Shadowing Practice: Advantages and Disadvantages of AI - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 26 sentences and 336 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:09. The speaker talks at a natural 156 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 77% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ (noun) — A manoeuvre of troops or ships.
• robot /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ (noun) — An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
• bias /ˈbaɪ.əs/ (noun) — Inclination towards something.
• disadvantage /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪd͡ʒ/ (noun) — A weakness or undesirable characteristic; con; drawback.
• tone /ˈtəʊn/ (noun) — A specific pitch.
• recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/ (noun) — The act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized (matching a current observation with a memory of a prior observation of the same entity).
• skill /skɪl/ (noun) — A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
• solve /sɒlv/ (verb) — To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out.
• monitor /ˈmɑ.nɪ.tɚ/ (noun) — Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone.
• routine /ɹuˈtin/ (noun) — A course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure.
• manual /ˈmæn.j(u)əl/ (noun) — Synonym of handbook.
• explore /ɪkˈsploɹ/ (verb) — To examine or investigate something systematically.
• fewer /ˈfjuː.ɚ/ — Less; a smaller amount of something non-integral commonly expressed as an integer
• rely /ɹɪˈlaɪ/ (verb) — To trust; to have confidence in; to depend.
• mercy /ˈmɝsi/ (noun) — Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• end up (verb) — To bring to a conclusion.
• take over (verb) — To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force.
• talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
• deal in (verb) — To deal cards to someone entering a game; to enter someone into a game by dealing cards to that person.
• work in (verb) — To find time or space for, amid other things.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as doesn't, don't, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/, recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, facial /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/, compassion /kəmˈpæʃ.ən/
• Long words — get the stress right: evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/, disadvantage /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪd͡ʒ/, recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, accurately /ˈæk.jə.ɹɪt.li/, critically /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kə.li/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like evolution, robot, bias.