Shadowing Practice: Facial recognition technology facing backlash - Learn English Speaking with Video
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24 sentences
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All new this half hour on Denver 7, San Francisco could become the first city in the country to ban police from using facial recognition technology.
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And look around, there are cameras just about everywhere for security and for traffic.
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So we know it might seem a little creepy to think about, but critics are more concerned about what can be done with the video recorded.
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Nicole Brady is live on the 16th Street Mall in Denver for us this morning.
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No shortage of cameras there either.
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And Nicole, tell us what you've learned about facial recognition technology here.
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Well, if you weren't sure as to how prevalent this was, all you need to do is pull out your driver's license, right?
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Remember, three years ago, the state told us we could no longer smile in our driver's license
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because they need a face that works with facial recognition technology.
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This is already being used in airports, at big events like concerts.
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And then, as you mentioned, in Denver, we certainly see cameras all over the city, those halo cameras Denver police use for security.
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But we asked Denver police yesterday, and they told us right now they are not using facial recognition applications.
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The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, meanwhile, does use this technology to take images of people and compare them to mugshots in the federal database.
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CBI told us yesterday it has not used this on any high -profile investigations yet, and they are still developing policies and training surrounding it.
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Critics take issue with the argument that this is about safety, saying there are problems that this technology has with accuracy and racial bias.
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With Caucasian faces, facial recognition is pretty good, meaning it has a 90 to 95 percent accuracy rate.
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But with minorities, sometimes the accuracy rate drops to 70 percent.
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And the Colorado Bureau of Investigation was considering purchasing a type of software
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that can track people in real time and identify them by their face,
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but they decided not to pursue that any further and are just using the one that matches up to mugshots.
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Some believe the vote in San Francisco today could have bigger implications, maybe leading other cities to consider more restrictions on this.
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Major tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon have opposed outright bans on facial recognition,
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but say that yeah, it's kind of creepy in some cases and probably does need some regulation.
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We're live Along the 16th Street Mall, Nicole Brady, Denver 7.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Facial recognition technology facing backlash”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: facial, Denver, recognition, technology, cameras. This video has 24 sentences and 411 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:20. The speaker talks at a natural 176 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| recognition noun | /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/ | The act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized (matching a current observation with a memory of a prior observation of the same entity). |
| facial adjective | /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/ | Of or affecting the face. |
| accuracy noun | /ˈæk.jɚ.ə.si/ | The state of being accurate; being free from error; exactness; correctness |
| creepy adjective | /ˈkɹipi/ | Moving by creeping along. |
| critic noun | /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/ | A person who appraises the works of others. |
| meanwhile adverb | /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ | During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place. |
| compare verb | /kəmˈpɛɚ/ | To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it… |
| minority noun | /maɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/ | The state or condition of being smaller, inferior, or subordinate to something or someone else; lesserness. |
| regulation noun | /ˌɹɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/ | The act of regulating or the condition of being regulated. |
| database noun | /ˈdeɪtəˌbeɪs/ | A collection of (usually) organized information in a regular structure, usually but not necessarily in a machine-readable format accessible by a computer. |
| racial adjective | /ˈɹeɪʃəl/ | Of or relating to a race (or a people). |
| pursue verb | /pɚˈsu/ | To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase. |
| bias noun | /ˈbaɪ.əs/ | Inclination towards something. |
| oppose verb | /əˈpoʊz/ | To attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against. |
| shortage noun | /ˈʃɔː(ɹ)tɪd͡ʒ/ | A lack or deficiency; an insufficient amount. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| look around verb | To inspect a building or area. |
| pull out verb | To withdraw; especially of military forces; to retreat. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, weren't, you've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, facial /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/, regulation /ˌɹɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/, racial /ˈɹeɪʃəl/, shortage /ˈʃɔː(ɹ)tɪd͡ʒ/
- Long words — get the stress right: recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, accuracy /ˈæk.jɚ.ə.si/, minority /maɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/, regulation /ˌɹɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/, implication /ˌɪmpləˈkeɪʃən/
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 recognition, facial, accuracy.
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.