Shadowing Practice: Your self doubt is lying to you | Mel Robbins #Shorts - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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What drives self-doubt?
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What drives self-doubt?
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I want to share with you one particular study, which I have never forgotten from the moment that I came across it.
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It's from the late 70s, early 80s.
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So a psychology professor by the name of Robert Kleck at Dartmouth, he conducted this fascinating experiment, which really reveals how self-doubt works and where it comes from.
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He brought people together, and with one group, he drew a scar on their face, on the right side of their face between their ear and their mouth.
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this really noticeable visible disfigurement he let them see themselves in a mirror so they can go okay I have this scar on my face
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and then he sent everyone out into conversations with strangers now after the conversations he then asked everybody how did you feel the
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conversation went the group without the scar felt like it was a fine conversation yeah the group with the scar reported feeling judged they felt like it was tense their conversation partner was cold and they felt like they were treated differently because of that scar.
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Now, that in itself would have been a really interesting experiment on prejudice and discrimination.
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Or perception of.
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Or perception of, exactly.
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And that's where we get to the interesting piece.
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Because if I pause right now and I take you back, right before these people were sent into these conversations, so they've just seen themselves in the mirror.
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Right.
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Right before they're sent into it the researcher said okay i'm going to apply some moisturizing cream to the scar to set it so
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it doesn't crack what was done though was the scar was removed entirely whoa there was no scar these people went into these
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conversations believing they had a scar and they didn't they didn't and that led them to have an expectation about how people would treat them, which then led them to pay attention to things that objectively did not exist.
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It changed how they showed up.
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They created the reality they expected.
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And this is called expectation bias.
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We don't see the world as it is.
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We see the world as we expect it to be.
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Now, when we think about what that means for us, when you're thinking about this from your own perspective, anyone who is watching or listening, what kind of scars are you carrying?
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into every single conversation, every interaction, every meeting, every interview, every conversation with your loved one?
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How is that affecting how you not only show up, but what you're interpreting and noticing that may not even be there?
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Because until we're aware of these scars, we don't realize just how much they're creating the world that we're living in.
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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will dive into the concept of self-doubt and how it can influence our interactions with others. Through the exploration of an enlightening study by psychologist Robert Kleck, students will learn how expectations shape perceptions and the significance of self-awareness in communication. By the end of this lesson, you will be equipped to examine your own "scars"—the beliefs and expectations you bring into conversations—and understand how they affect your interactions. This knowledge will empower you to communicate more effectively and with greater confidence.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Self-doubt: A lack of confidence in oneself and one's abilities.
  • Expectation bias: The influence of preconceived notions on our perception of reality.
  • Perception: The way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.
  • Disfigurement: A physical alteration that affects appearance.
  • Scar: A mark left on the skin from healed wounds; metaphorically represents emotional or psychological impacts.
  • Interaction: Reciprocal communication or involvement between people.
  • Judged: Forming an opinion or conclusion about someone, often negatively.

Practice Tips

To enhance your speaking skills and improve English pronunciation, use the shadowing technique while watching videos like this one. Here are some practical tips to apply:

  • Listen carefully: Pay close attention to the tone and pace of the speaker. Note the emotional weight behind the words to grasp the underlying messages.
  • Repeat immediately: As you watch, pause the video after each sentence and repeat what you hear. Aim to mimic not just the words but also the intonation and rhythm of the speaker.
  • Slow it down: If the pace is too quick, use playback settings to slow down the video. This will help you focus on tricky phrases and shadowspeak them accurately.
  • Record yourself: After shadowing, record your own voice and compare it to the original. Pay attention to subtle differences in pronunciation and expression.
  • Engage actively: Reflect on how the concepts from this video about self-doubt might resonate with your own communication experiences. Consider how altering your expectations could change your interactions.

Utilize this shadowing site to access more materials and regularly practice your English speaking skills. By incorporating videos like this one into your routine, you can effectively learn English with YouTube and achieve greater fluency!

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.

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