Shadowing Practice: WHEN THINGS GET HARD - Powerful Motivational Video - Learn English Speaking with Video

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59 sentences
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Life can throw you some curves and it's not just the things
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that you see coming but sometimes it's the things
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that you didn't see coming that hit you out of nowhere
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that set you back in such a way that it seems like you can't get over it.
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And you've reached your limit and your bandwidth is full.
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You already said I can't take another thing
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and then out of nowhere here comes something you didn't see coming
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and you're in it and in your homes somewhere in your heart these words are echoing
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am i going to make it when you get into a tight spot
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and everything goes against you until it seems
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that you cannot hold on for a minute longer never give up then for
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that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
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There are times when your energy feels so depleted that you want to give up that it looks just totally impossible.
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And I can tell you from my own personal experience, don't give up then.
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That's when you've got to fall forward, when life is kicking dirt in your face.
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Don't give up then.
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That's when most people turn back.
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As long as you're alive, there is hope.
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You're still alive.
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You're still here.
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It's never too late.
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And it's never too dark.
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And we can always turn things around.
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There's going to be bad days.
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There's going to be dark days.
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But you've got to embrace it because that pain is what makes you stronger.
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Pain is the high cost of growth.
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If you want to grow up, you want to be mature, there is no way to do it without pain.
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You can't grow up on easy street and the very thing that discourages you is the very thing that develops you.
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No one's coming to save you.
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No one's coming to save you.
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The only person that's gonna make a drastic change in life, whether that's physically, mentally, emotionally,
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spiritually, the only person that is going to dig you out of your hole is who?
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You.
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You have to do it for you.
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You've got to become courageous to stand up within yourself, to face it and step forward.
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We all get a taste of that victim mentality, the why me.
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You can become the victim of the situation or the victor of the situation.
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You need to be the master of your emotions, not let them affect you.
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You are the dictator.
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You're the captain of your boat whether you let things affect you in a negative way or a positive way.
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I don't lose.
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I only win or learn.
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In life there's only winning or learning.
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All your problems become gifts once you learn from them.
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And some of you have allowed adversity to make you stop.
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And I'm telling you right now, don't give up.
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I'm telling you right now, don't give in.
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Get through it.
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Execute, execute, execute.
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In the midst of adversity, execute.
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You're going to work through this.
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You're You're gonna get up, you're gonna get dressed, you're gonna get out, and you're gonna do what you've been called to do.
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You're gonna be what you called to be, and you're gonna prove to everybody that tried to break you, everybody that tried to kill your dream,
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you're gonna prove all of them wrong.
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And if you can work through your pain, I'm guaranteeing you, on the other side, is a reward.
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Pain is not permanent.
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Pain is temporary.
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Thank you.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “WHEN THINGS GET HARD - Powerful Motivational Video”. This video has 59 sentences and 592 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:32. The speaker talks at a natural 167 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 91% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
execute verb/ˈɛksɪˌkjuːt/To kill, especially as punishment for a capital crime.
nowhere adverb/ˈnoʊ.(h)wɛɹ/In no place.
temporary adjective/ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time.
guarantee noun/ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/Anything that assures a certain outcome.
reward noun/ɹɪˈwɔɹd/Something of value given in return for an act.
physically adverb/ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/In a physical manner.
mature adjective/məˈt͡ʃʊ(ə)ɹ/Fully developed; grown up in terms of physical appearance, behaviour or thinking; ripe.
dirt noun/dɝt/Soil or earth.
mentally adverb/ˈmɛntəli/In a mental manner; an idea thought out in one's mind, as opposed to an idea spoken orally.
emotion noun/ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/A person's internal state of being and involuntary physiological response to an object or a situation, based on or tied to physical state and sensory data.
victor noun/ˈvɪk.tə(ɹ)/The winner in a fight or contest.
embrace verb/ɛmˈbɹes/To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug.
curve noun/kɚv/A bend, such as in a road.
tide noun/taɪd/The daily fluctuation in the level of the sea caused by the gravitational influence of the moon and the sun.
echo noun/ˈɛk.oʊ/A reflected sound that is heard again by its initial observer.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordPronunciationMeaning
give up verbTo surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).
work through verbTo get past a difficult or stressful situation by thinking or talking about it.
get out verbTo leave or escape.
get over verbTo overcome.
get through verb/ɡɛt ˈθɹu/To overcome; to endure.
get up verbTo move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb.
grow up verbTo mature and become an adult.
stand up verbTo rise from a lying or sitting position.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

  • As long as you're alive, there is hope.
  • No one's coming to save you.
  • I'm telling you right now, don't give in.
  • You're going to work through this.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 40 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, gonna, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

  • The “sh” and “zh” sounds: emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/
  • Long words — get the stress right: temporary /ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/, mentality /mɛnˈtæləti/, adversity /ædˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like execute, nowhere, temporary.

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 →