Shadowing Practice: Iran 'not a forever war', says US Vice President JD Vance | BBC News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Will there be a peace deal or will the fighting resume?
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Will there be a peace deal or will the fighting resume?
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The answer seems to be changing by the hour, especially in Washington.
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Donald Trump says he was only an hour away from going ahead with a strike on Iran on Tuesday,
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but put it on pause when Gulf leaders indicated that a deal with Iran might be closed.
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Qatar has since put a dampener on that,
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claiming negotiators need a lot more time.
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But they might not have much.
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The president said he may still decide to launch strikes on Iran in two
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or three days if there's still no progress on talks.
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And speaking at the White House press briefing,
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his vice president said the U.S is ready to return to military action if a deal cannot be agreed.
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We think that we've made a lot of progress.
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We think the Iranians want to make a deal.
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The president of the United States has asked us to negotiate in good faith,
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and that's exactly what we've done.
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So we're in a pretty good spot here,
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but there's an option B.
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And the option B is that we can restart the military campaign to continue to prosecute the case,
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to continue to try to achieve America's objectives,
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and we can talk a little bit about what that looks like.
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But that's not what the president wants,
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and I don't think it's what the Iranians want either.
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We have an opportunity here,
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I think, to reset the relationship that has existed between Iran and the United States for 47 years.
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That's what the president has asked us to do,
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and that's what we're going to keep on working at.
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but it takes two to tango.
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We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon.
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So as the president just told me, we're locked and loaded.
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We don't want to go down that pathway,
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but the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to.
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So let's speak now to our White House reporter, Bernd de Boosman.
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Bernd, listening to J.D.
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Vance there, he's saying option B is not what the president wants to do,
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but they are locked and loaded and ready to go
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if iran cannot come to an agreement what's new about what we just heard
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well we still don't have any details about the progress
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that vice president vance said is being made with regards to
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these negotiations he did seem a little more optimistic about the
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prospect of a negotiated end to the war than the president has in in recent days
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but we don't know exactly what the sticking points are.
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Vance repeated the administration's red line that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapons.
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And he says he believes the Iranian government has internalized that,
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but that there can't be any guarantees about the talks until they see Penn put to paper.
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And in the meantime, that option B,
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a resumption of full-scale combat operations, is still a possibility.
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I think one interesting new tidbit
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that Vance mentioned was the kind of rationale for the war
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that we haven't heard much from the administration again and
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that they believe that if Iran were to secure a nuclear weapon
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that
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that would start a kind of a domino effect of other
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countries in the region also trying to manufacture a nuclear weapon
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and that's part of why the administration believes that need to be stopped.
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That's not something that's often repeated by administration officials
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when they discuss the various reasons that they say they went to war for.
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But what is clear, isn't it,
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Ben, is that the nuclear option,
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as far as the U.S administration is concerned,
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is the absolute key sticking point.
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That is very much still the sticking point.
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And that's something that President Trump,
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even as late as this morning,
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he says that that's his primary goal in the campaign.
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At the beginning of Operation Epic Fury in late February,
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there were several other reasons given for this war beginning,
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including, for example, Iranian support for proxy militias in Iraq or Lebanon.
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That seems, at least in public discourse,
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to have gone away as far as the Trump administration goes.
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And now the overarching campaign and goal that he brings up almost daily now is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
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Now, we don't know where he stands,
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for example, on a complete pause of a civilian nuclear program in Iran.
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But the primary focus is now,
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even more so than the straightforward moves,
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that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
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AMNA NAWAZI, The President of the United States,
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The President of the United States,
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White House reporter Bernda Guzman, thank you.
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Meanwhile, fighting continues in the south of Lebanon,
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despite an extended ceasefire on paper.
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Israel issued urgent evacuation orders for 12 towns on Tuesday as it continues its strikes on Hezbollah targets.
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Lebanese media then reported a number of strikes across the south of the country.
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More than 400 people have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire started.
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More than 3,000 in total since the war started in March.
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Well, let's speak to our Middle East correspondent, Lina Sinjab, in Beirut.
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Lina, just bring us right up to date with the details of those strikes.
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Well, all these strikes are taking place in the south of the country,
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everywhere, Israel seems to be using the ceasefire
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that has been announced by expanding the airstrikes in the areas
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that they're controlling from what it appears to be
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that they're trying to even get further inside the south of Lebanon in some areas,
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reaching more than 10 kilometers inside the south of the country.
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More, as you said, more than 12,
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you know, villages have been ordered to be evacuated today alone.
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But over the weekend, since this ceasefire extension was announced on Friday,
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more and more villages and towns have been ordered to be evacuated with more airstrikes.
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And Hezbollah at the same time,
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you know, is also intensifying its counterattacks on the Israelis,
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you know, targeting even sometimes trying to attack inside Israel,
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not only trying to attack Israeli forces on the ground inside the south of Lebanon.
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Yeah, Israel arguing, of course, that it's targeting Hezbollah.
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But the reality is that over the last few months since the war started,
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there's had to be a huge amount of people,
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numbers of people relocating from their trying to find safe space in Lebanon.
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Just take us through where we are now as this war continues.
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And in terms of the humanitarian efforts,
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even as there is a ceasefire,
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there are lots of people requiring a lot of help at the moment.
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Well, let's start by talking about the figures and numbers that the Ministry of Health provided.
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You know, until today, since the war started on the 2nd of March,
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3,020, or probably a little bit more,
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including today, have been killed.
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Over 600 of this number are women,
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children and paramedics, including also journalists.
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The government doesn't show combatant numbers among the figures that they are quoting.
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And there are media reports suggesting that Hezbollah,
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those who were killed among Hezbollah,
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are not included in this number.
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So imagine the death toll that is rising.
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Some families have been killed completely.
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In the past few weeks,
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there were families that were killed entirely,
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including mother, you know, a grandmother, children, grandchildren.
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And the story continues because,
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you know, the Israelis are destroying villages and homes and infrastructure in the south,
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forcing more and more people into evacuation.
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Before the ceasefire, the number of the people who were displaced exceeded a million.
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Some of them tried to go back to their towns and villages after the ceasefire,
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but still many, thousands of them are displaced.
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Today, even here in Beirut,
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the government is trying to find new locations for those stranded by the sea that they're still sleeping in tents.
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And most of these people require aid,
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require medical attention, require food, require hygiene kits.
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And the government is stretched out.
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International organizations, civil society are trying to help.
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But it's really making it more and more difficult with more evacuation orders,
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with complete villages and towns being destroyed.
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And the Lebanese are so much attached to their land,
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to their homes, that brings their,
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connect them to their history,
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to their ancestors, to their, you know, grand families.
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And they are now feeling that they're just looking at the photos of destruction and the negotiations that are taking place
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you know sponsored by the americans are getting nowhere
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because israel seems to be determined to continue its fights against hezbollah
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but the ones who are paying the price are the civilians who are losing homes
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and losing lives lena sinjab there with the impact of the war on the civilian population of lebanon thank you Well,
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as the conflict continues in the Middle East,
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the sustained high price of oil is having a real impact on the cost of living in a number of countries.
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Here are two examples.
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India raised fuel prices for the first time in four years on Friday,
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but less than a week later they've hyped them again as
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a result of the supply chain issues in the Strait of Hormuz.
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And then there's Kenya.
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Petrol prices were raised last week more than 20% to a record high,
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causing huge protests across the country on Monday.
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Our correspondents in Mumbai and Nairobi have the latest.
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There definitely is frustration on price rise.
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It's not something that is welcome any time.
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But there is also concern on the uncertainty of it.
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The fact that there have been two price rises in just less than a week indicates now,
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these are clear indications from the government,
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that the buffers could be thinning in terms of how much the government can absorb,
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you know, the increase in global crude oil prices.
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And now it is now being passed on to the consumers.
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And the fact that more could come in the days ahead.
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And that is adding on to concerns.
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We already know that small industries that depend on crude and gas,
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they've already been struggling for the last two months because of the shortages.
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Their operations have been curtailed.
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Some contractual workers have been let go.
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But that impact, is there a possibility that that impact is now expanding?
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You know, everyday goods have already started becoming more expensive.
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Transport will become more expensive now that the petrol and diesel hikes.
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And even hikes for the gas that powers some of the public transport like tuk-tuks
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and buses have also been hiked over the weekend.
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And all of this will start trickling down,
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making everyday goods transport more expensive.
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And also on the macroeconomic front,
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with the rupee depreciating and India's import bills rising because of the global crude oil price rise,
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that is also putting a lot of pressure on the government.
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And economists say more price hikes could come in the days ahead.
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Well, the government has said that global oil prices
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and their instability in the Middle East really remain a major factor in this,
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but also outside of Kenya's direct control.
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but experts and opposition members
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and Kenyans have been urging them to relook at other domestic solutions like the reduction of taxes and levies.
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I'd have you know that the price pump here in Kenya,
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about 27 to 35 percent of it,
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depending on what you're using,
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petroleum, diesel, or kerosene, a big chunk of this percentage goes to taxes and levies,
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some of it going up to 35 percent.
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So the government is being urged to relook at the taxes
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and levies that they have imposed on the prices of petroleum to try and bring the prices down,
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regardless of the situation in the Middle East.
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That's not under their direct control.
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They're also being asked to perhaps reconsider the government to government framework that they have entered into.
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Most of Kenya's oil comes from the Gulf countries,
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hence the kind of strain and pressure that the government finds itself into.
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So the government is also being urged perhaps to relook at this G2G,
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as it's been called here,
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a framework and think about open tender system where they can bring in an aggressive and robust private sector competition
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for forcing these oil prices to go down.
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But the bigger picture, these protests have led to four deaths so far.
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30 people have been injured and more than 300 people have been arrested.
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We've seen total disruption of businesses,
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both formal and informal,
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as well as learning disruptions as children have not been able to go to school since yesterday because of this particular strike.
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Whether you are joining us on YouTube,
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TikTok, Sounds, radio or TV,
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thank you for your time.
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We will be back at the same time tomorrow with the Iran war today.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English listening and speaking skills by engaging with a transcript from the BBC News video featuring U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance discussing the situation in Iran. The lesson focuses on current events and how language is used to convey complex political situations. By following this lesson, you'll not only enhance your understanding of geopolitical vocabulary but also refine your pronunciation skills through the shadowing technique.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Peace deal: An agreement to end conflict between parties.
- Military action: Operations carried out by armed forces.
- Nuclear weapon: Explosive devices that derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions.
- Locked and loaded: Prepared for action, ready and equipped.
- Negotiating in good faith: Engaging in discussions honestly and sincerely.
- Sticking points: Issues or problems that cause negotiations to stall.
- Prosecuting the case: Actively pursuing a legal or strategic objective.
- Reset the relationship: Attempting to improve or change the dynamics between two parties.
Practice Tips
To make the most of this lesson, you can employ the shadowing technique while listening to the transcript spoken in the video. Here are some tips to guide your practice:
- Focus on Speed: The speech rate in the video might be varied. Start by listening to shorter segments, repeat them, and gradually increase the length of the sections you practice. This approach will help you adapt to the natural speed of native speakers.
- Imitate Tone and Emotion: Pay attention to the tone used by Vice President Vance. Notice the emphasis on critical points, such as the mention of nuclear weapons, and strive to replicate that in your speech as you shadow.
- Record Yourself: After several practice rounds, record your shadow speech. Listen back to assess your pronunciation and fluency. Are you improving? This exercise is excellent for IELTS speaking practice.
- Repeat and Reinforce: Regular practice is key to improvement. Incorporate vocabulary from the lesson into your conversations and try to use them in different contexts to strengthen retention.
Using these strategies daily will contribute significantly to improving your English pronunciation and overall speaking skills. Embrace the shadowing site methodology to boost your confidence and performance in real-life speaking situations!
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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