Shadowing Practice: Is it OK to disagree? ⏲️ 6 Minute English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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Hello.
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This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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I'm Neil.
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And I'm Beth.
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Neil, when you're chatting with friends,
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do you usually have the same or different opinion on things going on in the world?
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Ooh, well, that's interesting.
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I think I probably have quite similar opinions similar opinions and that's kind of why we're friends.
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Ah, well, we might like to believe that we're accepting and tolerant of others' beliefs.
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But for many people, it can be difficult to communicate with people who have very different opinions to our own.
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And this lack of acceptance could be increasing with our use of social media.
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For example, algorithms tend to show us what we already like and agree with.
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Of course, we can't always agree with everyone else else.
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We all have personal opinions and beliefs on topics like religion and politics.
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But some worry that it's becoming more and more common to react with violence when they disagree,
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than to solve disagreements together peacefully.
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So are we becoming a more divided society?
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Divided means in disagreement with and separated from others – to not be together.
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And how can we be more accepting and open to the opinions of others?
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That's what we'll be discussing in this programme and,
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as usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases.
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Remember, you can find all the vocabulary from this programme on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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But first I have a question for you, Beth.
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According to a recent Ipsos poll,
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what percentage of the British population believes society is divided?
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Is it a 20%?
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b 50%? or c 80%?
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I'm going to say 50%.
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Well, we'll find out the answer later in the programme.
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Paul Dolan, Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics,
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thinks we should learn how to control our emotions and be open to discussions when we disagree.
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Here he explains more about how to do this on BBC World Service programme All In The Mind.
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Generally, we're going to be making better decisions and more respectfully if we calm down.
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it takes 15 minutes when you're proper aroused for the amygdala to calm down
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but within a few seconds it can start calming down right you take a deep breath
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and you start feeling calmer it's not to say
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that always being calm is good anger can be motivational
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and positive emotions actually can be very good for us generally people make better decisions
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and are more engaging and more open when they're happier
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but much of the time it will be just the case of calming down to try
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and take some the heat out of the environment.
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Paul thinks we should take time to calm down when we feel aroused,
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which here means to feel anger or strong disagreement.
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He said it takes 15 minutes for the amygdala,
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the part of the brain that experiences emotions,
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to calm down when we're aroused.
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While anger can be motivational,
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– make us more determined and enthusiastic – Paul says people can speak more openly
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when they're happier – when heat is taken out of the environment.
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Heat, in this context, means an intense feeling, like anger.
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Now, one recent dating experiment looked into what people say they want in an ideal partner,
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according to their dating profile.
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Researchers found that many single people included details on things like what they want their partner to look like,
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their height, the political party they vote for,
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but many also say they want a partner who is open-minded and tolerant of different views.
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If you are open-minded, you're willing to listen to and consider new ideas.
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However, the researchers concluded that while people want a partner to be open-minded and tolerant,
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they don't want to be very open-minded themselves.
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So how can we be more open to getting to know people that we might disagree with?
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Here's Paul Dolan again, talking to presenter Claudia Hammond of BBC World Services,
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All in the Mind.
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So I guess one very obvious answer is to get offline.
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I mean, to actually just get out more and meet people,
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because it's what political scientists think is the silver bullet.
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You know, the more you're around people that are different,
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the more you realise that actually they're not that different and you become more tolerant and open-minded.
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So being around people that are different,
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I think that's probably the way that we're going to tackle that problem.
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Paul says political scientists think the silver bullet is to get offline and meet people.
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A silver bullet means a simple solution to a complicated problem.
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By meeting people who have different opinions and beliefs to you,
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the more you'll realise they're not that different to you at all.
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And that could make you more accepting and lead to a society that is less divided.
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And speaking of divided, isn't it time you revealed the answer to your question, Neil?
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Yes, I asked what percentage of the British population believes society is divided,
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according to a recent poll by the organisation Ipsos.
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I said 50%.
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Was that correct?
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It was not correct.
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It is in fact 80%.
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Wow, that's a lot.
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OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this programme,
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starting with divided, which means in disagreement, not together.
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Aroused means feel a strong emotion, like anger.
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If something is motivational, It makes us determined and enthusiastic.
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Heat means an intense feeling, like anger.
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If you are open-minded, you are willing to listen to and consider new ideas.
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And finally, a silver bullet means a simple solution to a complicated problem.
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Once again, our six minutes are up.
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If you've enjoyed this programme,
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why not try practising the new vocabulary you've learnt with our worksheet?
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It's available to download now from our website bbclearningenglish.com and you could also try out the quiz while you're there.
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Goodbye for now!
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Goodbye!

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Context & Background

In the latest episode of 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English, hosts Neil and Beth delve into a thought-provoking topic: the challenges of disagreeing with others. They highlight how social media can create echo chambers that reinforce similar beliefs, making it increasingly difficult to engage with differing opinions. This episode features insights from Paul Dolan, a Professor of Behavioural Science, who discusses the importance of managing emotions during disagreements. Through their conversation, listeners are encouraged to reflect on societal divisions and the necessity for open dialogue, especially when opinions diverge.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Agree to disagree: A phrase used to acknowledge that two parties have different viewpoints and decide to accept this difference.
  • To take the heat out of the environment: This means to calm down a tense situation to facilitate better communication.
  • Curtail strong emotions: To manage or limit intense feelings, especially when they might lead to conflict.
  • Open to discussions: Willing to engage in conversations, regardless of differing opinions.
  • Divided society: A term that describes a community that is split in its beliefs or opinions, often leading to conflict.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively use this episode for improving your English speaking skills through shadowing, follow this structured guide:

  1. Listen Actively: Start by listening to the episode without any distractions. Pay attention to the context and tone of the discussions.
  2. Transcribe Sentences: Write down key phrases or sentences that you find interesting or challenging. This will help reinforce vocabulary and sentence structure.
  3. Slow it Down: Use a shadowing app to slow down the audio. This will allow you to catch the nuances of pronunciation and intonation.
  4. Repeat and Imitate: Practice shadowing by repeating phrases right after you hear them. Focus on mimicking the rhythm and pronunciation of the speakers.
  5. Record Yourself: During practice, record yourself speaking. Play back your recording to compare your pronunciation and fluency against the original audio.
  6. Engage in Role Play: Find a partner to converse with about the themes presented in the episode. Use the top phrases to facilitate a discussion on agreeing and disagreeing respectfully.

By incorporating these steps, you can enhance your English speaking practice and improve your communication skills. Whether you choose to use a shadowing app or simply prefer to learn English with YouTube, the focus on repeating and imitating will surely contribute to your fluency. Don't forget to explore the themes of the video, allowing you to gain confidence in discussing complex topics with others!

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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