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Shadowing practice: "How do I learn English with confidence?" - A common question / Build your confidence with Mr Duncan

Listen to the line, then say it out loud
Line 1

Full transcript

  1. Confidence comes from knowing what you want to do and being sure that you can do it.0:01
  2. Losing confidence comes from listening to those individuals who give you reasons not to do it.0:07
  3. This negativity can even come from yourself.0:13
  4. We often see confidence as a positive characteristic and one that is admired in others.0:18
  5. Confidence is a necessary part of moving forward in life.0:25
  6. When starting something new, there needs to be a reserve of inner confidence already in place.0:30
  7. Rather like the fuel tank in a car, there must already be a certain quantity or amount of confidence in the tank to make sure you start your journey in0:36
  8. a positive and relaxed way.0:48
  9. The learning journey needs to begin with some motivation and enthusiasm already present.0:52
  10. When beginning to learn a new subject, you will need to already know the course you wish to take.1:00
  11. You should already have an idea of the direction you wish to go in and of course you need to know the destination, which in this case is becoming fluent1:07
  12. in English.1:18
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  1. Just like any journey, it is possible to lose your way, to become lost or even worse, find yourself at a dead end.1:20
  2. The journey also needs to be taken at the right speed.1:32
  3. For example, if you go too fast, then mistakes might happen.1:36
  4. Go too slow and your journey will become dull and tedious, with nothing of interest to stimulate your mind.1:41
  5. Learning should be fun.1:52
  6. Don't be afraid to set yourself small challenges.1:55
  7. Try to learn something new every day.1:59
  8. General exercises include remembering some new words, memorizing a few lines from a favourite storybook or from one of your favourite English songs.2:04
  9. Try to make English part of your daily life.2:16
  10. Make it part of your daily routine.2:21
  11. Some of the biggest problems that arise when taking a long journey come from the distractions around you and the bumps in the road you need to avoid.2:25
  12. The learning journey will not be smooth.2:38
  13. Of course, learning anything is not easy.2:41
  14. There will be times when it is difficult to remember new things.2:46
  15. The reason for this is most likely over tiredness.2:50
  16. Perhaps you are trying to do too much.2:55
  17. Remember to take a break from your studies.2:59
  18. Enjoy a moment or two of peace and quiet and take time out from your studying so as to let your brain cool down.3:02
  19. This need for rest exists in all areas of life, even in the workplace.3:13
  20. Confidence is not one thing.3:20
  21. It consists of knowledge, understanding, self -awareness, determination and of course a belief in oneself.3:23
  22. The inner will and determination to do something is the way to get to the point of being confident.3:34
  23. No one is born confident.3:43
  24. It must, just like everything else in life, be learned.3:46
  25. Never be afraid to tell yourself, I can do it.3:51
  26. I can do it.3:55
  27. I can do it!3:57
  28. Which of course you can and you will.4:01
  29. Thank you.4:25

A British confidence talk at B2 pace: english speaking practice with Mr Duncan

This clip is a single voice commentary from Mr Duncan on English Addict, talking through why confidence matters when you are learning a language. There is no dialogue and no cutting between speakers, just one British voice building an argument across 41 lines at 141 words per minute, which the catalogue measures as faster than only 13 percent of its clips. That steadiness is what makes it useful for english speaking practice: you are not chasing overlapping speakers, you are matching one clear rhythm.

The subject matter suits the level too. At B2, you can already follow ideas like confidence as fuel in a tank or a journey that can go too fast or too slow, without needing every rare word explained. Words like tiredness, memorizing and characteristic show up, but the sentence shapes stay plain, so the clip works for british english pronunciation practice as much as for listening comprehension.

Pronunciation notes on Mr Duncan's confidence lines

Three lines stand out for what they ask your mouth and your ear to do. Look at how each one is built before you try to say it out loud.

  • "Rather like the fuel tank in a car" opens a comparison mid sentence, so the pitch has to rise slightly on "fuel tank" to signal that a new idea is being introduced, then settle for the explanation that follows.
  • "Go too slow and your journey will become dull and tedious, with nothing of interest to stimulate your mind" pairs two three syllable words, tedious and stimulate, close together. Say the sentence slowly first to land both, then bring it back up to speed.
  • "Memorizing a few lines from a favourite storybook or from one of your favourite English songs" strings memorizing, favourite and storybook one after another. Each has a stressed first syllable, and losing that stress is what makes the phrase sound flat rather than fluent.

How to shadow this B2 confidence talk, line by line

Work through the opening in order rather than jumping around. The argument builds from one idea to the next, so the lines make more sense, and are easier to repeat, in sequence.

  • Start with line one, "Confidence comes from knowing what you want to do and being sure that you can do it", and shadow this line on its own until the stress on knowing and sure feels natural.
  • Move to the fuel tank comparison across lines seven and eight and read it as one breath group, the way Mr Duncan delivers it, rather than pausing where the text is split.
  • Isolate the too fast, too slow contrast in lines fifteen and sixteen and say both back to back so you can hear the difference in pace he uses for each.
  • Repeat the memorizing line from line twenty three times: once slowly for the consonants, once at his speed, once from memory with your eyes off the page.
  • Finish by reading lines seventeen to twenty two straight through without stopping, since they are short, plain sentences and a good check that your speaking practice is holding up at full speed.
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