Shadowing Practice: B1 English Listening Practice - Doctors - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hey everybody, welcome to this B1 English listening practice video.
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Hey everybody, welcome to this B1 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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You ready?
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So today, I'm going to talk about doctor's appointments.
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This is not one of my favorite topics because honestly,
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I hate going to the doctor.
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I'm sure some of you can sympathize with me on this one.
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Every time I have to go to the doctor,
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I get nervous, anxious, and I just can't wait until everything's over.
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But that said, let's talk a little bit about the process of going to the doctor in the US.
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So first of all, it's important to talk about health insurance.
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In the US, most people have health insurance because without it,
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the cost of getting medical treatment can be astronomical.
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But there's still a problem here because the insurance itself also costs a lot of money.
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If you're single and you're just insuring yourself,
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the average cost per month is well over $300.
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However, if you're insuring your whole family,
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the average cost is over $800 per month.
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And even though you pay this huge amount of money for your monthly premium,
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you still have to pay more money when you actually go to the doctor's office.
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It's crazy, I know.
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You might be thinking, why do people pay this much money?
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Why don't they just not get health insurance?
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Well if you don't go to the doctor much and you don't need any major operations,
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that would be fine.
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But if something major happens to you or you get in an accident,
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you're going to pay thousands and thousands of dollars to get treatment if you don't have insurance.
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So really, in my opinion,
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the main point of having insurance in the US is to make sure you're covered for any major unexpected events.
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So now let's talk about the doctor's office.
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When you go to a new doctor for the first time,
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the receptionist usually makes you fill out a long form with all your past medical history.
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If you're a returning patient though,
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you don't need to do this.
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So before you see the doctor,
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you've got to go with the nurse to measure your height,
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weight, and blood pressure.
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Since I get nervous at the doctor's office,
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my blood pressure reading is usually high when they take it,
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so it always appears to them that I have high blood pressure.
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After they take your measurements and everything,
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they leave you in the room alone and you have to wait for the doctor to come.
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Then you usually get about a 15 minute consultation with the doctor and hopefully it's productive.
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But of course I've had many appointments in my life that I felt were unproductive or rushed.
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It really depends on where you go and which doctor you get.
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So lastly, the doctor writes you a prescription if you need one and you pick up your medication at the pharmacy.
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Also, if you need to see a specialist,
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the doctor refers you to one,
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and then you set up that appointment when you can.
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Aside from all this, we also have private practice doctors that have their own offices outside of this general system.
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They're usually much more flexible and can offer better care,
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but their resources are more limited.
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Okay that's all for today.
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Leave a comment and tell me how much a doctor's appointment costs in your country.
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I'll see you next time.
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Thank you.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with this B1 English listening practice video serves as an excellent opportunity for learners to enhance their english speaking practice. The speaker discusses the often-unpleasant experience of going to the doctor, making it relatable and approachable for many. By participating in this listening exercise, you not only improve your comprehension skills but also learn to articulate similar thoughts about doctor's appointments in English. This context helps to foster a conversational tone, which is essential for effective communication, especially in challenging situations such as medical appointments.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, several key grammatical structures and expressions can be highlighted:

  • Conditional Sentences: The speaker mentions, "If you don't go to the doctor much, that would be fine." This is a good example of the first conditional used for real situations.
  • Descriptive Language: Phrases like "huge amount of money" and "astronomical costs" effectively communicate the speaker's feelings about health insurance, adding emotional depth.
  • Present Simple Tense: Regular use of the present simple, such as "The doctor writes you a prescription," illustrates how to describe habitual actions and processes.
  • Modal Verbs: The use of "might" in "you might be thinking" helps express possibility, enhancing conversation flow and encouraging listeners to engage with the ideas presented.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While listening and repeating the phrases in this video, pay special attention to these potentially tricky words and accents:

  • Astronomical: This word can trip up learners due to its length and the 'str' consonant cluster. Focus on breaking it into syllables: as-tro-nom-i-cal.
  • Insurance: The 'u' in the first syllable can be mispronounced. Aim for a clear "in-SHUR-ance" pronunciation.
  • Prescription: Many learners stumble over this word due to its rhythm. Practice pronouncing it as pre-SCRIPT-ion, emphasizing the second syllable.

Engaging with this video will not only help you improve your english pronunciation but also provides a rich context for practicing IELTS speaking practice. Use the techniques learned here to learn english with youtube, and remember to shadow speak along with the video for maximum benefit!

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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