Shadowing Practice: Should All US Students Learn the Same Thing? - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
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31 sentences
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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
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More than 40 of the 50 American states have approved what are known as the Common Core State Standards.
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These are lists of content that students are supposed to learn at each grade level from kindergarten to high school.
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State governors and schools chiefs led the effort to develop the standards.
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The project involved teachers, administrators, experts, and public comments.
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The final standards were released in June of 2010.
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Acceptance is voluntary.
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But acceptance helped states that entered President Obama's $4 billion Race to the Top competition for school reform.
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The standards are for English language arts and math.
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Supporters say these provide clear goals to prepare students to succeed in college and in jobs.
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But critics of national standards say the idea goes against one of America's oldest traditions,
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local control of education.
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Political conservatives generally oppose federal intervention in schools.
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Yet, it was a Republican president, George W.
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Bush, who expanded testing requirements to show that public schools are making yearly progress.
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Still, opponents of national standards call them one-size-fits-all.
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They say the idea does not make sense for a country as large and diverse as the United States.
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One of those opponents is Bill Evers at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California.
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He was an assistant education secretary under President Bush.
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Mr. Evers warns about closing the door on innovation by locking in a national uniform bureaucratic system.
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He says the states don't have a problem in setting their curriculum.
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They've been doing it ever since there have been public schools.
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Richard Riley was education secretary to President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.
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Mr. Riley says, Mr. Riley says,
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Mr. Riley
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says, in the 1990s he pushed states to develop their own statewide standards.
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But some of those standards were not very strong, he says, so he believes national standards are needed.
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But Bill Evers says technology now makes it easier to develop individual learning plans for students.
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He says schools should worry less about a common curriculum and more about improving teacher quality.
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For VOA Special English, I'm Alex Villarreal.
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You can find a link to the Common Core Standards at voaspecialenglish.com.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by exploring and discussing the concept of national education standards in the United States, specifically the Common Core State Standards. By engaging with this topic, learners will enhance their vocabulary, improve their comprehension, and increase their confidence in discussing educational policies and their implications. This exercise is particularly beneficial for those preparing for tests like the IELTS, as it helps develop the ability to articulate thoughts clearly and coherently on complex subjects.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Common Core State Standards - A set of educational guidelines for what students should learn in English language arts and math.
  • Local control of education - The principle that decisions about school curriculum and standards should be made at a local level rather than a national one.
  • Voluntary acceptance - The choice of states to adopt the standards without a federal mandate.
  • One-size-fits-all - A term used to describe a solution that is not tailored to individual needs or circumstances.
  • Individual learning plans - Tailored educational strategies designed to meet the unique needs of each student.
  • Teacher quality - Refers to the effectiveness and skill level of teachers in the classroom.
  • Technology in education - The use of technological tools to improve teaching and learning processes.

Practice Tips

As you engage with this material, try using the shadowspeak technique to deepen your understanding and improve your pronunciation. Here are some specific tips for shadowing this video:

  • Listen Carefully: Play the video at a normal speed first to grasp the overall message. Pay attention to pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm as this will aid your shadowspeaks.
  • Slow It Down: Use a slower playback speed when first practicing. This will allow you to articulate your words more clearly and improve your speaking pace.
  • Repeat After the Speaker: Pause the video frequently and repeat phrases or sentences immediately after hearing them. Focus on mimicking the tone and emotion conveyed in the speaker's voice.
  • Take Breaks: After repeating a section, take a moment to analyze it. This reflection will help reinforce your understanding and retention of vocabulary.
  • Record Yourself: Use your smartphone or a computer to record your own voice as you practice. Comparing your speech to the original will help you identify areas for improvement.

Incorporating these strategies into your practice will not only assist you in your IELTS speaking preparation but will also enable you to learn english with youtube effectively. As you shadow and engage with the content, consider creating your own shadowing site to keep track of your progress and set new learning goals.

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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