Shadowing Practice: Bài 7 - Học 1 Nghìn Từ Vựng - Learn English Speaking with Video
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This is 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.
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Hello, I'm Rob.
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Welcome to 6 Minute English.
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I'm joined today by Finn.
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Hello, Finn.
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Hello, Rob.
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Or should I say 你好, Rob?
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Oh, your Chinese is very impressive, Finn.
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But I wonder how many more Chinese words you know.
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A thousand, perhaps?
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Oh,不一定吧,我只会一点点,其实不是很多啦。 You're just showing off now, aren't you?
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Not being able to speak a foreign language is a bit of a British trait or a particular British characteristic.
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We're not very good at it, although Finn is an exception.
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He can speak many foreign languages, can't you?
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Well, not that many.
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A bit of German, some French, Polish a little, Chinese of course, Hokkien, a bit of Japanese.
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I'm impressed.
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I'm very impressed, Finn.
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Thank you.
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Well now the rest of us Brits are being encouraged to learn at least a thousand words of another language.
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We'll talk more about that soon but before I start learning my new words, how about a question, Finn?
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Très bien!
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Do you know which is the second most spoken language in England?
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Is it A.
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Polish, B.
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Urdu or C.
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French?
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I think I know this one, Rob.
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I'm going to say A.
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Polish.
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OK.
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Well, as always, I'll let you know the answer at the end of the programme.
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So as I mentioned, the British are generally considered to be lazy linguists.
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They just don't bother to learn another language.
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I guess the main reason is that when British people travel around the world, they find that English is spoken almost everywhere.
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So they get by.
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They survive on just using their native language.
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And I think in the past, the education system was to blame.
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Learning a foreign language was not compulsory.
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It didn't have to be studied.
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When I went to school, we didn't have to study languages to exam level.
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So I took the easy option and studied photography instead of French.
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But of course I regret it now.
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But that wasn't the same for you, was it Finn?
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Well, at first I didn't really like it, but you know, I love words and then one day I discovered the Chinese language and I thought,
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wow, this is fascinating and it's a key to a whole new culture.
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Well, recently a campaign was launched for those of us who didn't share your enthusiasm
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or have the opportunity to learn another language.
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The 1,000 words campaign is encouraging everyone in the UK to learn at least 1,000 words of another language.
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It hopes to help Britain increase international trade.
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And the group says that a vocabulary of 1,000 words would allow a speaker to hold a simple conversation.
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Sounds like a good idea.
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Ah, si.
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Let's hear from the former England footballer and TV presenter, Gary Lineker, who's supporting the campaign.
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Can you hear what three things he says learning another language gives you?
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I think it gives you self-satisfaction and self-esteem if you can speak another language when you're travelling.
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I think it also gives you an edge in a lot of different areas in the workplace, not just football.
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So, Gary Lineker says there are three things it gives you.
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It gives you self-satisfaction, firstly.
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He means you feel good about learning a new skill.
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but it can have a negative meaning, self-satisfaction, that you're smug or pleased with yourself.
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I don't think he means that here, though.
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Yes.
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He also says it improves self-esteem, so you feel good about yourself and it boosts your confidence.
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Imagine going on holiday to Spain and being able to converse with or speak to the locals.
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Mmm, feels good.
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And he also mentioned the economic benefits of speaking another language.
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It gives you the edge in the workplace.
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That means it gives you an advantage, especially if you're dealing with foreign companies.
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And it also shows politeness and respect for other people by showing that you've made an effort.
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It's something another footballer, Gareth Bale, has tried to do.
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Last year he signed for Real Madrid, so he tried to master, or to be very good at, speaking Spanish so he could talk to his fans.
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This is how he got on.
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Hola, es un sueño para mi jugar para Real Madrid.
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Gracias.
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Muy bien.
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Impressive.
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Impressive, yes.
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I think he was saying it was his dream to play for Real Madrid.
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Rob, your Spanish is very impressive too there.
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But for Gareth Bale, speaking Spanish will help him fit in.
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Perhaps make him more accepted by his team-mate and his fans.
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But Finn, I have got a dilemma here.
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OK.
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There are so many languages in the world to learn.
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Which one should I learn first?
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Maybe you could start with the UK's second most spoken language?
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That's the question I posed you earlier.
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What is Britain's second most spoken language?
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And I said Polish.
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And of course...
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Jensik Polsky.
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Yes, of course you're right.
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According to the 2011 census, it is Polish.
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The census also found out that over 104 different languages are spoken in the UK.
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Before we go, could you remind us of some of the English words that we've heard today?
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Yes, we heard.
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Trait.
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Linguists.
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Native language.
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To get by.
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Compulsory.
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Self-esteem.
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To converse with.
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To give you the edge. To master.
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To fit in.
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Danke schön, Finn.
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Ja, bitte schön.
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OK, well that's it for this programme.
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Please join us again soon for 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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Bye!
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That was 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Bài 7 - Học 1 Nghìn Từ Vựng”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: language, Finn, words, English, learn. This video has 112 sentences and 927 words to shadow. The speech runs for 6:07. The speaker talks at a natural 152 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| esteem verb | /ɪˈstiːm/ | To set a high value on; to regard with respect or reverence. |
| satisfaction noun | /sætɪsˈfækʃən/ | A fulfilment of a need or desire. |
| converse verb | /kənˈvɝs/ | To talk; to engage in conversation. |
| linguist noun | /ˈlɪŋɡwɪst/ | One who studies linguistics. |
| trait noun | /tɹeɪt/ | An identifying characteristic, habit or trend. |
| footballer noun | /ˈfʊtbɔːlə/ | One who plays association football. |
| compulsory adjective | /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/ | Required; obligatory; mandatory. |
| impress verb | /ɪmˈpɹɛs/ | To affect (someone) strongly and often favourably. |
| paragraph noun | /ˈpæɹəɡɹæf/ | A passage in text that starts on a new line, the first line sometimes being indented, and usually marks a change of topic. |
| workplace noun | /ˈwɝkˌpleɪs/ | The place where someone works. |
| census noun | /ˈsɛnsəs/ | An official count or enumeration of members of a population (not necessarily human), usually residents or citizens in a particular region, often done at… |
| fascinate verb | /ˈfæsɪneɪt/ | To evoke an intense interest or attraction in someone. |
| gracias | /ˈɡɹɑ.si.əs/ | Thank you. |
| politeness noun | /pəˈlaɪtnəs/ | The quality of being polite. |
| firstly adverb | /ˈfɜɹstli/ | In the first place; before anything else; first. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| show off verb | To exhibit the best attributes of something. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- He can speak many foreign languages, can't you?
- I don't think he means that here, though.
- Which one should I learn first?
- That's the question I posed you earlier.
- Yes, of course you're right.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being encouraged · is spoken · be studied |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've made · has tried · we've heard |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should I say · should I learn |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | You're just showing · are being · you're travelling |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 24 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: satisfaction /sætɪsˈfækʃən/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: satisfaction /sætɪsˈfækʃən/, compulsory /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, characteristic /ˌkæɹ(ə)ktəˈɹɪstɪk/, enthusiasm /ɪnˈθuziæzəm/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like esteem, satisfaction, converse.
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.