Shadowing Practice: Class Presentation: Should the Voting Age Be Sixteen? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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34 sentences
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1
Okay, everyone, let's settle down, please.
2
Maya's up first today. Maya, whenever you're ready!
3
Um, thanks, Mr. Brooks. Okay... here goes.
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So, today I'm going to talk about the voting age.
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Here's my question: should sixteen-year-olds be allowed to vote?
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Wait, seriously? Like, in real elections?
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Yes, really! And it's not as crazy as it sounds.
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Austria lowered its voting age to sixteen back in 2007.
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And in Brazil, sixteen-year-olds can vote if they want to.
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Let me start with my first argument.
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At sixteen, lots of us have part-time jobs and pay taxes.
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So why don't we get a say in how that money is spent?
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In Scotland, sixteen-year-olds can now vote in local elections.
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And guess what? Lots of them actually turned up to vote!
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Some studies suggest people who vote young keep voting for life.
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Okay, but honestly? Most people our age don't follow the news.
17
Ha, my cousin thinks the Senate is a kind of pasta.
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Ha! Okay, fair point, but adults get things wrong too.
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Plenty of grown-ups never read the news either.
20
Hmm... yeah, I guess that's true.
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To be fair, there are good arguments against it, too.
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Some people worry that teenagers would just copy their parents.
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Others say we're too easily influenced by social media.
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Honestly, I think those concerns deserve to be taken seriously.
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So, here's my conclusion.
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If we can work and pay taxes, we deserve a voice.
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But schools should teach us how elections work first.
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Okay, that's it! Does anyone have any questions?
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Wow, Maya, that was really well done!
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I loved how you showed both sides of the argument.
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Next time, though, try not to read from your notes so much.
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Oh, I'm sorry! I was so nervous at the start.
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Seriously? You didn't look nervous at all!
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Alright, everyone, let's give her a big round of applause!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Class Presentation: Should the Voting Age Be Sixteen?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: sixteen, vote, olds, voting, argument. This video has 34 sentences and 318 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:17. The speaker talks at a steady 139 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 8 of its 34 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cousin noun | /ˈkʌz(ə)n/ | Chiefly with a qualifying word: Any relation (especially a distant one) who is not a direct ancestor or descendant but part of a person's extended family; a… |
| conclusion noun | /kənˈkluːʒən/ | The end, finish, close or last part of something. |
| settle verb | /ˈsɛtəl/ | To determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc). |
| teenager noun | /ˈtiːnˌeɪ̯d͡ʒə/ | A person between thirteen and nineteen years old (inclusive). |
| pasta noun | /ˈpɑ.stə/ | Dough made from wheat and water and sometimes mixed with egg and formed into various shapes; often sold in dried form and typically boiled for eating. |
| applause noun | /əˈplɔːz/ | The act of applauding; approbation and praise publicly expressed by the clapping of hands, stamping or tapping of the feet, acclamation, huzzas, or other… |
| argument noun | /ˈɑɹɡjʊmənt/ | A fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason. |
| deserve verb | /dɪˈzɝv/ | To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have. |
| teach verb | /ˈtiːt͡ʃ/ | To pass on knowledge to. |
| concern noun | /kənˈsɝn/ | That which affects one’s welfare or happiness. A matter of interest to someone. |
| whenever | /wəˈnɛvɚ/ | At any time that. |
| seriously adverb | /ˈsɪɹ.i.əs.li/ | In a serious or literal manner. |
| fair adjective | /ˈfɛə/ | Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent. |
| honestly adverb | /ˈɑ.nɪst.li/ | In an honest manner. |
| easily adverb | /ˈi.zɪ.li/ | Comfortably, without discomfort or anxiety. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| settle down verb | To make or become quiet and calm after a period of disturbance or restlessness. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Most people our age don't follow the news.
- Others say we're too easily influenced by social media.
- You didn't look nervous at all!
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 cousin, conclusion, settle.
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.