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Hello and welcome to BBC London, coming up this Wednesday evening.
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The increasing use of live facial recognition in the capital.
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The policing minister tells this programme there'll be stronger safeguards to ensure it's used in a proportionate way.
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There are a suite of crimes where we want to catch criminals.
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We have to use it proportionately.
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We have to use it in an intelligence -led way.
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We'll hear from the Met and privacy campaigners.
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Also tonight, we go inside one of London's crumbling hospitals.
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But as you can see, these cracks have appeared on the walls, meaning it's not really safe to have them in here anymore.
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And it means that 13 of the 18 beds are now empty.
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Plus, feast your eyes on this, the art exhibition where the food is made entirely of wool. And...
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We're live here on Carnaby Street for the big Christmas light switch -on.
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And look how many people have turned out for it.
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Screaming with delight, the London school children welcoming a very special bear after a day of fundraising.
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Good evening to you.
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We start tonight with the debate around live facial recognition and how it's used by police across the capital.
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It's technology that maps a person's unique facial features and matches them against faces on watch lists.
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Privacy campaigners criticise an escalation in its use.
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The Met says it's making London safer.
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Well today the policing minister told BBC London
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and she promises there'll be stronger safeguards to ensure it's used in a proportionate way.
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Here is our Home Affairs correspondent, Sonia Jessop.
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The Met's been rapidly increasing its use of live facial recognition across London.
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It says it's a vital crime -fighting tool, and in the last two years it's led to more than 3 ,000 arrests.
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The government agrees, but says there must be safeguards on how it's used.
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For example, if I had an outstanding parking fine, I would not expect this technology to be used for that.
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There are a suite of crimes where we want to catch criminals.
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We have to use it proportionately.
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We have to use it in an intelligence -led way.
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Now, following a public consultation, she says there'll be new legislation put before
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Parliament early next year and a new watchdog to check the rules are being followed.
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So as people are walking past the cameras, their faces are being scanned.
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If it's not a match for someone on the watch list, then the Met says their details are immediately and permanently deleted.
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And if it is, then officers on the street check that image on a handheld device for confirmation before making an approach.
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Earlier this year, the Met won a major legal battle against privacy campaigners challenging the technology.
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The High Court ruled the force had not broken human rights and privacy law.
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The Met's been pressing ahead with LFR, including a pilot here in Croydon using cameras fixed to lampposts instead of deploying a van.
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Has the Met been going too far and too fast with this technology?
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Well, we've been working very closely with people in the Home Office and other parts of government, but we've also been tested in the courts,
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you know, a number of times, the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
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And the approach we've taken has been backed there.
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We've not stayed just with those legal tests.
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We've used scientific tests, the National Physics Laboratory, to look at the questions of discrimination.
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Whether that was present, they found it wasn't.
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Campaigners, though, are not convinced.
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Thousands of people have expressed their objection to the use of this technology, and the government have sat on those responses for over six months.
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All the while, facial recognition has been rolled out in train stations and tube stations and shops and supermarkets.
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Why should people have done absolutely nothing to arouse the suspicion of the authorities? have their identity biometrically checked.
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Are you not playing catch -up to some degree, introducing this now?
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Shouldn't it have this been done a long time ago?
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Well, I can only answer for my role as the policing minister.
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In the last period, we've done a consultation and we're going to legislate.
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That's what we're going to do.
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I think because of the pace of new technology, we've seen this with some of the online technology as well.
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Technology moves very fast.
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We have to make sure the law keeps up with it, and that's exactly what we're going to do.
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The Met says it is confident any new legislation won't slow its approach down.
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Next month, it plans to roll out static cameras in the West End and next year, across London.
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And Sonia is here.
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Is this new legislation likely to change how the Met currently uses this technology?
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Well, of course, we don't yet know what this legislation might look like.
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It's not yet been put before Parliament.
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But I asked the policing minister, Sarah Jones, are you happy with the way the Met is currently using the technology?
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And she said they're doing a brilliant job.
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She pointed to that high court ruling, which found that they are operating within existing legislation.
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But she said currently it's a patchwork of laws and they want something much more specific.
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And what the public consultation has highlighted, she said, was concerns not over just how perhaps the technology is used now, but in the future, too.
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And not just police use of it, but also private businesses, because, of course, we've seen retailers using it to tackle shoplifting, haven't we?
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And so she said there's going to be a legal code of conduct for private businesses.
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A couple of months ago, viewers might remember
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that Sainsbury suspended its use of LFR in one of its stores after a man was wrongly identified as a shoplifter.
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They say it was a human error.
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They say that they've improved training.
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They've reintroduced it there.
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The company FaceWatch, which provides the technology to retailers, it's told us today that it welcomes clear rules and independent oversight.
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It said it should improve public trust and confidence.
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But I think, yeah, Christmas shoppers, perhaps over the next few weeks,
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fairly soon, can expect to see those static cameras used by police rolled out in the West End.
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OK.
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With the latest on that, Sonia, thank you our Home Affairs correspondent, Sonia Jessup.
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You're watching BBC London.
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Plenty more ahead tonight, including what's going on with the weather.
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It may well be a relatively settled and quiet week of weather, but it is rather cloudy.
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Grey skies across London today.
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Anti -cyclonic gloom is proving to be quite persistent under an area of high pressure.
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But will it brighten up as we head further through this week?
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I'll have the full forecast and all the details.
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URGENT CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED OVER THE DETERIORATING CONDITION OF ONE OF LONDON'S HOSPITALS.
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SOME WARDS AT ST. HELIA ARE LYING EMPTY BECAUSE OF SIGNIFICANT CRACKS IN THE WALLS AND BROKEN LIFTS.
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PLANS FOR A NEW HOSPITAL IN NEARBY SUTTON WERE DELAYED BY THE GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR.
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THAT WON'T BE OPEN FOR ANOTHER 11 YEARS.
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THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IS DUE TO MEET REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW HOSPITAL PROGRAM TOMORROW.
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AHEAD OF THAT, our political editor
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Carl Mercer has been to have a look at the state of the buildings.
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Opened in the 1940s
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St Heliop is starting to show its age once state -of -the -art buildings are starting to crumble.
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So much so that tomorrow the chief exec here will meet the government to call for urgent help and this is why.
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So we're in something called the re -ablement unit
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it's meant for elderly patients who are on their way out
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of hospital just need to get a little bit better before they go
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but as you can see big cracks have started appearing on the walls
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which has meant the hospital has had to shut 13 out of the 18 beds and
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if you come outside you get a real idea literally of the depth of the problem
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that's how far the stick goes into the wall
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and we're now on what should be a busy children's ward
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this area here normally be something like four patients being assessed at a time before treatment
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this would normally be a bustling
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and noisy children's room but the toys all abandoned
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because there are no patients here
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there would normally be something like 12 on the wards down here on the children's ward
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but again no one's here
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and this is the reason why this lift is out of service
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it will be until march it means floors two and three of the children's wards are now shut
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We're now up on the third floor of the children's unit, or what was the children's unit.
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This is the room where children would come before their operations have their anaesthetics.
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They'd then be wheeled in through here into the theatre
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and something like half a dozen children a day would come here for day surgery.
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But because the lift's not working, nor is the theatre.
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And that's on top of this building.
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Back in the summer, we reported on concerns about the Women's Health Unit over traces of Legionella found in the pipes here.
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A decision on what to do with the building, whether to move out altogether or to refit it floor by floor,
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expected to be made at the start of December.
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So, tomorrow the boss here will meet the team from the new hospital's programme.
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These, his thoughts today.
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We cannot keep spending millions on temporary repairs while the buildings around our patients and staff continue to deteriorate.
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Well I've met with staff from the hospital
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and they are working their socks off to deliver the best standard care they can
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but the buildings are really letting them down.
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There are poor waterworks, there are cracks in the ceilings, it's really making it difficult for them to deliver the care they need
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and we need a new building for them to be able to operate the best level of care.
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Plans for a new hospital in Sutton were delayed by the government last January.
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Originally due to open in 2030, the new date is 2037, leaving this the reality for now.
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Karl Mercer, BBC London.
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Let me bring you a round -up now of some of the day's other stories.
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A murder investigation is underway after footballer Ezekiel died following a suspected assault in Milton Keynes.
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The 26 -year -old Hendon FC player was seriously injured early on Sunday and died in hospital on Monday.
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Three men from Luton have been arrested.
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London Fire Brigade
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and the RSPCA are urging Londoners not to set off fireworks at home
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this bonfire night due to a rising number of incidents and growing concerns for animal welfare.
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The brigade says the number of firework -related calls have more than doubled since 2018.
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Essex County Council has become the only authority to achieve an outstanding rating for its children's services three times in a row.
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The latest inspection considered the experiences of children, young people and families across Essex and the effectiveness of support provided by the council and its partners.
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And former West Ham captain Scott Parker has been confirmed as
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the club's new head coach a day after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked.
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He has signed a two -and -a -half -year contract
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and will be charged with getting the Hammers back into the Premier League, a feat he's achieved previously as manager of Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley.
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Now, sewage pollution is a recurring problem in London's waterways
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and discharges in the River Thames have led to a legal challenge by a resident
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and a rower who claim Richmond Council failed to investigate their formal complaints properly.
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The council says it shares their anger and concerns and is considering its response to the legal action.
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Chris Legg has the story.
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So concerned is Suzanne about the sewage levels in the Thames around her houseboat
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that she tests for E coli on a weekly basis.
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When results showed consistently high levels, she put her name to a formal complaint to Richmond Council in December.
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This river that is supposed to be at the heart of our lives, that's supposed to be accessible for everybody, actually in reality isn't.
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And I'm not sure what other evidence I can give them to make this story compelling.
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Because to me, if you're seeing data that shows there's E coli levels that are too high and you're hearing anecdotal evidence,
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there's enough to warrant an investigation.
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The council disagreed that there was a need to investigate.
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So pointing to other evidence and the E coli levels,
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environmental group River Action is backing Suzanne's claim that the pollution is a statutory nuisance,
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something that would compel the council to investigate Thames water.
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Those levels are consistently higher above the level that is viewed safe for swimming and for using the river.
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There's also evidence of scum on the water and odours and first -hand accounts of rowers,
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For example, he's become sick having used the water and got water into cuts or sores and then he's become very ill.
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Suzanne is now one of two complainants launching a legal challenge to try to force Richmond Council to investigate Thames water.
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Today, the council told us...
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The Thames is at the heart of life in Richmond
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and we understand and share the anger and concern about river pollution and its impact on our environment.
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While we take our legal obligations seriously, we must also carefully consider whether there is sufficient evidence to support formal enforcement action at a time
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when our finances are being placed under huge pressure by Whitehall funding cuts.
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The council added that it is considering the action being taken by the complainants
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and that it will respond to them by the November the 10th deadline.
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It also said it believes water companies should invest in the infrastructure needed to tackle this pollution.
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We put that to thames water
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which said it would be inappropriate to comment for now suzanne
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will continue to test the water in the hope of a
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cleaner thames chris leg bbc london good to have you with
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us still to come before the end of the program the
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delight of london school children welcoming a very special bear after a day of fundraising
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and all lit up as carnaby
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street christmas lights are switched on before
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that though three words i didn't think i'd be saying together knitted italian food
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because that's what this is dishes all made using knitting crochet and embroidery by a textile artist who's transformed a Soho gallery.
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into an Italian.
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So Alice Bandekravi went along to feast her eyes on lunch.
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At first glance, it's an everyday Italian deli restaurant, but look close up and you'll see none of it is edible, because it's made of wool.
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Where did you get this idea from?
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Why?
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So I've been creating sort of woolen wools for the last 20 -25 years,
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different exhibitions, food -based mainly.
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Italy's an amazing place for food and start there.
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It is an amazing place for food.
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We've got some great food.
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I think you've got spaghetti bolognese.
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It's actually spaghetti bolognese, yes.
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I stand corrected.
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Tell me what I've got.
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You've got a caprese fastitia, so it's a focaccia, but it's a knitted sandwich.
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Delicious.
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We've got a glass of Chianti.
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Chianti, yes, a hand -crocheted bottle of Chianti, and we have some woolen wine here.
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And some breadsticks.
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And glissini, yeah.
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And even the flour is made up.
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Even the flour, yes.
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Perfect table setting for us.
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It took Kate and her team around six months to knit and stitch what you see here, and what's on the menu is not cheap.
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some of these knits cost thousands of pounds and even
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if you're just a hobbyist this quiet pastime has a lot to offer says kate
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i'm noticing a lot of young younger people sort of taking
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it up i think thanks to sort of internet you know you can learn how to knit crochet
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and embroider online it's kind of the opposite of digital isn't it yes the ultimate analog past yeah
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and i think i think
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You know, people are sort of so just wanting to have that kind of connection again with,
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you know, with physical making things rather than seeing something that's digitally produced.
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And I think that's really important to kind of still have that connectivity with craft and art.
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So if you want to feast on some Italian delicacies, albeit of the crocheted kind,
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Kate's Nitalian in Soho is open for the next five weeks.
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Alice Bandukravi, BBC London.
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some other stories on bbc news support for new writers fleabag creator
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and actress phoebe wallabridge is offering a rent -free flat to
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playwrights plus to recognize these the search to find the owners
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of photos discovered in a car in essex more than 50 years ago
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and flying the flag for the recorder the st albans teenager
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runner -up in the bbc young musician of the year for those
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and other local stories just check out the bbc news app of course
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it may only be the beginning of november
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but christmas has arrived at one of london's famous shopping areas
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carnaby street has just switched on its lights kicking off the
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festive season in the heart of soho our reporter alpa patel is there too good evening to you
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well if london needed a sign
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that it was christmas this is it i know what you're going to say
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that it's only november we haven't even had bonfire night have we
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but a few moments ago the lights on carnaby street were
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switched on in it was a blaze really a lot of multi -colored lights lots of fireworks
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and tens of thousands of people turned out for it
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and the man who actually switched on the lights pop star jamie miller also performed after the lights switch on
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and now he's got a uk chart single
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and he's at number one uh still at the moment
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he performed on strictly come dancing uh just over a week ago
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and he's riding that wave
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and i'm grateful to say he joins me now Jamie hello how's
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it going yeah how are you how was the switch on
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is it like such a dream come true to like be a part of something
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so iconic I used to watch this all the time
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so to be invited back
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and do this is my my life is just
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I don't know what's going on right now I strictly come dancing how is
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that is it is a dream come true
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I feel like my life right now it just feels like a dream
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and I'm just like I'm really enjoying it it feels for me
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so we're here to talk about christmas yeah are you a christmas it's not soon enough
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or too soon man i'm i'm christmas through
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and through like the minute halloween's over christmas
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so just to be i i love it i love christmas
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and what did you think of the crowds here
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because there was a lot of people here today people honestly
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i just i feel like i'm pinching myself every day this is carnaby street you know what i'm saying
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so just very excited very excited and tens of thousands of people singing your song
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Yeah, I don't, I can't compute.
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It's like, I'm from Wales.
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This doesn't make sense, but very excited.
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How are you spending Christmas this year?
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I'm going to be going back home to Cardiff with my family.
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just couched up on the couch just having some family time it's been it's been an insane few months
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so i'm just excited to see my family and
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so the lights have been switched on here
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but what what what big things have you got planned for december oh a few big things
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that i can't speak about right now
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but i go back to america uh tomorrow
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and then back here i'm doing something very exciting on the first week of december
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so gets announced tomorrow well jamie miller i hope you enjoy Christmas.
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Thank you very much for speaking to us here on BBC London.
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Now, you might be thinking, Christmas lights, this is one of the first on Carnaby Street, but there's plenty more to come.
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There's Regent Street on November the 5th, Bond Street on November the 5th, Covent Garden on November the 12th,
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and Trafalgar Square is coming to you on December the third.
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So there might be 51 days until Christmas, but here on Carnaby Street,
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the festivities are definitely underway.
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You had to tell us in days, didn't you?
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Alpha, thanks very much.
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Yes, Christmas night season definitely upon us.
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But before that, of course, we are just over a week away until children in need night.
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Lots of school children have already been fundraising by running, walking or rolling two miles a day for two weeks to complete a marathon.
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Toulouse Adelier went along to see how one
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North London school was getting on, including being surprised by an unexpected visitor, I'm pretty sure.
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You can guess who.
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Running, walking and rolling for Pudsey.
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These kids at Meridian Angels Primary School in Edmonton have been challenging themselves to raise money for children in need.
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We've split the playground into loads of sections.
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We've got our tyre rolling, we have our walking tracks and then we have our running tracks as well.
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So it's how long they can do it for.
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And it's just all about wearing our yellow and getting that money for children in need.
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And how have they all been doing?
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They're doing amazing.
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I've just been with the four and five -year -olds
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and they have pretty much outran me for the whole of the time doing it.
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So, no, I'm very impressed with them.
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So what have you enjoyed doing most today?
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I'm rolling the tyres.
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Why?
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because you are just working with your teammates and stuff.
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I like doing fundraising because I like helping people.
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I think about children in need as children that may be going through things such as poverty and also when we donate,
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it's not just one donation, it's donations from all the schools in the country.
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The kids have been so busy enjoying themselves with all these activities but we've got a little surprise for them.
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Let's see the reaction when a special guest pops up.
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What did you guys think when Pudsy turned up?
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Very happy and overwhelmed a bit.
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I think everyone was excited because Pudsy is the bear that helps with donations.
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Today's event also included a visit from local rapper and school favourite Shocker.
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Are we ready?
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He pens this rap for the occasion.
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I'm with BBC Children in Need and it's our responsibility to give the children what they need.
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We need to make sure they read because education is key.
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And if they've got dreams, we need to make sure they believe that it's possible to achieve.
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And it's going to take a whole community to make sure that they succeed.
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We've got to be their main supporters.
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These are our brothers.
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These are our sisters.
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These are our sons.
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These are our daughters.
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These are future authors, future leaders, future prime ministers, future teachers.
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And as much as we need the children, I want you to know that the children need us.
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Children they need.
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Make some noise, please!
328
There's still plenty of time to raise money for charities leading up to Children in Need Day next Friday.
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To loa de oe, BBC London.
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Every time kids see the bear.
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And Pudzi is challenging
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you to join in with his Run for Pudzi campaign ahead of Children in Need Night on Friday 13th November.
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Find out more, including how to sign up, by visiting bbc .co .uk forward slash run for Pudzi.
334
Well, let's get a check on the weather now, shall we, with Kate.
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And it definitely feels chillier out there.
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It is chilly, isn't it?
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We've had this northeasterly breeze for much of this week, and that's what's been bringing the temperature down.
338
High pressure, though, is in charge.
339
Now, sometimes high pressure means water will, sunshine, it's bright, it's cold, it's crisp.
340
But this week, sadly not.
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We've got an area of clouds stuck underneath it, as you can see here.
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The moisture coming in originally from the North Sea.
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Now, it hasn't been too wet today, one or two drops of rain.
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But this is the high pressure to the north of us around the outside, that northeasterly.
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That colder flow of air, and that's where the moisture's coming from as well.
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Now, it continues in the same vein overnight tonight.
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Nothing really changes.
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A few showers mixed into the cloud as well.
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Still fairly breezy, but the wind is going to gradually fall a bit lighter through the night.
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Minimum temperature between 7 and 9 Celsius.
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Now, you can see the wind more an easterly breeze as we head into Thursday.
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Now, we've still got the cloud coming in.
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Through the afternoon, there is a potential for a little bit more brightness, especially further east you are,
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so maybe a little glimpse of something brighter there.
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Temperatures, though, still chilly, 10 or 11 Celsius.
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You'll notice the breeze, though, that bit lighter.
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Now, it's bonfire night tomorrow night, obviously, so we've got light winds in the forecast for the evening,
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areas of cloud, but I think we might get a few clearer spells as well.
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It's chilly and mostly dry.
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Now, I think it will be dry for the evening when most people are out watching the fireworks.
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It'll be later on on Thursday night that that rain will start to come in from the south.
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Not a huge amount, but you might just get the odd spot, as you can see, coming up from the south and the continent.
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Temperatures overnight tomorrow between 6 and 7 Celsius.
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Now, as we head towards the end of the week, we've still got the cloud for Friday.
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Again, could just get a little bit of light rain coming up from the south through the course of Friday itself.
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It is going to stay grey.
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It's going to stay overcast.
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The temperature is staying very similar as well.
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We're looking at a maximum 10 or 11 Celsius.
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But notice again that wind, that bit lighter.
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With the light winds as we head through these evenings and overnight, we might just be waking up to misty and murky starts.
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Friday morning, potentially on Saturday morning as well, could be a little bit more stubborn.
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You'll notice, though, the temperature staying very similar, 10, 11 Celsius.
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It is going to feel chilly.
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By the time we get to Sunday, however, the cloud might just start to break as the high pressure shifts.
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So we may see the return of just a little bit of sunshine.
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I heard the word sunshine.
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Kate, thank you.
379
And that is it from us.
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So thank you very much for watching.
381
If you missed it yesterday, head to our Instagram to see the teams cracking down on fare dodgers on the transport network.
382
And on our website, find out which 70s band is going to headline London's New Year's Day parade.
383
I know that's less than two months away now from me and everyone on the team here.
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Do enjoy your evening.
385
Bye bye.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “041126 BBC London, Evening News”. This video has 385 sentences and 4611 words to shadow. The speech runs for 27:37. The speaker talks at a natural 167 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cloud noun | /ˈklaʊ̯d/ | A visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air. |
| ward noun | /wɔɹd/ | The action of a watchman; monitoring, surveillance (usually in phrases keep ward etc.) |
| facial adjective | /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/ | Of or affecting the face. |
| recognition noun | /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/ | 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). |
| crack noun | /kɹæk/ | A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material. |
| privacy noun | /ˈpɹaɪ.və.si/ | The state of being secluded from the presence, sight, or knowledge of others. |
| investigate verb | /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/ | To inquire into or study in order to ascertain facts or information. |
| pollution noun | /pəˈluʃən/ | Physical contamination, now especially the contamination of the environment by harmful substances, or by disruptive levels of noise, light etc. |
| fundraising noun | /ˈfʌndˌɹeɪzɪŋ/ | The process of collecting money by requesting donations from individuals and businesses. |
| chili noun | /ˈt͡ʃɪli/ | The pungent, spicy fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum peppers, used in cooking. |
| knit verb | /nɪt/ | To turn thread or yarn into a piece of fabric by forming loops that are pulled through each other. This can be done by hand with needles or by machine. |
| formal adjective | /ˈfɔɹməl/ | In accordance with established forms. |
| overnight adverb | /əʊvə(ɹ)ˈnaɪt/ | During or throughout the night, especially during the evening or night just past. |
| sunshine noun | /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ | The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun. |
| consultation noun | /ˌkɑnsəlˈteɪʃən/ | The act of consulting. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| close up verb | /kləʊzˈʌp/ | To close (remove a gap) completely or fully. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| keep up with verb | To manage to remain beside or just behind someone or something that is moving away from one. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- We've not stayed just with those legal tests.
- Are you not playing catch -up to some degree, introducing this now?
- That's what we're going to do.
- Where did you get this idea from?
- You had to tell us in days, didn't you?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | Met's been pressing · we've been working · I've been creating |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have appeared · have turned · Met's been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is made · be used · being followed |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 90 contractions and reduced forms, such as we've, I'm, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: marathon /ˈmæɹəθən/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: facial /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/, recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, pollution /pəˈluʃən/, sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/, consultation /ˌkɑnsəlˈteɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, investigate /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/, consultation /ˌkɑnsəlˈteɪʃən/, consistently /kənˈsɪstəntli/, correspondent /ˌkɔɹ.ɪˈspɑn.dənt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like cloud, ward, facial.
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.