Shadowing Practice: Why You Can't Speak About Complex Topics in English (Yet) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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In about 30 seconds, I'm going to ask you to explain three ideas, live, right here, out loud.
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Not define them, explain them.
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And if you're anything like most of my B1 and B2 students, at least one of them is going to make you freeze completely.
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But before we get to that, quick things first.
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If your goal is a Cambridge certificate, if you want to take the Cambridge B2 first exam or C1 advanced exam,
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I'm opening two new group coaching groups.
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live weekly classes built specifically to get you from where you are now to actually sitting the exam and passing it.
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Spots are limited and enrollment happens through the wait list, not an open checkout.
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So, if you're interested in joining the group, link in the description and join whichever level applies to you.
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Alright, I'm gonna give you three ideas now.
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Not textbook PhD level academic stuff, don't worry.
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These are ideas that any well-read, curious person runs into all the time, through podcasts, through articles, through everyday conversation.
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But they are a step above the common topics you usually encounter, the mundane.
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So for each one, I want you to actually stop and out loud try to explain it.
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Not the dictionary definition, explain it like you're teaching it to someone.
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Number one, confirmation bias.
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Go, explain what it is and how it actually shows up in someone's day to day life.
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Number 2.
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Psychological safety.
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This one is about the workplace.
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Go.
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Explain what it means and what it looks like when a team has psychological safety versus when a team doesn't.
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3. Number 3.
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And this one is personal.
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Imposter syndrome.
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Go!
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Explain what it is and why it happens even to people who are clearly good at what they do.
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Now, be honest with yourself for a second.
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What just happened?
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Because in my experience, and look, I've been teaching intermediate students B1 to B2 for years now,
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there are only two things that usually happen at this exact moment.
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Some of you may have started explaining and then just stopped in the middle of a sentence.
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Not because you don't understand the idea, you probably do, but because you got two or three words in
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and realized you didn't have enough language to keep going with your explanation.
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That's the freeze.
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Now some of you may have done the opposite.
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You kept talking, but the explanation got smaller and smaller.
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Maybe something like confirmation bias is when you only believe things you already think are true and then you stop.
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This isn't wrong, but it's not an explanation either.
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It's a shadow of an explanation.
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This is what I call oversimplification.
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And here's what's actually interesting about this.
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If I ask you, what did you do last weekend? Or, how's your family?
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Or, what are your plans for next vacation?
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You're fine, aren't you?
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Totally comfortable, totally fluent sounding.
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You've had that conversation a hundred times, in your own language and in English.
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But the second the topic shifts even slightly toward the abstract, and I want to be clear,
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confirmation bias and imposter syndrome are not obscure ideas.
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There are things you've probably heard mentioned in a podcast this month even.
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But when you encounter topics like that to discuss, your fluency disappears.
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So why does this happen?
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It's not really about grammar and it's not really about vocabulary.
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Not at the root.
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It's that most learners at this intermediate level have simply never practiced thinking about these topics at all, in any language.
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You're comfortable talking about your weekend because you think about your weekend all the time.
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You're not comfortable explaining confirmation bias because outside of maybe hearing the term once,
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you've never had to construct that explanation from zero, from scratch.
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Not in Portuguese, not in Spanish, not in English.
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And this is where I think a lot of English content out there gets the diagnosis wrong.
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It tells you, go learn more words, go learn more grammar structures.
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But that's just treating the symptom.
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If you've never generated your own explanation of an idea like this,
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even in your life, then no amount of vocabulary is gonna save you in
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that moment because the problem here is not the words.
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It's that there's no thought there yet to put words around.
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So the real fix has two parts.
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One is a permanent mindset shift in how you consume information and the other is a specific
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practical process for turning what you consume into something you can actually say and talk about.
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Let's start with the mindset.
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Here's the first shift and it's less about studying and more about how you already spend your free time.
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I call this going one layer deeper and it's a permanent habit, not something you do for a few weeks and stop.
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Here's what I mean.
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I ask a student, Hey, did you like the movie?
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And they say, yeah, it was nice.
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And then I ask, okay, but why was it nice?
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And most people just stop there.
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It was good.
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It was boring.
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That's the first layer.
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And most people never leave it.
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Let me give you a real personal example.
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I love the show Breaking Bad.
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I've watched it six or seven times by now.
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Now, most people who watch that show will tell you, yeah, it's a great show, great acting.
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But that's first layer.
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If you go one layer deeper, there's so much more there that you can unpack.
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That show is really a character study.
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You watch a man go from passive to really dangerous,
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and one of the ideas the show is built around is this either-or extremism in Walt's personality.
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He's either way too passive when he shouldn't be, or way too aggressive when he shouldn't be.
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There's no middle with him.
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And that either-or pattern is exactly what keeps putting him in trouble over and over.
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Another layer here is the danger of ego.
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So much of Walt's worst decisions trace back to an ego he can't control.
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Do you know what I mean by going one layer deeper?
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I'm not giving you here an academic analysis of Breaking Bad.
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It's just a guy, a regular guy, watching a TV show and asking why one more time than most people bother to do.
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And here's the thing.
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This works on literally anything.
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A song you listen to, a book you read, a Netflix show, an argument you have with a friend.
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It doesn't have to be serious content.
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It just has to go one layer past the good or bad.
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Think of it like a muscle, like going to the gym.
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If you stop using it, it shrinks.
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So this isn't a phase to go through and graduate from.
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It's something you keep doing for the rest of your life, on everything you consume, even the fun,
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mindless stuff, because that mindless stuff is exactly where you get the most practice reps.
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Now, to be clear, I'm not telling you to analyze every single thing you watch forever and never just relax and enjoy.
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For example, if you had a hard day and you want to watch a dumb sitcom and turn your brain off, that's completely valid.
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That's actually healthy.
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The goal here is not extremism in either direction.
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It's a balance.
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You consume some content purely for fun and some content you push one layer deeper on.
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You really analyze it more carefully.
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That balance is where real growth happens.
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Alongside going deeper on what you already watch and listen to, there's a second more direct move.
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Actually upgrade the level of content you're consuming in the first place.
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So, read more books on psychology, on influence, on business and the workplace.
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Throw in an academic article here and there if you're curious what the actual research says about a topic.
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Read Harvard Business Review, read Forbes, listen to podcasts that go deep on a topic instead of just entertaining you.
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Watch TED Talks, watch real lectures.
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Not instead of the fun stuff, the sitcom, the dumb one-minute TikTok videos.
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That's all fine, in moderation.
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But if that's all you're consuming, you're never gonna encounter the raw material for a confirmation bias level conversation in the first place.
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You can't explain what you've never come across.
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Okay, so now you're consuming better content and you're pushing one layer deeper on everything, including the fun stuff.
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But here's the part almost nobody does and it's the part that actually changes your spoken English specifically.
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Step one is input.
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Let's say you read an article from Harvard Business Review, or you watch that TED Talk.
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You finish that episode of Breaking Bad and you go one layer deeper on it.
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You really think about it, you really analyze it.
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Fine, that's necessary, but it's not enough on its own.
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Step two, and this is the one people skip, is you have to explain that idea in your own words.
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And I mean that specifically because I see this constantly now, especially with how much AI is around.
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People parrot.
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They hear someone use the term confirmation bias a certain way, or they ask ChatGPT to explain it, and they just repeat that explanation back.
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Someone else's words, someone else's structure.
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That's not production.
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That's memorization wearing a fluency costume.
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So here's what real step two looks like.
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You watch a video on confirmation bias, for example.
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You close it and then you ask yourself, okay, what did I actually understand from this video?
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If I had to explain this to a colleague or a friend right now, how would I do it?
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Then you write a short paragraph in your own words.
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Or even better, you record yourself on your phone.
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two to three minutes on your phone explaining it like you are the one teaching it.
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Not reading a script but generating it live from your own head.
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And here's step three because self-explaining alone isn't quite the full loop.
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Once you've produced a written paragraph or a recorded monologue on a topic,
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you need feedback, specifically on the English you used to explain it.
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Was your English accurate, wasn't natural, where did it break down?
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This is where a good teacher is useful, a structured program, or an AI tool that gives you feedback instantly.
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This entire loop, input first, then self-explanation, then feedback on the English,
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that is literally the daily structure inside my app, the B2 Edge.
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Every day, you get a small piece of input, And then you are immediately pushed into production,
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writing something, recording a spoken monologue, doing a speaking role play with the AI coach.
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And the moment you're done, you get feedback.
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Not good job, but specifically where the English broke and what a stronger version would have sounded like.
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If you want that loop built for you instead of assembling it yourself every day with a notebook
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and a voice memo app, The link to the app is in the description.
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Do check it out.
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I think you're going to love it.
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Now, there is one more piece to this, and it's less about method and more about lifestyle.
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You should get into the habit of actually explaining things to the people around you all the time.
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Your spouse, a friend, a colleague, not just practicing alone into your phone.
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So let's say you read an interesting article at lunchtime.
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That night at dinner, you bring it up to your wife or husband.
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You say, hey, I read this really interesting article today about this, this and that.
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And honestly, my takeaway was this.
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What do you think about this?
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You see, now you've done two things at once.
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You've practiced explaining that idea out loud in a real conversation, and now you have invited an actual discussion back.
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The more you build this habit of explaining new ideas, things you come across to real people, from the simplest ones to the more complex ones,
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the more your brain develops the actual muscle for producing abstract, complex answers on demand.
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And that's really the whole game.
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It's not a trick you do once for a video.
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It's a habit you build for the rest of your life, the same way you keep going to the gym.
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And I can tell you this from my own life, honestly.
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When I became a teacher in my early 20s, I didn't fully realize it at the time.
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But teaching completely rebuilt my ability to communicate complex ideas.
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Every day, I had to find new ways to explain the same idea to different students, come up with new examples to illustrate a point that just wasn't landing.
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That forced, constant explaining to real people in real time
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did more for my own English than years of just consuming content ever did.
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If you get nothing else from this video, get that.
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The explaining is the training.
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Become an explainer of things.
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Okay, let's land this.
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You now know the difference between the freeze and the oversimplification.
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And you know neither one is really about vocabulary.
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It's about never having built the thought in the first place.
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You've got a permanent mindset shift.
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Remember, you have to go one layer deeper on everything you consume, even the fun stuff.
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Ask why more often.
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Consume better input, then do some self-explanation in your own words, then get feedback on the English you used to explain that idea.
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And you've got the daily habit that makes it stick.
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Remember the daily habit?
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Explain things to real people all the time, not just alone in a notebook.
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So here's your homework from this video.
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Go back to those three ideas from the beginning.
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Remember, confirmation bias, psychological safety at work, and imposter syndrome.
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Consume some content about them first.
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Maybe watch a video about them, listen to a podcast about them, and then follow these tips and ideas that I just gave you today.
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Go one layer deeper in your analysis, explain those ideas with your own words, and then explain them as well to somebody you know.
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It could be a friend, a colleague, a family member.
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You will see how building that muscle in practice feels like.
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If you do that, you're going to become better and better at talking about abstract topics in English.
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because remember, I've already touched on this many times here on the podcast.
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One of the key differences between intermediate learners and advanced learners of English is that
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advanced learners are way more comfortable dealing with, discussing, explaining more abstract, complex topics.
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And if you want to go deeper than a video can take you, if you want someone to actually sit with you,
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evaluate and assess exactly why your English breaks down and build a real plan to fix it.
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I also offer a fluency discovery call.
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This is a paid live one hour session with me one-on-one on Zoom.
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And I talk to you a little bit, I interview you, and then I tell you what your English is
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and what you should be focusing on next to keep improving.
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Thank you so much for your attention today.
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I'm Thiago.
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I'm signing off.
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Don't forget to join the wait list for my upcoming Cambridge preparation groups.
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If you are interested in working with me for a whole year and preparing for Cambridge B2 First or Cambridge C1 Advanced,
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join the wait list so I can send you the details by email.
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I am planning to open a new group now in September, so get on the list so you can receive the details.
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Also, check out my app, the B2 Edge.
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Great for self-study and also great for that loop that I gave you today, the input, production and feedback.
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So the app kind of automatizes that for you every single day.
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It's awesome.
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And if you need my own direct assessment on your English, just book a fluency discovery call one hour on Zoom,
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and then you'll have more clarity of where your English stands in the moment.
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All right.
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If you are interested in learning more, I highly recommend you watch this video here that is showing on spring.
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But for now, I'll talk to you very soon in another video.
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Thank you.
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Why Talking About Complex Ideas in English Feels Hard (And How to Fix It)
Ever tried explaining "confirmation bias" or "imposter syndrome" in English and froze? You’re not alone. The video breaks down a common struggle: intermediate learners (B1-B2) handle daily chats about weekends or family easily, but abstract topics leave them stuck. Why? It’s not lack of understanding—it’s language gaps for nuanced explanations. The good news? With the right practice, you can bridge those gaps and speak confidently about complex ideas.
3 Key Phrases to Level Up Your Explanations
- "Shows up in day-to-day life": Use this to connect abstract ideas to real life (e.g., "Confirmation bias shows up in day-to-day life when we ignore news that contradicts our beliefs").
- "Looks like when": Perfect for comparing scenarios (e.g., "Psychological safety looks like when team members share mistakes without fear").
- "Even to people who are clearly good at": Explain unexpected experiences (e.g., "Imposter syndrome happens even to people who are clearly good at their jobs").
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide to Master Complex Topics
Shadow speech (or "shadowspeaks") is your secret weapon. Here’s how to use it with this video:
- Watch and pause: After the speaker explains a concept, pause and repeat their words immediately. Focus on rhythm and intonation—this trains your mouth to form complex sentences.
- Break it down: Take 10-second clips of the explanation. Repeat until you can say it without stumbling. This builds muscle memory for tricky phrases like "a shadow of an explanation."
- Add your own twist: Once you’re comfortable, rephrase the speaker’s words using the key phrases above. For example, "Psychological safety looks like when teams trust each other" becomes "Psychological safety shows up in day-to-day life when teammates admit errors freely."
Practicing with videos like this (and even a shadowing app) helps you move beyond simple sentences. You’ll not only improve English pronunciation but also learn to express ideas with depth. Remember: every "freeze" is a sign you’re growing. Keep shadowing, and soon, complex topics will feel as easy as talking about your weekend.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to explain |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | You've had · you've probably heard · have simply never practiced |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is built · are immediately pushed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who are · people who watch |
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.