Shadowing Practice: Unbroken - Motivational Video - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them 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, even when it leads you off the well worn path.
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And that will make all the diffrence.
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Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
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Don't be trapped by dogma: which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
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Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.
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You've got to find what you love.
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And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers.
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Your work is going to fill a large part of your life 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...
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is to love what you do If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.
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and don't settle.
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what you truly want to become.
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You’re going to have some ups and you’re going to have some downs Most people give up on themselves easily.
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You know the human spirit is powerful?
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There is nothing as powerful – it’s hard to kill the human spirit!
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Anybody can feel good when they have their health, their bills are paid, they have happy relationships.
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Anybody can have a larger vision then, Anybody can have a large vision then, anybody can have faith under those kinds of circumstances.
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comes when get knocked down.
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It takes courage to act.
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Part of being hungry when you have been defeated.
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It takes courage...
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to start over again.
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Fear kills dreams.
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Fear kills hope.
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Fear... Fear... put people in the hospital.
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Fear can age you can hold you back from doing something that you know within yourself that you are capable of doing, but it will paralyze you.
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At the end of your feelings is nothing, but at the end of every principle is a promise.
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Behind your little feelings, it might not be absolutely nothing at the end of your little feelings.
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But behind every principle is a promise.
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And some of you in your life the reason why you not at your goal right now, because you just all about your feelings.
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All on your feelings, you don’t feel like waking up – who does?
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Everyday you say 'no' to your dreams, you might be pushing your dreams back a whole six months, a whole year!
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That one single day, that one day you didn’t get up could have pushed your stuff back I don’t know how long.
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Don't allow your emotion to control you.
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If you don't discipline and contain your emotion, they will use you.
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and you’re going to go all out to have it.
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It’s not going to be easy, when you want to change, it’s not easy. If it were in fact easy, everybody would do it.
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But if you’re serious, you’ll go all out.
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I'm in control here.
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I’m not going to let this get me down, I’m not going to let this destroy me.
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I'm coming back!
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And I'll be stronger and better because of it!
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That this is what you stand for!
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Take full responsibility for your life.
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Accept where you are and the responsibility that you’re going to take yourself where you want to go.
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You can decide that I am going to live each day as if it were my last!
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Live your life with passion!
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With some drive.
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Decided that you are going to push yourself.
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The last chapter to your life has not been written yet, and it doesn’t matter about what happened yesterday It doesn’t matter about what happened to you, what matters is: ‘what are you going to do about it?’ This year I will make this goal become a reality.
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I won’t talk about it anymore.
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I can. I can!
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I CAN ! To persevere I think is important for everybody.
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Don't give up, don't give in.
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There's always an answer to everything Subtitles by the Amara.org community

Speaking Goals for This Clip

This motivational video is ideal for english speaking practice focused on fluency and emotional expression. It targets the ability to deliver impactful, confident speech by mimicking the rhythm and emphasis of passionate communication. By engaging with this content, learners can strengthen their ability to convey conviction, a key milestone in sounding natural in English.

Phrase Bank

  • "connect the dots looking backwards"
  • "don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice"
  • "the only way to do great work is to love what you do"
  • "fear kills dreams"
  • "take full responsibility for your life"
  • "live each day as if it were my last"

These phrases are reusable in personal stories, speeches, or discussions about goals, making them valuable for building a versatile vocabulary.

Fix Your Weak Spots

The video excels at improving english pronunciation and rhythm, especially in conveying strong emotions like determination. Many learners struggle with stress and intonation in longer sentences, but the speaker’s deliberate pauses and emphasis (e.g., "It takes courage... to start over again") provide a clear model for practice. Tools like a shadowing app can enhance this: by repeating phrases immediately after the speaker (a technique called shadow speech or shadowspeaks), learners train their mouths to replicate natural cadence. Focus on the contrast between short, punchy sentences ("I'm coming back!") and longer, reflective ones to master dynamic speech. Remember, discipline in mimicking these patterns will help you control your voice, rather than letting emotions disrupt your flow.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its resultif you're serious, you'll go
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itis limited · be trapped · are paid
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhaven't found · have been defeated · has not been written

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →