Shadowing Practice: IELTS actual listening | Part 4 | Bislama - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Section 4.
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You will hear part of a linguistics lecture about a language called Bishlama that is spoken in the Pacific Islands.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40 on page 7.
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Thank you.
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Now, listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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Good morning and welcome back to this series of linguistics lectures.
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Today, I will be talking about the language Bishlama, which is a form of pidgin English.
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Linguists use the term pidgin to describe new languages that are created by combining two or more existing languages, often in a simplified form.
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The study of pidgin languages is important because it provides us with information about language change and modification.
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The pidgin English known as Bishlama is used in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu,
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a group of islands where 81 first languages are still regularly used by the local people.
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There are a further 17 local languages that are in danger of dying out and 8 that have been identified as extinct.
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This gives a total of 106 first languages in all, a very high number for a small country with a population of just 200 ,000 people.
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Then thinking about foreign languages, English is the most important and has official status largely because it is the medium for all education purposes.
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However, it is Bishlama that is the most widely spoken language in the country, used regularly by more than 90 % of the population.
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We should note here that in earlier times some people had negative feelings towards the language.
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In fact, for many years it was commonly referred to as a broken language and its use was discouraged.
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But attitudes have changed dramatically and today the people of Vanuatu are very proud of this unique language.
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It is only when we understand the historical context that we can comprehend just why Bishlama developed in Vanuatu.
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The first form of Pidgin English in this region can be traced to around 1800
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when foreign traders arrived and local people were recruited to work as sailors.
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On board multilingual ships there was an obvious need for a common tongue and Pidgin English was born.
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This early form of Bishlama continued to spread as trade in the Pacific developed in sandalwood and other local commodities.
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Then, from about 1860, a lot of people from Vanuatu travelled to Australia to work on the new plantations as labourers.
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Again, because of the multilingual nature of these workplaces, it was very important to have a common language.
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Finally, in modern times, there have been other pressures that have maintained the need for a common language.
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Like many other parts of the world, from about the 1950s, Vanuatu experienced a significant migration of its people from small villages into the city
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and it has been here that Bishlama has really established itself as the country's first language.
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So then, how can we describe the language itself?
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In general terms, pidgin languages can be defined as extremely simple versions of the original language.
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However, this is not a satisfactory definition in this case
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and linguists prefer to describe Bishlama as a developed pigeon
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because it has more rules and ideas than most simple pigeon languages found in other parts of the world.
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Let's think first about the vocabulary.
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Because Britain was the colonial power, the majority of Bishlama's vocabulary is derived from English.
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However, some care needs to be taken here.
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For example, the word from in Bishlama can also mean because of,
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so we need to be aware that words can have a wider range of meanings in Bishlama.
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Indeed, there are numerous other potentially misleading terms, and English is not the only contributor to the vocabulary.
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Again, because of the region's history there are some words, around 5 -10%, that are derived from French.
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Then, a relatively small number of words have been taken from local, Pacific languages.
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Usually this is the case where there is no English equivalent for naturally occurring phenomena
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or to describe some aspect of the culture that is unique to the country.
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Finally, a word about grammar.
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Although the vocabulary is based largely on English,
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it's important to note that the grammatical structure of Bishlama is derived from patterns common in the local languages of Vanuatu.
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So, for example, there are two distinct pronouns meaning we.
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One means I and you, and another means I and some others, but not you.
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Sounds confusing in English, but in the local languages such distinctions are common.
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A different example concerns the word long.
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It is almost the only preposition in Bishlama
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and may be used in place of a whole range of English words such as at, to, with, on, in, and so on.
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Well, that is the end of the formal part of the lecture.
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If you have any questions now, I'll be most happy to...
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That is the end of Section 4.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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That is the end of the listening test.
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You now have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the listening answer sheet.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 59 sentences and 835 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:21. The speaker talks at a steady 114 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| lecture noun | /ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/ | A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group. |
| derive verb | /dɪˈɹaɪv/ | To obtain or receive (something) from something else. |
| pigeon noun | /ˈpɪ.dʒɪn/ | One of several birds of the family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes. |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| occur verb | /əˈkɜː/ | To happen or take place. |
| carefully adverb | /ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/ | With care; attentively, circumspectly. |
| establish verb | /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/ | To make stable or firm; to confirm. |
| formal adjective | /ˈfɔɹməl/ | In accordance with established forms. |
| refer verb | /ɹɪˈfɜː/ | To direct the attention of (someone toward something). |
| aspect noun | /ˈæspɛkt/ | Any specific feature, part, or element of something. |
| sheet noun | /ʃit/ | A thin bed cloth used as a covering for a mattress or as a layer over the sleeper. |
| potentially adverb | /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/ | In a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way. |
| arrive verb | /əˈɹaɪv/ | To reach; to get to a certain place. |
| commonly adverb | /ˈkɑmənli/ | As a rule; frequently; usually. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is spoken · are created · have been identified |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have been identified · have changed · have been |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: establish /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/, sheet /ʃit/, potentially /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/, migration /maɪˈɡɹeɪʃ(ə)n/, distinction /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, potentially /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/, phenomenon /fəˈnɒm.ɪ.nən/, commodity /kəˈmɑdəti/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like vocabulary, lecture, derive.
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.