Shadowing Practice: Are you flourishing? ⏲️ 6 Minute English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com Hello,
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6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com Hello,
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this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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I'm Phil.
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And I'm Georgie.
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Now, you probably know the word well-being.
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It's a general feeling of health and happiness.
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But have you ever heard of flourishing?
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It's an idea which Claudia Hammond has been investigating for BBC Radio 4 programme All In The Mind.
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I wonder if you all feel that you are flourishing in life.
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This is another psychological buzzword with added evidence.
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Now if you've not heard that term before it's not just about well-being it's about your whole life being good.
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Flourishing is a psychological buzzword,
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a word or phrase that has become fashionable and is being used a lot,
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especially on television and in newspapers.
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People who are flourishing feel good about all aspects of their life including happiness,
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health, relationships and financial security.
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Do you feel you're flourishing, Georgie?
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Yeah, I think I'm quite lucky actually.
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I really like my job,
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I have a good family and friends.
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Yeah, everything's going well.
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What about you, Phil?
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I think the same.
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I think I'm happy and I've got everything I need.
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Lovely.
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In this episode, we'll hear about the Global Flourishing Study,
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a new survey into the lives of over 200,000 people in 22 countries.
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We'll learn some useful new words and phrases.
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And remember, you'll find all this episode's vocabulary on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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Yes, but first, Phil, I have a question for you about the Global Flourishing Study.
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In terms of overall flourishing,
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which country do you think came out on top?
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Was it a Indonesia, b Denmark or c Brazil?
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Ooh, I'm going to guess B.
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Denmark, I think.
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OK, Phil.
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Well, we'll find out the correct answer later in the programme.
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Now, the study investigated six areas of life,
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including health, finances, social relationships and religion.
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Let's listen as Claudia Hammond discusses some of the findings with
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psychologist Dr Peter Olosaga for BBC Radio 4's All In The Mind.
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What were the most interesting nuggets there?
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You've been diving into it.
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Some of the sort of headlines were high-income countries,
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so Sweden, the USA for example,
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scored higher on some of the more material aspects of flourishing,
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so things like finance.
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Middle-income countries, so Mexico for example,
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scored more highly on things like meaning of relationships and kindness and social cohesion.
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Claudia asks about the study's most interesting nuggets.
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A nugget means a small piece of something good,
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like wisdom, or precious, like a nugget of gold.
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While richer countries scored higher on material happiness,
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middle-income countries did better in terms of kindness and social connection.
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There were interesting differences between men and women.
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For example, in Japan, women flourished more than men,
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while in Brazil the opposite was true.
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And across all countries, flourishing increased after the age of 50.
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So, does flourishing depend on your nationality?
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Or are there things anyone can do to feel happier wherever they live?
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Let's find out, as Claudia Hammond talks more with Peter Olasaga for BBC Radio 4's All In The Mind.
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So what can any of us do to help ourselves to flourish?
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That's the big question.
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Well there's a few things that we can do and they are supported by research as well.
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So things that are as simple as just practicing gratitude,
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being thankful for what we have is a way of increasing the amount of flourishing we have in our lives,
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showing kindness which helps us to develop connection with other people and just celebrating our own accomplishments.
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I think we've spoken on the program before about savouring.
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Oh yeah we have, savouring those good moments.
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Exactly, just taking the time to really appreciate some of those those small wins.
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Claudia asks the big question.
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In other words, the thing everyone would like to know – how do people flourish?
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There are simple things anyone can do,
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starting with gratitude, feeling thankful and appreciative for what you have.
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Being kind and connecting with others are also indicators of flourishing.
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The study also recommends savouring life.
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To savour means to fully enjoy something by experiencing it slowly and mindfully.
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It involves taking time out to enjoy good moments,
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to stop and smell the roses, as we say.
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This links to the phrase,
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small wins, minor achievements or successes which bring you a little closer to your long-term goals in life.
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There's an old saying – a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
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And savouring each small win along the way is vital to flourishing.
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Flourishing seems to be a big new idea – in some countries at least – which reminds me of your question, Georgie.
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Phil, I asked you in the Global Flourishing Study which country came out on top?
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And the options were Indonesia, Denmark or Brazil.
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And I said Denmark.
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Which, Phil, I'm afraid that is the wrong answer.
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The correct answer is Indonesia.
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OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned,
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starting with buzzword, a word or expression on a certain topic that has become fashionable and much used.
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A nugget is a small piece of something good or precious,
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such as a nugget of gold or a nugget of wisdom.
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The big question is the thing everyone would like to know.
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Gratitude means being thankful for what you have.
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If you savour something, you enjoy something as much as possible by experiencing it slowly.
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And finally, small wins are minor successes which contribute to a larger life goal.
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Once again, our six minutes are up.
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But if you want ways to help your English flourish,
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try the quiz and worksheet for this episode,
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available now on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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Goodbye for now.
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Goodbye!

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Context & Background

In this enlightening episode of "6 Minute English," Phil and Georgie explore the concept of flourishing, a term that extends beyond mere well-being to encompass a rich, fulfilling life. The discussion is grounded in insights from the Global Flourishing Study, which surveys over 200,000 individuals across 22 countries, investigating aspects such as health, relationships, and financial security. This engaging dialogue not only informs listeners about their own chances of flourishing but also emphasizes the psychological and social factors contributing to overall life satisfaction.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Flourishing: A state where one experiences a fulfilling and happy life.
  • Buzzword: A popular phrase or term often used in discussions or media.
  • Meaningful relationships: Connections with others that are significant and fulfilling.
  • Social cohesion: The bonds that bring society together, fostering unity.
  • Nuggets of information: Valuable insights or pieces of knowledge.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Utilizing the shadowing technique is an excellent way to improve English pronunciation and boost your speaking skills. Here is a structured approach to shadowing this episode:

  1. Listen Carefully: Play the video or audio of the episode and listen attentively to Phil and Georgie's conversation. Focus on their intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation.
  2. Break It Down: Segment the audio into smaller parts. This makes it easier to shadow each phrase without feeling overwhelmed. Pause after each sentence or phrase.
  3. Practice with a Shadowing App: Use a shadowing app to record yourself repeating the phrases. This will help you monitor your pronunciation and adjust as needed.
  4. Repeat: Listen to your recordings and compare them with the original audio. Notice any discrepancies in pronunciation or rhythm and practice until you feel confident.
  5. Engage with the Content: After practicing, discuss the episode's themes or key phrases with a language partner or tutor. This will reinforce your learning and help solidify your conversational skills.

By implementing these steps, you'll harness the power of shadow speech to elevate your English-speaking abilities, making conversations about flourishing and well-being more meaningful and involved.

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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