Shadowing Practice: when AI decides the speed of the world - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
These days, I've been feeling overwhelmed by the pace of everything.
2
Everything's just so fast.
3
Do you feel that?
4
It's not even because I'm too busy or because my life is hard right now.
5
It's more that I feel like I'm moving too slowly, you know, and then that anxiety makes me think, "I need to do this,
6
I need to do that." My mind feels scattered all the time.
7
I keep adding more and more things to my to -do list, but somehow I feel just even further behind.
8
The world is speeding up and AI is driving a lot of that speed.
9
New AI models, new tools, new updates.
10
They are just everywhere.
11
As someone who is in marketing and product design, I used to tell myself,
12
I can't afford to miss any of this So I followed all the AI news channels on YouTube and Instagram accounts,
13
but eventually There were so many new models and so many new features that I stopped seeing them as information.
14
They started feeling like obligations, like things I was supposed to study and keep up with.
15
I mean, I need to study.
16
I need to spend my...
17
I need to invest my time.
18
Yeah, so I unfollowed all of them.
19
Gosh.
20
Stop!
21
I'm not kidding.
22
All that information was becoming a huge source of stress for me.
23
So, And if you've been feeling overwhelmed by all of this too, you're definitely not alone.
24
I get you.
25
Yes, and it made me wonder, what are we supposed to do in a world filled with AI?
26
Yeah, I know the answer and you know that answer too.
27
Because a lot of people say that if AI replaces your job, there's nothing you can do about it.
28
But the people who learn how to use AI will survive.
29
So we need to learn AI.
30
I'm sure that there's Yeah, truth in that.
31
But I don't think that's quite that simple.
32
The anxiety I feel isn't about my job.
33
It's not only about my job.
34
Maybe it is, but it's not just that.
35
People are using AI to organize their thoughts, decide what to eat for dinner.
36
They're using it to write genuine apology messages for their girlfriends.
37
Oh yeah, I've seen it.
38
Well, at some point, AI starts knowing so much about us because we share a lot but it almost feels like
39
Its thoughts and words are becoming ours.
40
It's confusing.
41
Is this my idea because you got it from my history and then the conversations that you had with me?
42
Or is this AI's idea?
43
I don't know.
44
But what if the secret to surviving this new world isn't about keeping up?
45
What if the answer is actually going deeper into the parts of ourselves that machines can never have?
46
Welcome back to another episode of Dizzeizel.
47
Maybe the biggest thing AI solved is speed.
48
Fast understanding, faster communication, faster decisions.
49
AI is incredibly fast now.
50
I can't beat that.
51
I'm not a machine.
52
But it's no longer just a tool.
53
It's slowly becoming part of the structure of everyday life.
54
It's making the world more efficient at a speed.
55
At least for me.
56
Well, I don't know everything about it because I unfollowed all the accounts.
57
So I'm probably missing a lot.
58
Yeah.
59
But efficiency is not always good because across many industries, people are experiencing more burnout.
60
For example, I saw this
61
article survey it was like 2024 Australian survey I don't know I found this Australian one but
62
there was some like office workers using AI as many people reported increased stress as those who reported reduced stress
63
so there's like pros and cons
64
but yeah I think there's constant pressure to keep learning adapting
65
and staying with the changes and I don't think we're feeling We are being asked to move a pace determined by machines,
66
not by humans.
67
And this issue goes much deeper than just workplace stress.
68
The more common AI becomes, the more people worry that we might lose our ability to think independently or genuinely connect with each other, because I do.
69
And honestly, I think people will...
70
probably become lonelier.
71
I tried to look at all of this as objectively as I can when I picked this topic today.
72
But I also want to share my thoughts and my own experience
73
because I've lived in a time when people didn't need to own their cell phones.
74
I'm so old but I mean like I mean we had phones but like when I was in schools,
75
I didn't have a phone and that was not that strange.
76
So like sitting in a subway, people look at each other instead of looking at their phones, you know, it's just like,
77
talking to each other that's pretty common and i've also lived long enough to see a world that
78
communicating without social media feels almost impossible.
79
Competition is already intense, and now, how much you know about AI has become another competition.
80
We start believing that if we want to survive, we have to run even faster.
81
But, What if we asked a different question?
82
In a world where those immediate AI answers became the standard, is choosing to move slowly a weakness.
83
Hey guys, I wanted to give you a quick update on my Ana Luisa pieces
84
because I've had them for a while now.
85
I've been wearing this necklace literally pretty regularly and honestly, it's held up really well.
86
It still looks great, it's comfortable to wear and it's become one of those pieces that I just throw on without thinking.
87
I've followed the care instructions and so far I haven't noticed any ternishing which I'm very happy about.
88
They also offer a 2 -year warranty, which is always nice to have.
89
If you're curious, I've left my link in the description.
90
Thank you so much and let's go back to the episode.
91
AI can generate answers instantly.
92
It can optimize schedules, read emails from me and analyze huge amounts of data way faster than any human can.
93
AI can show you the fastest route, but it can't tell you whether the destination is actually worth going to.
94
but it can't tell you what is truly worth doing.
95
And that's where I think we need a shift in perspective.
96
The real human advantage isn't about beating machines at speed.
97
It's about developing the qualities that algorithms can never truly replicate.
98
Not becoming faster, becoming deeper.
99
The first of these qualities is depth.
100
AI is incredibly good at the shallow layer of things.
101
Fast summaries, instant
102
amount of information but information isn't the same thing as how much you know
103
Because AI can't move without a prompt or questions.
104
Or maybe they will in the future. So scary.
105
Wait, focus.
106
AI doesn't have its own motivation.
107
Maybe they will in the future but okay, the point is it requires knowing why And that's something humans do,
108
understanding the why, not what.
109
We become so focused on completing tasks that we forget how to pause, reflect, and ask ourselves what actually matters.
110
like okay example I love journaling.
111
But recently, because so many things are being recorded on Remember It for me, I found myself writing less.
112
And honestly, that makes me a little sad.
113
Not just because of journaling itself because it feels symbolic.
114
It made me rethink the world we are building.
115
Human beings are creatures of slow attention and deep reflection, I think, like I did with my journaling.
116
We don't just store information, we store experiences, emotions, instincts things that exist beyond the text.
117
I've always believed that people who have loved something obsessively,
118
passionately, almost irrationally, have a higher chance of creating something meaningful in life.
119
That's more than just knowing something or storing information In a culture where everything keeps getting faster,
120
choosing to move slowly isn't laziness.
121
Those things require a deeply human sensitivity that AI simply doesn't possess.
122
The second quality is empathy.
123
Of course, I know.
124
I think we are entering the age of artificial relationships a little bit.
125
AI already started building relationships with us.
126
They understand us.
127
Maybe you named your chat GPT already?
128
People are even turning to this AI for mental health advice.
129
So to me empathy happens when your heart recognizes something in someone else's
130
when the other person experiences the same thing with what you're going through.
131
The most trustworthy empathy often comes from shared vulnerability.
132
Even if they're awkward about it, even if they handle it differently, that's still human empathy.
133
So the people who understand that, like building relationships aren't
134
the value of interactions and stuff and who are good at it will be needed more than ever even in the workplaces.
135
So don't forget working on those human skills.
136
And finally, there are two things I want to emphasize: identity and connection.
137
Think about it.
138
With enough data, AI can learn your writing style and write like you with enough voice samples, it can sound like you.
139
So, What is actually mine?
140
This is a very different question from convenience or speed.
141
If what we create can be easily copied, where is mine?
142
I'll ask AI something like, "If I practice driving, like 10 hours a week, can I get my driver license within six months?
143
And the AI will give me some answer immediately.
144
Then I'll ask, "Okay, if I listen to this English podcast every day for two years, will I become fluent in English?
145
I can even ask it about traveling the world without traveling the world.
146
But none of those things are actually my experiences.
147
And I need to know the difference between what I can do, what I've done, and what I've merely imagined doing.
148
The old version of me had no choice but to try something before knowing the answer.
149
Maybe identity in the future will not be defined by what you've created because it'll be so easy to create something.
150
Maybe it will be defined by why you chose it and the values behind that choice.
151
What matters isn't simply what you made, it's why you made it.
152
And discovering those things for yourself is a practice we should never give up.
153
I know AI can help, but we still need to practice making our own decisions.
154
The more we begin treating AI as a substitute for human relationships,
155
the less willing we'll become to do the difficult but necessary work of showing up for each other.
156
opposite direction.
157
I think it starts with very simple intentional actions.
158
First, practice small pauses.
159
Before automatically reacting to a notification, take your time.
160
Be clear about what work belongs to you and what work belongs to AI.
161
Your efficiency should be something that you create intentionally.
162
Second, spend at least 15 minutes a day having inefficient conversations with someone
163
because those conversations or time will be something that you will look back
164
least one thing in your life that you enjoy for the process rather than the outcome.
165
Your own pace matters more.
166
My point of this video isn't about we should use AI or not.
167
It's about what kind of person we want to become.
168
I don't think the future belongs to the fastest people and it should not.
169
I think it belongs to the most human ones.
170
The humans who actually think.
171
My achievement, my happy moments, my sad moments.
172
Those are mine no one can mimic.
173
And one day, I will have the chance to pass and introduce those experiences onto someone else.
174
And hopefully that helps.
175
Maybe that's what I want to do through YouTube.
176
AI can never replace that.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, we will focus on enhancing your English speaking skills by practicing with a transcript from a thought-provoking YouTube video titled "When AI Decides the Speed of the World." As you engage with this material, you will learn how to articulate feelings of anxiety and overwhelm while also exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on our daily lives. This lesson will help you gain confidence in using expressive language and develop a nuanced understanding of contemporary themes, making it perfect for IELTS speaking practice.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Overwhelmed - Feeling like there's too much to handle.
  • Pace - The speed at which something happens.
  • Scattered - Having thoughts that are disorganized or unfocused.
  • Obligations - Responsibilities or tasks that one feels compelled to complete.
  • Fast understanding - Grasping new ideas quickly.
  • Genuine - Real and sincere, especially in communication.
  • Decisions - Choices made after consideration of different factors.
  • Survive - To continue to live or exist, especially in challenging situations.

Practice Tips

When using this video for learn English with YouTube sessions, consider the following tips for effective shadowing:

  • Shadowing Speed: The speaker's tone is conversational yet urgent. Begin by listening to small segments, then repeat them aloud, maintaining the same speed. Gradually increase your segment length as you become more comfortable.
  • Emotion and Tone: Pay attention to the speaker's emotional states, such as anxiety and determination. Emulate these feelings in your own voice to capture the essence of the message.
  • Intonation Patterns: Notice how the speaker varies their intonation, especially when emphasizing terms like "overwhelmed" and "need to learn AI." Try to mimic these patterns to enhance your speaking fluency.
  • Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your speech. Compare it with the original to identify areas for improvement, such as rhythm, pitch, and clarity.
  • Dialogue Practice: Reimagine the scenarios presented, such as using AI to organize thoughts. Develop a dialogue where you express your feelings about this technology and practice it with a partner or alone.

Utilizing these techniques will help you effectively improve your spoken English skills and prepare you for applications such as the shadowspeaks approach, ultimately making you a more confident communicator.

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.