Shadowing Practice: High Food Prices, Revolutions, and the Future - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
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37 sentences
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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
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Food prices are down from their record highs in February of 2011.
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But prices are still higher than they were a year ago.
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In a year of Arab protests,
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high food prices helped fuel the anger against oppression, corruption and poverty.
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Many experts think the political fires in Egypt and other countries started in the summer of 2010 in Russia.
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Heat, drought and wildfires destroyed one-third of Russia's winter wheat crop.
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World food prices rose after Russia halted wheat exports.
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The last time food prices jumped was in 2008.
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At that time, Egypt was also among the countries where food riots and demonstrations took place.
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Riyadh Naqshbendi is a professor in the Department of International Business at American University in Washington.
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He agrees that food prices played a part in the Arab revolutions.
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At the end of the day,
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the most crucial reason for the Arab Spring is basically economic.
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And so, consequently, when a citizen cannot have enough money to purchase food and feed his family,
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definitely that will create a kind of upset with the system.
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Professor Nakshbendi says an event like climate change can affect food production in many countries.
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But in a globally connected economy,
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even an event in one country can be felt worldwide.
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Cornell University economist Chris Barrett says another problem is that gains in farm production have slowed.
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He says,
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what we are seeing right now is the bitter harvest of
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very poor investments in agriculture research over really the last 20 years.
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Shen Jin Fan is head of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.
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He says the return of high prices in 2011 offers some important lessons.
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If investment in food production does not increase,
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he says, then the world will continue to see high prices,
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and price hikes will come more often.
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He says food supplies are not growing enough to meet the demand of 7 billion people.
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The world is expected to add 2 billion more by the middle of the century.
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And people in emerging economies like China are eating more meat,
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which requires more animal feed.
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But in 2011, for the first time,
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the United States used more maize or corn for biofuels than for animal feed.
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The good news is that high prices always encourage farmers to grow more.
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A record harvest in 2011 is helping to ease food prices in many parts of the world,
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but not all.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will explore key aspects related to high food prices and their impact on global economies and social movements, as highlighted in the video titled "High Food Prices, Revolutions, and the Future." The content will assist you in improving comprehension and speaking skills through detailed analysis and discussion points, enabling you to express thoughts on economic issues, agriculture, and social change. As you engage with this material, you will practice using relevant vocabulary and phrases while enhancing your English speaking practice with the shadowing technique.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Food prices - The cost of food items in markets, which can vary based on supply and demand.
  • Revolutions - Significant and often violent changes in the political and social order of a country.
  • Agriculture research - The study and investigation related to farming practices to improve crop yields and sustainability.
  • Economic upset - A state of instability in the economy that can lead to social unrest or dissatisfaction.
  • Crop production - The process of growing plants for food, which can be affected by various environmental factors.
  • Emerging economies - Countries with growing economies that are gradually becoming more significant players in the global market.
  • Biofuels - Fuels derived from organic materials, which can compete with food sources for agricultural production.

Practice Tips

To effectively utilize this video for your English learning journey, consider the following practice tips. First, select short segments of the video that resonate with you, focusing on sections that discuss food prices and their economic implications. Play these passages at a moderate speed to ensure comprehension, then gradually increase the speed as you gain confidence. Use the shadowing technique by repeating phrases immediately after you hear them, paying close attention to pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Employ the shadowing site to focus on the subtleties of speech patterns. This practice will help solidify your understanding of vocabulary while also enhancing your fluency. With consistent engagement, you will significantly improve your ability to articulate thoughts on complex topics, making your English speaking practice not only effective but also enjoyable.

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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