Shadowing Practice: What World of Warcraft Taught Me About Making Money - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Now as you may or may not know, I used to be addicted to a video game called World of Warcraft, which I've been playing on and off for the last like 15 years.
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And there is a guild in World of Warcraft called Team Liquid, which is like the best World of Warcraft team in the world.
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And they compete in like the competitive esports and all of those arenas.
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And the guy that leads this guild is his name is Maximum.
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I don't know his real name is, but that's his like video game name.
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And he also happens to make YouTube videos.
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Now I watch a lot of Liquid Maximum's YouTube videos because as someone who's interested in this video game, and there's always been a part of me that's been like, huh, I wonder what it would be like to be a professional video game player. And
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so I was watching a video from Liquid Maximum where he
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was talking about what the difference is between like top 0.001%
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professional level players in this video game compared to even people who are in the top 1%
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or people in the top 10%.
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And one thing he was saying is
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that it is very hard for normal people like the average
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video gamer to even fathom just how much better someone who's playing in the top guild in the world, just how much better that person is like compared to their own skill level.
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And then there was one thing he said in this video
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that made so many things click into place for me
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And this is where it relates to the art of making money He said
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that if you think about what it takes to get into this guild, Team Liquid, like the top guild in the world for this video game
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It was like basically every single person who is in the
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guild has spent the last 15 to 20 years of their
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life Spending 8 to 12 hours a day every single day
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Purely devoted to the task of trying to get good at this one specific video game You know, he's not saying that that's a good thing or a bad thing
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or like they're morally better than you or morally worse than you
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because they've just spent loads of time devoted to this one thing.
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But the way he put it was like, hey, these guys have spent all this time just doing this one specific thing, and you have spent the last 10 years of your life just doing something else.
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Instead of you spending the last 10 years of your life grinding away on World of Warcraft, you might instead have had a real job you might have
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been playing sports you might have been watching a bunch of TV
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but you were doing something other than just single-minded devotion to this one specific video game
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so what he's basically saying is that
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if you look at the people who are in this top
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guild in the world in World of Warcraft they have just
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sunk way more hours than you can even fathom into this
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video game specifically of course there are other factors like I'm sure there's like skill
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and talent and all that kind of stuff but like
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if you wanted to one of the world's best players at this very specific video game, you would have to sink loads and loads and loads and loads and loads of time into it.
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And then with the time that you're sinking into it, you would have to then actively try
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and actually improve the game rather than just playing the game for playing the game's sake.
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Now what does any of that have to do with making money?
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Well, there is a pattern that I've seen amongst people that I know who make a lot of money, and people in my audience, and people who come up to me and ask questions in workshops and stuff,
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and friends of mine even who want to make money but are not really making as much money as they would like.
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The pattern is this.
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In general, all else being equal, the people who make more money are spending way more of their time actively trying to make money.
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The people who make less money are probably spending less of their discretionary time actively trying to make money.
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Now in this video I'm not going to get into the conversation about privilege
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and about like unfair advantages and about like all of that kind of stuff.
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All of that stuff is definitely important in terms of how rich you can get
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and also how easy it is for you to get rich.
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But the key point I want to make in this video is
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if you are trying to make more money then you probably need to spend more time actually doing that.
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All right thank you so much for watching this little clip And if you enjoyed this video, then firstly you should totally check out our Lifestyle Business Academy.
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There's details down below if you are interested.
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Or alternatively, if you would like to continue browsing some videos, check out this video right over here, which should be helpful for you in your journey.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills using a transcript from a YouTube video titled "What World of Warcraft Taught Me About Making Money." By engaging with the content, you will enhance your vocabulary, understand key concepts related to dedication and money-making, and improve your overall English fluency. This exercise will be beneficial for those preparing for the IELTS speaking test or anyone looking to refine their English speaking practice. As you listen and repeat, aim to incorporate the lessons learned into your own speaking abilities.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Devoted - to dedicate time and effort to something
  • Guild - a group of individuals who share a common interest, often used in gaming contexts
  • Fathom - to understand a difficult concept or situation after much thought
  • Single-minded - focused on a single goal or task
  • Pattern - a repeated or regular form or design, often referring to behavior
  • Discretionary time - free time that one can use freely to engage in activities of their choice
  • Competitive - involving competition; striving to gain or win something
  • Active improvement - deliberate actions taken to enhance skills or knowledge

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning from this video transcript, consider using a shadowing app or similar technique. Here’s how to effectively practice:

  • Listen closely to the speaker's tone and pace as they discuss their experiences with World of Warcraft and money-making. The video has a conversational tone, so try to mimic that in your own speech.
  • Repeat sentences immediately after hearing them. Pay attention to the rhythm and intonation used, as these aspects are crucial in effective communication.
  • Break it down into smaller sections. Focus on shadowing one paragraph at a time instead of tackling the entire transcript at once. This will make it easier to master each segment before moving on.
  • Record yourself while practicing. Listen to how you sound compared to the original speaker. This self-assessment can provide insights into areas for improvement.
  • Discuss the content with a partner or in a study group. Engaging in conversations about the ideas presented in the video can boost your confidence and fluency.

By incorporating these strategies into your English learning journey, you'll be well on your way to improving your speaking skills and preparing for success on the IELTS speaking test. Happy practicing!

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.