Transcript of B1 English Listening Practice | Speak Smart Learn Fast || Improve Your English Skills |
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0:00hello0:01everyone today I'm going to talk about0:04something0:05important how you can speak English0:09better than ever0:11before if you've ever felt stuck like no0:14matter how much you study speaking still0:17feels hard you're not alone so many0:21Learners feel the same way but here's0:24the good news you can improve and it0:27doesn't have to take years0:30in fact with the right techniques you0:33can start speaking better right0:37away chapter 1 the start of the0:42journey have you ever wondered what0:45separates fluent speakers from0:47beginners it's not that fluent speakers0:50know all the words or never make0:53mistakes in fact they make mistakes all0:57the0:58time the real difference is1:01confidence fluent speakers are confident1:04in their ability to communicate even1:07when they don't know every word or1:09grammar rule they don't freeze when they1:12forget a word they keep going and that's1:16what makes them sound1:19fluent imagine1:21this you're in a1:23conversation and the words just flow1:27you're not thinking about grammar you're1:29not hesitating you're just speaking1:33that's the goal but how do you get1:36there let me share something that might1:39surprise1:40you small changes in how you practice1:43can make a huge1:46difference you don't have to completely1:48change your study routine you don't need1:51to learn thousands of new words what you1:54need are a few simple techniques that1:57will help you speak with confidence2:00so what's the first step it's building2:05the foundation of fluency and that2:08starts with2:10confidence if you don't feel confident2:13it's hard to speak well but confidence2:16isn't something you're born with it's2:19something you build and I'm going to2:22show you how here's the truth anyone can2:26speak better than they did before no2:29matter matter their current2:31level if you've struggled with English2:34or if you've been afraid to speak this2:37podcast is for you we'll go step by step2:41breaking down the process into easy2:44techniques that you can start using2:47today and by the end you'll be speaking2:50English more confidently than ever2:53before but before we dive into the2:56techniques let's talk about why2:59confidence3:00matters so3:02much when you're confident you're not3:06afraid to make3:08mistakes you speak freely and even when3:12you mess up you learn from it every time3:16you practice speaking you're building3:19not just your language skills but also3:22your3:23confidence here's a quote that I love3:26from Winston3:28Churchill success is not final failure3:32is not fatal it is the courage to3:35continue that3:38counts this is especially true when it3:41comes to speaking English the more you3:44speak the more confident you become and3:47the more your fluency3:49improves now I know what you're3:52thinking but what if I don't feel3:54confident3:56yet don't worry that's totally normal4:01confidence comes from doing the more you4:04speak the better you'll get and the more4:07confident you'll feel let me give you a4:11small challenge to get started set a4:14goal to speak English every day even if4:17it's just for 5 minutes you can practice4:20with a friend family member or even by4:24yourself the key is to start speaking4:27even if it feels uncomfortable at at4:30first over the next chapters we're going4:34to break down exactly how you can build4:37confidence and improve your speaking4:40we'll cover listening techniques4:42shadowing repetition and even some fun4:46ways to4:47practice and remember it's not about4:51being perfect it's about making progress4:54but there's a technique that will really4:56help you take the first big step toward4:59FL uency it's something that most5:02Learners Overlook but it's the secret to5:05improving faster than you5:09think chapter 2 the Power of active5:14listening now that we've talked about5:16building confidence let's dive into the5:19first key technique that will truly help5:22you speak better active listening you5:26might think that speaking fluently is5:28all about talking but here's the truth5:32you can't speak well unless you listen5:36well listening is the foundation of5:40fluency think about this when you listen5:44you're not just hearing words you're5:46learning how sentences flow how native5:50speakers connect ideas and how certain5:53words are5:55pronounced when you master listening5:57you'll find that speaking becomes easier6:00and more6:02natural it's like filling your brain6:05with the right tools before you start6:08building but not just any listening will6:11do you need to practice active6:15listening this means really paying6:18attention to what you hear you don't6:21just let the words pass by you focus on6:25them break them down and absorb how6:28they're used6:30here's an6:31example when you're listening to a6:34podcast a story or even a conversation6:38pay attention to how the speaker is6:40structuring their6:42sentences are they using short phrases6:45or long6:47sentences how do they pronounce certain6:49words how do they express their6:54ideas active listening means noticing6:57these details and learning learning from7:01them one of the best ways to practice7:04active listening is through7:07shadowing shadowing is a technique where7:10you listen to a speaker and immediately7:13repeat what they say it's like being7:16their Shadow following their words as7:19closely as you7:21can this is a powerful way to improve7:24both your listening and speaking at the7:26same7:28time here's here's how you can practice7:31shadowing one choose a podcast or7:35story pick something that's not too long7:38or difficult you can find great stories7:41and podcasts for beginners on my YouTube7:45channel two listen carefully start by7:49listening to a short sentence or phrase7:53pay attention to the speaker's Rhythm7:56tone and7:57pronunciation three pause and repeat as8:02soon as the speaker finishes a sentence8:05pause the audio and repeat what they8:07said trying to match their speed and8:11intonation four keep8:15going repeat this process for a few8:18minutes each day you'll notice that your8:21pronunciation and fluency improve over8:25time shadowing helps you get used to8:28speaking without over thinking you're8:31not translating in your head you're8:34simply repeating what you hear and this8:37builds fluency8:39naturally but let me tell you something8:42important don't worry about being8:46perfect when you're shadowing you're8:49going to make8:50mistakes maybe you'll miss a word or8:53pronounce something wrong that's okay8:57the goal is not perfection9:00the goal is to get comfortable speaking9:03without9:04hesitation the more you Shadow the more9:07fluent you'll9:09become one of my students Sarah was9:12really shy about speaking English she9:15was afraid of making mistakes so she9:19rarely spoke at all I introduced her to9:22shadowing and it changed everything for9:25her she started practicing by repeating9:28senten from9:30podcasts At first she struggled but9:34after a few weeks she noticed that her9:36sentences flowed more easily shadowing9:40helped her build confidence and soon she9:42was speaking without9:44fear here's a great quote by Steven Arvy9:48that fits perfectly9:50here most people do not listen with the9:54intent to understand they listen with9:57the intent to reply10:00active listening teaches you to truly10:04understand and when you understand10:07speaking becomes10:09easier but here's where things get10:11interesting active listening and10:13shadowing are just the beginning there's10:17another technique that will help you10:19take your fluency even further and it's10:22all about10:24repetition in the next chapter I'll show10:28you how repeatingly what you hear can10:30make speaking English feel as natural as10:36breathing Chapter 3 The repetition10:40technique we've already discussed the10:43power of active listening and10:45shadowing now let's move to a technique10:49that may sound simple but is incredibly10:53effective10:55repetition you might wonder why is10:59repeating things so11:01important the answer is repetition is11:04how your brain learns to speak fluently11:07without11:08hesitation think of it like this when11:12you repeat words and phrases you're11:15training your brain to remember them11:18quickly the more you repeat the more11:21natural the words feel and eventually11:24you'll be able to say them without11:26thinking it's like when you learn to11:29write a bike or memorize a song you did11:32it over and over until it became second11:36nature speaking English is no different11:41here's something interesting fluency11:44isn't just about knowing a lot of words11:47it's about being able to use the words11:50you know quickly and11:53easily repetition helps you get to that11:56point where you don't have to stop and11:59think about grammar or12:02vocabulary you just12:05speak let me share a story about one of12:07my students Paul Paul knew a lot of12:11English words but he often hesitated12:14when speaking because he had to think12:16about what to say I introduced him to12:20the repetition technique every day Paul12:23would take five common phrases in12:26English and repeat each one five times12:30it seemed boring at first but after a12:33week Paul noticed something amazing he12:37could say those phrases easily and12:39without12:41hesitation repetition had worked its12:45magic so how can you use repetition to12:49improve your speaking let's break it12:53down one repeat common phrases start by12:58picking phrases you use often like how13:01are you or what's your name repeat these13:05phrases out loud multiple times this13:08helps your brain get used to saying them13:11quickly you can do this while walking13:14cooking or even in front of a mirror the13:18goal is to make these phrases feel13:21natural two use the mirror technique the13:26mirror technique is a great way to13:29practice13:30repetition stand in front of a mirror13:33and say the same sentence five times13:36watch your mouth move focus on your13:39pronunciation and get used to seeing13:42yourself speak English this technique13:45not only improves your fluency but also13:48builds confidence because it's like13:51practicing with someone13:53else three shadowing plus repetition13:59remember shadowing from chapter14:022 you can combine shadowing with14:06repetition for double the14:08impact when you Shadow a podcast or14:11story repeat the sentences as closely as14:15you can to the original14:17speaker then after you've shadowed a few14:21sentences repeat those sentences again14:23on your own this is where the power of14:27repetition really shines it turns what14:29you hear into what you can easily14:32say a quote by Aristotle explains this14:37perfectly we are what we repeatedly14:40do Excellence then is not an act but a14:46habit repeating phrases sentences and14:49words turn speaking English into a habit14:54and that habit is what leads to fluency14:59four record15:01yourself one more way to practice15:04repetition is by recording15:07yourself choose a short passage from a15:10podcast or a story you can find plenty15:13of Stories on my YouTube channel read it15:17aloud record yourself speaking then15:20listen to the recording and repeat the15:23sentences again this not only helps with15:26fluency but also lets you hear your own15:29progress over time you'll notice that15:32you sound more natural and15:35fluent five small steps big15:39progress you don't have to repeat long15:42paragraphs or difficult phrases start15:45small pick simple sentences like I'm15:49going to the store I like reading books15:52or can you help me and practice them15:55daily small consistent practice will15:58lead to Big improvements in your16:02fluency one thing to remember is that16:05repetition doesn't mean being16:08boring yes you're repeating the same16:11phrases but you can mix it up by using16:14different contexts for example practice16:19the same sentence in the morning then16:21again in the16:23evening but this time pretend you're in16:26a different situation maybe talking to a16:30friend or ordering food at a16:33restaurant there's another reason16:35repetition is so powerful it helps you16:39build16:41confidence the more you repeat something16:44the more comfortable you feel saying it16:47and when you're comfortable you speak16:51without16:52fear the hesitation disappears and your16:55words start to flow naturally17:00but here's the exciting part repetition17:03is just one piece of the puzzle in the17:07next chapter we'll talk about how to17:09make practice fun you'll learn how to17:13turn speaking English into something you17:15look forward to every day instead of17:19something that feels like hard17:22work chapter 4 making practice17:26fun speaking English doesn't have to17:29feel like a chore in fact the more fun17:34you have while practicing the faster17:37you'll17:38improve when learning is enjoyable you17:41naturally want to do it more17:44often this chapter is all about turning17:47your English practice into something you17:50look forward to every17:53day imagine this instead of forcing17:57yourself to sit down and study17:59you actually enjoy speaking18:03English it's not about studying grammar18:06rules or memorizing words it's about18:10having fun and feeling excited to use18:13what you've18:14learned but how do you make practice fun18:18let's explore a few techniques that will18:21turn your speaking practice into an18:24activity you18:27love one18:29role playing step into real18:34conversations one of the best ways to18:36make speaking English fun is through18:40roleplaying this is where you act out18:43different situations as if you're really18:45there you can pretend to be ordering18:49coffee at a cafe having a job interview18:53meeting new friends at a party by18:56roleplaying you're practicing real life18:59conversations in a low pressure19:02enjoyable way here's how you can start19:06one pick a situation think of a common19:10scenario where you might need to speak19:13English like asking for directions or19:15ordering19:17food two create a19:20dialogue write down a few sentences that19:23you might need to say in that19:26situation three Act act it out do this19:30alone or with a friend pretend you're in19:34the actual place and use the sentences19:37you've19:39prepared the great thing about19:41roleplaying is that it helps you get19:44comfortable with everyday phrases and19:47situations plus it feels more like19:51acting than studying so it's much more19:55enjoyable one of my students Anna used19:58to feel bored practicing English by20:02herself I introduced her to roleplaying20:06and suddenly her practice sessions20:08became more20:10exciting she would imagine herself20:13traveling ordering food and meeting new20:16people all while practicing English over20:20time her speaking skills improved and20:24she didn't even realize she was studying20:29two talk about what you20:32love another way to make practice fun is20:36by talking about your20:38passions think about something you love20:41whether it's a hobby a sport a favorite20:44movie or a book when you talk about20:47things that interest you the words come20:50more easily and you're more motivated to20:53keep20:54speaking for example if you love cooking20:58try talking about your favorite recipes21:00in21:01English describe how to make your21:04favorite dish or pretend you're teaching21:07someone how to21:08cook the key is to pick a topic that21:11excites you so you'll feel more engaged21:16while21:17practicing here's a great quote by21:20Albert21:21Einstein creativity is intelligence21:24having21:26fun when you practice speaking about21:28things you love you're using your21:32creativity and that makes the process21:34more enjoyable and21:38effective21:40three play speaking21:44games who said language learning can't21:47be a game there are lots of speaking21:49games you can play either by yourself or21:52with a21:53partner these games challenge you to21:56think and speak in English but in a fun21:59and light-hearted22:02way four practice with podcasts and22:08stories another way to keep practice fun22:11is by using podcasts and22:14stories listening to stories and22:17podcasts not only improves your22:19listening skills but it also gives you22:22great material to talk22:25about after listening try some22:28summarizing the story in your own words22:31or discuss it with a friend you can find22:34many great stories and podcasts on my22:37YouTube channel designed to help22:40Learners like you improve their22:43English choose a topic that interests22:46you listen to the story and then22:49practice speaking about it this way22:53you're learning from engaging content22:55while practicing your speaking skills23:01one of my students Tom struggled with23:04staying motivated to practice speaking23:08but once he started listening to23:10podcasts about his favorite topics like23:14technology and travel he found that23:16speaking about them came23:18naturally he would listen to an episode23:22then practice explaining it to himself23:24or others making his practice both23:27effective23:28and23:31enjoyable five change your23:36environment sometimes a change in your23:38environment can make practice more23:41exciting instead of sitting at a desk23:44try practicing in different places go23:48for a walk and describe what you see in23:52English sit in a cafe and pretend you're23:55having a conversation with the barista23:58the idea is to bring your practice into24:01the real world by changing where you24:04practice you keep things fresh and24:08interesting plus practicing in real life24:11environments helps you get comfortable24:14speaking English in everyday24:19situations six celebrate your24:23progress don't forget to celebrate your24:26wins no matter how small24:29did you speak in English for 5 minutes24:32without24:33stopping did you successfully rollplay a24:37conversation celebrate that recognizing24:41your progress is a great way to stay24:44motivated and keep24:47practicing a famous quote by BF Skinner24:50says a person who feels appreciated will24:54always do more than what is24:56expected this applies to yourself as24:59well the more you appreciate your own25:03progress the more motivated you'll be to25:05keep25:07improving now you might be thinking this25:11all sounds great but what if I hit a25:13wall what if I feel25:16stuck don't worry that's completely25:19normal in the next chapter we'll talk25:22about breaking through those speaking25:25blocks and how to keep moving forward25:28even when it feels25:32tough chapter five breaking through25:35speaking blocks so far you've learned25:39how to make English practice fun with25:41roleplaying speaking games and25:44podcasts but what happens when you feel25:48stuck when the words just don't come out25:51and you're afraid of making25:54mistakes these speaking blocks are25:57normal25:59and every learner experiences26:02them the key is to understand how to26:06break through26:08them let's start by recognizing one26:12thing making mistakes is part of the26:15learning26:17process one of the biggest reasons26:19people feel blocked is the fear of26:21saying something wrong but here's a26:25secret even native speakers make mist26:28mistakes what matters is that you keep26:33speaking the more you speak the more26:36confident you'll become and the easier26:39it will be to push through those26:41blocks one overcome the fear of26:46mistakes imagine you're having a26:48conversation and suddenly you forget a26:52word or say something26:54wrong what do you26:56do most people freeze up or stop27:00speaking entirely but here's what you27:02should do instead keep27:06talking don't worry about getting every27:09word right just focus on communicating27:12your27:13message Describe the word in another way27:18if you can't remember a word explain it27:20using different27:23words stay in the27:26conversation the important thing is to27:28keep27:29going let me tell you about one of my27:32students Daniel he was so worried about27:36making mistakes that he would27:39freeze whenever he tried to speak27:42English I told him that mistakes are not27:46failures they're opportunities to learn27:50we worked on building his confidence by27:54practicing simple27:56conversations and I encourage Ed him to27:58keep speaking even when he wasn't sure28:02of the right28:03words over time Daniel learned that the28:07more he spoke the more his confidence28:11grew and the less those mistakes28:14bothered him there's a famous quote by28:17Henry Ford that says failure is simply28:21the opportunity to begin again this time28:24more28:25intelligently every time you make a28:27mistake you're learning how to speak28:30better the next time two use selft talk28:35to break28:36through when you don't have anyone to28:39practice with selft talk can be your28:42best tool for breaking through speaking28:46blocks this technique is simple but28:50powerful all you have to do is talk to28:53yourself in English out loud as if28:56you're having a conversation28:59you can do this while doing daily tasks29:02like cooking walking getting ready for29:07bed here's how selft Talk29:12Works describe your day talk about what29:15you did today where you went or what you29:19plan to do29:20tomorrow ask yourself29:23questions for example what do I want to29:26eat for dinner then answer in29:31English practice29:33situations imagine you're at a29:36restaurant or meeting someone new and29:39practice what you would say one of my29:42students Sophie felt blocked because she29:46didn't have a speaking partner I29:49introduced her to self-talk and she29:52started practicing English every day29:55while doing her morning routine29:58over time Sophie noticed that her30:01confidence grew and speaking English30:04felt more natural three use shadowing to30:09push through we've already talked about30:12shadowing in previous chapters but it's30:15such an effective technique that it30:18deserves a mention here too when you30:21feel stuck shadowing can help you keep30:25moving30:26forward by listening in to a podcast or30:29story and repeating what the speaker30:31says you're practicing real conversation30:36patterns without the pressure of coming30:39up with your own30:41sentences start with short simple30:45sentences and work your way up to longer30:49conversations shadowing helps you build30:52fluency because you're practicing both30:56listening and speaking at the same same30:58time plus it helps you break through31:02speaking blocks by giving you the words31:04and phrases you need to keep31:08talking31:09remember you can find plenty of stories31:12and podcasts to Shadow on my YouTube31:16channel these are great for practicing31:19because they're designed for beginners31:22and will help you build fluency step by31:25step31:28four roleplay challenging31:33situations another great way to break31:36through speaking blocks is by31:39roleplaying difficult31:42conversations think about the situations31:45that make you feel the most31:47nervous maybe it's giving31:51directions having a job31:54interview talking about a complicated31:57topic31:59practice these situations with role32:01playing until they become32:05easier for example if you're nervous32:08about giving a presentation in English32:12practice giving that presentation out32:14loud to32:16yourself or if you're worried about32:19having a conversation with a native32:21speaker role play that situation in your32:25head32:28the more you practice these challenging32:30scenarios the more confident you'll feel32:33when they happen in real32:36life five stay positive and32:41persistent finally breaking through32:43speaking blocks requires a positive32:46mindset it's easy to get frustrated when32:49things don't go perfectly but remember32:54this progress is more important than32:57perfection32:59ction every time you speak you're33:02getting better even if it doesn't feel33:05like it celebrate the small wins like33:10successfully completing a33:13conversation learning a new phrase33:17here's a quote from Walt Disney that33:19sums it up33:21perfectly the difference between winning33:23and losing is most often not quitting33:28if you keep practicing even when it33:31feels hard you'll break through those33:34speaking blocks and become a more fluent33:38confident33:40speaker33:42six practice in real life33:46situations one final way to break33:49through speaking blocks is to practice33:52speaking in real life33:55situations go to places where you can33:57use33:58English34:00cafes34:02markets online language34:04exchanges the more you practice in real34:07world settings the easier it becomes to34:11push past the fear and34:13hesitation one of the best ways to34:16practice in real life is by talking to34:18native34:20speakers but what if you don't know any34:23native34:25speakers don't worry there are are34:28plenty of online platforms where you can34:31connect with people who want to practice34:34English and remember they're learning34:38too so there's no need to feel34:41embarrassed about making34:44mistakes breaking through speaking34:47blocks isn't about never making34:50mistakes it's about keeping going even34:54when it feels34:56tough with techniqu tees like selft talk34:59shadowing35:01roleplaying and staying positive you can35:04overcome those moments of hesitation and35:07start speaking more35:12confidently chapter six finding speaking35:17partners by now you've learned how to35:21break through speaking blocks with35:23techniques like self-talk shadowing and35:27roleplay35:29but what if you want to take your35:30fluency even further one of the best35:34ways to do this is by practicing with35:37speaking35:38Partners finding someone to speak35:41English with whether online or in person35:45can make a huge difference in your35:49progress but you might be thinking what35:52if I don't have anyone around me who35:55speaks English36:01conclusion hello36:03everyone thank you for joining me today36:06I hope this story added some excitement36:09to your English learning36:11Journey if you enjoyed it or found it36:14helpful please give it a thumbs up share36:18it with friends subscribe for more fun36:22and educational36:24content your support and feedback in36:27inspire me to create even better stories36:30for you stay tuned more exciting stories36:35are coming soon to make learning English36:38easy and36:40enjoyable keep practicing and have a36:43wonderful day
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