Shadowing Practice: A2 English Listening Practice - High School - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hey everybody!
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Welcome to this A2 English Listening Practice video.
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You can use this video to practice your listening and comprehension as I speak.
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Before we start, remember to subscribe to the channel,
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click on the bell, and follow us on Instagram.
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You ready?
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So today, I'm going to talk about high school.
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I think this is an interesting topic to discuss because high school is different in different countries.
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In today's video, we'll focus on high school in America.
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First, let's talk a little bit about the structure of high school in America.
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Most high schools in the country include 9th,
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10th, 11th, and 12th grade.
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Before students start high school,
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they attend elementary school first and then middle school second.
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High school is like the third level of education.
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So let me teach you some important words we use to label each year of high school.
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People in their first year of high school,
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ninth grade, are called freshmen.
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People in 10th grade are called sophomores.
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11th graders are called juniors and 12th graders are called seniors.
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These words are important to learn because this is how native speakers refer to different years of high school.
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So, during each school year,
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there are two separate semesters.
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Normally, the first semester lasts from the end of summer to the beginning of winter.
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Then the second semester starts at the beginning of the new year and continues on until the end of spring.
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In the traditional school system,
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students have a long summer vacation at the end of the school year.
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However, nowadays many schools have a year-round schedule.
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In this system, the summer break is shorter,
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but the other vacations like winter break and spring break are longer.
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A lot of students prefer this system
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because they would rather have more vacation time throughout the year instead of a really long summer break.
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So during each semester, most students have around six different classes for six different subjects.
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In general, most students take the same or similar classes.
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However, some students take advanced level classes.
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We usually call these AP classes.
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I had a few AP classes during my time in high school and they were definitely more difficult than the regular classes.
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I think the normal high school classes in the US aren't that hard.
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Many of my students who live in other countries tell me
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that their high school classes were hard and required a lot of work.
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How about your high school classes?
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Were they hard?
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Another important topic to talk about is the quality of the teachers.
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In my experience, some public school teachers are good and some are bad.
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Honestly, I don't think I had a lot of good teachers.
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Most of them were average or bad.
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In private school, the quality of the teachers is usually better.
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This is probably the situation in most countries, not just the US.
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One question that many people ask me is about which foreign languages American students study in high school.
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Well, in the US, most students get to choose which language they want to study.
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The majority of the students choose Spanish because it's the most useful foreign language for most Americans.
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There are usually more Spanish teachers in classes than any other language.
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The second most popular language that students choose is French,
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and the third language is probably Italian.
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I studied Spanish in high school because I thought it would be the easiest language to learn.
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Okay, lastly, let's talk about the importance of high school in America.
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Students need to do well in high school if they want to go to a good college.
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They need to get good grades and they need to do well on the SAT.
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The SAT is the exam that high school students take if they want to go to college.
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Students can take this test multiple times to try to get a good score.
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I only took the SAT once and I didn't study for it.
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I didn't really care about going to a good college.
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Alright, now I'm gonna ask you three questions about today's video to check your comprehension.
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Number one, in the US,
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what do we call people who are in ninth grade?
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Number two, what are AP classes?
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Number three, what are the three most common languages that American students study?
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Okay, remember to subscribe to the channel,
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click on the bell, and follow us on Instagram for more English tips and lessons.
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I'll see you next time.
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We'll see you next time.

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Context & Background

In this A2 English Listening Practice video, the speaker discusses the intriguing topic of high school in America. This subject can help English learners understand not only the education system but also gain insight into cultural differences regarding school life. The speaker shares personal experiences and observations while introducing specific terminology that students will encounter in American high schools. By focusing on the structure of high school and the language used to describe different grades and classes, learners can improve their listening comprehension and vocabulary, making it a valuable component of their IELTS speaking practice.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors: These terms categorize students by their grade level, which is an essential part of American high school vocabulary.
  • Semester: A crucial term referring to the two main divisions of the school year.
  • AP classes: Advanced Placement classes that are more challenging than regular classes.
  • Summer vacation: The break most students look forward to at the end of the school year.
  • Foreign languages: This phrase opens up discussions about the languages students can choose to study, reflecting cultural diversity.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively learn English with YouTube videos like this one and build your listening and speaking skills, follow this shadowing guide:

  1. Watch Actively: Begin by watching the video without focusing on the transcript. Pay attention to the speaker's intonation, pace, and emphasis on key phrases.
  2. Use the Transcript: After your initial viewing, access the transcript. Read along while listening to the video's audio. This will help you connect spoken and written English.
  3. Shadow Speech: Select short segments of speech from the video. Pause after each sentence or phrase, and try to repeat it exactly as the speaker does. This is a crucial step in developing your speaking skills.
  4. Practice Regularly: Incorporate this exercise into your daily practice, using not just this video but also others you find on the shadowing site. Repetition will deepen your familiarity with common phrases.
  5. Reflect and Engage: Think about the content discussed and how it applies to your experiences. Engage in conversations or write down your thoughts about high school, using the vocabulary you've learned.

With dedication to this step-by-step approach and by embracing techniques such as shadowspeaks, you can significantly enhance your English speaking abilities. Continuous practice will not only help in standard tests like IELTS but also make everyday communication more natural and effective for you.

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.

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