TryShadowing
Shadow YouTube. Speak English.
Two Stanford leaders welcome new students at the 135th Opening Convocation, encouraging them to embrace community support and intellectual freedom.
Future time reference with 'will' — emphatic statements about expectations and change. The speaker uses "will" to express certainty about the students' journey: "This moment will one day be a distant memory, and by the time it is, I hope you truly understand that your success here will be shaped not just by what you accomplish, but the people who will walk alongside you." This creates a confident, visionary tone.
Infinitive phrases to express purpose and goals. The video uses infinitives frequently to describe what students are "here to" do: "Each of you is here to discover new things, to set ambitious goals, and to work hard to achieve them." This structure is natural in motivational speech and guides the listener through connected actions.
Parallel structures for emphasis and clarity. "You also have a deeper set of freedoms, the academic freedom to ask questions, to speak openly and plainly, and to form your own views." The repetition of "to" plus verb creates rhythm and helps convey equal importance of multiple ideas.
This video features highlights from Stanford University's Opening Convocation ceremony, where two university leaders address the newest members of the student body. One speaker emphasizes that new students "already belong" and encourages them to lean on others for support, noting that "nobody gets anywhere alone." The other speaker outlines the freedoms available to students—from choosing thousands of classes and dozens of majors to enjoying academic freedom to ask questions and speak openly. The tone is warm and celebratory, with genuine enthusiasm for the incoming class.
For shadowing, this material is excellent: the speakers use clear, measured pacing suited to formal yet personal speech, with frequent pauses that give you time to repeat. The vocabulary mixes accessible everyday language ("take this reminder," "let others help you") with more formal academic terms ("exploration," "academic freedom," "ambitious goals"). The emotional delivery—particularly when the first speaker expresses being "overwhelmed with excitement"—provides authentic models for expressing enthusiasm and encouragement in English.
This suits B1 learners and above. You'll encounter practical motivational phrases, natural sentence structures for addressing groups, and vocabulary around education and personal growth. By shadowing this video, you'll improve your ability to speak with clarity and warmth about community, belonging, and intellectual pursuits—useful in both academic and professional contexts.
take this reminder with you — carry a piece of advice or wisdom forward as you move through life and remember it when you need it
walk alongside you — support someone through a journey; be present with them as they go through experiences
let others help you — accept assistance from people around you; allow support from your community
welcome home — greet someone warmly as if they are joining a place where they belong and will be cared for
I can't wait to — expressing strong enthusiasm and eagerness for something to happen soon
