Shadowing Practice: DEBATE: African Tether Says Black Americans Have Inferiority Complex - Learn English Speaking with Video
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East of the Saints.
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We are back with another African tether and this particular tether has said
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that he has an issue with what I said to the last African tether.
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I appreciate the unity among the tethers.
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Fella, your camera screen has gone off all the sudden.
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Hello, this tether playing games.
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Yeah, your camera is off all the sudden.
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It's been on the entire time.
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Now it's off.
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I'm not doing this on purpose.
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Can you hear me?
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Can you see me?
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Yeah, we can hear you.
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We can't see you.
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And bizarrely, we were able to hear and see you just fine for the last 20 minutes before the live started.
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I'm not doing this on purpose.
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Okay, well, why don't you disconnect and try to reconnect?
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Oh, I should just leave and just come back.
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Do you have a computer?
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Do you have a computer?
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Imagine.
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These tethers don't even have a computer, but they think that they can come on and have a meaningful conversation.
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They don't even live in the modern era.
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This is funny.
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Tether, are you going to disconnect and reconnect?
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Are you going to maybe try a computer instead of a cell phone?
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Anyways, while this tether is figuring out how to use modern technology, let me explain a couple things to you all.
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You see, let me first define what a tether is,
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and if you all have any objections or amendments, please feel free.
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But when the term African tether is used, that's not to refer to anyone who's an African.
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Oh hey there Tether yes we can see you now.
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What is that like?
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You see when you call people Tethers and that yeah?
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Before we get into
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that yeah why don't you introduce yourself generally a proper introduction
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would be my name is this I'm from this place this
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is my educational background this is what I do for a living and then we'll engage the conversation.
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Alright my name is Praise I'm 200% Nigerian.
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I was born in Germany, grew up in the UK.
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What do you for a living?
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I sell things, lots of things.
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What else?
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Educational backgrounds, A-levels, went to university, I dropped out.
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I felt like I was a little bit of a waste of time.
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Um, what else?
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I already said I'm 200% Nigerian.
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I'm Igbo, if that, like, matters, I will.
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Um, I think that's it.
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Okay.
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And I'm curious. When you...
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Pardon?
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I said I'm Christian, if that matters. That does matter.
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I'm curious.
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When you were watching the other African tether get obliterated, What made you think, you know what,
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I think that I can match this man who's sophisticated, educated, experienced, articulate, and very, I think I can get him.
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What made you, when you were sitting back watching, think like, I can do it.
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Like, what about you and your experience made you think, I'm the one?
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Because I've got a truth on my side.
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And the education doesn't really match up to the truth.
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Well, the truth is the truth.
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You can use all the ad hominins you want.
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You can make all the false equivalencies you want.
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But if you've got the truth, then at the end of the day, you win any argument, really.
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Fascinating.
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So I don't believe in my own background or experience.
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I just believe in the truth and how I see things.
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So you don't have any qualification, no past experience that makes you think you can contend that in the lead.
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What would you like would help me with this debate?
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Do I have to study African studies to be able to debate with you?
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I'll give you an example.
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And it's just that to me it's just quite arrogant and we can still have the conversation.
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I just think it's strangely arrogant.
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So for example, if you said, hey, Marquette, you know, I took a degree in African studies
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or I took a degree in political science
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or I've traveled 32 African countries or fill in the blank with something of meaning.
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I have a degree from Georgetown University or Oxford University, or I've been invited here or there, or I'm somebody of meaning and relevance.
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Just an example that kind of for both of us benchmarks the fact
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that you're a worthy competitor as opposed to just a random dumb tether.
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I did say that I'm 200% Nigerian, right?
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I think I said it like three times, right?
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Well, you say you're 200% Nigerian.
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You said you were born in Germany and raised in the United Kingdom.
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Is that correct?
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Yeah.
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Yes.
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So if you're 200% Nigerian, why didn't you stay in your country of origin?
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Unfortunately, God had different plans for me, and I was born...
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God did.
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I see.
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I mean, I don't know the truth.
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There's a lot of noise in your background.
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Are you in a jungle or something?
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Is there a way to stop, like, your mic is maybe rubbing against something, or your internet is having trouble with all of the jungle...
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I hear it.
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I hear it.
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And London is the jungle, so I don't really...
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So technically, can you still hear it?
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Can you still hear it?
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We'll have to see when you're talking.
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So you've blamed God for you fleeing your country.
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Understood.
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Understood.
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If you would be kind enough to use logic, truth, facts, and evidence, we're not here to dabble in your superstitious beliefs, sir.
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I said God decided the way I was born, right?
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No, God did not decide where you were born, sir.
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It's your parents.
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They realized that you'd have better economic opportunities outside of the country that you're from.
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They fled your country.
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This is very common among you people.
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But my parents met in Europe.
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So if both of us...
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Yes, and they both fled their homeland.
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So let me ask you...
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I don't find it to be funny.
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Actually, I find it quite sad when people flee their homeland.
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I have a lot of respect to the Nigerians who are still in Nigeria building the place up, such that it can be a respectable place as opposed to a hub for scamming and poverty.
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So do you only respect people that got shipped to other countries through the slave trade?
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You don't believe in migration? Can you hear me?
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Migration is not something to believe in.
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It's not a ghost or philosophy.
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What I'm telling you is that if you're calling yourself 200% Nigerian, you should be in Nigeria.
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I'm saying that you're a dishonest, deluded person and you don't acknowledge the truth.
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You left your home, excuse me, your parents left your home country because it was a place of poverty, despair, and lack of opportunity.
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If you could start off with that honesty, then we can move somewhere.
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You start off with the nonsense of claiming that God did it, then we know that you're just an unrealistic, deluded person.
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You went for economic opportunity your parents are economic migrants, that's it.
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There's nothing else.
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I mean, that is literally 90% of America, though.
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Or 100% of America.
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Wait, wait, wait.
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You said you were going to come on with...
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No, sir, you said you were going to come on with logic.
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We're not talking about America, we're talking about your parents.
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So don't start changing topics.
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And have the decency to come on with a proper microphone.
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Why is your sound like that?
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You don't have a microphone?
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I've got no idea.
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I wish it was like that.
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I'm using an iPhone, so...
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It's better now you're using an iPhone from made in Nigeria.
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That's the problem carry on No,
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sir, it's not about see I'm just asking you to stay on topic just down topic Stay on topic,
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please One, why do you have problem admitting that your parents are economic migrants?
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Once you admit that, let's move on.
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But we can't start lying.
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Wait, wait, what did I lie about?
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What's that?
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What did I lie about?
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You claim that your parents migrated because God.
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No, your parents migrated because Nigeria is in disrepair and they wanted financial opportunity.
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Listen, I didn't say that.
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I said I was born in Europe
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because of God I know you have once as your parents were economic migrants sir there's no yeah
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but there's no yeah but your parents are economic migrants that's it
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I say it's God because I wouldn't have been born if both my parents stayed in Nigeria because they met in Europe.
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Oh, my dear boy.
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You know, it's sad when you see this is how bad you African tethers are.
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You hate what you are so much that you think it was God to have you born in a white man's country.
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Imagine how much you hate yourself.
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You think it would have been the devil if you were born in Nigeria?
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Extraordinary.
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I respect Africa more than you do, you tether.
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I mean, cool.
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So your problem is, I said I'm born in Europe because of God.
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Cool.
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My parents are economic migrants.
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I'm not ashamed of them.
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I'm not ashamed of them.
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I didn't say you should be ashamed.
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I said you should be honest.
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No, I said the only thing I was talking about is, you said, why am I in Europe?
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And I said, because God decided I was born in Europe.
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You started lying.
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And I'm saying, don't play God games here.
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I'm not here to debate your slave religion.
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Don't play God games.
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Just come on here with logic
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and reason people who are watching people who are watching here I got a mute you
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while I'm talking because your mic is so trash people who are watching are Muslims They're Jews.
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They're atheists.
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They're Hindus.
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They're Buddhists.
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No one cares about your God, buddy So
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if you'd be kind enough to try to use some intelligence
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to justify your points instead of making yourself look like a religious fool
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One thing about me I speak because I'm so Nigerian We speak in high public Please stop it.
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We're very spiritual.
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We can't take people like you seriously.
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You're so Nigerian that you've never lived in Nigeria.
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I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry that my expression...
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You're so Nigerian that you've never lived in Nigeria.
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Give me a break.
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Give me a break.
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You're not Nigerian.
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I don't live in Nigeria, so I'm not Nigerian.
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How many years have you lived in Nigeria?
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How many years have you lived in Nigeria?
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How many years have you lived in Nigeria?
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Zero.
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Zero.
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Okay.
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Zero.
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Now when you go fix that, come back to me and then say you're 200% Nigerian.
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For now you just sound like a fool.
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I mean my parents, my dad is 100% Nigerian.
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Oh, please, please stop it.
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This shows your level of ignorance.
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This shows your level of ignorance.
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Let me help you out.
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Let me help you out, my dear boy.
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You said your father's 100% Nigerian.
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Jess, this shows how ignorant you are and this is why I have to teach you people.
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Let me teach you silly African about your own history.
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Nigeria is a nation state.
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A nation state, the people who belong to it are citizens.
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Your father is no longer a citizen.
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He's outside of it and he's raised you in a foreign land that is not your own.
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You see, you are referencing Nigeria which is the creation of the British.
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And so the British created Nigeria.
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It's a nation state.
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You are not a part of that nation state.
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You are not Nigerian.
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At best, you could claim to be Yoruba or some other ethnic group or tribal group.
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But Nigerian, you are not,
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you fool, because Nigeria was a creation of the white man to fuse together the different African peoples within that territory.
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You've never even lived in Nigeria, so you are not Nigerian.
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All right, cool, cool, cool make you happy just to satisfy your ego um 200 west african does
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that make sense like i'm talking about ethnicity i'm talking about
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my blood i know i'm not a citizen west african is
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not an ethnicity it shows you don't know the meaning of
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the word ethnicity it's extraordinary to grow up in the land
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where english was created yet you still don't understand english you grew up where english was created
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and your english is bad and this is a pity
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because most of nigerians i meet are reasonably intelligent you're not
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one of them look at you covered in tattoos you've fallen
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you've fallen in the west are those tribal tattoos from your tribe
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or are those tattoos from the west in a style
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that emulates the black american extraordinary i don't even understand what point that you're trying to make, honestly.
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I think you're a little bit all over the place.
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The point that I'm making is that you're a silly boy who knows not your culture.
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You've grown up inside of a culture in which you are a foreigner
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and your identity crisis causes you to try to cling on to a colonial identification of Nigeria.
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You don't fit in Britain because you're not British, you don't fit in Nigeria because you've never been there.
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Everything about your identity is a creation in your own mind.
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So, according to you, what am I then?
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I'm a Teva.
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I'm not Nigerian.
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I'm not British.
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Your Teva.
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That's right.
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Your Teva.
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What is wrong with your mic?
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Maybe if you sit up, maybe if you sit up, your mic might work a little better.
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Can we get this kid a phone?
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Is there like a Nigerian support group we can get you a new phone?
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Can you get one of your tech teams to fly to London and fix something?
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Can we can we get you a phone?
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A dollar a day, a dollar a day will help this African.
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So I'm African, we're going, so we're getting somewhere.
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A dollar a day will help this African.
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So, you know those earrings you have, those fake diamond earrings that you have?
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Do you know where you got that style from?
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You know where you got that style from?
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One second, one second, one second.
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I'm really enjoying this conversation, really.
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Thank you for making my day.
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Should I refresh the page?
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Maybe I can work that.
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Can I do that?
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Yeah, sure.
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You can give it a try.
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While he's doing that, while this tether is trying to get his phone together, shout out to Anthony.
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He writes, hey, I just bought the black code for my son.
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You're a real one for that.
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And absolutely all of the children should be raised on the black code.
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In fact, I even have lessons in there for children directly and lessons that you need to teach your children.
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So you have made a wise move.
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Shout out to Starry Eye, writes, that iPhone is definitely made in Nigeria.
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Yes, extraordinary how unprepared they are.
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And it's always the Dunning-Kruger effect in full display.
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Akash comes in by PayPal.
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He writes, stay away from broke and ugly people.
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His white dirty walls and his face is overweight.
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Peace of the saints.
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I'm trying to tell you.
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I also acknowledge Lugo writes tuition.
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This boy is struggling.
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I see he tried to reconnect and let's see
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if the audio is any better no maybe shout to Lugo
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came in supporting by a Venmo acknowledge bajamo writes tuition can
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you ask him is 100 plus 100 divided by two 100
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can you hear me bro I think it's better now yeah I think
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so someone's sensing a question for you i know it's going to trigger you
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that i thank god but thank god the question
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that they sent in is is 100 plus 100 divided by
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two 100 it's 100 no it's 50 what are you talking about percentage it's 100.
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It says 100 plus 100 and then that divided by two.
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It's 100 obviously.
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I thought you saw my percentage.
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Obviously when I say I'm 200% Nigerian, as I said, because I'm Nigerian, we speak in hyperbole.
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So I know I'm being hyperbolic.
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When I say God is the reason I was born in Europe, I'm being hyperbolic.
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So I'm sorry to offend you, but that's just how I speak.
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Well, that's fine for when you're in your tribe, but you're not in your tribe.
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You're in the public commons, and here we speak in a language that is accurate so that we might be understood.
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I care nothing about your Nigerian, your claims of being Nigerian.
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I care nothing about it, and neither does anyone else watching.
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So if you want the best opportunity to make your arguments, you might be wise to just try to use the correct language.
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And your phone is again making the same noise it was before.
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I'm going to try to connect them all to my code.
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No, thank you.
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I think I'm good on this conversation.
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You have a blessed day.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “DEBATE: African Tether Says Black Americans Have Inferiority Complex”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Nigerian, Nigeria, tether, african, parents. This video has 315 sentences and 2853 words to shadow. The speech runs for 17:46. The speaker talks at a natural 161 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 49 of its 315 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 |
|---|---|---|
| tether noun | /ˈtɛðəɹ/ | A rope, cable etc. that holds something in place whilst allowing some movement. |
| migrant noun | /ˈmaɪɡɹənt/ | A migratory animal, in particular a migratory bird. |
| flee verb | /ˈfliː/ | To run away; to escape. |
| reconnect verb | /ˌɹiː.kəˈnɛkt/ | To connect again or differently. |
| ethnicity noun | /ɛθˈnɪsɪti/ | The common characteristics of a group of people, especially regarding ancestry, culture, language or national experiences. |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| ashamed adjective | /əˈʃeɪmd/ | Feeling shame or guilt. |
| jungle noun | /ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/ | A large, lush, undeveloped, humid forest, especially in a tropical region, thick with vegetation and wildlife; a tropical rainforest. |
| divide verb | /dɪˈvaɪd/ | To split or separate (something) into two or more parts. |
| tattoo noun | /tæˈtuː/ | An image made on a body part, usually the skin with ink and a needle. |
| acknowledge verb | /əkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ/ | To admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in. |
| delude verb | /dɪˈluːd/ | To deceive into believing something which is false; to lead into error; to dupe. |
| disconnect verb | /dɪskəˈnɛkt/ | To sever or interrupt a connection. |
| earring noun | /ˈɪəɹɪŋ/ | A piece of jewelry worn on the ear. |
| hyperbolic adjective | /ˌhaɪ.pɚˈbɔl.ɪk/ | Of or relating to hyperbole. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| sit up verb | To assume a sitting position from a position lying down. |
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| drop out verb | To leave (school, a race, etc.) prematurely and voluntarily. |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. |
| go off verb | To explode. |
| sit back verb | To recline while still in a seated position, with one's back on the frame of the seat. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Do you have a computer?
- Tether, are you going to disconnect and reconnect?
- What do you for a living?
- You don't believe in migration?
- You don't have a microphone?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has said · has gone · It's been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was born · I've been invited · were born |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who are · people who belong · Nigeria which is |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 123 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: tether /ˈtɛðəɹ/, ethnicity /ɛθˈnɪsɪti/, atheist /ˈeɪ.θi.ɪst/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shout /ʃaʊt/, ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/, tuition /tjuːˈɪʃən/, migration /maɪˈɡɹeɪʃ(ə)n/, superstitious /ˌs(j)u.pɚˈstɪ.ʃəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: ethnicity /ɛθˈnɪsɪti/, hyperbolic /ˌhaɪ.pɚˈbɔl.ɪk/, hyperbole /haɪˈpɜːbəli/, obliterate /əˈblɪtəˌɹeɪt/, superstitious /ˌs(j)u.pɚˈstɪ.ʃəs/
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 tether, migrant, flee.
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.