Shadowing Practice: What they don't tell you about your 20s - Learn English Speaking with Video
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I've always thought of my 20s as this one big contradiction.
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In some things you find your way, and in others, you're completely lost.
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Somehow this era of your life is both the best of it and the worst of it.
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And just when you think you've cracked the code, the rules change.
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I used to believe that there was one clear path, that if I followed it, things would happen the way everyone said it would.
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But now I know it's a little more complicated than that.
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In this phase of our lives, we're constantly being told one thing or another.
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But if there is one true thing about your 20s, it's this.
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It never goes quite like how you expect it to.
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Thanks.
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Hi. Where do I start?
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Earlier this year, I came to the realization that I am approaching the end of my 20s.
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And aside from trying not to freak out about it, it also got me thinking.
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Your late 20s are an interesting time.
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One minute, you're a functioning adult.
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Answering emails, paying taxes, watching half your friends pick up running, while the other half are suddenly engaged.
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70k.
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For the whole wedding.
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The venue.
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Let's just say it's a varied experience.
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I guess when I first entered this decade, I had this idea of what I thought my 20s would be like.
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With the goals and milestones that I would hit, thinking that I had a lot of time to to achieve it all.
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But now that I'm near the end of it, I realize that there's still a few things that I haven't done
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that I thought I would have by now so I want to see if I could change that
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actually this whole thing came to be when I realized
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that last year I spent majority of my time at my
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desk no gardening no home projects just everything on the back
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burner basically I kind of let work take over my life a bit.
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Granted, it was a crazy year.
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Two years passed by and I realized that there's still a lot of things
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that I said I would do that I haven't done yet.
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And a lot of those things were just the small things that I enjoyed, you know.
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So lately, I've been trying to put more effort into that again.
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But that's okay.
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We're gonna...
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We're gonna figure it out.
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We're figuring it out.
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I'm gonna have to tell you 11 instead of 12.
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Yeah, maybe something that'll work.
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I feel it.
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Bringing up things from my past.
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But I'm all down.
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Nothing's ever felt so real to me.
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I want you to know you're my everything.
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I think some things will always end to me.
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Actually, it's multi-purpose.
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Yeah, true.
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And how much is it?
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No?
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I guess
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I've been stuck in this weird cycle.
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Thinking, planning, then hovering so long I don't even end up seeing it through.
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Oh, you start that DIY yet?
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Not yet.
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It's funny.
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You go the first half of this decade with people telling you that you have so much time.
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Then all of a sudden, you're expected to have it all together.
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But the truth is, no one exactly tells you when to make that switch.
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We think not knowing what to do is the hard part, but not being clear on our choices is what really holds us back.
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Often we think we need to know everything before we start, to feel prepared and to have all the plans laid out in front of us.
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But it's actually through doing something that our next steps will be revealed.
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You can never really be prepared for how fast time moves.
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One day you're 22 and the next you're 28.
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And day to day nothing seems too different.
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But when you look back, everything is.
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I'm trying to make more time to do things that I've always wanted to do, but felt like, for some reason, I didn't have the time to back then.
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I think at one point all I wanted was enough time to watch all the movies and read all the books
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But as I moved through life, I realized that even if you do have the time, it doesn't mean you'll actually do it
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If we don't intentionally decide on how we want to spend our time
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We'll always find something else to fill that time with Maybe I'm just being dramatic.
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Maybe I've built up bad habits, but either way I'm done waiting for that time to come it's happening now.
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So I made a list.
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There's one, two, three, four, ten things on this list of ten things to do within the next four months,
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which is the end of the year and also when my birthday is, aka the end of my 20s.
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I had the idea for some of these already, but I also just sort of came up with some right now that I think are perfect.
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Okay to me these are not super crazy
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but they are enough to challenge me for the next four months given where I'm at right now in my life.
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They are things that I've either wanted to do for the last couple of years that I've never really got to,
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things that I've just want to incorporate more into my life
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and there's some like I've always wanted to do it
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but like i didn't know when it was gonna happen whether
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or not i can do this in four months is the
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question i signed it at the bottom i arisa santos hereby state
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that i will complete this list by the end of my 20s signed dated september 2025 that's crazy that's wild
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Love you, darling Now I'm right by the phone And say,
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here it comes I've gotta complain My darling I haven't been true to you in so long
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “What they don't tell you about your 20s”. This video has 86 sentences and 985 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:16. The speaker talks at a steady 119 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| darling noun | /ˈdɑɹlɪŋ/ | Often used as an affectionate term of address: a person who is very dear to one. |
| complicated adjective | /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/ | Difficult or convoluted. |
| desk noun | /dɛsk/ | A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a… |
| reveal verb | /ɹɪˈviːl/ | To uncover; to show and display that which was hidden. |
| crack noun | /kɹæk/ | A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material. |
| dramatic adjective | /dɹəˈmætɪk/ | Of or relating to the drama. |
| lately adverb | /ˈleɪt.li/ | Recently; not long ago; of late; not long since. |
| sudden adjective | /ˈsʌd.ən/ | Occurring quickly with little or no warning or expectation; instantly. |
| engage verb | /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/ | To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied. |
| vary verb | /ˈvɛəɹi/ | To change with time or a similar parameter. |
| venue noun | /ˈvɛnjuː/ | A theater, auditorium, arena, or other area designated for sporting or entertainment events. |
| habit noun | /ˈhæb.ɪt/ | An action performed on a regular basis. |
| complain verb | /kəmˈpleɪn/ | To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment. |
| incorporate verb | /ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.eɪt/ | To include (something) as a part. |
| intentionally adverb | /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/ | In an intentional manner; on purpose. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bring up verb | To mention. |
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
| look back verb | To think of (past events) in retrospect (in hindsight). |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
| take over verb | To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Where do I start?
- One minute, you're a functioning adult.
- Let's just say it's a varied experience.
- We're gonna figure it out.
- Nothing's ever felt so real to me.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if I followed it, things would happen |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've always thought · you've cracked · haven't done |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being told · I've been stuck · will be revealed |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 45 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, realization /ˌɹɪə.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/, contradiction /ˌkɑːntɹəˈdɪkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, incorporate /ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.eɪt/, intentionally /ɪnˈtɛn(t)ʃənəli/, realization /ˌɹɪə.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/, contradiction /ˌkɑːntɹəˈdɪkʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like darling, complicated, desk.
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.