Shadowing Practice: How mass tourism is destroying cities - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Is tourism destroying cities?
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Residents of some of the most beautiful cities around the world have been protesting against tourism.
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And there has been anti-tourist violence in places like Barcelona and Venice. But why?
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There are four ways that tourism can affect cities.
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Overcrowding, pollution, bad behavior, and rising prices.
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Let's begin with overcrowding.
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Venice, a city of 60,000 people, welcomes nearly 30 million visitors a year.
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That's 76,000 tourists a day.
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Spain had 82 million visitors in 2017, with 9 million visiting Barcelona alone.
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There are even traffic dams climbing Mount Everest now.
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Overcrowding has an obvious effect on traffic, footpaths, and queues.
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It can also affect a city's culture and identity, like in Barcelona where locals are complaining tourism is diluting its vibrancy and history.
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Tourists also bring with them pollution and waste.
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They consume heaps of water and food while causing environmental damage to the destination.
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In Thailand, a beach has been closed to protect its coral reefs from tourists.
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In Indonesia, Bali's famously pristine beaches are now being swamped by garbage, and their underground water sources are being drained too quickly.
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The island predicts it will run out of its water supply by 2020.
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In Venice, cruise ships that bring thousands of tourists each day are damaging the local environment with engine pollution and water displacement.
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Tourism even accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from transportation.
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And then there's the issue of tourists' bad behavior.
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There are many viral videos that show tourists behaving inappropriately,
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from airport check-in meltdowns and assaults on cabin crews to deliberately damaging ancient ruins.
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Locals in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro are furious at drunk tourists at their infamous Ipanema beach.
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In Croatia, people are fed up with loud and rude tourists, so fines are being issued to those who drink alcohol in public.
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And Bali is even considering imposing restrictions on temples after tourists continue to climb on the holy sites or oppose in swimwear.
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Finally, tourism causes a rise in prices, especially when it comes to short-term rentals.
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Like with Airbnb, an accommodation app where users can share their homes with tourists.
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It has grown enormously with over 5 million lodgings across 81,000 cities.
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But it has its downsides.
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Landlords in major cities make more money out of short-term leases on Airbnb, forcing local tenants to pay more.
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In some cities, it can raise housing prices as people look to invest in Airbnb homes.
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These rising prices are not just limited to Airbnb though.
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In Cambodia, citizens were evicted from fishing villages so that resorts could be built on the beaches.
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The increased cost of living is forcing residents out from some of the most beautiful cities in the world.
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But there's hope.
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Cities are starting to recognize the impacts of mass tourism and are looking to introduce measures to deal with the load.
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Fines for behavior are being introduced in cities all over the world.
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regulations are starting to hit Airbnb, with their listings in San Francisco, Barcelona and Paris dropping.
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Iceland and Greece are instituting caps on arrivals.
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Venice is planning to divert massive cruise liners to reduce some of the environmental damage,
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and growing recognition of over-tourism could push visitors into more environmentally and culturally friendly tourism,
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in an attempt to save some of these delicate sights for generations to come.
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Thank you.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will explore the impacts of mass tourism on cities, including challenges such as overcrowding, pollution, bad behavior, and rising prices. Through this engaging content, learners will practice their listening comprehension and shadowing skills while enhancing their English pronunciation. This lesson aims to facilitate IELTS speaking practice by encouraging learners to articulate their thoughts on the environmental and social consequences of tourism.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Overcrowding: Excessive number of visitors leading to congestion.
  • Pollution: Harmful substances introduced into the environment.
  • Bad behavior: Inappropriate actions by tourists that disturb local communities.
  • Rising prices: Increase in costs, particularly related to housing and goods.
  • Short-term rentals: Temporary accommodations provided to travelers, often through services like Airbnb.
  • Environmental damage: Harm caused to natural habitats due to human activity.
  • Cultural identity: The shared characteristics and values of a community, often threatened by tourism.
  • Greenhouse gas emissions: Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, mainly from transportation in tourism.

Practice Tips

To effectively improve English pronunciation, focus on shadowing the video’s transcript. The pace of the speaker is moderate, making it suitable for learners looking to grasp nuanced pronunciation. Follow these specific tips for enhancing your shadow speech:

  • Listen first: Play the video and listen closely to the speaker's tone and rhythm.
  • Repeat phrase by phrase: Pause after each key phrase and repeat it aloud, mimicking the intonation and stress.
  • Record yourself: After shadowing, record your voice to analyze your pronunciation and intonation against the original.
  • Use shadowspeak: Engage in conversations about the lesson’s topic with peers or language partners, using the vocabulary learned.
  • Practice regularly: Shadowing consistently will help to reinforce your skills and improve fluency in discussing complex topics like tourism's impact on cities.

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.