Shadowing Practice: Why I'm able to study 4 hours with NO breaks (how to stay productive) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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What is up guys, Karma Medic here and welcome back to another DOS.
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If you're new to the channel, hi my name is Nasser and I'm now a third year medical student studying at King's College London.
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Today's video is all about why I study in 4 hour blocks.
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And I'm not talking about 4 hours of half studying, a little bit of procrastinating and chilling here and there.
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I'm talking about 4 hours of productive efficient studying in a row.
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Now usually when people find out
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that I study in four hour blocks as opposed to 25 minutes
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or one hour two hour even three hour blocks Most of them tell me that's not possible.
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There's no way you can stay focused for
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that long You probably aren't efficient You're probably wandering in your mind and things like that But honestly, I genuinely study for four hours in a row and I'm motivated
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and I'm productive and I'm efficient And I'm gonna explain all of
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that in today's video I'm gonna explain two things one why I study in four hour blocks
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and two how I study in four hour blocks
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So let's tackle the why first when I sit down on my desk over here
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or in the library in order to study What is my goal?
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My goal is to complete as much work as possible to be as productive
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and as efficient as possible Now me personally when I get into the zone for studying, I don't want to leave that zone.
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I don't want to get up I don't want to procrastinate I don't want to change what it is
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that I'm doing because I've already done the most difficult part of sitting down to study
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Which is to get into the studying mood and zone
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and the more breaks that I take
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or reasons I give myself to get up
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and off of my desk That's another opportunity for me to have to get back into the studying zone, which I don't want to do So generally speaking
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when I'm studying for exams I do two four-hour blocks in my day from 9 till 1
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and from 3 till 7 and
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that way I only have to enter the studying mood two times once at 9 a.m
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and once at 1 p.m Now this is the main reason
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that I personally don't use the Pomodoro timer
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because every 25 minutes It's basically giving me an excuse
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and encouraging me to check my phone or to chill or to get up off my desk or whatever
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which is inevitably going to lead to me procrastinating and doing something for longer than just five minutes.
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One thing that I really like about my method of doing two four-hour blocks in my day is
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that I'm done pretty much all the work that I need to do by 7 p.m.
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Now imagine doing eight hours of productive and useful work and also being done by 7 p.m.
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That leaves so much free time in order for you to do anything else that you want.
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That can be exercise, socializing with friends, playing video games, making YouTube videos, or basically anything.
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You just give yourself a lot of free time and still do lots and lots of work during the day.
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Now I understand obviously different studying techniques and timetables and schedules and whatever work for different people.
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I'm just saying as far as maximizing efficiency, if you condense all of the work that you have to do into the beginning part of the day, that leaves a lot of hours at the end of the day for you to do whatever you want.
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Alright I think I've preached long enough now about why I
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really like my four-hour block method now let me tell you how it is
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that I can actually stay focused and work for four hours in a row.
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I'm gonna break this down into five key sections.
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The first is to plan the night before
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and what I mean by this is that
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when I wake up in the morning and I know that I'm gonna start studying at 9 a.m.
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I've already decided exactly what it is that that I'm going to do at 9 a.m., which means that there's no friction or no time wasted in trying to figure out what do I need to study,
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what have I done enough of, what is left for me to do, et cetera, et cetera.
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I've already decided that and planned it the night before.
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So when I sit down at 8.59, I start exactly at nine and I can get immediately into the studying zone.
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That is actually really, really key.
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If you're struggling to get into the study zone, have a predetermined plan of what it is that you're gonna do during that time.
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For example, tomorrow at 9 a.m., I'm going to study for the US Emily exam, which is here.
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So tonight before I go to sleep, I'm going to open this book to the page
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that I'm going to be starting on tomorrow and I'm going to put a pen inside of it.
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That way tomorrow when I take this book, which is already laying on my desk in a nice and convenient place for me to begin work, I can literally flip open to the page of exactly where I'm going to start.
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On top of that, you can see on my desktop over here
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that I'm already going to go down to the video that I'm going to watch tomorrow morning.
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I'm going to open it
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and it's going to be ready just waiting for me to sit down hit play
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and begin work section number two Don't give yourself a reason to get up
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and away from your desk before I start work at 9 a.m.
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I've already made my cup of coffee I've gotten a couple of snacks
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and I've organized everything around me
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that I will possibly need in the next four hours So
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that I can minimize the amount of times
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that I need to get up and out of my chair The reason
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that I do this is because every time you get up
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and out of your chair You're giving yourself opportunity for distraction and reason for procrastination procrastination.
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For example, if I go to the kitchen, I'll make myself a snack or a drink, I'll knock on my sister's door and ask her what's going on, let's have a chat.
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Every time I leave my room and I leave that studying zone and studying environment, I'm giving myself reasons and excuses and opportunities for procrastination.
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Now this is going to be slightly controversial, I'm sure, but I honestly don't allow myself to get up
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and out of my desk until I've done an hour of studying.
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The thought process that I have in my mind is that
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if I haven't been able to sit down and do productive solid work for an hour, do I really deserve to go take a break?
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Do I really deserve to go procrastinate and fill up my drink and get more snacks or take some time off?
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No, I need to first do a bunch of productive work
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before I can even think about the idea of getting up and procrastinating.
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And usually when I push myself to stay that extra 15 minutes, I actually end up studying for another 30 minutes or 45 minutes
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or whatever before getting out of my chair
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because I want to finish for example the video that I'm doing
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or the section that I'm doing or the page
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that I'm writing I just give myself reasons to continue studying
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you know I'm almost done with this section I'm almost done
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with this video I'm almost done with blah blah blah blah blah
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and I just try my best to keep myself situated at my desk you know what now
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that I say all of this out loud I'm starting to sound a little bit crazy
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but just stay with me here the point of section number two is to only get up
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and off of your desk when you really need to.
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Section number three is for the love of God just get rid of your phone.
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Your phone is your worst enemy when it comes to studying time.
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If you hear any notification, if you hear a buzzing, if you even look at your phone or if you even think of your phone, you're so likely to just without even thinking reach over and grab it and check it.
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I'm guilty of doing this all the damn time and
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because I'm a human and I'm prone to checking my phone and getting all of these addicting notifications and numbers and messages,
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I have two ways in order to completely eliminate my phone from my studying environment.
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Step number one is to put your phone out of sight.
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If you can't see your phone, you're less likely to think of it, you're less likely to notice it, and you're just less likely to check it overall.
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Step number two is to put your phone out of reach.
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That creates a huge barrier.
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You have to now get up and move in order to get your phone, which I know sounds kind of stupid.
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You're probably like, oh, it's just two steps away over there on the bed.
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But the truth is when you're sitting down, any extra effort or friction you give yourself in order to go check your phone, you're gonna do it less often.
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Wow, I've been talking a lot this video.
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All right, section number four is about giving yourself rewards while you're studying.
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Genuinely, no joke, probably what gets me through studying sessions the most is the idea of rewarding myself with either something to drink
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or something to eat, or going out with my friends, or playing video games, or whatever just having these rewards
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that I make for myself that I can only unlock once I've done a certain amount of studying.
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For example, like I mentioned before, I literally don't allow myself to go get a refill of my coffee
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or brew a tea or anything like that until I've done at least an hour of studying.
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It's just now an ingrained rule in my head like, dude, you're not gonna have coffee or more tea unless you do more work.
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So you better get that done first if that's what you want to do.
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My mentality when it comes to doing four hour blocks is very simple.
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If I work from zero till two hours, well then all I have to do is do the exact same thing
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that I just did one more time
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And I'll be done with my four hour block It's the same thing like
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when I go for a 10k run if I run five kilometers in one direction away from my house Well, then I kind of have to run the other five kilometers in the opposite direction to get back home
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And that way
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when I sit down for a four hour block of studying
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really all I need to focus on is getting through the next two hours.
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Because once I've done two hours, well then I just have to repeat what I've already done and I'll be done with four hours.
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I know it sounds really simple and it sounds kind of stupid and you guys probably think I'm crazy right now.
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But if I just do two hours of studying then I can repeat what I've done and then I've reached my goal.
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Okay, and the fifth and final section is about setting standards for yourself.
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For me personally, once I've done a four-hour block of studying, I know that that is something that I am now capable of.
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And so next time I come to studying, if I study for three hours or two hours, then I'm like, well, this isn't really as best as I can do.
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This isn't pushing myself to my maximum efficiency or capacity.
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I've done a four-hour block before.
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That means that I'm capable of doing it again.
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And I keep up that standard and I keep studying four-hour blocks
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because I know that I can reach that level of capacity and productivity.
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It's the same thing like once I've done a 10 kilometer run I know
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that I'm capable of running 10 kilometers And so I keep running 10 kilometers every time because now that's my new baseline.
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That's what I'm capable of achieving I don't like to give myself excuses
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or reasons to do something at a lesser level than what
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I've done before I feel like I've done it once I'm capable of doing
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that and so I can keep up
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that standard Now obviously you can probably see with a slippery slope that comes along with this line of thinking.
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I'm not crazy I'm not a robot I obviously have times
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when I can't study for four hours if I follow everything
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that I'm saying about 80% of the time Then I'm doing a fantastic job
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because the other 20% is just real life things happen things come up You need to change
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and you need to be flexible, but this is my line of thinking This is my philosophy
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and this is what I try to upkeep as much as I possibly can.
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Okay, and that is it I hope you guys have found this video useful I hope you've enjoyed it
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And if you did please do leave a like on this video
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and subscribe to my channel to see more content from me in the future
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If you have any tips for how you like to study
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or know something that works very well for you and would like to share it with the rest of the community, please do so in a comment down below.
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I love reading and replying to all of your comments.
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And that is it for me.
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I will see you guys in the next video.
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Peace.
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What video are we doing today?
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Why I study in 4 hour blocks.
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Let's go.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Why I'm able to study 4 hours with NO breaks”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: hour, studying, block, study. This video has 155 sentences and 2368 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:59. The speaker talks fast, about 237 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| productive adjective | /pɹəˈdʌk.tɪv/ | Capable of producing something, especially in abundance; fertile. |
| procrastinate verb | /pɹoʊˈkɹæs.tə.neɪt/ | To delay taking action; to wait until later. |
| procrastination noun | /pɹəʊˌkɹæs.tɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ | The act of postponing, delaying or putting off, especially habitually or intentionally. |
| snack noun | /snæk/ | A light meal. |
| reward noun | /ɹɪˈwɔɹd/ | Something of value given in return for an act. |
| friction noun | /ˈfɹɪkʃən/ | The rubbing of one object or surface against another. |
| notification noun | /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/ | The act of notifying. |
| genuinely adverb | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/ | In a genuine manner; truthfully, truly. |
| chill verb | /tʃɪl/ | To lower the temperature of something; to cool. |
| leaf noun | /lif/ | The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants. |
| condense verb | /kənˈdɛns/ | To concentrate toward the essence by making more close, compact, or dense, thereby decreasing size or volume. |
| ingrain verb | /ɪŋˈɡɹeɪn/ | To dye with a fast or lasting colour. |
| kilometre noun | /kɪˈlɑmɪtəɹ/ | An SI unit of length equal to 10³ metres. Symbol: km |
| predetermine verb | /ˌpɹiːdɪˈtɝ.mɪn/ | To determine or decide in advance. |
| refill noun | /ˈɹiː.fɪl/ | An additional helping of food or drink at reduced cost. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. |
| keep up verb | To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating or falling. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. |
| fill up verb | To make (something) completely full. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'm gonna break this down into five key sections.
- Wow, I've been talking a lot this video.
- I've done a four-hour block before.
- That means that I'm capable of doing it again.
- What video are we doing today?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've already done · I've preached · I've already decided |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being done · is left · be done |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | exam, which is · book, which is |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | start studying · keep studying · keep running |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 107 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: procrastination /pɹəʊˌkɹæs.tɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, friction /ˈfɹɪkʃən/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, socialize /ˈsoʊʃəlaɪz/, distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: procrastinate /pɹoʊˈkɹæs.tə.neɪt/, procrastination /pɹəʊˌkɹæs.tɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, kilometre /kɪˈlɑmɪtəɹ/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like productive, procrastinate, procrastination.
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.