Shadowing Practice: How to Be Calm in a Stressful Situation - Learn English Speaking with Video

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To be calm in a stressful situation, pause and take a step back from what you're doing before you respond.
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Take some long, deep breaths, inhaling for four seconds, holding for four seconds,
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and exhaling for four seconds.
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Continue for a few minutes until you feel calmer and more relaxed.
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You can also try focusing on your senses.
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Name five things you see, four things you feel, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you taste.
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Focusing on your senses interrupts stressful and anxious thoughts and helps you feel more present and relaxed.
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Going for a walk or working out can also help.
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Exercise releases endorphins, a natural chemical that makes you feel calmer and happier.
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Try challenging any negative thoughts that are coming up and making you stressed.
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For example, if you're assuming the worst-case scenario is going to happen if you fail, ask yourself how likely that actually is.
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It's easy to be irrational when you're stressed, but having a more realistic perspective can help you calm down.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "How to Be Calm in a Stressful Situation" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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.