Shadowing Practice: Inside the 'kill-zone' on Ukraine's front line | BBC News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

C1
Hello, I'm Lucy Hockings.
⏸ Paused
105 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hello, I'm Lucy Hockings.
2
Welcome to BBC News Now.
3
We start this hour with the latest developments in the war in Ukraine.
4
As Kiev says, Russian forces are preparing for a major summer offensive.
5
It has been a brutal couple of weeks in Ukraine,
6
with hundreds of missile and drone strikes across the country.
7
Just to give you an idea,
8
overnight Russia attacked eight regions.
9
President Zelensky saying Russia used 524 attack drones and 22 missiles,
10
both ballistic and cruise missiles in Dnepro alone.
11
26 people were injured in the region,
12
with Russian strikes hitting residential and public buildings, cars and business.
13
Meanwhile, President Zelensky has also been defending a massive drone attack on Russia,
14
saying it was entirely justified.
15
At least four people were killed and Moscow's main oil refinery was hit.
16
Russia says it intercepted nearly 600 drones.
17
Our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale is in Kyiv at the moment,
18
and he updated us on the current status of the conflict.
19
It's been a brutal winter for Ukraine,
20
but I think there is some sense of at least optimism here in Kiev amongst certainly diplomats,
21
but also the military who I've spoken to,
22
who see some signs to be positive,
23
such as, for example, if you look at how much territory Russia took last year,
24
advancing about nine kilometres a day,
25
Now it's advancing just over two kilometers a day.
26
Last month, Ukraine took back more territory than it lost to Russia,
27
about 100 square kilometers, mostly in the Zaporizhia region.
28
And also, if you look at the casualty figures,
29
so this has been happening over a period of months,
30
but Ukraine is inflicting heavy casualties for those advances on Russia,
31
about 35,000 Russian casualties.
32
That's killed and wounded a month.
33
And that is close to the figure that Russia is recruiting to replace those soldiers every month.
34
So Ukraine's goal is to increase that figure to 50,000.
35
So there are some positive signs on the battlefield,
36
but no doubt about it,
37
Russia is still committed to this war.
38
President Putin clearly still wants the entire east of the country,
39
which has long been his goal
40
and it's too early to say whether this is just the change in fortune
41
that will last or whether once again russia will invest more heavily over the summer months
42
and make it cost a lot more for ukraine too well
43
moscow's troops are already approaching the outskirts of another strategically important
44
city in the east of ukraine kostan chumnyovka defending this area
45
is becoming even more challenging as drones are transforming how the war is fought.
46
It is forcing soldiers to stay in position, sometimes for months.
47
Abdul-Jalil Abdul-Rasalov spoke to Ukrainian infantrymen living inside what they call the kill zone.
48
This is one of the most dangerous places in eastern Ukraine now.
49
The city of Kamikaze drones hunt down anything that moves here.
50
The area within the range of these flying machines is called the kill zone.
51
Kenya, an infantryman from the 93rd Brigade,
52
has just come out from the front line.
53
He and his teammates spent 225 days inside the kill zone.
54
tried to change us several times,
55
but each time our replacement failed to reach us because of drones.
56
In the end Fogg helped the incoming team and we were swapped.
57
Gone are the battles where columns of tanks charge enemy positions.
58
In the edge of drones speed is more important than armor.
59
Eat, sleep and fight in tiny trenches like this.
60
They call it a foxhole and rarely leave it.
61
They even use a plastic bottle to urinate since it's too dangerous to go outside.
62
Hani spent 122 days at the front line.
63
He barely survived when Russian forces discovered his position.
64
First, they dropped explosives and sent kamikaze drones.
65
Then two assault troopers tried to go into the basement where we stayed.
66
They threw grenades and blew up an anti-tank mine that destroyed the entrance.
67
This is how Honey's team received supplies.
68
There was constantly a shortage of water and food.
69
Drones that delivered supplies would often get destroyed before they could reach us.
70
In winter it was extremely cold.
71
This was one of the harshest winters in Ukraine for many years.
72
How did you survive it?
73
Some of us survived, some didn't.
74
My comrade got very ill,
75
and one day he didn't wake up.
76
He died from hypothermia.
77
These Ukrainian infantrymen remain at their positions despite all odds.
78
And while most fighting is done by drones today,
79
it is the foot soldiers who hold territory.
80
Abdujelil Abdurasolov, BBC News, Eastern Ukraine.
81
Very vivid account there of what it's like for those soldiers on the front line.
82
But what's happening with diplomacy in terms of any moves to try and bring an end to the conflict?
83
I asked that question to Jonathan Beale.
84
The America tried to essentially force Ukraine to sign some kind of peace agreement and they're still looking for reassurances.
85
So we did see a Ukrainian senior official,
86
former Defense Minister Umarov, going to Miami to meet with Steve Wyckoff.
87
That was just before Ukraine and Russia agreed an American-brokered ceasefire,
88
which was time to coincide.
89
So Moscow said President Putin could hold his Victory Day,
90
May Day parade in Red Square.
91
And then President Zelensky said he would allow President Putin to have that parade.
92
So there is clearly still U.S engagement.
93
But I was talking to,
94
you know, a number of Western diplomats here who have said
95
that the faith in the Americans has clearly been dented because of their failures,
96
their efforts at the moment to try to achieve a peace in the Middle East have not worked so far.
97
So I think it's true to say that Ukraine is looking more to Europe,
98
but it still needs America.
99
And certainly you do not hear any language from President Zelensky,
100
which is designed to cause offense in Washington.
101
They know President Trump is very important in terms of providing security guarantees if there is going to be a long-term peace.
102
But I think their confidence in whether certainly Steve Wyckoff
103
and Jared Kushner can broker a peace deal and one that is fair,
104
one that Ukraine would find acceptable.
105
I think that confidence has been dented because of what they've seen in the Middle East.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will delve into the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as reported by BBC News. This engaging content not only provides critical updates on the situation but also serves as a practical resource for enhancing your English language skills. You will focus on the shadowing technique, which involves listening to the speaker while simultaneously repeating their words. This practice helps you improve English pronunciation and boosts your overall fluency. Understanding the context of the topic will further enrich your vocabulary and listening skills, making you a more confident speaker.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Major offensive: A large-scale military action aimed at achieving a significant goal.
  • Drone strikes: Attacks carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles.
  • Casualty figures: Statistics related to people who are killed or injured in military conflicts.
  • Kill zone: An area where combat poses a high risk to life.
  • Optimism: A positive outlook, especially during challenging situations.
  • Territory: An area of land that is under a particular jurisdiction.
  • Reinforcements: Additional troops sent to support military operations.
  • Strategically important: Referring to places or assets that hold significant military value.

Practice Tips

To effectively implement the shadowing technique while watching this video, start by listening to a short segment at a time—preferably 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat the speaker's words as soon as you hear them, focusing on mimicking their intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation. The speed of the transcript can be challenging, so consider using a shadowing app that allows you to adjust the playback speed. This feature can help you maintain clarity while still engaging with more complex phrases. Pay close attention to how certain terms are pronounced, especially those related to military contexts, as this will enhance your topic-specific vocabulary. Regular practice in this manner will significantly aid in your ability to speak fluently and improve English pronunciation.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee