Shadowing Practice: Why Some People Get Lucky (And You Don't) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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I think luck is what happens when preparation meets a moment that you almost missed.
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So you might say that you just got lucky
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because you were at the grocery store
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and you just met this old friend of yours
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and it turned out that they are looking to hire someone at the company they're working at
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and you may be the perfect candidate and you are deep into looking for a new job.
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So you might say, wow, I got so lucky that I just randomly met this old friend of mine elements.
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You were in a room where luck was given the chance to even find you.
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We need to be in enough rooms and places where luck even has a chance of finding us.
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Basically, luck is being in the room and being ready.
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Ready how?
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Ready in that instead of avoiding this person, pretending like you didn't see them, you actually struck up the conversation.
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Ready as in instead of being in a rush and being like "Hi, nice to meet you, bye", you actually stood there, you gave them your time and you were engaged.
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Maybe you were the one initiating the question, being like "Hey, so where do you work nowadays?" You were being Now,
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often times, all it takes is a very small moment.
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I call it one minute of bravery.
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Life changes from those short bursts of courage.
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It's not about having a fearless, super confident personality.
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All you need is that little moment where you act anyway, even when You're not feeling like it,
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even when it's scary, you do it anyway.
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You never know where the opportunity that could change something for you,
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maybe on a very Big scale.
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It is sneaky.
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It is not obvious.
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Opportunities do not scream in our faces.
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They are subtle.
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They are like dust or a light feather, or like an ant.
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You never know where it is, you can't really always detect it.
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Sometimes you can, but it's not usually loud, right?
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And therefore, we often miss opportunities because We don't really think that it's going to lurk in our everyday.
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Missing opportunities, is usually a pattern and not just bad luck.
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It's a pattern of saying no, it's a pattern of being closed off when other people talk to you, if that's at work or an event or when you're traveling.
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It's a pattern of canceling.
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It's a pattern of all of those things that make luck kind of impossible
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to reach you even if luck is lingering right there and you're just like No, luck is not gonna fight to find you.
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Luck is gonna just linger and be like, Let's see if.. she or he finds me.
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I'm here.
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But I'm not gonna chase you.
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Everyone wants a piece of the luck.
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every single person Luck is not gonna chase you.
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So maybe there is a, I don't know, a bar or a cafe that you frequent.
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And you always have the same routine.
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You go in, you don't look at anyone, you grab your coffee, you run out.
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Maybe there's someone there that you know, that you can have a little conversation with.
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Maybe there is someone who is giving you a little bit of a look, they fancy you, and you miss it because you're not looking, you're just like, In, out,
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leave, home, closed off to the world.
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Maybe you want to post your art, your voice, your writing, your content, but it's not It's nowhere.
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It's nowhere.
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Luck is not seeing you, because everything you create stays on your computer and your phone.
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Where is it?
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Thank you. Can...
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Hello?
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Where is the art?
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Oh, it's still on your phone.
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How is anyone supposed to take part of it?
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Not that there is a guarantee that you'll create a huge community simply by sharing something, but if you don't share it's zero opportunity.
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And whatever comes after zero is better than zero.
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You need to see yourself as someone who takes chances, acts quickly and doesn't wait.
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for perfect timing.
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And now to what you can ask yourself.
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Brace yourself.
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This is going to change your life. Are you...
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Unlucky?
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Or are you just hesitating?
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at the exact moment your life is trying to change.
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Let's just sit with that one.
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Are you unlucky?
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Or are you just hesitating?
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at the exact moment your life is trying. to change.
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Amen.
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Only you can answer that.
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I don't know what my answer is.
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I think it is to your benefit to understand that your life is probably not going to change from a big
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perfect plan.
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It's going to change from the small moments that you almost talk yourself out of.
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Context & Background
The video "Why Some People Get Lucky (And You Don't)" explores the concept of luck and how it relates to being proactive in seizing opportunities. The speaker emphasizes that luck does not come from chance alone but rather from being prepared and engaged in our everyday lives. By advocating for small moments of bravery, the speaker illustrates how these opportunities can lead to significant changes. This idea serves as a motivational message to help viewers recognize the subtle signs of luck that may be hiding in their daily interactions and choices.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "I think luck is what happens when preparation meets a moment that you almost missed." - This phrase emphasizes the relationship between preparation and opportunity.
- "You were in a room where luck was given the chance to find you." - Focus on your environment and interactions to increase your chances of encountering lucky moments.
- "All it takes is a very small moment. I call it one minute of bravery." - Embrace moments of courage to act when opportunities arise.
- "Opportunities do not scream in our faces. They are subtle." - Recognize that opportunities can be discreet and easily overlooked.
- "Luck is not gonna chase you." - Highlight the proactive nature needed to attract luck into your life.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To improve your English speaking practice through the concept of shadowspeak, follow these steps focused on shadowing the video’s content:
- Watch the video with subtitles: Start by watching the entire video while reading the subtitles. This will help you understand both the intonation and context. Pay attention to how phrases are pronounced.
- Listen and repeat: Choose short segments of the audio, ideally no longer than 30 seconds. Play the section, pause, and then repeat what you heard. Focus on your pronunciation and rhythm to improve English pronunciation.
- Record yourself: Use your phone or computer to record your voice while you imitate the speaker. Compare your recording with the original audio to identify areas for improvement.
- Practice with a partner: If possible, practice these phrases with a language partner. Engage in a dialogue using the vocabulary from the video, making it a more dynamic and interactive experience.
- Reflect on your progress: After several practice sessions, reflect on how your confidence and fluency have improved. Consider if you’ve had moments of bravery that have led to new opportunities, just like the speaker discussed.
This step-by-step guide will help you develop your speaking skills through engaging with the video's content. The consistent practice will enhance your ability to recognize and seize opportunities, not just in language learning but in life as well.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was given · were engaged · being closed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who is · someone who takes |
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.