Shadowing Practice: Animation on the Council configurations - Learn English Speaking with Video
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20 sentences
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What are the Council configurations?
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To make decisions in different policy areas, the Council meets in specialised meetings known as Council configurations.
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Each configuration is made up of Ministers from the Member States.
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It is the Ministers who vote on behalf of their national government.
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Each configuration deals with specific issues.
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For example, Economic and Finance Ministers meet to discuss financial affairs and ministers of justice discuss justice issues.
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In total, the Council of the EU meets in ten different configurations.
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There is no hierarchy among Council configurations.
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However, the General Affairs Council and the Foreign Affairs Council have specific roles defined in the EU treaties.
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Meetings of each configuration take place regularly.
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Some meet every month, some three to four times a year and some on an ad hoc basis.
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Over 150 preparatory bodies prepare the ground for the meetings.
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Meetings are chaired by the Minister from the Member State holding the Council Presidency, with the exception of the Foreign Affairs Council,
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which is chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
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At their meetings, Ministers work together to find common solutions on issues of shared interest.
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The Council takes decisions using simple majority, qualified majority or unanimity voting.
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When discussing or voting on a legislative proposal, Council meetings are public.
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Meetings are also public when the Council is debating major issues affecting the interests of the EU and its citizens.
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Find out all you want to know about Council configurations and much more on concilium .europa .eu.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Animation on the Council configurations”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Council, configuration, meetings, minister, affairs. This video has 18 sentences and 251 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:53. The speaker talks at a steady 134 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| configuration noun | /kənˌfɪɡ.əˈɹeɪ̯.ʃən/ | The form of a thing, as depending on the relative placement of the parts of a thing's shape. |
| affair noun | /əˈfɛɹ/ | Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public. |
| proposal noun | /pɹəˈpoʊzəl/ | A scheme or design. |
| behalf noun | /bɪˈhæf/ | The interest, benefit, or wellbeing of someone or something. |
| citizen noun | /ˈsɪtɪzən/ | A resident of a city or town, especially one with legally recognized rights or duties. |
| exception noun | /əkˈsɛpʃən/ | The act of excepting or excluding; exclusion; restriction by taking out something which would otherwise be included, as in a class, statement, rule. |
| legislative adjective | /ˈlɛd͡ʒ.ɪ.slə.tɪv/ | Making, or having the power to make, a law or laws; lawmaking. |
| define verb | /dɪˈfaɪn/ | To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly. |
| treaty noun | /ˈtɹiti/ | A formal binding agreement concluded by subjects of international law, namely, states and international organizations; a convention, a pact. |
| qualify verb | /ˈkwɑ.lɪ.faɪ/ | To describe or characterize something by listing its qualities. |
| presidency noun | /ˈpɹɛzɪdənsi/ | The office or role of president. |
| specialized adjective | Highly skilled in, or specifically adapted to, a specific field. | |
| hierarchy noun | /ˈhaɪ.ə.ɹɑː(ɹ).ki/ | A body of authoritative officials organized in nested ranks. |
| preparatory adjective | /ˈpɹɛp(ə)ɹətɔɹi/ | Of or pertaining to preparation, having the purpose of making something or someone ready, preparative. |
| unanimity noun | /ˌjuːnəˈnɪmɪti/ | The condition of agreement by all parties, the state of being unanimous. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: configuration /kənˌfɪɡ.əˈɹeɪ̯.ʃən/, exception /əkˈsɛpʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: configuration /kənˌfɪɡ.əˈɹeɪ̯.ʃən/, legislative /ˈlɛd͡ʒ.ɪ.slə.tɪv/, presidency /ˈpɹɛzɪdənsi/, hierarchy /ˈhaɪ.ə.ɹɑː(ɹ).ki/, preparatory /ˈpɹɛp(ə)ɹətɔɹi/
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 configuration, affair, proposal.
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.