Shadowing Practice: Megacities: London - Learn English Speaking with Video
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London, a thriving cosmopolitan metropolis.
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A city that's open round the clock.
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It is one of the world's oldest and greatest cities.
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a cultural, economic and political hub that continues to grow.
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So how does London, the largest city in Western Europe, function?
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Let's take a look at the city's vital statistics.
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The significance of its location,
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the causes of growth, employment,
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housing availability and service provision.
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The United Kingdom.
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Looking at the globe, we can see that the British Isles in the North Atlantic are geographically close to continental Europe.
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London, the capital of the United Kingdom,
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is located in the south-east of Great Britain at the estuary of the River Thames.
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Its history extends back to Roman times,
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where it began as a settlement at one of the river's shallow crossing points.
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It wasn't an easy city to settle as there was so much marsh and low-lying wetland.
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The city was first sighted around what is now London Bridge and became a place that attracted market traders.
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Perfectly located for trade with the continent,
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more and more goods began to arrive by sea and as the port grew,
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London became a thriving commercial center.
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By the 3rd century AD,
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it replaced Colchester as the provincial capital and was the commercial and administrative center of Roman Britain.
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Historically, colonialism and the expansion of the British Empire led to maps being created with an Anglo-
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or Eurocentric view of the world.
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and the Greenwich Meridian at the centre point,
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with all time zones and lines of longitude radiating from there.
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London's time zone plays a big part in driving its economic activity.
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Those working in London's huge financial and services sectors can trade with Asia,
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which is 5 to 7 hours ahead,
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and Australia 8 to 10 hours ahead,
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then later that same day,
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New York, which is 5 hours behind.
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Heathrow is the world's second biggest international airport.
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If we add together the number of international passengers at all five of London's airports,
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It is by far the world's largest international air hub.
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Situated 51 degrees north of the equator,
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London's climate is temperate maritime,
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meaning temperatures are generally moderate.
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Despite some occasional cold winters,
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it rarely receives significant snowfalls because of the heat from surrounding buildings,
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known as the urban heat island effect.
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Regionally, London's economic growth is also due to its location in the UK.
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able to trade with Europe by sea more quickly than other British cities,
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simply because it's closer than cities further north or west.
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And even when the large industrial cities of the Midlands and the North rapidly expanded during the Industrial Revolution,
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London had a larger population, economy, and port.
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Let's look at other reasons why people moved to London over the centuries.
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London has always been a diverse city,
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attracting people from all over the globe.
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The 15th and 16th centuries brought Protestants seeking religious freedom and Jews escaping persecution.
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And there have been many waves of migration since then,
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particularly in the 20th and more recently the 21st century.
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Today London's knowledge economy has attracted many migrants,
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with an estimated 1.6 million Europeans currently living there,
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although Brexit could ultimately reduce this figure.
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Students from over 200 countries attend London's schools,
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and every major language is spoken in the city.
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London's population is now growing faster than at any time in its history.
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In recent years, London was home to 8.6 million people,
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its highest population ever.
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The reason for the recent rapid population growth is migration primarily from overseas but also from within the country.
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1.9 million economic migrants settled in London from overseas between 2000 and 2013.
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International migration consists of two groups of workers, skilled and unskilled.
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Many skilled workers take up well-paid jobs in London's knowledge economy,
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in sectors including finance, law,
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management, advertising, media and technology.
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Skilled workers are recruited from overseas as there simply aren't enough British workers to fill certain jobs.
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Most in this category are white,
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highly qualified professionals from Europe,
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the United States, South Africa and Australia.
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London has a significant share of total UK employment in the following sectors.
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Financial, which accounts for 30% of the UK's workforce in this sector.
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Public Administration, Health and Education, 29%.
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Business Services, 23%.
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Transport and Communications, 20%.
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Many unskilled migrants do jobs UK workers don't want to do,
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like rubbish collection, commercial cleaning, childcare, and pizza delivery.
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London's construction and hospitality industries would also struggle without them.
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Many of these unskilled workers come from Europe,
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India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and West Africa.
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Some work in the informal economy,
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which comprises approximately 10% of the UK's total economy,
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which cost the nation about £150 billion a year in uncollected taxes.
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These workers also have no holiday entitlement,
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sick pay, or health benefits.
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About 60% of Britain's illegal immigrants live and work in London.
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The city has many distinct ethnic communities which have emerged for many reasons.
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These include the growth of places of religious worship or shops selling ethnic foods.
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It also preserves cultural identity and provides some protection from discrimination.
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Some communities stage cultural festivals celebrating their heritage,
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like the annual Notting Hill Carnival.
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Rapid population growth poses many challenges and opportunities.
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In 2012, over 2 million people in London lived in poverty,
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28% of the population.
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That's 7% higher than the rest of England.
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The cause is inequality in incomes,
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which is greater in London than any other part of the United Kingdom.
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One million of the UK's poorest people and one million of its wealthiest live in London.
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While parts of London are booming and wealthy, some are very deprived.
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The UK government gathers information on employment,
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health, education, housing and services to produce an index of multiple deprivation.
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A close link has been found between deprivation and life expectancy.
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An important aspect of quality of life is housing availability and affordability.
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Home ownership, for so long a major aspiration of the UK's population,
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has become a distant dream for many because house prices are so high.
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One contributing factor is overseas investors buying property in London,
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which is regarded as a safe haven.
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Many streets in some of London's smartest addresses are empty at night because so few people live there.
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Houses have been purchased simply as an investment.
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The average rate of home ownership in the UK is about 65%,
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but in inner London it's less than 40%.
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In one of London's wealthiest boroughs,
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Richmond, 69% own their property,
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16% rent privately, and 15% rent social housing.
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But in the East London Borough of Newham,
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one of London's poorest, 32% own their own home,
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35% rent privately, and 32% rent social housing,
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despite relatively lower house prices.
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Some housing projects that claim to be affordable often aren't,
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because the land they are building on costs so much.
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For example, 50% of the East Village project in Stratford on the edge of Olympic Park is labeled as affordable,
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but to qualify for a house there,
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your salary could be up to £60,000.
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Other efforts have been made to increase housing.
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Since the 1980s,
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the Docklands regeneration on the site of London's former port has created over 21 square kilometers of space for housing
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and commercial development.
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The regeneration of other brownfield sites,
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such as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park,
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has also helped improve London's image as a good city to live and work.
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London's population growth also places pressure on the city's services,
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which are critical to keep the city functioning.
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Transport is one of London's success stories,
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but services struggle to keep up with increasing demand as the city's population and economy continue to grow.
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London's road congestion is worse than anywhere else in the United Kingdom,
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so people are actively discouraged from driving into the city to work.
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In 2003, a congestion charge was introduced in an effort to reduce traffic entering central London to cut congestion and reduce pollution.
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Motorists pay a fee for daytime travel into central London on weekdays.
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This raised £1.2 billion in the first decade,
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some of which was used to fund improvements to London's buses,
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resulting in a 6% increase in bus passenger numbers.
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And since 2012, all new London buses must be hybrid,
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with a conventional engine and an electric motor,
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making them cleaner and more fuel efficient.
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Finally, education.
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Government investment between 1997 and 2010 has seen most London schools rebuild.
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results have improved dramatically.
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In London's poorest areas, three times the number of students now complete qualifications compared with the late 1990s.
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But there is pressure on education in some boroughs.
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Schools in Newham in East London are struggling to meet the increasing demand caused by higher than average birth rate.
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As this snapshot of London's vital statistics show there are many challenges and opportunities facing the city as it continues to grow.
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Context & Background
In this video, we explore London, a vibrant megacity known for its rich history, cultural diversity, and economic significance. The speaker delves into the city's origins from Roman times, illustrating how its geographical location at the River Thames contributed to its growth as a commercial hub. With references to its status as a cosmopolitan metropolis that operates 24/7, viewers gain insights into London's vital statistics and the factors that sustain its dynamic environment. This context sets the stage for effective English speaking practice, as learners can relate historical narratives to contemporary discussions.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "The capital of the United Kingdom is located in the south-east of Great Britain." - This phrase is useful for discussing geographical locations.
- "London became a thriving commercial center." - A great expression to describe the growth of cities or businesses.
- "It's a city that's open round the clock." - Perfect for conversations about city life and amenities.
- "The port grew as goods began to arrive by sea." - Use this when discussing trade and economics.
- "London is perfectly located for trade." - Illustrates the concept of strategic positioning in business discussions.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize this video for shadow speak and improve your fluency, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Watch the video once without interruption to familiarize yourself with its content, tone, and pace.
- Step 2: Choose a segment of about 30 seconds that you find particularly engaging or challenging.
- Step 3: Play the segment, and listen carefully to the pronunciation and rhythm of the speech. Repeat phrases out loud, mimicking the speaker's intonation.
- Step 4: Pause frequently to practice shadowing. Speak at the same time as the speaker, focusing on matching the speed and emotion of their delivery.
- Step 5: After several repetitions, try to recall and speak the phrases without the video's audio as a part of your IELTS speaking practice. Aim for fluency and clarity.
This shadowspeak technique not only enhances your pronunciation but also reinforces vocabulary in practical contexts. Keep experimenting with different segments to continually build your confidence in English speaking!
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.