Shadowing Practice: Day 37 Learning BBC English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hello, this is 6 Minutes English from BBC Learning English.
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Hello, this is 6 Minutes English from BBC Learning English.
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I'm Nailed and I'm bad.
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Nailed, what is the oldest thing that you have at home?
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Well, I do have some books from when I was a child.
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I have a rocking horse that was my dad's.
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So that is quite old.
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But neither of these are anywhere near as old as the 1800-year-old Roman coin,
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which BBC reporter Ryan Keane recently bought in London.
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But soon afterwards, Ryan discovered there was more to a story,
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as he explains here on BBC World Service Program Business Daily.
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But as I researched into other kinds of Asian artifacts,
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I came across reports of expansive criminal networks related to antiquities.
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Some Asian artifacts being sold online and in stores have been loot and trafficked and traffic.
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Ryan got interested in an artifact,
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but an artifact is any object made by humans,
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usually very old, which is historically interesting,
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for example a coin or statue.
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In the past, many artifacts have been looted or stolen by force.
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Movies like Indiana Jones Tom Rader have made the subject popular.
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But the attempt of an Asian object is serious problems in some parts of the world.
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So what can be done about it?
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That's what we'll be discussing in this episode using some useful new words and phrases.
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And remember you'll you will find all the vocabulary from our website bbclearningenglish.com.
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Now I have a question for you Beth.
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One of the most famous ancient artifacts was discovered by Egyptologist
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Howard Carter in the Valley in the Valley of the King in 1922.
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But what was it?
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Was it A.
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Rosetta Stone, B.
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The Mask of Tutankhamun or C.
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The Ark of the Convenant?
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No, I think it's B.
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The Mask of Tutankhamun.
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Ok, let's find out later in the program.
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Stealing ancient objects is nothing new.
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During colonial During Colleen, it was common for the artifacts to be taken from their original home
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and moved to museums and private collections abroad.
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In the modern era, technology,
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especially social media, has increased the problem.
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Here's Amber Azum, a researcher from Shorny State University in the U.S.,
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explaining more to BBC Business Daily.
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Social media is the game changer here.
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The bottleneck, if you will,
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will help someone who has an item then communicate with someone on the demand side.
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It used to slow the process you had to go through in social media,
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change all that because it just opened it up.
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a game changer, something new that is introduced into a situation and completely changes how it works.
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For example, the Internet has been a game changer in how we communicate.
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The reason is simple.
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For someone with illegally stolen artifacts to sell,
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finding a buyer used to be difficult.
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I know things that now,
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because of social media, this problem or bottleneck is gone.
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A bottleneck is a problem that delays or process
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or stops stop it from progressing
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so what can be done to stop the illegal buying
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or selling of ancient artifacts well as the final destination for
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much looted treasure museums have an important role to play accusation of knowingly
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or unknowingly buying stolen objects have been made against several including the liver in Paris.
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Victoria Reid is a senior curator at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
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In 2024, she helped her museum return an addition necklace which had been taken illegally from Turkey in 1997.
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but the idea of returning artifacts to their country origin is controversial as Victoria told BBC program business daily.
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Outside of museum world, of course there are many opinions
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and I personally try to maintain a relative middle of the road approach.
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I believe in museums, I believe in responsible collecting,
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and I believe in judicious representation.
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There are arguments both full and against repatriate,
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and Victoria takes a middle of the road approach.
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If you describe something as the middle of the road,
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if it's not extreme and is acceptable to most people.
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Whether Asian artifacts find their way back to their original homes or are displaced in museums remain ongoing.
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But either way, it's good to know that objects of culture and beauty are being preserved for future generations.
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Okay, I think it's time to reveal the answer to my question.
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I asked what the Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922.
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Was it A the Rosetta Stone, B the Mars of Tutankhamun, or C the Arch of the Convenant?
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And I said the Mars of Tutankhamun.
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And you, Beth, were right?
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Yes.
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Ok, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned starting with Artifact.
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Any object made by humans which is of historical interest.
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If something is looted, it's stolen by force.
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A game changer is a new element which,
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when introduced into a situation, completely changes it.
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A bottleneck is a problem that delays a process or stops it from progressing.
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To repatriate something means to return it to the country it comes.
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And finally, the objective in the middle of the road describes things which are not extreme and are acceptable to most people.
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Once again, our six minutes are up.
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If you enjoyed this program,
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why not check out the accompanying worksheet or quiz.
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They're both available now at bbclearningenglish.com.
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See you there soon and goodbye.

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Context & Background

In this episode of "6 Minutes English" from BBC Learning English, hosts Nailed and Beth delve into the world of ancient artifacts and the issues surrounding their theft and trade. The conversation begins with personal anecdotes about their oldest possessions, leading into the intriguing story of a Roman coin bought by reporter Ryan Keane. The discussion takes a serious turn as they highlight the growing problem of antiquities being looted and trafficked, particularly in certain parts of the world. This context not only sets the stage for vocabulary expansion but also provides an opportunity to learn English with YouTube by exposing learners to real-world issues and relevant discussions.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Game changer: An introduction of something new that alters the way things function.
  • Artifact: Any object made by humans that holds historical significance.
  • Expansive criminal networks: Large and complex systems of illegal activity.
  • Looted or trafficked: Describes items that have been stolen and sold illegally.
  • Social media is the game changer: A phrase indicating that social media has drastically changed how information is communicated.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Using the material from this video, follow this shadowing technique to enhance your English speaking skills:

  1. Watch the Video: Begin by watching the video without subtitles to get a feel for the natural rhythm and pronunciation of the speakers.
  2. Listen and Repeat: Play short sections of the video. Pause after each sentence and repeat what you hear, mimicking the intonation and stress patterns. This is often referred to as shadow speech.
  3. Use a Shadowing App: If you prefer structured practice, utilize a shadowing app that allows you to slow down audio. This helps in getting the pronunciation just right while practicing the phrases highlighted above.
  4. Engage with Vocabulary: Focus on the top phrases listed to incorporate them into your own speaking or writing. Construct sentences using these phrases to better understand their context.
  5. Practice Regularly: Set aside time each week to practice shadowing using similar content. Engaging with various topics, including serious issues like those discussed in this episode, can be beneficial for IELTS speaking practice as well.

By integrating these methods into your routine, you'll significantly enhance your proficiency and confidence in speaking English.

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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