Shadowing Practice: Participants in the learner Persistence study were all drawn from the same - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Now turn to Section 4 on page 7.
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Now turn to Section 4 on page 7.
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Section 4.
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You will hear part of a talk about research into learner persistence given by a university lecturer to her colleagues.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40 on pages 7 and 8.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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My talk is about a research study I did over a period of five years on learner persistence,
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why some people stick at academic study better than others.
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As teachers, you will know that there is a tremendous variation in the learner's response to certain things.
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For example, a short period of illness might completely destabilize some students and cause them to give up their degree studies.
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Other learners might overcome tremendous difficulties to stay the course.
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I am particularly interested in this second group,
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who are the ones with learner persistence.
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What I decided to do was design a research study using a sample of my university's
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third-year undergraduate students 295 in all who obviously had already stayed
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the course pretty well the sample was drawn from a range of ages
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but there was deliberately a significant number of mature students and all respondents were living at home in the local region
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i wanted to have this element of consistency not having some coming from outside the area and living in university accommodation.
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It should be noted, though,
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that there was significant variation in home background to reflect the variation in our student population.
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I designed questionnaires which were devised to elicit what their concerns had been as they started the course
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and what had sustained them throughout the three years.
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Findings from the first section indicated that their worries when they started It varied from financial concerns,
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though this had not been as strong as I expected, to career prospects.
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But mature students with children tended to emphasize uncertainties about their relationship with them.
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The second section of my questionnaire looked at learner persistence under three main headings,
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social and environmental factors, other factors,
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and intrinsic or personal characteristics.
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I identified three levels of importance for each of these.
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At the first level, those points identified by participants as most important in learner persistence.
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For social factors, many respondents said how crucial it had been to have good support,
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though there was no one specific source.
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It could be family or friends.
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As regards other factors, students are heartened not so much by high grades,
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but by what they regard as success in study.
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And for personal characteristics, many respondents reported that they took pleasure in challenge and that this was regarded as very significant.
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At the second level of importance,
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in the first category, a sizable percentage talked about the fact
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that they had enjoyed themselves in school as an important social factor.
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In the second column, Other Factors,
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a number of people said that what was of most importance was decent health.
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This had a fairly strong influence on their persistence in their studies.
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And then, under the heading of Personal Characteristics,
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there were quite a large percentage of respondents
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who mentioned they felt it was important to have lots of interests in their everyday lives.
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This gave them a depth and sense of perspective,
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which less persistent learners might lack.
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And then, on to the third level.
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Under social factors, several respondents talked about good relationships with their tutors.
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For other factors, they mentioned lack or absence of any problems in their families.
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and finally, under column 3,
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they identified an ability to juggle several roles,
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what we might call their capacity for multitasking.
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Now, these findings obviously helped inform the design of activities, as I mentioned.
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But in addition, a number of further recommendations emerged.
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Firstly, I propose
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that the department distributes questionnaires to first-year students to help get an idea of their maturity when starting the course.
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This is really our overriding concern.
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secondly I recommend we look into ways of offering induction courses
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for some selected students to allow them to take on the
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role of advisors we think they are the best people to act in
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that role this policy will make support much more accessible to
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our students thirdly this help is often most needed in the evening
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and night when offices are closed and
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so we should set up online services instead of the more traditional telephone services research has shown
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that these services are actually more accessible to the majority of students
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and finally it is often important to be proactive
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if students are not meeting deadlines then someone should contact them
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rather than wait for them to come to us now are there any questions about the point
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That is the end of Section 4.
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You now have half a minute to check your answers.
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Thank you.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This video discusses a fascinating research study on learner persistence, offering a unique context for English speaking practice. Engaging with this content allows you to not only comprehend academic vocabulary but also to connect with themes of motivation and resilience, which are universal. As an English learner, practicing speaking about these concepts can enhance your ability to articulate your thoughts in academic discussions, fostering confidence in both formal and informal settings. Furthermore, utilizing the shadowing technique—where you repeat the speaker's words in real-time—will help you improve English pronunciation and fluency by mimicking natural speech patterns.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Within the lecturer's discourse, several key grammatical structures and expressions stand out:

  • Passive voice: The use of passive constructions, such as "the sample was drawn," emphasizes the action over the subject, making it useful for formal written English.
  • Conditional sentences: The phrase "if they had enjoyed themselves in school" illustrates how to discuss hypothetical situations effectively—crucial for academic reasoning.
  • Nominalization: Expressions like "learner persistence" show how verbs can be transformed into nouns, allowing you to consolidate ideas into compact forms, which is valuable for essay writing.
  • Comparatives: The comparative structure "more important" highlights how to weigh various factors, an essential skill in critical analysis.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice along with this video, pay attention to specific pronunciation challenges that may arise:

  • Words with silent letters: For example, "knowledge" has a silent 'k', which can be tricky. Practicing such words can enhance clarity in your speech.
  • Linked sounds: In phrases like "learner persistence," the connection between words can blur. Focus on linking sounds as you mimic the lecturer to sound more natural.
  • Stress and intonation: Notice how the lecturer emphasizes specific points. Imitating her stress patterns can help improve your English speaking and overall fluency.

By integrating these aspects into your practice, particularly through video resources to learn English with YouTube, you can enhance your academic vocabulary and speaking proficiency, building a stronger foundation for effective communication.

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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