Shadowing Practice: Phát âm chuẩn - Anh ngữ đặc biệt: Kanye West and the Price of Textbooks (VOA) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.
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From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.
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When American music star Kanye West has something to say,
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people seem to listen.
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Last month, West commented on Twitter about the cost of university textbooks.
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He tweeted that the prices must be lowered.
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A U.S.
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Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows that from 1977 to mid-2015,
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the cost of university textbooks increased at three times the rate of normal inflation.
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Within a few hours of Kanye West's tweet,
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Tidewater Community College in Hampton Roads, Virginia answered.
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We got you, the school tweeted back.
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The nation's first textbook-free degree.
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Tidewater began offering what it calls a Z degree in 2013.
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The Z stands for zero textbooks.
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The two-year program provides students with a business degree.
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Students in the Z degree program do not have to pay for required course materials.
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They all come from the Open Educational Resources Commons.
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They are free educational materials anyone can use.
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You can find open educational resources online at oercommons.org.
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The University of Maryland University College is another school that uses OER to help its students reduce costs.
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Most of the school's courses became textbook free late last year.
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David Anderson is with the American Association of Publishers.
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He says that for-profit publishers work hard to reduce the cost of textbooks.
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He also says that for-profit and non-profit publishers should work together to create the best teaching materials.
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For VOA Learning English, I'm Carolyn Prasuti.

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Context & Background

In the latest Education Report from VOA Learning English, the focus is on a timely issue highlighted by the renowned American music star Kanye West: the escalating costs of university textbooks. West's tweet sparked significant discussion, leading institutions like Tidewater Community College to innovate educational models. They introduced a groundbreaking approach, the Z degree, which eliminates the need for textbooks altogether by using Open Educational Resources (OER). This shift not only addresses affordability for students but also emphasizes a collective effort to make quality education more accessible.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "The cost of university textbooks has increased significantly."
  • "Students do not have to pay for required course materials."
  • "Open Educational Resources are available online."
  • "The nation’s first textbook-free degree offers a unique opportunity."
  • "For-profit publishers must collaborate with non-profit publishers."

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To enhance your English speaking and pronunciation skills using the shadowing technique, we recommend the following steps while watching the video:

  1. Watch Actively: Begin by watching the video without sound, focusing on the visuals and understanding the context. This will prepare you for comprehension.
  2. Listen and Repeat: Play the video and listen intently. Use a shadow speech approach; pause frequently and repeat phrases after the speaker, mimicking their intonation and pace.
  3. Break it Down: Identify complex sentences or phrases. Use a shadowing app to play these sections repeatedly, allowing yourself to follow along.
  4. Practice Out Loud: Speak in sync with the video. This practice can significantly help you improve English pronunciation. Focus on clarity and rhythm.
  5. Self-Record and Evaluate: Record your speech while shadowing. Listen to the playback and assess pronunciation, tone, and rhythm. Adjust where necessary.

Incorporating these steps into your learning routine can not only boost your confidence in speaking but also fine-tune your understanding of nuanced phrases and expressions in the context of higher education topics, like those discussed by Kanye West.

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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