Shadowing Practice: why does language change us? - Learn English Speaking with Video

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So you've been learning English for three years, imagining yourself having natural conversations with people in English.
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You're buried in verb conjugations, you're practicing pronunciation until your jaw hurts, and maybe you've even started watching dramas and TV shows in English already.
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You started all of this for a simple reason, to travel, to feel more connected with people on your next vacation.
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But what if I told you this?
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While you've been busy studying grammar and vocabulary, what if you've actually been rewiring your brain for a better life in ways you never expected?
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And what if the biggest and deepest impact of learning a new language has almost nothing to do with travel that you're planning?
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Because learning a language isn't just about learning how to speak.
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It's more than that because it's a tool for personal change.
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Welcome back to another episode of This is Hazel.
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Okay, honestly, these days when language feels hard, AI can translate almost everything so easily.
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So sometimes it feels like maybe we don't need to learn or study languages anymore.
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Because as a person who teaches Korean language, sometimes some people say that like AI will solve everything.
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So you're going to lose your job.
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I mean, yeah, but here's the thing.
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While you're studying a language right now, you're secretly upgrading your way of thinking, your personality, and the way you see the world.
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So today, I want to talk about the hidden reasons why learning a language is such a powerful tool for the personal growth.
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Okay, the first.
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And maybe the most surprising change is happening deep inside your brain.
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every time you struggle to remember a new word or try to put a sentence together you are
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literally changing your brain i know like scientists call this something let
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me okay let me switch i'll i'll give you the accurate neuroplasticity i'm using my brain so hard right now
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neuroplasticity neuroplasticity okay okay scientists call this neuroplasticity
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neuroplasticity neuroplasticity okay Simply put, it means your brain is flexible and able to create new connections.
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Language learning is one of the strongest ways to activate that ability.
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Because think of your brain like a muscle, like you gain your muscle.
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Learning a new language is like giving it, giving the muscle a high intensity workout and not just one kind of exercise.
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You do Pilates, yoga, and go to the gym, swimming, basketball, or a lot of different kinds of exercise.
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Through this process, actually we can make our brains stronger and even delay age-related cognitive decline like dementia or something by several years.
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It's a long-term investment in your future mental health.
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And what's really important is these studies show that adults like people like us, even people who start learning a new language later in their lives can experience these deep brain changes too.
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So when you're squeezing your brain trying to order something in English, at the restaurant, you're actually building a stronger and healthier brain that will support you for decades.
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The second reason is actually a human part of this journey.
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As you learn another language, you're quietly building a powerful sense of empathy.
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It's about truly understanding the people.
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Every language has a different sense of time, a different sense of personal distance, a different way of expressing emotions.
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Honestly, the biggest cultural difference that I felt since I came to Vancouver isn't about food or music.
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It's about how people express themselves.
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Because I started noticing things like, oh, people feel uncomfortable when I ask this.
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Or, oh, this is how they interpret their situations.
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Or this emotion doesn't even exist in this language.
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I realized that my reaction to the same story changes depending on the language.
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if someone said to me in english i've been having a hard time lately and i would probably say in english oh i'm
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sorry let me know if there's anything i can do i'm here for you kind of thing but in
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korean i would say what happened are you eating well that difference comes from the culture in fact
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in korean language i don't think we say i'm sorry to hear that i don't think we have a way to say I'm sorry to hear that.
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So the first time that I noticed myself naturally saying I'm sorry in English not like sorry just like feeling sorry I felt like I was meeting a new version of myself like what is this?
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The longer I stay in Canada the more I feel these cultural differences because now I'm not trying to understand grammar I'm trying to understand the culture.
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I can even feel the difference in my personality depending on whether I'm speaking Korean or English.
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Maybe you can relate if you speak different languages.
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Anyway, when you start understanding why certain expressions exist and why ideas are framed the way they are, you begin to see another worldview from the inside.
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You don't just understand what people are saying, but why they are saying it that way.
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This emotional intelligence helps you connect with people more deeply.
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Language is the most important gateway to real cultural understanding.
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You're no longer just a tourist watching from the outside.
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You become someone who can share jokes, notice subtle emotional moments, and you feel the connections.
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And the third reason brings everything together.
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Learning a new language is one of the most honest parts to self-growth.
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Most of us unconsciously believe that the way we see the world is the only way.
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because our native language becomes the default setting for our thoughts.
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But the moment you learn another language, you realize the same reality can be structured in completely different ways, different format.
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Some languages have words for concepts that you've never even thought about before.
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I've heard that like some languages have, I mean, I've seen some languages have like feminine, like the gender.
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So I've heard that the cup has gender, the chair has a gender, and that we need to switch the verb based on it.
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I've never thought about it.
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I've never thought about that could be possible.
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Probably my language has something shocking for them.
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Maybe English has something strange for other people.
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It breaks the illusion that your perspective is the only one that matters, and suddenly your curiosity starts flowing in so many different directions.
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You also experience something important.
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I think it's really important to me.
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You learn through real experience that small, consistent actions can lead to the big goals.
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That sense of achievement often makes you want to grow in other areas of your life too.
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Do you know what I've been doing lately?
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I've been re-watching dramas that I watched before I could understand English.
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If you've seen my videos about how I studied English, you know that I learned English through dramas and movies.
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I copied them.
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I repeated the same scene again and again, focusing more on sound than meaning.
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I mimicked the sound so I could learn the language.
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At one point, I was almost addicted to collecting those scenes.
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And I was, I got used to the sound, right?
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Of the scenes.
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So they were in my brain already.
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And I am watching the movies again and TV shows again and again.
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Recently, I listened to them again while I was watching the shows.
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Like, oh, that's the scene that I've saved.
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And it felt like wearing glasses for the first time.
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Everything sounded so clear.
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I started hearing things differently from what I understood before.
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Back then I understood the word.
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I understood the information of the scene but now I understand both the culture and the information together and suddenly so many things made sense at the same time.
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Realizing that I can truly understand something now brings me a deep kind of happiness.
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At first, I just wanted to order coffee at the cafe and eventually I became someone who understands myself and my place in the world much more deeply,
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more open-minded,
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knowing that my feelings can be expressed in many different ways and that I can share what I have in
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many different forms is a new experience and this is something that is hard to understand unless you've
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experienced it yourself from far away you can't really see it you have to step into the water you have to
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swim you have to cross that mountain like you have to get that and see the view there's nothing
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wrong with not having seen it it's like it's okay but hearing about the view from
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someone else who went that and actually walking through it and experiencing and seeing the view are two very different things.
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You didn't just learn a language, you became a bigger, wider version of yourself.
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I already know that many of you, many people watching my videos are bilingual or learning different languages.
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So I think some of you probably felt something while watching this video.
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If there's a hidden reason that you think that I didn't mention, please share that in the comments so I can see and learn about your journeys as well.
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See you.
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Bye-bye.
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There's a romantic set.
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TV show isn't for you.
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You

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will explore how learning English not only enhances your language skills but also transforms your cognitive abilities and emotional awareness. As you practice speaking, you will engage in deep listening and repetition techniques, allowing you to absorb the nuances of conversational English. This lesson emphasizes the hidden benefits of language learning, including neuroplasticity and empathy, making it a vital session for those preparing for IELTS speaking practice or seeking to improve their overall English proficiency. Get ready to deepen your understanding of how language can change you!

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Neuroplasticity: The brain's ability to reorganize itself and form new connections.
  • Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
  • Conjugations: Variations of verbs based on tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, number, gender, and case.
  • Cognitive decline: The gradual loss of mental abilities, such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning.
  • Cultural differences: Variations in norms, values, and practices between different societies or groups.
  • Expression: The way emotions and thoughts are communicated verbally or non-verbally.
  • Worldview: A particular philosophy of life or concept of the world.
  • Shadow speak: A technique of mimicking speech to improve language fluency and pronunciation.

Practice Tips

To get the most out of this lesson, consider using the shadowspeak method. Find a segment in the video where English is spoken clearly yet naturally, and mimic the speaker’s tone and pace. This technique works remarkably well with conversational English as it helps you improve your English pronunciation while internalizing the flow of speech.

Start with shorter phrases and gradually build up to longer sentences. This approach allows you to focus on intonation and emotional expression. By shadowing the speaker, you not only practice your speaking skills but also gain insights into cultural nuances and emotional communication. Aim to repeat each phrase several times to reinforce your memory and fluency.

Remember, this practice is particularly useful for those preparing for IELTS speaking practice. Engaging with the emotional aspect of language will make you a more effective communicator. As you immerse yourself in different expressions and interactions, you will slowly notice a profound change in your perspective and how you relate to others – all while enjoying the journey of learning English with YouTube!

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.