Shadowing Practice: 200 Years, Countless Stories | Haben Girma ’13 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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50 sentences
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1
I was born deaf-blind, so growing up I've experienced many access barriers.
2
Organizations that say, sorry, we can't help people with disabilities.
3
It's really important to know that we have options, we have civil rights.
4
It's important to build up advocacy skills.
5
That's why I decided to become a disability rights lawyer and help make a world more inclusive.
6
There's this idea that blind and deafblind individuals live in darkness and their lives are full of fear.
7
That's absolute nonsense.
8
There are alternative ways to access information, And knowledge gained through touch is equal to knowledge gained through sight,
9
sound, or other means.
10
I've gone surfing several times in San Diego.
11
It's a lot of fun to feel the power of the waves
12
and to challenge yourself to balance on a surfboard on a powerful ocean.
13
When I started at Harvard Law School, we didn't have other deaf-blind former graduates who we could turn to and say,
14
how did you do contracts class?
15
How did you do your internships?
16
So we We used interpreters who used voice transliteration, we used assistive listening devices,
17
we used braille displays and keyboards.
18
I brainstormed all the different types of communication systems I could use, from sign language to print on palm,
19
and I discovered that keyboard and braille display would be the most inclusive.
20
I always carry it in my purse.
21
If I don't have it out at the moment, someone can touch my arm and I can get it out and we can have a conversation.
22
Maxine, can you sit up for a portrait?
23
I had a guide dog, Maxine, to guide me around the Maxine did did not like the Boston winters,
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so there were some times
25
when it was better for me to use a key than to torture her and take her through the snow.
26
Disability never holds anyone back.
27
Disability is not something that people need to overcome.
28
The barriers that exist are created by society.
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And it's up to every single one of us to work together to remove those barriers.
30
Technology creates opportunities for people with disabilities to have greater access.
31
A lot of people are building services without thinking about inclusion for people with disabilities.
32
We don't want separate services.
33
We want one mainstream service that everyone can use.
34
During my last year at Harvard Law School, President Obama recognized me as a White House Champion of Change.
35
Then two years later, I introduced President Obama at the 21st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
36
That was a huge honor.
37
He had a wonderful sense of humor and he let me tease him about his taping.
38
A lot of people think it would be very, very difficult for a deaf-blind person to learn to surf.
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But I did it.
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I learned.
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And that's because a school chose to be inclusive.
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I found a surfing school in San Diego that welcomed me and taught me how to surf.
43
A lot of our schools in America are non-inclusive.
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It's going to take a lot of work to change that.
45
Law is constantly evolving.
46
New cases come up regarding disability.
47
And I read up, stay informed, I travel around the world, I meet new people all the time.
48
I learn about different kinds of access barriers.
49
The experiences of people in Beijing with disabilities are different than the experiences of people in Houston with disabilities.
50
Every opportunity is a learning opportunity, so I continue to learn and grow.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 50 sentences and 585 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:45. The speaker talks at a steady 123 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| disability noun | /dɪsəˈbɪlɪti/ | A condition characterised by a significant limitation in a person's physical or intellectual powers or ability. |
| barrier noun | /ˈbæɹi.ə/ | A structure that bars passage. |
| inclusive adjective | /ɪnˈkluːsɪv/ | Including (almost) everything within its scope. |
| surf verb | /sɝf/ | To ride a wave on a surfboard; to pursue or take part in the sport of surfing. |
| deaf adjective | /diːf/ | Unable (or partially able) to hear. |
| keyboard noun | /ˈki.bɔɹd/ | A set of keys laid out in a gridlike pattern, used for typing on a typewriter, computer, etc. |
| tape noun | /teɪ̯p/ | Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| discover verb | /dɪˈskʌvə/ | To find or learn something for the first time. |
| introduce verb | /ˌɪntɹəˈdus/ | To cause (someone) to be acquainted (with someone else). |
| darkness noun | /ˈdɑɹk.nɪs/ | The state of being dark; lack of light; the absolute or comparative absence of light. |
| overcome verb | /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/ | To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of. |
| mainstream adjective | /ˈmeɪn.stɹiːm/ | Used or accepted broadly rather than by small portions of population, market, scientific community, etc. |
| palm noun | /pɑm/ | The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand or other primate hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers. |
| portrait noun | /ˈpɔɹtɹət/ | A painting or other picture of a person, especially the head and shoulders. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| read up adjective | Of an individual, well-versed or informed in a particular subject. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've experienced · I've gone |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was born · are created |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I've, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: inclusion /ɪnˈkluːʒən/, internship /ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp/, transliteration /ˌtɹænzlɪtəˈɹeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: disability /dɪsəˈbɪlɪti/, advocacy /ˈæd.və.kə.si/, interpreter /ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪ.tɚ/, transliteration /ˌtɹænzlɪtəˈɹeɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like disability, barrier, inclusive.
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.