Shadowing Practice: You WANT to DISAPPEAR, but Not Die - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

54 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
let's be honest we love canceling plans that sweet rush
2
when someone says can we reschedule and you were secretly hoping they would pure dopamine
3
but what if i told you that feeling could turn into an addiction
4
and not just haha i'm an introvert
5
but i mean like your brain actually rewiring itself to need isolation even when you want to connect.
6
Sounds dramatic.
7
Stick with me.
8
It starts harmless.
9
One night in instead of going out.
10
Then a weekend.
11
Then a month.
12
Then you tell yourself, I just need to recharge.
13
And you do feel better because avoiding social stress gives your brain that instant relief hit.
14
But there's a catch.
15
Relief releases dopamine, the same chemical your brain links to rewards.
16
Over time, your brain starts thinking, people equals stress.
17
Alone time equals safety.
18
Answer yes or no. 1.
19
You dodge calls or texts, even from people you like.
20
2. You've told friends, I'm just busy, when the truth is you didn't want to leave your room.
21
3. The idea of meeting someone new feels more exhausting than exciting.
22
4. You feel oddly proud of not needing anyone.
23
If you said yes to three or more, your brain might be hooked on alone time.
24
According to the University of Chicago, chronic loneliness can be as bad for your mental health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
25
Japan has over 1 million hikikomori people who withdrew from months or even years.
26
And post -pandemic, surveys show 61 % of young adults in the U .S report feeling serious loneliness.
27
Here's the weird part.
28
Some people like it that way.
29
They get so used to their own bubble that the outside world feels too loud, too bright, Too much.
30
If you've seen
31
Welcome to the NHK, you know the vibe.
32
That endless loop of I'll go out tomorrow.
33
Until tomorrow never comes.
34
Avoid.
35
Relief.
36
Repeat.
37
It's the same loop behind any habit.
38
And the longer you stay in it, the scarier, normal life feels.
39
Not because you're broken, but because you've adapted to a smaller, safer world.
40
Here's the good news.
41
Your social self is still in there.
42
It's just sleepy.
43
The trick isn't to throw yourself into a giant party.
44
It's to start with micro -interactions.
45
Say hi to the barista.
46
Ask a neighbor about their day.
47
Sit in a park around strangers.
48
You don't even have to talk.
49
In Japan, re -entry programs for hikikomori start with halfway spaces,
50
quiet cafes, hobby groups, or shared workrooms where just being their counts.
51
Alone time isn't bad, sometimes it's the most healing thing you can give yourself.
52
But when it starts feeling safer than any connection, that's when it can quietly turn into a comfort cage.
53
So I'll ask you this, is this really an addiction or just society pushing too hard for constant socializing?
54
What do you think?

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Scan QR
Scan QR
Download on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play

Same Channel

6 Psychological Things That make You Less AttractiveB1
2

6 Psychological Things That make You Less Attractive

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Traumatic Intelligence, the "Rarest Type" DiscourseC1
1

Traumatic Intelligence, the "Rarest Type" Discourse

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
6 Signs You’re Bottling Up Your EmotionsB2
1

6 Signs You’re Bottling Up Your Emotions

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
How To Practice Self LoveB1
1

How To Practice Self Love

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Signs You Have Smiling DepressionB2
5

Signs You Have Smiling Depression

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
7 Signs You Have Abandonment IssuesB2
3

7 Signs You Have Abandonment Issues

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
My Experience With Depression & How I Overcome ItC1
3

My Experience With Depression & How I Overcome It

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
9 Habits That Are Destroying Your ConfidenceB2
1

9 Habits That Are Destroying Your Confidence

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
7 Signs You Might Be Less Intelligent Than You ThinkB2
3

7 Signs You Might Be Less Intelligent Than You Think

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
The Psychology of Healing from Betrayal and ScamsB2
8

The Psychology of Healing from Betrayal and Scams

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
When an Anxious Attachment Dates an AvoidantB2
1

When an Anxious Attachment Dates an Avoidant

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
7 Things That Can Tell You A Lot About A PersonB2

7 Things That Can Tell You A Lot About A Person

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
If You’re Feeling Behind in Life Because of Your Mental Health, Watch ThisB2
2

If You’re Feeling Behind in Life Because of Your Mental Health, Watch This

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
5 Levels of FriendshipsB2
2

5 Levels of Friendships

TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
This Video Found You For A ReasonB2
3

This Video Found You For A Reason

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Guided Meditation for Overthinking & Overwhelm (Relax Fast) Part 2/10 of Our Guided MeditationB2
19

Guided Meditation for Overthinking & Overwhelm (Relax Fast) Part 2/10 of Our Guided Meditation

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Why are you single? Do you know the reasons?B1
1

Why are you single? Do you know the reasons?

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
Why Does Heartbreak Hurt So Much?B2
2

Why Does Heartbreak Hurt So Much?

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Do you Feel Lonely Tonight? We Are Here To HelpB2
4

Do you Feel Lonely Tonight? We Are Here To Help

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
How Bad Is Your Attention Span? (self test) [CC]C1
2

How Bad Is Your Attention Span? (self test) [CC]

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
FOR YOU

Recommend Video

The Addiction Nobody Realizes They Have - Alone TimeB2
46 sentences

The Addiction Nobody Realizes They Have - Alone Time

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
What If Social Media Disappeared by TomorrowB2
2
368 sentences

What If Social Media Disappeared by Tomorrow

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Every Romantic Orientation Explained in 10 Minutes [ Vol.2 ]B2
1
146 sentences

Every Romantic Orientation Explained in 10 Minutes [ Vol.2 ]

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
11 Reasons Why You Don’t Like Being Around PeopleB2
90 sentences

11 Reasons Why You Don’t Like Being Around People

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
The Weekend Trap Keeping You Average (This Is How the Years Disappear)B2
1
114 sentences

The Weekend Trap Keeping You Average (This Is How the Years Disappear)

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Disappear For 90 Days | Learn English Through Story | Speak English Fluently ✅B2
6
1038 sentences

Disappear For 90 Days | Learn English Through Story | Speak English Fluently ✅

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Social Media and Your Mental HealthB2
1,467
20 sentences

Social Media and Your Mental Health

TeensDaily ConversationUniversity Students
What Loneliness Does To Your Brain And Body | Business Insider Explains | Insider NewsB2
7
51 sentences

What Loneliness Does To Your Brain And Body | Business Insider Explains | Insider News

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
I Stopped Doom Scrolling and This Happened...B2
1
148 sentences

I Stopped Doom Scrolling and This Happened...

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
To the guy who wants to know why he's lonely and sadB2
1
38 sentences

To the guy who wants to know why he's lonely and sad

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
What years of extreme isolation have done to meB2
2
226 sentences

What years of extreme isolation have done to me

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Pointless Ancient Instincts YOU Still Fight DailyB2
4
245 sentences

Pointless Ancient Instincts YOU Still Fight Daily

Daily ConversationWorking Adults

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “You WANT to DISAPPEAR, but Not Die”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: brain, relief, feeling, alone. This video has 54 sentences and 472 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:54. The speaker talks at a natural 163 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

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
loop noun/luːp/A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening.
addiction noun/əˈdɪkˌʃən/A state that is characterized by compulsive drug use or compulsive engagement in rewarding behavior, despite negative consequences.
distress noun/dɪˈstɹɛs/Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
loneliness noun/ˈloʊnlinəs/A feeling of depression resulting from being alone or from having no companions.
rush verb/ɹʌʃ/To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully.
trick noun/ˈtɹɪk/Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle.
comfort noun/ˈkʌm.fət/Contentment, ease.
dramatic adjective/dɹəˈmætɪk/Of or relating to the drama.
connect verb/kəˈnɛkt/To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
hook noun/hʊk/A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.
scary adjective/ˈskɛə.ɹi/Causing fear or anxiety
instant noun/ˈɪnstənt/A very short period of time; a moment.
reward noun/ɹɪˈwɔɹd/Something of value given in return for an act.
interaction noun/ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/The situation or occurrence in which two or more things act upon one another to produce an effect; the effect resulting from such a situation or occurrence.
stranger noun/ˈstɹeɪnd͡ʒɚ/A person whom one does not know; a person who is neither a friend nor an acquaintance.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordMeaning
go out verbTo leave, especially a building.

Sentences worth repeating

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

  • That endless loop of I'll go out tomorrow.
  • You don't even have to talk.
  • What do you think?

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as you've, I'll, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

  • The “sh” and “zh” sounds: addiction /əˈdɪkˌʃən/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/, isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/, socialize /ˈsoʊʃəlaɪz/
  • Long words — get the stress right: interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/, isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/, hikikomori /ˌhɪkikoʊˈmɔɹi/, introverted /ˈɪn.tɹəˌvɜːɹ.təd/

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like loop, addiction, distress.

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 →