Shadowing Practice: Amazon Launches Shopping Website in India - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
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25 sentences
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From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
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The world's largest online retail company,
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Amazon, has launched its first shopping website in India.
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The Amazon website in India offers 7 million books and 12,000 movies and television programs.
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It will soon add more products such as cameras and mobile phones.
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The American company will not sell its own products in India.
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American law does not permit companies that sell goods from more than one manufacturer to sell directly to people on the Internet.
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Instead, the Amazon website serves as a marketplace for local businesses.
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Last year, Amazon launched a site in India which let users compare prices online,
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but not purchase products.
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Shibori Das is with the market research company Euromonitor.
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She says Amazon is entering a market where online shopping is still new,
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but is expected to grow quickly.
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She says India is expected to be among the 20 fastest growing internet retailing markets in the world.
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Online businesses are interested in India's huge, young population.
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But only about 12% of Indians have a connection to the Internet.
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That is far fewer than in countries like China.
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Still, there are 150 million Internet users in India,
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making its market the third largest in the world,
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and it is expected to grow quickly as more people get connected.
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At this time, the path to big profits may not be easy for online retail businesses.
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Online retail is currently valued at $10 billion,
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but a large amount of that is for air travel.
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Now competition to provide retail goods should increase with the entry of Amazon into the market.
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For VOA Learning English, I'm Laurel Bowman.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will enhance your English listening and speaking skills through a detailed examination of a significant event: the launch of Amazon’s shopping website in India. You will practice key vocabulary and phrases, while focusing on improving your English pronunciation. This lesson provides a rich context for understanding online shopping trends and market dynamics in India, which will not only expand your vocabulary but also give you insights into global commerce.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Marketplace - A platform where various vendors offer their products for sale, especially online.
  • Internet retailing - Selling products and services directly to consumers over the Internet.
  • Fastest growing - Describes markets or sectors that are expanding rapidly.
  • Young population - Refers to a demographic with a high proportion of individuals within a younger age group.
  • Connection to the Internet - Access and links to the vast online world of information and services.
  • Online shopping - The act of purchasing goods or services via the Internet.
  • Competition - Rivalry among businesses to attract customers and increase sales.

Practice Tips

To improve your English pronunciation and speaking skills, try the following tips while watching the video:

  • Shadowing: Listen to the video and repeat what you hear. This technique, known as shadowspeak, helps you mimic the speaker's tone and rhythm.
  • Slow it down: Use playback speed settings to slow down the video. This can make it easier to catch each word and improve your clarity in speech.
  • Pause and repeat: After significant phrases or sentences, pause the video and repeat the same phrase. This builds muscle memory in your speech patterns.
  • Note-taking: Write down phrases that you find challenging or interesting. Use these for targeted practice to enhance your vocabulary. This will make your future shadowspeaks richer.
  • Engage with the content: Discuss the video’s topic with others or write a summary. This not only reinforces your speaking skills but also helps you learn English with YouTube content effectively.

By focusing on these techniques, you can develop your speaking proficiency and gain more confidence in using the English language in real-world contexts.

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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