Shadowing Practice: School Ditches Laptops and Sees Surprising Student Results | 10 News+ - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Right now, a huge change is being considered for thousands of Australian classrooms,
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Right now, a huge change is being considered for thousands of Australian classrooms,
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and it involves ditching computers and going back to basics, pen and paper.
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Why?
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Because test results are going backwards,
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and there's an increasing belief that screens and high-tech doesn't mean high performance for our kids.
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All right, girls, come on in.
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As these students file into Year 7 maths...
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All right, good morning, Year 7.
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Good morning, Miss Macamara.
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Have a seat.
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They're adjusting not just to a new school,
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but also a new, old approach to learning.
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What's this?
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Can you open up your textbooks?
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Forget laptops.
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I'm in four.
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Good.
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So what's four to watch underneath here?
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Here, it's all about books, pens and paper.
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We've been invited to observe a lesson at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College,
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Baroneer, in Sydney's south.
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Here phones are already banned,
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they no longer supply laptops to students
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and the small bank of shared screens for lessons that need tech are hidden away under lock and key.
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Now the school has gone further,
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ditching digital devices entirely for grade 7.
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only like my bag is less heavy,
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but I'm writing a lot more like um this math book is like already half full.
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Year 8 students will face the same rule next year as the policy moves up the grades.
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It means more handwriting.
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Do you get a sore hand?
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Yeah I definitely do.
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At first I was like oh how is this going to go my hands going to be really sore and stuff.
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And now a few months in I'm like oh yeah this is better.
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And they say they're learning more too.
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I think it's better because we remember what we write.
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I think everybody's more involved,
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whereas sometimes some people would be just,
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like, staring at their screens.
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Does it take you back to the good old days?
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It certainly does.
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It's all pre-COVID, and in the 1970s,
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1980s, when I was growing up,
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that's what school was like.
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Computers were first introduced to Australian schools in the 70s,
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Then the tech took off.
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It was a pillar of Kevin Rudd's digital education revolution in 2007.
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This is the toolbox of the 21st century, OK?
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We want to make sure that every Australian kid in the future has an opportunity to get themselves wired.
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Then came COVID, where online learning became ingrained.
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And I don't think we've jumped back off it or really had to think,
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what is the impact of technology?
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Principal Christine Harding has been a teacher for three decades.
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And I have noticed over the number of years, kids have changed.
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Students are coming into schools more anxious,
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more depressed, more worried about things.
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Then the other side is the learning side.
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They're not remembering what was in the last lesson.
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And the results are alarming.
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These are American Year 4 reading test marks before and after the broad adoption of tech.
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The rise and fall are both mirrored in Year 4 Maths Test 2,
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and Year 8 Reading and Year 8 Maths as well.
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It's frightening.
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I think it's the impact on social skills,
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mental health, problem solving, executive function,
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critical thinking, creativity, that we should actually be as worried or more worried about.
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Do you think that's what we're seeing here in Australia as well?
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Yeah, I do.
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And the PISA results are showing that first world countries,
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basic literacy numeracy results are going down.
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PISA is the world's largest test of 15-year-olds' literacy, numeracy and science skills.
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In the latest exam,
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Aussie students scored 25 points lower than those of the same age who sat the same test in the early 2000s.
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It's considered a level that would have been expected of 14-year-olds 20 years ago.
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So do you think devices are making kids dumber?
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No, I don't think they're making kids dumber because I actually think kids are a lot smarter than what we are.
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What I think they are doing is that they're stopping kids thinking themselves.
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And more Aussie students could soon find themselves going low tech.
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Sydney Catholic Schools, which controls 147 schools,
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is right now reviewing its computer policy and considering whether
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or not to wind back the use of laptops for all children in the first few years of high school.
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The pendulum always swings.
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I think we have hit way too far one end of the digital tech in education.
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And I do think it's swinging back.
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In Baroneer, Year 11 and 12 students have the choice to use laptops,
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but most choose not to.
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Teachers can already see the difference.
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Oh, it's chalk and cheese.
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We've had a significant increase in comprehension.
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There's a lot more work happening,
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a lot more dialogue happening,
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and critical thinking has increased as well.
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Who thinks not having laptops is helping them learn more in class?
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And why?
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Because I've noticed a big improvement in my handwriting.
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It helps us learn because computers are a distraction.
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When we don't have a laptop,
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it forces us to use our brains.
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Thank you.

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Context & Background

In a significant shift within Australian education, there is a movement towards minimizing the reliance on technology in classrooms. Schools that previously embraced laptops and high-tech devices are now reconsidering their strategies as they see a concerning trend of declining academic performance. As demonstrated in the recent experiences of students at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College, the approach is to return to traditional methods of learning using pen and paper. This change reflects a broader dialogue about the efficacy of technology in enhancing educational outcomes, especially in engaging students and fostering deeper learning connections.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Can you open up your textbooks?” - A fundamental request that encourages students to focus and engage in traditional study materials.
  • “Forget laptops.” - A powerful statement highlighting the shift away from digital devices.
  • “Do you get a sore hand?” - An informal question that reflects the challenges faced by students adjusting to writing more by hand.
  • “We remember what we write.” - This phrase emphasizes the cognitive benefits of handwriting in retention and recall.
  • “Everybody's more involved.” - A summary of the positive impact of reducing screen time on student engagement.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively use this video transcript as a tool for english speaking practice, follow these steps to enhance your IELTS speaking practice and improve english pronunciation:

  1. Watch the Video: Start by watching the video while focusing on the speaker's tone and pronunciation. Pay attention to how they articulate each phrase, especially the highlighted phrases above.
  2. Listen and Repeat: Play short segments of the transcript, pausing after each phrase. Repeat it aloud, mimicking the speaker's intonation and rhythm. This is an effective way to practice shadowspeak and enhance your fluency.
  3. Record Yourself: Use your phone or any recording device to capture your repetitions. Listen to the playback and evaluate where you can improve your pronunciation and clarity.
  4. Engage with Content: Choose a phrase from the transcript that resonates with you. Write a short paragraph expressing your thoughts about the shift in education. This will help integrate the phrases into your own language usage.
  5. Share and Discuss: Find a language partner and discuss the topic of technology in education. Use the phrases you've learned while engaging in conversation. This real-world application is beneficial for your speaking skills.

By following these steps, you can utilize this educational video not just to understand the subject matter, but also as a practical tool to improve your English pronunciation and overall speaking capabilities.

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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