase encapsulates a moment of vulnerability.
- "I felt small and I felt afraid." - A powerful sentiment that many learners experience early in their language journey.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
Shadowing is a technique that allows learners to improve English pronunciation and fluency by mimicking a speaker in real-time. Here is a step-by-step shadowing guide based on Tom's storytelling technique to help you tackle the video’s content:
- Listen to the Full Video: Before you start shadowing, listen to Tom's story from beginning to end. This will give you a complete understanding of the context and the emotions behind his words.
- Break It Down: Divide the video into smaller segments. Focus on 1-2 minute clips and replay them multiple times.
- Repeat and Imitate: As you listen to Tom speak slowly, pause after each sentence. Try to repeat his phrases out loud. Aim to match his intonation and rhythm closely.
- Record Yourself: Use a voice recording app as you shadow. This will provide you with immediate feedback on your pronunciation and allow you to track your improvement over time.
- Practice Regularly: Make shadowing a daily practice. Consistency is key, so schedule short sessions throughout the week to keep practicing and enhance your speaking skills.
By utilizing these strategies on a well-structured shadowing site or by employing platforms like YouTube, you can significantly improve English pronunciation and gain confidence in your speaking abilities. Remember, the goal of shadow speech is not just to imitate but to internalize the language, making it easier for you to express yourself in English.
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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