Shadowing Practice: Emergency bleeding control: How to stop severe blood loss - Learn English Speaking with Video
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44 sentences
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In this video, I'll tell you what to do
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if someone has severe bleeding and how to keep them safe until emergency help arrives.
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Hello, my name is Dr. Zia and I am an emergency physician at the Ottawa Hospital.
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And in case of any emergency situation, always call 911 first.
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In the case of severe bleeding, you will likely need to step in before help arrives and here are the steps that you need to follow.
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First, assess the scene.
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Make sure it's safe for you to step in and help.
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And once you know that it's safe for you to approach this patient, you'll want to go to the person and attempt to find the source of bleeding.
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Look for blood that's flowing fast, soaking through clothes, or even pooling on the ground.
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Once you find the source bleeding, please act quickly.
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If you have access to clean gauze, that's awesome.
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If not, use a cloth or a clean shirt and press directly on the wound.
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Use firm, steady pressure and don't stop.
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If the wound is on an arm or a leg, you may need to press with both hands and use your entire body weight.
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Don't lift the cloth to check the wound.
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Just keep applying firm and steady pressure.
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If the blood soaks through, place more gauze on top or a cloth on top and keep that pressure going.
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If the bleeding isn't slowing down or the wound is deep and wide, you may require another cloth or more gauze,
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but please just continue to press down firmly and maintain pressure.
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If the bleeding still isn't stopping and the wound is on an arm or a leg, then a tourniquet might help.
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If you have a commercial tourniquet like the one in a first aid kit, place it 5 to 10 cm above the wound.
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This helps pressure on the artery feeding the wound and not directly on the damaged tissue.
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Avoid putting it over a joint like a knee or an elbow
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because joints can prevent the tourniquet from tightening properly and from doing its job.
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Tighten the tourniquet until bleeding completely stops and leave it on until emergency services arrive.
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If you don't have a tourniquet and the bleeding is life-threatening, you could try to make one using a strong wide strip of cloth or a belt,
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something that won't stretch and isn't too thin, but it needs to be tight enough to stop the bleeding completely.
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If you're unsure or if you don't have a tourniquet, then your best move is to keep applying firm
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and steady pressure right on the wound because that alone can save a life.
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Now, if the person has a penetrating injury, for example, there's something stuck in the wound like a knife or a piece of glass,
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don't remove it.
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Taking it out can make the bleeding worse and it can damage surrounding structures.
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But please let the 911 operator know that there is a penetrating injury.
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Watch for signs of shock.
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Is this patient pale?
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Do they have cold skin?
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Are they weak or looking confused?
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And if that happens, lay them down if possible and cover them with a jacket or a blanket to keep them warm.
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Don't give them anything to eat or drink.
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Just stay with them.
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Hold firm and steady pressure on the wound
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because heavy bleeding can be serious and what you do in the first few minutes can make a huge difference.
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Remember, call 911, keep firm pressure on, stay calm, and stay with them until help arrives.
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And to be prepared for other emergencies like this, be sure to watch the rest of our first aid series.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Emergency bleeding control: How to stop severe blood loss”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: bleeding, wound, pressure, tourniquet, cloth. This video has 44 sentences and 615 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:53. The speaker talks at a natural 158 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.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bleed verb | /ˈbliːd/ | To shed blood through an injured blood vessel. |
| tourniquet noun | /ˈtɝ.nɪ.kɪt/ | A tightly-compressed bandage used to stop bleeding by stopping the flow of blood through a large artery in a limb. |
| cloth noun | /klɒθ/ | A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. Sometimes… |
| steady adjective | /ˈstɪdi/ | Firm in standing or position; not tottering or shaking; fixed; firm. |
| gauze noun | /ɡɔːz/ | A thin fabric with a loose, open weave. |
| tighten verb | /ˈtaɪ.tən/ | To make tighter. |
| penetrate verb | /ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/ | To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce. |
| soak verb | /soʊk/ | To be saturated with liquid by being immersed in it. |
| artery noun | /ˈɑɹ.təɹ.i/ | Any of the muscular- and elastic-walled blood vessels forming part of the circulation system by which blood is conveyed away from the heart regardless of its… |
| unsure adjective | uncertain, ambivalent. | |
| surround verb | /səˈɹaʊnd/ | To encircle something or simultaneously extend in all directions. |
| elbow noun | /ˈɛlboʊ̯/ | The joint between the upper arm and the forearm. |
| threaten verb | /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/ | To make a threat against someone; to use threats. |
| firmly adverb | /ˈfɝmli/ | In a firm or definite or strong manner. |
| blanket noun | /ˈblæŋ.kɪt/ | A heavy, loosely woven fabric, usually large and woollen, used for warmth while sleeping or resting. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| slow down verb | To decelerate. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may need · may require · might help |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keep applying · Avoid putting |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll tell · will likely need · you'll want |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | need to step · need to press · needs to be |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, isn't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: cloth /klɒθ/, threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: physician /fəˈzɪʃən/, tissue /ˈtɪʃ.(j)u/
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 bleed, tourniquet, cloth.
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.