Shadowing Practice: You Have Time: 12 Ways to Educate Yourself Daily - Learn English Speaking with Video

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If you're anything like me from a couple of months ago, you think you don't have time to learn.

You have a full -time job, family commitments, a social life,

hobbies, all the stuff that sucks up your energy and leaves no time to learn the things you want to learn.

At least, that's what I used to tell myself.

But then a few months ago, I decided to make learning a priority despite my time constraints

and I can now confidently say that my excuse of having no time to learn was complete bullshit.

I've discovered so many ways to squeeze learning into the nooks

and crannies of even the busiest days which is what I want to share in this video.

So with that being said, here's 12 simple learning habits you can include in your daily schedule to help you learn consistently.

You don't have to integrate all of these habits.

That would be a bit insane.

Just try out a few to see what works best for you and then integrate those into your daily routine.

Okay, so the first way is a fantastic challenge

if you want to become more creative

and stimulate your brain in all the right ways in about 30 minutes or less per day.

And that is the Bradbury Trio Challenge.

So Ray Bradbury, the famous novelist of Fahrenheit 451,

gave his listeners in a lecture too for the next 1 ,000 nights to read one short story, one poem, and one essay.

He specifically recommended this challenge to aspiring writers, but I think it's a great option for anyone who wants to develop literary

and intellectual range at a consistent pace over time.

The idea behind the challenge is that after 1000 days, you'll have stuffed your head full of ideas and metaphors and new ways of thinking,

which Bradbury says will seep into your writing.

But of course, if you're not a writer, it will just make for some very interesting conversations you can explore with other people.

I'll link his lecture in the description since he gives a bunch of poem

and short story options that can help you get started with this challenge.

The second habit is one I only recently started doing and probably won't ever stop.

And that is reading a novel every night before bed.

Reading novels is a fantastic choice, especially late at night, because you don't have to use a ton of brainpower.

You can just let your imagination do most of the work. And

while it might not feel like you're consciously learning manual reading fiction these books educate you in tons of ways

that you won't even consciously notice they will increase your empathy by forcing you to think

and relate to the characters

and consider how they feel they will expand your vocabulary by introducing you to new words

and they will increase your knowledge by exposing you to new ideas

when it comes to reading fiction there's technically no right type of book to choose.

All of them will expand your imagination and teach you new things in some sort of way.

But with this being said, I definitely still recommend broadening out and choosing different types of genres to read to expand your horizons.

Now, the third habit is one I've actually been doing for several years now, which is reading a nonfiction book every morning.

So I always set aside roughly 30 minutes to read while I drink my coffee in the morning, which I feel is pretty doable for most people.

30 minutes allows me to read 20 -ish pages every morning, which translates into finishing a book about every two weeks, which is 24 books per year.

As a comparison, the average American reads 12 books per year, so doubling that number is definitely a feat.

Now, for most of the time I've been reading nonfiction, I've primarily stuck to self -help books because I enjoy them,

but I've recently started picking up different types of books like science -y books or books covering social issues.

I recently finished reading Jesus and John Wayne and Invisible Woman, and they were both highly enjoyable,

highly informative, and highly infuriating.

What you read though is ultimately up to you what you enjoy and what your learning goals are.

Next up, we have watching TED Talks during your breaks, like a snack break or a lunch break during your workday.

I really like TED Talks, especially when it comes to learning about social issues.

For example, some of their most recent videos on their YouTube channel covers social media usage, free speech, and climate action.

Just a couple of days ago, I watched a TED Talk from Adichie on the dangers of a single story

that touched on stereotypes and the danger of viewing specific people

or cultures in a specific light that's painted by the media or other people.

It was a really interesting watch and definitely made me question my own biases.

So I recommend giving it a watch.

I'll link it in the description if you'd like to check it out.

The next learning habit is super important for staying informed on what's happening in your country and around the world.

And that is reading one news article from a trusted source as well as an opinion article every morning or every night.

Whatever you enjoy more.

Ground news is a really great option for staying informed

while also revealing blind spots in the media and making media bias explicit.

I'm not sponsored by them.

I just think they are a great resource and I personally use them to consume news.

In addition to one news story, though, reading an opinion article is a great supplement where a person gives their opinion on something in a concise and persuasive manner.

These pieces are designed to make you think and weigh different perspectives

so you can come away with a broader grasp of the issue at hand and a more informed opinion.

As to where to find them, you can find pieces on the New York Times, Politico, or even websites like Substack or Medium.

For the sixth habit, we have a site that can help you improve your vocabulary while also helping feed people.

So instead of scrolling on TikTok when you're bored, you can use the website freerice .com, where for every correct answer,

10 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program, which is pretty freaking cool.

For habit number seven, we have listening to audiobooks as you commute to and from your work.

So you can use an app like Audible, or you can go to your library, get a free library card,

and then download the Libby app to borrow audiobooks for free.

I personally can't pay attention to audiobooks for shit, but if you can,

it is a great option to blow through fiction or nonfiction books

that you don't necessarily care to take tons of notes on.

If you have to commute, you might as well swap out music for audiobooks

so you can learn as you do something you have to do pretty much every single day anyway.

Next up is a habit that is both great for your health and your brain.

And that is listening to lectures that don't require a ton of visual attention during walks.

There are tons and tons of health benefits of walking every day, which makes it a great thing to do on its own.

But putting on a lecture can make your walk much more enjoyable

and also help you learn you can find lectures

or audio files on gale or mit open courseware

or even just on youtube rabbit number seven we have listening to podcasts

while doing chores i love podcasts especially history podcasts

so whenever i have to do chores whether that's laundry

or dishes or cooking or even showering

or working out i usually put one on my go -to podcasts are dark history

and how to take over the world i just finished an episode on thomas jefferson

which was really good i recommend it link in the description um

but anyway these podcasts make my chores

which i have to do much more entertaining and much more enjoyable

and i get to learn as i do them okay

so the next way to educate yourself is simple after a long day instead of doing what most people do

and just sitting on couch and throwing on a tv show

or a movie put on a documentary instead i like documentaries a lot

because many of them have insanely high production values

which makes for a really great watch that entertains you through high quality storytelling

and visuals you can find documentaries on youtube or on netflix

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or on curiosity stream which has thousands of different options all right

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so every single one of us at one point

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or multiple points during the day has to go on the

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toilet for an extended period of time now many of us use this time to scroll on tiktok

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or scroll on reddit which i do way too often

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which is entertaining but also a complete waste of time toilet time is quiet time

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which makes it a great opportunity to learn i highly recommend

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whenever you gotta do the do to put on a crash course video

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and make your way through one of their many series on business, chemistry, ecology, economics, history, and so much more.

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These are videos

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that will give you a basic understanding of the big ideas in a major field of study while also being highly entertaining.

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So if you had a goldfish attention span, they'll be perfect for you.

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Each series is around 30 to 40 videos long with each video being around roughly 10 minutes long so

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That means if you go to the bathroom twice per day, you could finish a series in under a month, which is pretty good time.

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Anyway, the last learning habit I kept for last because this one will be the most time consuming and hard to do,

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but will have the most payoff.

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And that is taking online courses before and after work.

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This is the best option for gaining depth and true understanding in any subject that you want to learn.

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It requires more time investment and active review to actually remember what you're learning.

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Now, I say before and after work simply because breaking up your study sessions makes it more manageable.

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And so you can separate acquiring new information with reviewing old information.

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So you could acquire new information in the morning and then review that information later in the evening or vice versa.

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You can use Yale or MIT OpenCourseWare to find courses to follow that will have free recordings or exams, which is what I'm currently using.

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Or you can find courses on websites like Udemy or Coursera, which would also include stuff like quizzes or assignments.

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No matter what you want to learn, there's most likely affordable online material that you can just find by searching for it on Google.

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And with these 12 ideas, you can make educating yourself a daily part of your routine.

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And yes, all of these habits still require intentional effort, but nothing worth having comes without it.

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And the most important thing I want you to take away from this is if you want to learn,

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then you have to actually prioritize learning like I did.

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Because what you prioritize is what you actually make time for.

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And if you want to dive deeper into learning anything you want, but in a structured way,

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then reading maps are a really great option to help you learn.

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And you can go watch this video I created on how to create your own personalized reading map here.

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Thanks so much for watching this video.

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Don't forget to like and subscribe.

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I will see you in the next video.

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Bye bye.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “You Have Time: 12 Ways to Educate Yourself Daily”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: learn, learning, reading, habit. This video has 136 sentences and 1996 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:02. The speaker talks at a natural 166 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% 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
lecture noun	/ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/	A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group.
podcast noun	/ˈpɑdˌkæst/	A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on…
audiobook noun	/ˈɔdi.oʊbʊk/	A recording, usually made available for sale, of a reading of the full text or of an abridgement of a book.
entertain verb	/ˌɛntəˈteɪn/	To amuse (someone); to engage the attention of agreeably.
chore noun	/t͡ʃoɹ/	A task, especially a regularly needed task for the upkeep of a home or similar, such as cleaning or preparing meals.
nonfiction noun		Written works intended to give facts, or true accounts of real things and events. Often used attributively.
scroll noun	/skɹoʊl/	A roll of paper or parchment; a writing formed into a roll.
enjoyable adjective	/ɛnˈd͡ʒɔɪ.ə.bl̩/	Pleasant, capable of giving pleasure.
educate verb	/ˈɛd͡ʒ.əˌkeɪt/	To instruct or train.
inform verb	/ɪnˈfɔɹm/	To communicate knowledge to.
prioritize verb	/pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/	To value, do, or choose something first, or before other things.
consciously adverb		In a conscious manner; knowingly, volitionally.
commute verb	/kəˈmjuːt/	To exchange substantially; to abate but not abolish completely, a penalty, obligation, or payment in return for a great, single thing or an aggregate; to cash…
integrate verb	/ˈɪn.tɪ.ɡɹeɪt/	To include as a constituent part or functionality.
vocabulary noun	/vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/	A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
blow through verb		To expend or waste rapidly.
break up verb		To break or separate into pieces.
pick up verb		To lift; to grasp and raise.
set aside verb	/sɛt.əˈsaɪd/	To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose.
take away from verb		To subtract a quality from; make something seem not so good or interesting.
take over verb		To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force.
try out verb		To test (something) to see how it works or whether it is suitable.
work out verb	/ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/	To calculate.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

At least, that's what I used to tell myself.
You don't have to integrate all of these habits.
I'm not sponsored by them.

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 actually been doing · I've been reading
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if you're not a writer, it will just
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	days which is · anyone who wants · now, which is
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	being said · are designed · are donated

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 27 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I've, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: goldfish /ˈɡoʊldfɪʃ/, intentional /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/, genre /ˈ(d)ʒɑnɹə/
Long words — get the stress right: audiobook /ˈɔdi.oʊbʊk/, prioritize /pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/, manageable /ˈmænəd͡ʒəb(ə)l/

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 lecture, podcast, audiobook.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: You Have Time: 12 Ways to Educate Yourself Daily - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?