Shadowing Practice: Donald Trump tells Iran 'clock is ticking' as oil prices jump again due to uncertainty | BBC News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
President Trump has again threatened Iran,
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President Trump has again threatened Iran,
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demanding Tehran act quickly to agree a peace deal amidst stalled negotiations.
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Writing on social media, Donald Trump said the clock was ticking
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and the Iranians should move fast or nothing would be left of them.
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Time is of the essence.
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Well, the message came as the president was due to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.
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Iranian media, meanwhile,
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reported the U.S has failed to make any concrete concessions in its response to Tehran's latest proposal to end the conflict.
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Our North America correspondent Joel Gunter has more.
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There is a sense that negotiations between Iran and America are now very much at a standstill.
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The two sides have been passing these memos,
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essentially, back and forth, trying to find some common ground for negotiations,
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but making seemingly no progress.
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President Trump said that he had ripped up the latest Iranian offer after reading just one line.
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And Iranian state media reported today that the latest U.S offer had contained no serious concessions.
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Now we have this threat from President Trump to wipe out Iran.
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It echoes that terrible threat he made last month to wipe out the country's entire civilization.
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And there are reports that both the U.S and Israel are preparing new attack plans.
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And we saw this morning a drone strike at a nuclear facility in the UAE.
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No radiation risk, apparently, and no one blamed,
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but certainly contributing to a sense of rising tensions.
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Now, President Trump has made these kind of threats before,
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of course, and then back down.
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But it reflects a really serious and apparently growing frustration
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that he has been unable to extricate himself from this unfinished
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and unpopular war with anything he can really sell back home as a win.
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And there is also no sense at the moment that the economic hardship for ordinary Americans is going away.
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Thanks to Joel for that.
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Now, the price of oil remains elevated.
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International benchmark crude futures priced now at around $111 a barrel,
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something that is being felt in economies right around the world,
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of course, amid rising concerns in energy markets as the summer season with its elevated fuel demand approaches.
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Sally Bunda is with me here.
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Hi, Sally.
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So what do we read into this current price?
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Well, I mean, it's just gone below $111, actually.
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So we basically saw the price of oil spike a little,
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up some 2% in overnight trading following that post on social media put there by President Trump,
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because the concern is that the stalemate continues between Washington and Tehran.
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There is no progress.
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And once again, the president is putting out some very bold warnings to Iran on.
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And all the music that we're getting in financial markets is that we're stuck.
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The Strait of Hormuz is shut and therefore oil is not going to be flowing anytime soon.
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And that's a real concern.
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And therefore, we see the price of oil go up.
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Interestingly, we've got G7 finance ministers gathering very soon today in Paris.
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We can bring you some live pictures now of preparations for that.
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We've seen Christine Lagarde arrive already.
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She's the head of the European Central Bank.
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We've seen France's finance ministers speaking to the press they're the host
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so it's central bank governors and finance ministers
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and they're going to be talking about this very problem the the strait is shut tall tents
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and purposes and that has inflationary pressure on their economies
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but all economies globally
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and what can they do about it though they'll be there
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talking about it what levers can they pull well exactly Lewis at the end of the day they can't reopen
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that straight if anybody could President Trump would have tried
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that one already what they're talking about is okay what can we do
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if this is even more prolonged than we expect what emergency
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measures can we put in place what reserves have we got available to us
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and what can we do to support households and businesses in the meantime
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and as far as Rachel Reeves is concerned she already promised
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last week should be announcing something this week for help for households and businesses.
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But I mean inventories around the world are getting lower
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and lower with every day that goes by
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and for some economies around the world certainly in Southeast Asia I mean they're net oil importers
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so they are really feeling the pain at the moment.
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We'll have a lot more on this in business.
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Sally thank you very much for that.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by analyzing a recent political discussion involving President Trump and Iran. The focus will be on understanding the nuances of the dialogue and improving your spoken English through a compelling video segment. By engaging with current events using a video, you will not only enhance your vocabulary but also gain insight into the conversational tone and context of significant global issues. This exercise aligns well with the goal to learn English with YouTube, providing an engaging way to develop language proficiency.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Clock is ticking: This phrase implies that time is running out for a particular situation.
  • Peace deal: An agreement to end conflict, typically involving negotiations.
  • Standstill: A situation where no progress is being made.
  • Concrete concessions: Tangible and specific compromises made by one party to facilitate agreement.
  • Threat: A declaration to inflict harm or punishment, often used in political contexts.
  • Spike: A sudden increase, often used regarding prices or numbers.
  • Stalemate: A deadlock in negotiations where neither party can make progress.
  • Elevated fuel demand: An increase in the need for fuel, often seasonal.

Practice Tips

To effectively use this video for shadowing practice, focus on the following strategies:

  • Watch the video multiple times: Begin by watching it once to understand the overall context and main ideas. Then, replay it several times to hone in on specific phrases and vocabulary.
  • Use the shadowing technique: As you listen to President Trump’s speech, attempt to mimic his intonation and pacing. Pay attention to how he emphasizes certain words and phrases, as this is crucial for conveying meaning.
  • Record yourself: Utilize a shadowing app or your phone’s voice recorder to capture your attempts. This will help you identify areas for improvement in pronunciation and delivery.
  • Start slowly: If the pace of the video feels overwhelming, pause after each sentence to repeat it in your own voice. Gradually increase your speed until you can keep up with the original audio.
  • Focus on tone and emotion: Capturing not just the words but also the emotions behind them is important. Notice when the speaker is serious, frustrated, or urgent, and reflect that in your own speech.

By applying these tips, you can enhance your English speaking skills effectively while staying engaged with important global discussions. Let's dive into learning and practicing speaking English through current events!

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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