Shadowing Practice: Obama Agrees to Extend Tax Cuts for 2 Years - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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I'm Alex Villarreal with the VOA Special English Economics Report.
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I'm Alex Villarreal with the VOA Special English Economics Report.
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President Obama announced an agreement with Congressional Republicans in December.
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It would extend for two years the tax cuts put in place by former President George W.
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Bush.
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The tax cuts were to end in January.
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The compromise extends current income tax rates for all Americans for two years.
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That includes rates for the richest Americans.
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The agreement also cuts workers' Social Security taxes by two percentage points.
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Social Security is retirement insurance paid by almost all American workers and employers.
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The so-called payroll tax holiday would save a family earning $50,000 about $1,000 a year.
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For the president, the most important part of the compromise was the extension of aid payments to unemployed Americans for 13 months.
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In November, the jobless rate increased by two-tenths of a percent to 9.8 percent.
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Economists say payments to unemployed people directly help the economy because they spend the money immediately.
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This has led some experts to call the agreement a stimulus measure meant to improve the economy.
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President Obama said he accepted the compromise because he wanted to help unemployed Americans.
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But the president faced strong opposition from his own party.
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Some Democrats objected to keeping tax cuts for the rich at a time when the government is struggling with deep budget deficits.
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The extension of the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans is expected to cost about $80 billion over two years.
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The deal also includes tax cuts aimed at middle-income Americans and businesses.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans support the deal.
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He said it was an important step to take for the American people.
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Before the agreement, Senate Republicans had threatened to block other measures unless the tax cuts for the richest Americans were extended.
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Some Democrats were disappointed that President Obama agreed to the compromise.
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In 2008, he campaigned on the promise that he would continue tax cuts for the middle class.
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But he proposed to raise income taxes on families reporting $250,000 or more in taxable income.
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Later in December, both houses of Congress passed the tax bill,
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and President Obama signed it into law.
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For VOA Special English, I'm Alex Villareal.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will engage with informative content discussing a significant economic agreement made by President Obama regarding tax cuts. As you practice your English speaking skills, you'll enhance your ability to discuss economic and political topics. This lesson focuses on understanding spoken English in a real-world context, which will help you to improve your English pronunciation and fluency. By actively participating in this exercise, you will also reinforce your familiarity with specific vocabulary and phrases used in discussions about economics and policy.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Tax cuts - Reductions in the amount of tax that individuals or businesses must pay.
  • Compromise - An agreement or settlement of a dispute reached by each side making concessions.
  • Social Security - A government program that provides financial assistance to retirees and disabled individuals.
  • Unemployed Americans - Individuals who are without a job and actively seeking employment.
  • Stimulus measure - Government action designed to encourage economic activity.
  • Budget deficits - The financial situation where expenses exceed revenue, leading to shortfalls.
  • Middle-income Americans - Individuals or families whose earnings fall within a moderate range compared to the overall economic spectrum.
  • Economists - Experts who study and analyze economic data and trends.

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning experience and practice your English speaking skills, utilize the shadowing technique with this video. This method involves listening to a specific segment of the transcript and then immediately repeating what you hear, mimicking the speaker's tone, speed, and pronunciation.

Since the speed of the dialogue in the video may vary, start by watching the segment at a slower speed if possible. Focus on sections of 3-5 sentences; this will allow you to concentrate on both understanding and articulation.

Pay particular attention to the intonation and rhythm as you shadow speak. Emulating President Obama’s speech style can significantly help you improve your English pronunciation. Additionally, try to use pauses effectively, as they can enhance clarity in your communication. By learning English with YouTube videos like this, you can develop a natural speaking cadence, enabling you to convey your thoughts effectively in conversation.

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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