Shadowing Practice: How book bias shapes culture without us noticing | Liza Marie Garcia | TEDxSugar Creek Women - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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in the last year in 2025 there were 7 000 books that were either challenged or completely removed
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in the last year in 2025 there were 7 000 books that were either challenged or completely removed
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from our bookstores from libraries from school all across the united states this actually was the highest number in over two decades.
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There were also in fact 4,000 book titles that were targeted based solely on the book title to be banned.
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All of this according to the American Library Association.
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Now those numbers, those statistics surprised me,
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but not really because of the numbers
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because it revealed something deeper not about books about who decides
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so let me ask you a question please please raise your hands
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if you didn't realize those books you're reading right now were chosen by someone else raise your hands
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if you didn't realize
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that most of us didn't thank you in fact many of
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us had never really even thought about it bias it's not malicious it's subtle
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and in publishing subtle bias doesn't announce itself it comes in
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as taste it can come in as preference subtle bias can come in as what's good for society
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so for the past nine years i've really had both the privilege
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and the pleasure of working in this wonderful industry called publishing.
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I've been able to help clients achieve their dreams of becoming published authors.
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I've worked with highly skilled editorial teams and personally I'm proud to say that I helped launch over 80 books
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and from that experience I've learned that publishing doesn't just reflect culture, It shapes it.
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And when a select group of people can decide which stories are worthy to be published,
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it's society that inherits their blind spots.
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Moreover, when a homogeneous group decides which stories matter, perspective narrows.
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So there was a moment early in my career in publishing that really helped shape my views.
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We were working to publish a manuscript,
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get it ready for publication.
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It was a powerful story.
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It was a memoir.
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I remember it was very well written and it was a deeply personal account.
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And when the time came in our process for me to proof the manuscript,
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I stopped at one word.
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It was the F word.
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Without hesitation, I contacted the client.
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I told the author that we would not be spelling out that word fully.
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Seemed like a reasonable decision at the time, responsible even.
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I was the acting editor-in-chief.
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It was my manuscript team I was managing,
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and these were my views.
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I don't remember hesitating about that choice at all at the time,
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but later I did because it felt uncomfortable.
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I realized that author wasn't asking for me to agree with their word choices.
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They were trusting our team to tell their truth.
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And at that point, I wasn't editing for clarity or syntax.
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I wasn't even editing for quality.
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I was editing for comforts, my own comforts.
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And now my values had become the filter through which other stories passed.
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And that's when it hit me.
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If I had the power to decide which words were acceptable,
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which truths were too harsh or which perspectives needed softening,
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what made me any different than any other gatekeeper?
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And those decisions that we would make weekly,
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they weren't made with ill intent,
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they weren't made in bad faith,
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they weren't even loud, they were subtle.
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And multiply that by the thousands of book publishers and editorial teams
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and boards of directors and institution and you understand that subtle bias becomes culture.
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And that's how I know today that bias doesn't just live in publishing,
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it lives in perception.
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So when people look at me,
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they might see a Latina woman who likely speaks Spanish,
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a first or second generation immigrant.
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And when people find out that I was born and raised in Salt Lake City,
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Utah, they might believe I'm a member of a predominantly large religious organization.
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And as I began my talk today,
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there might be people that have made assumptions about me based on my heritage.
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But what people likely don't see is that I'm a former IBM engineer.
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I'm a third and fourth generation Mexican-American that doesn't speak Spanish.
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My parents don't even speak Spanish, much to our regrets.
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And as a classically trained violinist,
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I both attended and graduated from the one and only Catholic high school in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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And I guess it could be said,
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though, that I am a second generation person type because I'm the second generation college graduate in my immediate family.
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So all of that is what we commonly know as societal biases, right?
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Very prevalent.
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And many of us are aware that they exist.
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but what we likely don't talk enough about is that bias doesn't always mean discrimination.
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Sometimes it means protection, protecting all of our comfort zones.
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And when we protect the familiar,
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we unintentionally silence the unfamiliar in publishing.
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For instance, we may silence the author that writes about a neighborhood we've never been to.
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We may silence an immigrant that speaks with a voice that weighs heavy in a culture that we cannot understand.
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And we may also silence a person of faith because they don't sound anything like the mainstream church that we attend.
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And we are not silencing them because their stories lack value.
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We are silencing them because they challenge ours.
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So this is the good news.
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The good news is bias is learned so it can be unlearned unlearned.
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And books can be bridges to help that,
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but only if we let them be built.
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And why this is important is because the future of publishing is not just about books.
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It's about who can be seen.
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And more importantly, it's about who can be heard.
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And if that is true,
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if that we could be wrong about people that we meet in the first one second,
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then we can know that there's always a different way to look at someone else.
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So as I continue my work in the publishing profession,
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I want to ask you this.
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Let that next person that you meet astound you.
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Let that next story that you read not just inspire you, but challenge you.
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And may that next first impression be only that,
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a beginning and not a conclusion.
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Because the world doesn't change when you publish a book.
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It changes when you stop judging the cover.
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Don't judge the cover.
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Read the full story.
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Thank you.
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you

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Context & Background

In the insightful TEDx talk titled "How book bias shapes culture without us noticing," speaker Liza Marie Garcia highlights the subtle yet powerful ways in which publishing biases can influence societal narratives. She stresses that the selection of books isn't just a random process; it's deeply rooted in the preferences and biases of a select few individuals. With startling statistics from the American Library Association revealing that thousands of books have faced challenges or bans, Garcia urges listeners to reflect on the hidden structures of power in the publishing industry. Her personal experiences as an editor illustrate how individual preferences can unwittingly shape the stories that reach readers, effectively narrowing cultural perspectives.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “It was my manuscript team I was managing.” - Use this phrase to express ownership and leadership within a team setting.
  • “It wasn’t editing for clarity or syntax.” - This phrase can help articulate the intention behind decisions, especially in professional environments.
  • “The power to decide which words were acceptable.” - Use this to discuss authority and decision-making in various contexts.
  • “Many of us hadn’t really thought about it.” - A great phrase to encourage reflection during discussions about societal norms or biases.
  • “I wasn’t editing for comfort.” - This can be useful to express the importance of objectivity and authenticity in work or personal life.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively learn English through Liza Marie Garcia's talk, follow these steps leveraging the shadowing technique:

  1. Watch the video: Begin by viewing the entire TEDx talk to get a sense of the content and context.
  2. Focus on pronunciation: Pay close attention to how Garcia enunciates her words. Try to imitate her intonation and rhythm as you listen.
  3. Select key phrases: Choose the top phrases listed above. Replay those sections and practice shadowing them. This will help improve English pronunciation.
  4. Repeat and refine: Repeat each phrase multiple times until you feel comfortable. Focus on accuracy in both pronunciation and emotion.
  5. Record yourself: Use your phone or a recording device to capture your attempts. Compare them to the original audio to identify areas for improvement.
  6. Use a shadowing site: Consider using a shadowing site to further practice these phrases with various accents or speeds.

This method not only improves your English speaking skills but also deepens your understanding of complex themes like cultural bias. Use this engaging video as a resource for learning English with YouTube, and witness the transformation in your communication skills!

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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