Shadowing Practice: Getting Young Indians to Choose Tea Over Coffee - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
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India is traditionally a tea-drinking country.
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But Indians are gaining a new taste for coffee.
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This has led international coffee companies to consider moving into the market.
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At the same time, local business people are looking for new ways to profit from the country's tea-drinking tradition.
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They are opening new places that offer tea.
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Coffee shops have spread from major cities like New Delhi and Mumbai to smaller towns.
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In the past 10 years,
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cafes have become increasingly popular.
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India's huge population of young people has quickly taken to the coffee culture.
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Indians now drink twice as much coffee as they did 10 years ago.
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The success of the coffee market has gained the attention of foreign companies like Starbucks.
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The American-based company will open its first store in India later this year.
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Other companies like Lavazza and Costa Coffee are already there.
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The head of the India Coffee Trust,
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Anil Kumar Bhandari, praises Starbucks' decision.
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He says cafes in India have become central to the lifestyle of the young middle class.
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He says coffee companies, like Starbucks,
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should have been here before.
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Almost any cafe chain which has a reasonable quality with its service,
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ambiance, and food, and coffee first,
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will succeed in this country.
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Look at the young population, he says.
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They are all taking to it, like ducks, to water.
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India has over a billion people.
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Business experts point out that half of them are under the age of 25.
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Yet, even with the growth in coffee drinking,
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Indians still drink eight times more tea.
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They have been drinking tea for more than 150 years.
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India is also one of the world's biggest producers of tea or chai,
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as people call it locally.
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Indians usually drink tea at home or in offices or buy it mostly from street sellers.
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But some business people hope to change that.
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Amulik Singh Bidral is 36 years old and a graduate of Harvard University in the United States.
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He opened a place called Chai Point in Bangalore,
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the center of India's information technology industry.
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In less than a year,
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13 more Chai Point locations have opened in the city.
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One tea drinker in Bangalore welcomes the new outlets.
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Out-of-home options like this are new,
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especially since coffee drinking has boomed in the last couple of years.
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This is a little different.
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For VOA Special English, I'm Alex Villareal.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will practice their English speaking skills by focusing on a current trend in India's beverage market: the growing popularity of coffee among the younger population, traditionally known for its love of tea. Through this engaging topic, you will not only develop your pronunciation but also enhance your comprehension skills by learning how to discuss cultural shifts. This lesson is perfect for English language learners looking to improve their vocabulary and fluency by using real-world examples.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Traditionally - In a way that is based on customs or beliefs that have been established for a long time.
  • Cafes - Small restaurants selling light meals and drinks.
  • Culture - The ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society.
  • Market - A place where goods and services are exchanged, often referring to a specific sector like food or beverage.
  • Ambiance - The character and atmosphere of a place.
  • Outlets - Places where products or services are sold, including cafes and restaurants.
  • Chai - The Hindi word for tea, especially popular in India.
  • Graduate - Someone who has completed a degree at a university or college.

Practice Tips

To effectively use this video transcript for shadowing, it's important to utilize a shadowing app or other tools designed for this practice. Begin by listening to the video and repeating phrases immediately after the speaker, focusing on their pronunciation and intonation. Try practicing the segments slowly at first, then gradually increase your speed to match the speaker's tone and pace.

Remember to pay attention to the rhythm when discussing cultural topics like coffee and tea in India. Utilize a shadowing site that allows you to listen to phrases multiple times, which is especially useful for clarity. This can help you improve your English pronunciation and build confidence in speaking about diverse subjects. By integrating these practices into your learning routine, you'll find that discussing interesting topics becomes easier, letting you express your thoughts more naturally in English.

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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