Shadowing Practice: From wonder to future | Vietnam Today - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Now around the world, cities are growing faster than ever before.
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By 2050, nearly 70 % of the world's population will live in urban areas.
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As sightlines rise and populations expand, the challenge is no longer simply about building bigger cities.
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It is about creating places that are smarter, more resilient and better prepared for the future.
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and nature can thrive together.
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For centuries the world has celebrated wonders shaped by nature and history.
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Today a new generation of wonders is beginning to emerge, not inherited from the past but designed for the future.
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As a new global initiative looks for cities that could define the 21st century,
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Vietnam is seeking to contribute its own vision of what a future city could be.
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15 years ago, Ha Long Bay became one of the new seven wonders of nature, chosen by millions of people around the world.
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The recognition was about more than spectacular landscapes.
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It reflected a shared belief that some places are worth protecting for generations to come.
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Amazon Rainforest, Icazu Falls, Chachu Island,
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Komodo National Park, Table Mountain, Puerto Princesa Underground River, and Vietnam's Hallow Bay.
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These final seven brought together some of the world's most celebrated national landmarks, representing diverse landscapes and ecosystems across different continents,
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The recognition gave Halongbae unprecedented international exposure, boosting tourism and strengthening Wangnan's global profile.
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"We surpassed over 440 heritages from 200 countries and territories worldwide, to be named one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature.
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Over the past decade, alongside this title, we have also earned accolades such as a World Heritage Site and one of the world's most beautiful bays.
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These titles have played a crucial role in positioning Hạ Long Bay as the top global destination." iconic destinations.
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New 7 Wonders encourages sustainable management to preserve them for future generations.
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Its newest initiative, 7 Wonders of Future Cities, shifts to focus from natural and historical wonders to urban models that promote sustainability,
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innovation and quality of life.
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When we talk about urban development, people will think about reducing the green spaces, replacing with concrete or high buildings.
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But we believe that the light and the people can actually live in harmony.
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Whenever we started a project, we will study very carefully about the hydrology.
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the geology as well as the native vegetation of the land.
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Sometimes we do reshape the environment, but only for improvement.
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or for a better purpose.
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Among the initiative's official candidates is Vinh Homes' Green Paradise in Gengsha.
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The project aligns with the city's long -term strategy To transform Gengza into a coastal eco -urban area, and a hub for the marine economy.
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According to the master plan, by 2040, the area is expected to accommodate the population of around 600 ,000.
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while promoting economic growth in tandem with preservation of mangrove ecosystems and coastal environments.
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"This is a great opportunity for us to promote Kàn Zhe's future development to international friends.
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What matters most here is not the title itself, but how we can engage in global forums to share experiences and gain fresh perspectives on modern urban development.
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Global voting for Seven Wonders of Future Cities is expected to begin on 31 October, 2026, With the final seven cities to be announced a year later,
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For Vietnam, it is an opportunity to connect a globally recognized natural heritage with new ideas for sustainable urban development.
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Reflecting new Seven Wonders enduring mission to celebrate places that inspire generations.
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15 years after Ha Long Bay was recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature,
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the organization behind that global campaign is turning its attention to a new challenge, identifying the future cities that could shape the way we live in the decades ahead.
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And to learn more about that vision, we're delighted to welcome Mr. Jean -Paul De La Fuente, director of the New Seven Wonders.
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So, Jean -Paul, it's a pleasure to have you with us in the studio today.
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Vietnam today.
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Just to start, we know that New 7 Wonders have been celebrating natural
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and cultural wonders for more than nearly two decades now.
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So why did New 7 Wonders decide to launch the Future Cities Initiative now?
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Well, I think what's interesting about our previous campaigns is that we were honoring and recognizing the achievements of mankind, I guess, with the cultural wonders,
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and also achievements of nature itself.
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So now we wanted to look at what could be the future aspirations of humanity.
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And I think where we live and how we live I think are fundamental parts of that.
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And really that was the focus for this idea of the Seven Wonders of Future Cities.
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Yeah, that's wonderful.
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Yeah, and also speaking of the future cities, what qualities do you think matters the most?
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We look at three criteria Dylan.
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One is the ability for the city to be human centric, which is not just words.
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It means that it takes into consideration what's important for human beings living there.
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The other of course is the concept of sustainability and environment, but not just as words also about growing cities, how they grow, they grow with nature.
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And of course, because we are in the times we are, they have to be smart cities.
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So they have to have elements of smart technology.
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that can impact all of those other qualities.
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And those are the criteria
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that we consider for a city to qualify to be a participant in the seven wonders of future cities.
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Right.
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When we think about initiative, historically, Vietnam has always been a country that is very proactive with their initiatives regarding protection of the environment, cultural heritage.
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Vietnam now being one of the first countries to participate in the Future Cities initiatives, what does it mean for the country to be part of all this?
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Well, I think your viewers will know this because they are, you know, fans and supporters and interested in in in vietnam
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but the world needs to know
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that vietnam is going through a step change a positive step
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change transformative step change in terms of how it perceives itself as a nation at home
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and in the world and i think both the public sector of course the government the leadership
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and the private sector working together is showing how this works
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and i think one of the best examples of this are the policies that are being put in place for
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reducing the carbon impact of mobility in the major cities we know
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that here in hanoi it's a it's a classic example of
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that and really setting a model for other cities certainly across ASEAN, Asia and hopefully the rest of the world to follow.
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So we see that as all part of the same story.
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That's why we see we're not surprised to see
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that Seven Wands of Future Cities was something that Vietnam wanted to participate on from the beginning.
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Well thank you so much for all the insights John Paul
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and thank you so much for joining us here today talking about the initiatives
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and I hope you know to our audiences this has been an enlightening conversation.
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So now Hat Long Bui had created in Vietnam.
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And the Future Cities Initiative asks a different question.
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What can Vietnam help for the future?
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From protecting a natural wonder to shaping sustainable urban models, the journey marks a symbolic shift from the wonders we inherit to the ones we choose to build.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “From wonder to future”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: wonder, cities, seven, vietnam, initiative. This video has 84 sentences and 1235 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:58. The speaker talks at a natural 155 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sustainable adjective | /səˈsteɪnəbəl/ | Able to be sustained. |
| criterion noun | /kɹaɪˈtɪɹ.i.ən/ | A standard, test, or requirement by which individual things or people may be compared and judged; a gauge. |
| inherit verb | /ɪnˈhɛɹɪt/ | To receive (property, a title, etc.), by legal succession or bequest, usually after the previous owner's death. |
| sustainability noun | /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/ | A means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest… |
| ecosystem noun | /ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm/ | A system formed by an ecological community and its environment that functions as a unit. |
| coastal adjective | /ˈkoʊstəl/ | Relating to the coast; on or near the coast; longshore. |
| accolade noun | /ˈæk.əˌleɪd/ | An expression of approval; praise. |
| aspiration noun | /ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃən/ | The act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly after what is elevated or spiritual (with common adjunct adpositions being to and… |
| centric adjective | /ˈsɛntɹɪk/ | Being in the centre; central. |
| enlighten verb | /ɪnˈlaɪtən/ | To supply with light. |
| hydrology noun | The science of the properties, distribution, and effects of water on a planet's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere. | |
| mangrove noun | /ˈmæŋɡɹoʊ̯v/ | Any of various tropical and subtropical evergreen shrubs or trees chiefly of the Rhizophoraceae family that have aerial roots and grow in clumps in brackish… |
| proactive adjective | /pɹoʊˈæk.tɪv/ | Acting in advance to deal with an expected change or difficulty. |
| reshape verb | /ɹiːˈʃeɪ̯p/ | To make into a different shape. |
| resilient adjective | /ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/ | Returning quickly to original shape after force is applied; elastic. (of objects or substances) |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bring together verb | To cause people to do something together; to bring about togetherness. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| work together verb | To be coworkers with someone; to share a workspace with someone. |
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 celebrated · have also earned · have played |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be named · is expected · was recognized |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: thrive /θɹajv/, strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: aspiration /ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃən/, reshape /ɹiːˈʃeɪ̯p/, vegetation /ˌvɛd͡ʒəˈteɪʃən/, preservation /ˌpɹɛz.əˈveɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: sustainable /səˈsteɪnəbəl/, criterion /kɹaɪˈtɪɹ.i.ən/, sustainability /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/, ecosystem /ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm/, aspiration /ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃən/
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 sustainable, criterion, inherit.
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.