Shadowing Practice: Japan bans baby names like Pikachu and Kitty: BBC Learning English from the News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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From BBC Learning English, this is Learning English from the News,
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From BBC Learning English, this is Learning English from the News,
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our podcast about the news headlines.
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In this programme, Japan changes law to stop baby names like Pikachu and Kitty.
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Hello, I'm Neil.
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And I'm Beth.
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In this programme, we look at one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.
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You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode as well as a worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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So let's hear more about this story.
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So, Japan has changed the law to stop people naming their babies things like Pikachu and Kitty.
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New rules have come in on the pronunciation of kanji.
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Those are the Chinese characters used as one of the three forms of Japanese writing.
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The change is designed to prevent unofficial pronunciations of the kanji characters.
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In recent times, these unusual interpretations of the characters have allowed people to call their kids' names seen as strange
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or silly by the authorities.
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And our first headline is about this.
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It's from The Guardian in the UK.
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Japan introduces rules to put outlandish baby names to bed.
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And that headline again from The Guardian,
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Japan introduces rules to put outlandish baby names to bed.
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First of all, the word outlandish.
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Now that describes something strange or unusual,
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such as calling your child Pikachu.
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But we're interested in this expression, put something to bed.
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Because we're talking about babies,
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Beth, I can sense that this is some kind of joke.
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OK, but hang on before we get to the joke.
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So, let's start with the meaning.
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If you say that you have put something to bed,
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you mean you've dealt with a difficult situation successfully.
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So, for example,
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I had a bit of a disagreement with one of my neighbours about where they leave their rubbish bins for collection.
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But we got together and discussed it and we put it to bed.
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Ah, OK.
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So you successfully dealt with the issue and now it's not a problem.
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Well, that's good, Neil, because you don't want to be fighting with your neighbours.
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Exactly.
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So, Beth, can you work out why in this headline and with this story,
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the expression put something to bed is a bit of a joke?
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Yes, it's a joke because we're talking about a dispute here between the Japanese authorities
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and people who give their kids outlandish names.
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And the dispute has been put to bed, resolved through new laws.
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And the story is about babies.
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Yes, and babies sleep a lot and need,
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literally, to be put to bed.
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Exactly.
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OK, Neil, let's put this section to bed and get a recap of the vocabulary.
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We've had put something to bed – deal with a problem successfully.
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For example, the company put to bed threats of strikes by offering workers a big pay rise.
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This is Learning English from the News,
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our podcast about the news headlines.
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Today we're talking about a new law in Japan designed to stop people giving their babies unusual names, like Pikachu.
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In recent times, parents in Japan have been choosing names for their babies,
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which have been seen as more individual and creative than traditional names.
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The new law aims to prevent that.
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The names are described in Japanese language as kirakira,
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which means shiny or glittery.
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And it's this idea that we're going to look at in our next headline.
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Our headline from Euro Weekly,
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You can't call your baby that.
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Japan limits the choice of baby names to stop flashy ones.
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And that headline again from Euro Weekly.
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You can't call your baby that.
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Japan limits the choice of baby names to stop flashy ones.
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So the word we're going to discuss is flashy.
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What does flashy mean, Beth?
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OK, well the word flashy is an adjective but it helps to look at the root of this of this word flash.
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Neil, what is a flash?
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Well, a flash is a short moment of bright light,
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like on an old-fashioned camera.
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And Beth, what happens when you see a flash?
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Well, it attracts attention, so you have to look in the direction of the flash to see what just happened.
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That's right.
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So, something that is flashy is something that attracts.
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So, what sort of things can be described as flashy?
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Well, if someone has a very expensive watch or car,
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one that seems to be worn or driven mainly to attract attention,
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we can say that it's flashy.
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We can also describe a person as flashy,
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if they behave or present themselves in a way that makes people look at them.
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And a note, we often shorten flashy to just flash.
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That's a flash watch you're wearing, Beth.
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Oh, well, I thought you'd notice it, Neil.
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Well, I did.
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We've had flashy, which describes something expensive or designed to attract attention.
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For example, the singer arrived at the awards ceremony in a flashy car.
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This is Learning English from the News from BBC Learning English.
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We're talking about new rules on the pronunciation of Japanese characters,
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which will prevent parents choosing unusual and flashy names for their babies.
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We've been hearing about a current trend in Japan of giving babies unusual names.
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The authorities say it can be hard to know how to pronounce these names
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and can also cause the children embarrassment in later life.
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Our next headline is about official attempts to stop this trend.
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So, let's have our next headline which comes from South China Morning Post.
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Don't do it!
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Japan takes aim at baby names like Nike with new rules on kanji readings.
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That headline again from the South China Morning Post.
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Don't do it!
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Japan takes aim at baby names like Nike,
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with new rules on kanji readings.
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So this headline says that the rules take aim at baby names like Nike.
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And we're looking at the expression take aim at.
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Now if you take aim at something literally,
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you try to hit it,
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either by throwing or kicking something,
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or pointing a weapon at something you want to hit.
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So a football player will take aim at the goal when they're taking a free kick.
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Or a soldier with a gun will take aim at an enemy soldier.
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But here we're talking metaphorically.
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Yes, we are.
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The Japanese authorities are taking aim at this new trend for baby names,
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like Pikachu and Nike.
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They are attacking the trend as if they are aiming a gun at it.
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And we see this expression commonly when talking about official attempts to deal with problems or criticise something seen as bad.
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Yes.
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So, for example, we might hear,
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the government has taken aim at unemployment by offering young people training opportunities.
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We've had take aim at something,
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try to deal with an issue or criticise something.
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So, for example, she took aim at her rival for the job promotion by pointing out all his weaknesses.
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That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News.
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We'll be back next week with another news story.
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And don't forget to follow us on social media.
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Just search for BBC Learning English.
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Thanks for joining us and goodbye.
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Goodbye.
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About This Lesson
This lesson focuses on an intriguing news story from Japan, where new laws have been enacted to prevent parents from giving their children unusual names like Pikachu and Kitty. Through this lesson, learners will practice interpreting complex news vocabulary and gain insights into cultural norms related to naming conventions. By engaging with the text and learning specific phrases, students will enhance their English speaking practice and comprehension skills.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Outlandish - Describing something strange or unusual, such as unconventional baby names.
- Put something to bed - To deal with a problem successfully; for example, resolving a dispute.
- Kanji - The Chinese characters used as one of the three forms of Japanese writing.
- Pronunciation - The way in which a word is pronounced, particularly important with the kanji characters.
- Authorities - Those in charge, such as government or legal entities that regulate names.
- Unusual interpretations - Creative or unconventional ways of understanding or using language.
Practice Tips
To make the most of this lesson and improve your language skills, we recommend using the shadowing technique. This technique involves listening to a speaker and simultaneously mimicking their speech. Here’s how you can effectively use this method with the podcast:
- Listen attentively: Start by listening to the episode without interruption. Pay close attention to the speed and tone of the speakers, Neil and Beth.
- Slow repetition: Rewind and play sections repeatedly. Practice speaking along with Neil and Beth, focusing on their pronunciation and intonation.
- Focus on vocabulary: As you shadow, emphasize the new vocabulary such as “outlandish” and “put something to bed.” This will enhance your familiarity with these phrases.
- Use a shadowing app: Consider using a shadowing app or similar tools that can help you practice effectively by providing instant feedback and allowing for slow playback.
- Engage in shadowspeak: After you’ve practiced the shadow speech, try to summarize what you learned using your own words to solidify the new vocabulary in your memory.
By consistently practicing with this shadowing technique, you will not only improve your speaking abilities but also gain more confidence in handling various English expressions in conversation. Happy practicing!
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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