Shadowing Practice: Why Olivia Rodrigo isn’t afraid of heartbreak anymore | Interview - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
124 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
You know, I think being heartbroken is truly one of the most wonderful feelings anyone could ever experience.
2
I think I'm not afraid of it at all anymore.
3
It's like so great.
4
I'm feeling happy as a clam.
5
I have had a really, really wonderful week.
6
I've been living with this album and working on it for so long.
7
And so to put it out into the world feels really cathartic.
8
And to see people respond the way
9
that they've been responding is just like a total dream come true
10
and i uh yeah i'm over the moon oh that's i'm
11
so happy to hear you're happy as a clam and
12
so happy you're getting to see people live
13
and enjoy this album me being one of them it's your third album and it's
14
so good it's giving best one yet the amount of like
15
album of the year comments i'm seeing everywhere it's gone number one in australia the us the uk
16
when we were thinking of like even just looking at the title you seem pretty sad for a girl
17
so in love you could tell this album was going to be different it sounds different
18
when you were working on it did you set out for it to be different
19
or did it just happen naturally through the process yeah i
20
mean i think i definitely wanted to make an album
21
that was dissimilar from sour and guts
22
and i just think as i grow older my tastes change
23
and what i want to write about changes and obviously my life changes
24
and so i'm writing about different different subjects
25
but um yeah i i uh i really pushed myself on this record
26
and i wanted to make something that uh challenged me
27
and excited me and
28
so uh yeah i i'm really proud of the way it
29
turned out as per usual with an Olivia Rodrigo record there's some blood sweat
30
and tears on there your vulnerability is such a strength
31
and such a trademark there are some very raw moments on
32
this album I've loved hearing you talk recently about your love of Weezer
33
and in particular Pinkerton and I really see the sort of fingerprints of
34
that on this record do you think it's like the responsibility
35
of an artist to show all of themselves including the sort of low
36
and shameful parts as well well I think it's the most
37
fun part of yourself to show you know I mean like
38
you can talk about how great you are all the time
39
and it's totally socially acceptable
40
but to to really dig into like the kind of uglier
41
jealous petty sad heartbroken parts of who you are is I just think a lot more interesting to write about
42
and it's it's um it's super cathartic
43
and therapeutic for me to kind of get to explore those parts of myself
44
and inside like the safety of a song
45
so um it's one of my favorite parts of songwriting
46
if I can share with you when I first heard drop dead
47
and the lyric where you're like i'm stalking like i'm in my bed stalking i was like
48
that was me oh my god i'm not alone
49
and she said oh my god it was so so good
50
and there's so many moments for that olivia the the good
51
and the bad where people can connect with you've talked about
52
there's a nodding hill reference in honeybee iconic one of the most beautiful um you know romantic comedies
53
that we've got but i want to say that song
54
when i heard it honeybee gave me real la la land vibes i wanted
55
or was that intentional or is
56
that like just in my head making a parallel my gosh i mean i love la la land actually with
57
that song we really wanted it to sound kind of like an old disney movie
58
that was the like sort of the vibe reference inspiration behind it
59
but um yeah i really love the way it sounds i
60
love like the choral elements i love the the strings whenever i listen to it
61
and i close my eyes i can kind of picture like
62
people slow dancing to it oh yeah it definitely it helps the romantic sentiment.
63
Your album features a song with Robert Smith, of course, of The Cure, What's Wrong With Me.
64
Is your first time ever working with a collaborator on an original song?
65
Why did it have to be Robert Smith for the first one?
66
I mean, I think there's nobody better, nobody cooler in the whole world.
67
I just adore him and getting to work with him and get to hang out with him has been a real joy.
68
And yeah, I can't believe that he's on the record.
69
It's one of my favorite songs i've ever made
70
and his voice is just makes the song absolutely you know incredible
71
and he's i just can't say enough nice things about him
72
obviously the album's out the world tour is announced this new festival is announced i can't help
73
but notice there's no australian dates happening what's the go there
74
oh my gosh i i mean i can't think like literally
75
five minutes in front of me do you want us to beg you cued the song begs um
76
but I I love Australia so much I last time
77
when I was on the guts world tour I had literally
78
the best time it was like one of the best weeks of my life
79
so um I would love to come say hi again you have to come back I remember you saying
80
that like brunch places won't open late enough for you
81
because you know you would be waking up late doing the tour
82
and we were like we have to fix that
83
so maybe we'll have that sorted by the time you come back Olivia yeah
84
so if you guys could find a brunch place
85
that stays open until 3 30 p .m yeah we will absolutely do
86
that now I'll be just on a personal note um this
87
is one of my last interviews ever at Triple J before
88
I wrap up um sorry it's probably going to be tears
89
but you're one of my favorite people to ever talk to
90
and I wanted to thank you for this album because it's really really something special and you've talked about out.
91
how you've like put yourself into this album
92
and you want people to like put their own stories into it
93
and relate to it
94
and in the past year i've like had my long -term relationship break down
95
and then fall into love again and having this album has been a true gift it's like
96
soundtracked all the moments like crying to begging and cigarette smoke
97
and then just like singing my heart out to drop dead
98
and you plus me equals a heart
99
so i just want to say it's i'm just speaking for one million other people who listen to this
100
that just congratulations and thank you on such an amazing piece of art oh wow
101
that means so much thank you so much for saying that
102
and i am sending you so much love and so many hugs
103
and just you're gonna kill whatever thank you
104
so much it'll be setting up the brunch joint for you
105
um olivia i've got to say this also you've said
106
that you could boil down the thesis of this album to one word a beautiful word hope
107
and i want to say what would you say to anyone
108
who listens to this album they've gone through the whole roller coaster the ups
109
and downs who's maybe I don't know scared to put themselves out there
110
or to fall in love
111
or just of being heartbroken oh my gosh you know I
112
think being heartbroken is truly one of the most wonderful feelings
113
anyone could ever experience I think I'm not afraid of it at all anymore it's like so great
114
and looking back on all of my like greatest heartbreaks I just think how wonderful it is to have cared
115
so much about something and someone to be affected like this
116
and I just think it's a really great gift
117
and I think you should never shy away from it within reason i love
118
that message yeah that's really beautiful that is so beautiful and
119
that is so hopeful
120
and what a wonderful way to wrap up yeah one of
121
our last ever interviews as a duo olivia thank you
122
so much thanks guys it's an honor to be on on
123
one of your final ones that's very sweet i'm very touched
124
so thank you oh man such a pleasure and such a joy and yeah fingers crossed see you in australia soon
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B21
245 sentences
Olivia Rodrigo & Chappell Roan: “expectations”, Music Video & Daisy Chains | Zane Lowe Interview
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
34 sentences
YUNGBLUD on Depression and Mental Health | Unmasked
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B285 sentences
Olivia Rodrigo Breaks Down The 5 Films That Shaped Her | THR Cover Star
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2171 sentences
Charli xcx - Camera | Behind the Song
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
304 sentences
Christina Aguilera | On The Record
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
482 sentences
twenty one pilots: 'Trench,’ Overcoming Insecurities, and What’s Next | Apple Music
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
741 sentences
The Sheryl Crow Interview
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
18 sentences
Taylor Swift: 'Patient Zero' is a Warning To All Rumour Spreaders 🔥#taylorswift #patientzero
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
105 sentences
CLUTCH Neil Fallon Interview
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
383 sentences
Selena Gomez and benny blanco Burn With Love While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
369 sentences
Taylor Swift - Sourdough, Space, Stadiums, Scott Mills and The Life Of A Showgirl.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
![Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license [64th GRAMMY Awards Performance]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/x4drP6Q6p30/mqdefault.jpg)
B11
29 sentences
Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license [64th GRAMMY Awards Performance]
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Olivia Rodrigo on Heartbreak, Songwriting, and Vulnerability: A Conversation Breakdown
In the video, Olivia Rodrigo discusses her third album, sharing insights on growth, songwriting, and embracing vulnerability. She reflects on how heartbreak has become a source of creativity, the catharsis of exploring "uglier" emotions in music, and the joy of connecting with fans through raw lyrics. The dialogue is casual yet expressive, making it ideal for english speaking practice—perfect for learning natural phrasing and emotional tone.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "Happy as a clam": A playful way to say you’re extremely happy. Example: "After finishing my project, I’m happy as a clam!"
- "Over the moon": To feel elated. Example: "My friend got into her dream school—she’s over the moon!"
- "Blood, sweat, and tears": Effort and hard work. Example: "This book took years of blood, sweat, and tears to write."
- "Dig into": To explore deeply. Example: "Let’s dig into the details of the plan."
- "Cathartic and therapeutic": Emotionally releasing and healing. Example: Painting is cathartic and therapeutic for me.
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video
Shadowing (or shadow speak) is a powerful way to improve English pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how to use this interview for english speaking practice:
- Listen and Repeat in Chunks: The dialogue is conversational, so pause after 5-7 seconds. Repeat Olivia’s words, focusing on her casual tone (e.g., "you know," "I mean") and rising intonation in questions.
- Emphasize Vulnerable Phrasing: Notice how she softens words like "uglier" or "petty" with a gentle delivery. Mimic this to convey emotion naturally.
- Use a Shadowing App: Record yourself and compare it to the video. Apps can help you match her pace and stress (e.g., "total dream come true" stresses "dream" and "true").
- Practice Idioms in Context: Repeat phrases like "happy as a clam" until they feel natural. Try using them in your own sentences.
- Focus on Flow: The conversation has pauses ("um," "yeah")—don’t rush these. They make your speech sound more authentic.
This shadowing technique will help you sound more natural in everyday conversations, whether you’re talking about music or your own feelings.
By engaging with this interview, you’ll not only learn new phrases but also master the art of speaking with confidence—even when discussing "the low and shameful parts" of life, just like Olivia!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been living · they've been responding |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have had · I've loved · you've talked |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is announced · be affected |
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.