Shadowing Practice: 091026 BBC Reporting Scotland, News at Seven - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Tonight, a promise to bereaved parents after a BBC investigation that revealed failings in maternity care across Scotland.
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The family of a man killed in one of the country's most notorious unsolved murders tells us they still haven't lost hope.
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And do you want to be the next Ian Rankin or Val McDermid?
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We'll hear about the new Tartan Noir University course.
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And of course, we'll have all of the support for you tonight with Jane.
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Hello, what's in the cards?
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Hi there, well, we'll keep you right up to date with Scotland women's side who are in World Cup playoff action.
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We'll also hear from the new Hibs manager for the very first time.
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Look forward to it, Jane.
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And later, we'll have the highlights from the world's biggest celebration of Gaelic culture.
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Hello there, I'm Sarah McMullen.
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Welcome to the News 7.
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Well, we'll have lots more on all of those stories for you in just a moment.
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But first, let's take a look at some of today's other main news.
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The Transport Secretary, Stephen Flynn, told the Holyrood Committee he knew nothing about a gas leak on a Calmac ferry, despite records showing his office had been emailed about the incident.
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Flynn claimed he missed a BBC Scotland report on the incident, saying he was FaceTiming his children before appearing in front of the transport committee last month.
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Elsewhere, a Bulgarian man has been given a community sentence for
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assaulting a 12 -year -old girl who later brandished an axe and knife at him in what became a viral video.
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Ilya Belov was previously found guilty of uttering sexual remarks to
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a group of girls in Dundee before throwing one of them to the ground.
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He was ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and placed on the sex offenders register for the same period.
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The death of a man who plunged from a high -rise flat could have been prevented, a sheriff has ruled.
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Jamie Forbes was tortured for two days at Elphinstone Court in Aberdeen in January 2024.
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When police carried out door -to -door inquiries, they were unable to trace where the cries had come from.
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Forbes then fell from a 12th floor window.
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And an actor best known for his role as Kevin Malone
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in the US version of The Office is among the candidates to become the next rector of St Andrews University.
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Brian Baumgartner is among six people who are vying for the role.
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Well, for more information on any of these stories, you know that you can scan that QR code there, which of course takes you over to the BBC Scotland News app.
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OK, now returning to our top story now.
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The person in charge of an independent review of maternity services has reassured families their experiences will be part of her findings.
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Professor Christine McCourt can't investigate individual cases, but she said talking to a range of people will help make improvements.
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The government ordered the review in 2025 after BBC disclosure uncovered a series of safety failings.
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Our health correspondent Lisa Summers spoke to the families campaigning for change.
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You can't go looking at every single individual case if you're looking to change, if it's about changing the system,
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but I think there are certain cases out there that are perhaps too egregious to step over.
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Cases like Jackie and Olivia's is almost exemplary of the systemic rot and failings.
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I understand that there are constraints.
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I understand there are problems in recruiting midwives and recruiting staff, so I'm not asking for that but what I do think is really important is
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that the absolute basics covered here and they're just not being done just now.
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Well earlier I spoke to Jackie Lambert who is the Scotland Director for the Royal College of Midwives who welcomes the review.
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While we often hear oh the births their number of births are going down
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that has to be seen in the much wider context of the fact
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that the workload has increased so much and midwives are giving really good care
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but they're really hampered by the fact that they've not got enough staff
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and we haven't got that skill mix
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that we need it's why we called out in our manifesto
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and we really hope to see from this review and
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that focus on workforce
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that we end up with a workforce plan to meet the needs of families wherever they are in Scotland
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so that we've got the midwives and we've got the skill mix
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and we've got the time for that development and learning
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and the time to be flexible with the time
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that you're spending with families that's what's going to make a difference
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and so we're really hopeful that this review
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that will look at the situation now and recognize
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that we need a workforce plan not for today
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but for the from now on and for the next 10 years to make sure
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that we are absolutely got the right to be proud of maternity services wherever it happens in Scotland So does that mean,
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Jackie, that some of the mistakes that are made in these settings are preventable?
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And is that frustrating?
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So this is a human endeavour, having babies, being pregnant, working with families.
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And there will never be a day when somebody doesn't make a mistake.
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But we need to have all the systems in place to learn and to make sure that we're learning from good.
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and human error happens but if you're tired
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and you haven't had a break and you haven't got enough staff it increases
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that risk and we don't want to do anything
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that increases the risk of anybody making a mistake because
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that hurts everybody but it's also really difficult for that person providing care as well.
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So we want to make sure that we've got all the systems in place
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and the context in place to make doing the right thing much much easier
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because you've got the right number of staff you've had the time to take a break
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and that you're coming to your work fresh and you mentioned earl jackie
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that you are you're hopeful about this review what needs to be included in it
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and what would you like to see come from it well
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it's been a long time since we looked at scotland
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and said what what level of care would you expect in your community close to home
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and you know in your hub or what level
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because we hear a lot about hubs but where's midwifery
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and maternity services in that close to home and accessible
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so what's the skill mix needed what's the learning and education needed
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and what's the resource required whether that's a community maternity unit
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out in the rural area whether it's a big tertiary unit what is
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that staffing and skill mix that's needed what's the care
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that you would expect to find there and we need
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that updated to look at the world we're in now
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and moving forward so that we have good sustainable services now to look at
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that then you have to look at what's that workforce plan
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and have we got all the education and development needed to make sure
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that that's possible these are all tangible things we want every
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single woman in person having a family in scotland to be able to access the right care
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and that means where does
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that care need to be to bring it close to those families
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but to do that the biggest biggest resource
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and the biggest thing of failure we have is our workforce
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so we need to make sure that we've got the right folk there to provide
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that care okay jackie we'll we'll leave it there thank you
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so much for your time and for talking us through that i very much appreciate it no problem thank you
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now it's one of scotland's most notorious unsolved murders an aberdeen
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taxi driver brutally killed by a passenger using a cheese wire
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garotte george murdoch's death in september 1983 led to a huge police manhunt
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but no charges in the aftermath the officers manned the turnstiles
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at putaudry football stadium in the hope of spotting any signs which could lead to the killer and 43 years on,
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the club's matchday programme will revisit the case in the hopes it could lead to new information about George Murdoch's killer.
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His nephew Alex Mackay and his wife Rubina have dedicated their lives to catching his killer
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and our reporter Rachel Bell asked how they felt about this latest appeal.
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Optimistic, always optimistic because we're encouraged.
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We run a Facebook page, Rubina does a lot of posts on Facebook but we have tremendous support followers.
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Our high in terms of views was 125 ,000 for one post.
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The latest post, about 51 ,000.
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There is a lot of interest.
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There's a lot of energy.
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And from that, we get a lot of tips.
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So tips keep coming in.
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And that's encouraging because if there wasn't tips coming in, it would be like, are we just kind of just doing all this for nothing? and we're not.
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We've had a few tips that's come in and we've basically both said well this is,
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this could be the one and well so far it hasn't come but we're optimistic it will come.
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I certainly would never stop because I am convinced that we will find, or the police will find this guy.
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Whether he's alive or dead it doesn't matter.
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It's funny we're often asked so what's the point you know I mean he could be dead.
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Well so what?
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All that's important to me is that we get his name.
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If we knew who did this, just a name, I'd feel that this, you know, that would be justice for Dodd.
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Because being realistic, you know, I mean, say they got the guy next week, and say they brought him to trial.
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He'd probably be now our age, maybe later, maybe older, whatever, maybe late 70s, who knows.
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So even if he was found guilty, he may serve some time.
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I'm not interested in that.
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Not now.
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It's all about justice for God.
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It's not about us.
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It's not about anybody else.
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It's about getting justice.
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It doesn't sit right with either of us.
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We've got a really high sense of justice.
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We always have had.
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This is what's driven this.
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And it doesn't sit right with us.
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It's a sit back and do nothing.
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Do you think that there is someone sitting just now who knows what happened to George?
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Absolutely, 100%.
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I just cannot think someone would be able to compartmentalise that whole thing themselves.
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Even if they haven't said it, they would have probably come home that night dishevelled where they live.
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Even do they have a partner, wife, mother, father, who would probably be dead now.
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But somebody would definitely know, and there's probably been some whispers in the family that, yeah, it's him.
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You must just be seeking some closure as well for something that's taken a huge part of your life as well.
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We are, but it's not all doom and gloom because when I think of Dodd and Jaycee, it's happy memories.
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that's my abiding thoughts of them not what happened that night it's about who they were
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and they were just wonderful people and I've just got so many great great memories of them and
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that's what keeps us going as well
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because you can't I mean you can't be doom and gloom all the time it's impossible
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Rachel Bell reporting there well in other news this evening a
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man with a history of domestic abuse has admitted murdering the mother of his three children in her own home in Hoyk, a day after learning she was in a new relationship.
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It's now emerged Lee Ingalls had twice avoided prison for previous knife attacks on his former partner, Stacey Hogg.
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When he was arrested, he told police if he couldn't have her, then nobody would.
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From the High Court in Edinburgh, here's David Knox.
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Stacey Hogg was described by her family as a loving mum, daughter, sister and friend who touched the lives of so many.
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The mother of three had previously been in a 15 -year
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relationship with Lee Ingalls who pleaded guilty this morning to her murder.
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The court heard
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that during their relationship Ingalls had twice been convicted of knife
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-related domestic assaults towards Stacey the latest being in 2025 for holding a knife to her throat and cutting her face.
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On both occasions the 39 -year -old was sentenced to community payback orders involving unpaid work, supervision and a night -time home curfew.
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But in June this year, having learned the previous evening that Stacey had started a new relationship,
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Ingalls waited until his curfew ended at 7am to walk from his parents' home half a mile away
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and carry out his frenzied attack.
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The 35 -year -old mother of three suffered what were described in court as catastrophic injuries to her head
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and to her neck, with Ingalls later telling police he had intended to cut off her head.
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The case is one of a series of high -profile violent crimes against women in Scotland in recent months.
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Vicky Solomon was killed by her former partner in Edinburgh in July.
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It later emerged police had been contacted before her death.
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Just days later, Stacey Hunter was murdered by her estranged husband while he was out on bail for a previous attack on her.
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The First Minister has described violence against women and girls as a national emergency.
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Domestic violence organisations say the system needs to change.
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Even when there's, you know, a previous history of domestic abuse, which is a really big signal, the system doesn't, you know,
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shift into high gear for protection.
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And even when a woman often gets a non -harassment order, a protection order of some kind or another,
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when they're breached, the system doesn't respond robustly.
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Stacey's death led to a widespread outpouring of grief, with her funeral held in Hoyt Town Hall to accommodate the number of mourners.
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Ingalls will be sentenced on November 5th.
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David Knox, Reporting Scotland.
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And details of organisations offering information
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and support with domestic abuse are available for you over at bbc .co .uk forward slash action line
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or you can call for free at any time to hear recorded information on the number
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which is on the screen for you now.
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Well, still to come, we'll have a weather forecast for you with Gillian
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and we'll tell you how you can become a Tartan Noir writer.
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But first, let's get to sport with Jane.
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Thank you very much.
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Good evening to you.
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We're straight into the action this evening
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because Scotland's women are in the Czech Republic for the first leg of their World Cup playoff semi -final.
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Almost 15 minutes gone in this one and I can tell you
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that in the last few minutes Caroline Weir has put them 1 -0 up.
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That was a shot from her earlier on in the match just going over
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but she has gone one better just a couple of minutes ago.
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Sandy McKeever up the other hand.
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Had to look pretty lively as well to keep the Czechs out.
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As I say, Scotland are winning 1 -0
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and they will play again the second leg of that semi -final on Tuesday night.
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Now, the Hugh Hebb's boss, Marenk Riedijk, says the club already feels like family.
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He was speaking to the media for the first time today since he replaced David Cray, who was sacked last month.
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The 20, 35 -year -old, I should say, left Belgian side Breverin in the summer after guiding them to the top flight without defeat last season.
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He had two weeks with the squad in Spain
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and he says he's ready to get things started on the pitch tomorrow as the Premiership returns after the international break.
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For me, it's a very good opportunity to see where we are, really, because I have a good idea where we are.
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And therefore, I so much look forward to start and really start off because the pre -season on steroids now is over.
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I'm here now because I think this really fits me with the club it is, but also the people who work here.
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It is a special club.
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I did my research.
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It has a lot of supportive fans, which are a sort of family.
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And when I first entered the building and since I'm here, it feels like a family.
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Reidike's reign begins with a visit to Tanadice.
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Earlier, I spoke to former Hibs player Scott Allen and asked him what he's expecting to see from his old side tomorrow.
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I'm excited to see how it's going to look.
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I think a lot of Hibs fans are kind of looking forward to see what this style is going to look like.
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Obviously, we've heard soundbites about them being aggressive on the front foot.
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And he's certainly had time to bed these ideas in.
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Obviously, the team's been away in La Manga, obviously, during an international break.
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So it's one of those situations where he's actually had a lot of time to get a lot across. So, listen, it's still a difficult game away at Tannadise against Dundee United
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off the back of a game against a win against St Mirren
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but I think there's a lot of excitement about how this is going to look tomorrow.
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I think Hibs are one of their teams for me but they actually do have a good squad.
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I think they've been underperforming and it's just whether Merink -Reedite can come in here
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and actually get the best out of their squad
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and at the same time the Hibs fans are asking for a more attacking style of play.
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Can you do that but at the same time win games of football?
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Are you hearing anything about how they might shape up?
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What their approach might be at all?
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A few things I think at the same time now with my relationships and the changing room.
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They sometimes don't want to tell you too much
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because they know you're obviously on speaking about it
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but yeah I think the manager's kind of spoke himself about being really aggressive
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so you expect a high press
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and at the same time looking to play out from the back a bit more than maybe under his predecessor David Gray.
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Is that what you'd quite like to see from him as well?
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Maybe a bit more intensity around about their game?
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I would like to see them with a bit more control in some of the games
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that i've seen this season a lot of the games
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that they they did lose have they've had halves of good
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football it's now trying to put it together in control for for 90 minutes
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and it's it is difficult it's difficult to do that the premiership
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but i think if they have more of the ball
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and they can get them the players who can actually go
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and hurt you in areas a lot more than they have previously until his appointment then i think
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that gives him the best chance to go and win
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games of football consistently let me ask you just
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while i've got you here scott if i can And a question about the Green Brigade.
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They've come out with a statement to say they're going to boycott Celtic's Scottish Cup matches and home European ties.
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Martin O 'Neill saying that the gap between some of the fans and the club is pretty wide now.
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How does that affect players on the pitch?
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All it does is just add more pressure in every performance.
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I think, yes, we've had an international break, but the three games before that, Celtic massively underperformed
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and fans are looking at what this is going to look like now that we're back to domestic football and European state.
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So there's no getting away from it.
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I think when you take that sort of level of voice and atmosphere away from the stadium, it does impact the players at a time where for me, they really need that support alongside them.
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And just a final one about Rangers.
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I think they'll probably be chomping at the bit, wanting to get back into league action and they could go top tomorrow if things go well for them,
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albeit only for a day but that would be a real boost, wouldn't it?
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Absolutely.
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I know Derek McKinnis had spoken about it.
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They hadn't mentioned it yet, but I think the players within that changing room and the coaching staff will know
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just what that will do for their mentality if they were to go top tomorrow after that deficit.
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They were behind Celtic so early on the season, so that would then put them in really good stead moving forward.
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And again, it just adds more pressure onto Celtic come Sunday.
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Yeah, the Premiership is back.
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There's plenty more on the BBC Sports Scotland website, including all that reaction from the Women's World Cup semi -final playoff.
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Good news so far.
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Scotland leading that one by a goal to nil.
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Caroline Weir doing a skipper's job by getting them in front in that one.
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Lovely stuff, Jane.
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Thank you so much for the updates.
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Now, Ian Rankin, Denise Mina
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and Val McDermott are just a few of the authors who have made their mark on the world -renowned crime genre, which is known as tartan noir
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and now it's the subject of a free online course offered by the university of glasgow
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so what can budding crime novelists expect earlier i spoke to
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the course leader dr craig lamont to ask him it's a massive open online course it's called a mooc
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and several of us in scottish literature at the university designed the course
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and arranged then reviews with the authors and the critics and the experts around the world to talk about tartan noir
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And tell me, why do you think the genre has become so popular?
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It's a great question.
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I think that people just love to associate Scotland with urban settings
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and you've got the unique placement of islands and crime
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and islands and there's some great authors who pretty much use Scotland's unique facets to tease out interesting stories.
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And really, when we talk about tartan noir, we're talking about what people want out of a thriller novel.
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So they use Scotland's characteristics,
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the Scottish psyche, They take on the historical quirks that Scottish literature has given us from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.
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Of course, you've got Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Jekyll and Hyde as well.
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So Scottish authors are very good at being aware of the long history of Scottish crime writing or thrillers, and they've really popularised it.
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Tell me, in your view, what makes the perfect tartan noir novel or the perfect tartan tale, if you would like?
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The perfect tartan tale, that's a great question.
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I personally love the unreliable narrator so plenty of authors in Scotland are aware
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that within Scottish literature there's a there's a trick
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which is almost like the narrator of the story
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and I'm not saying
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that other nations don't do this I just think we're the
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we're the best at it they sort of take you down
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the wrong path you know it's the class it's not just the classic whodunit
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but it's the idea that the narrator isn't exactly reliable
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and often Scottish authors play around with that and they draw you in
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and just lastly then tell me who is this course for
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and what are you hoping
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that they take away from it essentially it's for all it's
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an introductory course I mean all our Scottish Studies online courses
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are for anyone who who wants to do it that's why they're free that's why they're always open
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and we hope that people with an interest in and crime rating
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and writing in general want to take the course I mean
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any library in Scotland any Scottish town seems to have a
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massive crime shelves you know the The section's always the biggest one, I think.
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And so I think we're trying to capture a new audience, a new readership.
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And one of the things the course does that's unique is the authors who feature on it, who we interview, are giving advice for budding crime writers
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because there's a new generation of them that are winning awards at festivals and they're coming through the ranks.
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And I think that there's always people who want to try their hand at crime writing.
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So our authors, including Louise Welsh and Chris Brookmeyer, who feature on the course, they actually are trying to encourage people don't be afraid of trying to write here's some tips
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and advice don't worry about the perfect time to write
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which is one of my favorite pieces of advice generally and
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so there's opportunities and real encouragement for people to take the course learn about the genre
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and then try it themselves so i hope people can do
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that okay dr craig lamont thank you so much for joining us
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and we wish you the very best of luck thank you
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and finally tonight it's been around for the best part of two centuries
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and organizers of the royal national mod are predicting this will
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be a record -breaking year in terms of people taking part the annual celebration of scots gaelic culture language
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and history starts today in glasgow bringing together thousands of acts
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and spectators from right across the country our reporter annabel mcclennan
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has been speaking to some of those involved we're going to be very very busy there's no doubt about
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that this is the largest mod there's ever been.
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We've got over 10 ,000 people expected in Glasgow and over 2 ,000 of those are competing.
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We've also got loads of different events going on as well as the competitions.
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We've got quite a number of caleys and fun things going on.
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We've got a lot going on around the arts as well as singing and just speaking parts.
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Well tonight's concert is all about the celebration of over 40 years of Gaelic medium education in Glasgow
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and what done is we've pulled together a huge amount of children
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that have either gone through Gaelic medium or are still going through Gaelic medium and they will be participating tonight.
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There's over 200 odd singers expected,
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there's pipers, then there's an orchestra and all the children there have gone through this form of education in Glasgow.
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I'm gonna be singing with the Falkirk Junior Gallock Choir
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and Stirling Choir and I'm going to be competing in the gold medal.
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I'm very excited about it.
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It's a lot to learn but it'll be very fun and I like being busy.
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It looks like it's going to be really really good with loads and loads of performers and people.
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It looks very, very cool.
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Listen, I'm very excited about hosting tonight.
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It's great to be on the stage with my My cousin, Carrie, who will be hosting it with us.
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It's a real family affair.
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And it's brilliant, you know, to see Gaelic thrive in the city
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and to celebrate 40 years of Sir John Maxwell at the beginning to Hill Park and now, of course, at the Glasgow Gaelic School.
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It's brilliant to see that explosion of the language in the city.
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Well, it looks brilliant, doesn't it?
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OK, let's take a look at the weather forecaster for you now.
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And Gillian, I had the pleasure of being out and about in some torrential rain earlier.
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Yeah, for the job, but it looks like it's been quite a mixed bag today.
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Yeah, the weather couldn't make up its mind today, Sarah.
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Sunshine, showers, more of that tomorrow, but a much drier day to come on Sunday.
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We had some really heavy downpours around today.
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Big one brewing over Kilmacomb earlier here.
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And blustery winds as well, a beautiful but blustery Murray coast.
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But of course, sunshine and showers, perfect rainbow weather.
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And we've had some beauties coming in from our weather watchers.
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What about the weekend then?
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Well, if we take a look at the pressure chart, you can see that for tomorrow, We still have low pressure close by, still gusty winds, plenty showers.
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Then a ridge of high pressure brings something drier for Sunday.
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And into next week, Atlantic -driven weather means it's pretty changeable with rain and brisk winds at times.
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But this is how we'll start things tomorrow morning.
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Some bells of sunshine along with a scattering of showers.
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I think for southern Scotland, parts of the central belt and the east, that's where you'll see the best of the drier weather.
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Main focus of those showers will be in the west and the northwest, some of them heavy coming in on still strong winds,
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still a risk of gales in exposed western coastal parts at first.
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Though for the Northern Isles, that's the centre of that area of low pressure and winds lighter than they were today.
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But through the day, we'll continue to see showers feeding in on those brisk northwesterly winds, those winds making for quite a cool feel.
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Temperatures 10 to 13 Celsius for most of us.
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Again, the best of the sunshine likely to be in southern parts.
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But here's that ridge of high pressure as we head into Sunday.
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It makes for a cool start to the day, but plenty of dry and bright weather.
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So we'll start still with a scattering of showers for southwestern coasts, as well as the Western Isles, the North Highlands, the Northern Isles, and the Banff and Buckingham coasts and pockets of mist as well.
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All of that will clear, though, and the emphasis on Sunday.
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Plenty dry and bright weather with some decent sunny spells.
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And temperature -wise, still only about the seasonal average, 11 to 14 Celsius.
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But take those strong winds out of the equation, and it will be, I think, a much better feeling day.
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For Monday, it's milder because the wind moves into the south.
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You can see we have lots of cloud and we'll have patchy rain pushing northeastwards across the country, especially in the morning.
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The afternoon brings something drier and there will be a few sunny breaks, especially to the north of high ground, so over the North Highlands, the northeast, and you can see temperatures slightly up,
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reaching 15 or 16 Celsius, quite heady heights.
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Heading into the rest of the week and it is unsettled.
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We have low pressure close by for much of the time showers, some longer spells of rain and those winds really will be a feature through next week, so stay tuned to the forecast Sarah.
385
Lovely stuff Gillian thank you so much for all of that and just an update for you at home, Scotland's women have gone 2 -0 up against the Czech Republic
386
that was the first goal for Claire Emsley since becoming a mum and that's all from us here tonight, enjoy your weekend bye bye
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “091026 BBC Reporting Scotland, News at Seven”. This video has 386 sentences and 5214 words to shadow. The speech runs for 28:49. The speaker talks fast, about 181 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tartan noun | /ˈtɑɹtn̩/ | Woven woollen fabric with a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles originally associated with Scottish Highlanders, now with… |
| noir noun | /ˈnwɑɹ/ | Film noir. |
| maternity noun | /məˈtɜɹnəti/ | The state of being a mother; motherhood. |
| workforce noun | /ˈwɝk.foɹs/ | All the workers employed by a specific organization or state, or on a specific project. |
| midwife noun | /ˈmɪd.waɪf/ | A person, usually a woman, who is trained to assist women in childbirth, but who is not a physician. |
| sunshine noun | /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ | The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun. |
| premiership noun | The office of a premier or prime minister. | |
| narrator noun | /ˈnæˌɹeɪ.təɹ/ | One who narrates or tells stories. |
| optimistic adjective | /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/ | Expecting the best in all possible ways. |
| playoff noun | A final game in a series needed to break a tie. | |
| genre noun | /ˈ(d)ʒɑnɹə/ | A kind; a stylistic category or sort, especially of literature or other artworks. |
| blustery adjective | /ˈblʌstəɹi/ | Blowing in loud and abrupt bursts. |
| brisk adjective | /bɹɪsk/ | Full of liveliness and activity; characterized by quickness of motion or action. |
| curfew noun | /ˈkɝ.fju/ | Any regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time. |
| gloom noun | /ɡlum/ | Darkness, dimness, or obscurity. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. | |
| carry out verb | /ˈkæ.ɹi aʊt/ | To hold while moving it out. |
| move forward verb | To cause to make progress. | |
| bring together verb | To cause people to do something together; to bring about togetherness. | |
| come out with verb | To say (something) unexpectedly. | |
| come through verb | To come into a room or other space through a door or passageway. | |
| cut off verb | /ˌkʌt ˈɔf/ [ˌkɐɾ ˈɔf] | To remove by cutting. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Optimistic, always optimistic because we're encouraged.
- I'm not interested in that.
- It doesn't sit right with either of us.
- We've got a really high sense of justice.
- Is that what you'd quite like to see from him as well?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if they haven't said it, they would have · if he couldn't have her, then nobody would |
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | they've been underperforming · has been speaking |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't lost · has been given · has ruled |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | had been emailed · has been given · was ordered |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 115 contractions and reduced forms, such as we've, we'll, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: aftermath /ˈæf.tɚˌmæθ/, thriller /ˈθɹɪ.lə/, northeast /noːˈθɪjst/, northwest /nɔɹθˈwɛst/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/, genre /ˈ(d)ʒɑnɹə/, supervision /ˌs(j)uːpəˈvɪʒən/, disclosure /dɪsˈkləʊʒə(ɹ)/, equation /ɪˈkweɪ.ʒən/
- Long words — get the stress right: maternity /məˈtɜɹnəti/, optimistic /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/, notorious /nə(ʊ)ˈtɔː.ɹɪ.əs/, mentality /mɛnˈtæləti/, encouragement [ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]
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 tartan, noir, maternity.
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.