Shadowing Practice: Sydney University staff strike over AI concerns - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
27 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
The University of Sydney is the oldest institution of its kind in Australia.
2
But it's facing a very modern day challenge, artificial intelligence.
3
Some of our people are the people who design and develop these systems.
4
They also understand their strengths and their weaknesses.
5
We're insisting that we won't sign a deal until we see some AI protections in there.
6
When we strike we're sure to win.
7
Students say they've already seen an influx of AI in teaching and assessments.
8
I've had students reporting recently that they've had, I think, almost whole philosophy courses that are completely AI generated in material.
9
And when you think of philosophy, I definitely don't think of being taught AI, who's famous for not really being great for critical thinking.
10
The university says it's developed strong safeguards to ensure AI adoption is undertaken as safely and ethically as possible.
11
Universities aren't alone in grappling with how to work with and manage AI.
12
The education sector as a whole is trying to address the technology in real time.
13
This week the New South Wales government brought in changes to
14
limit the number of take-home assessments students are allowed to do for their final year exams, which they say aims to protect the integrity of learning.
15
Leslie Lobel is a professor in AI and education.
16
She says the state government's move is a step in the right direction.
17
But what's more important is the impact of AI on students' fundamental cognitive processes, the infrastructure for learning.
18
The things we are teaching students,
19
knowledge and critical thinking, and self-regulation to recognise the power of learning.
20
Those three ingredients are more important than ever before.
21
And no matter where AI goes, that's what's going to count.
22
She says there are many benefits to AI in the classroom and beyond, but human oversight of how it's used is critical.
23
She says evidence is mounting about its effect on students.
24
You keep using it more and more and more.
25
So it has its own inbuilt dependency and weakens our cognitive structures.
26
Irrevocably shaking the very foundation for a lifelong journey of learning.
27
Natalie Pohanan, SBS World News.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B22
Detention, working holidays and partner visas: Tony Burke responds to immigration policy criticism
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
C12
What to do if you are hit with a rent increase
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
Five ways to save at the doctors
Business EnglishWorking Adults
C1Budget 2026: Anthony Albanese asked about gas tax, JobSeeker and transparency
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C13
Jacinda Ardern ends political career with emotional final speech | SBS News
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
C25
US China Talks Begin | Filipino Senate in Lockdown | Prolonged Russian strikes on Kyiv
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B24
46 sentences
Anthropic AI Researcher Issues Dire Warning it 'Could Kill Us All'
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B24
250 sentences
9News Melbourne | Friday May 15 | Full Episode
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
161 sentences
Can AI Replace English Teachers?
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B212
63 sentences
Claude Just Revealed AI's Biggest Problem
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
268 sentences
Trump’s Canada Tariffs Are Backfiring in Red States | The Week
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C14
106 sentences
DPM Gan Kim Yong's Speech at the "Trust and AI: Navigating a World in Transition" Leaders Dialogue
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
25 sentences
AI's Impact on Education: Pros, Cons, and Coping
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
68 sentences
What Happens If China Invades Taiwan? Elon Musk's AI Warning
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
154 sentences
The 7 Trillion AI Gamble Is Failing. Big Tech is TRAPPED Right NOW.
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
546 sentences
Do Elite Degrees Still Matter In The AI Era? | Jamie Beaton from Crimson Education | EP 410
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
386 sentences
Communicating the Future: Defining Where We Want AI To Take Us
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C11
105 sentences
AI Governance Explained: Ethical, Transparent & Accountable AI for the Future
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 27 sentences and 358 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:26. The speaker talks at a steady 147 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| assessment noun | /əˈsɛsmənt/ | The act of assessing or an amount (of tax, levy or duty etc) assessed. |
| cognitive adjective | /ˈkɑɡ.nɪ.tɪv/ | Relating to the part of mental functions that deals with logic, as opposed to affective which deals with emotions. |
| mount verb | /maʊnt/ | To get upon; to ascend; to climb. |
| infrastructure noun | /ˈɪnfɹəˌstɹʌkt͡ʃə/ | An underlying base or foundation for a building, organization, or system. |
| institution noun | /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/ | A long-established organization or type of organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work. |
| regulation noun | /ˌɹɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/ | The act of regulating or the condition of being regulated. |
| fundamental adjective | /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/ | Related to a foundation, base, or basis; serving as a foundation. |
| shake verb | /ˈʃeɪk/ | To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly. |
| exam verb | /ɪɡˈzæm/ | Shortened form of examine |
| artificial adjective | /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/ | Man-made; made by humans; of artifice. |
| generate verb | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ə.ɹeɪt/ | To bring into being; give rise to. |
| integrity noun | /ɪnˈtɛɡɹəti/ | Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code. |
| safely adverb | /ˈseɪfli/ | In a safe manner; without risk; using caution above all else. |
| weakness noun | /ˈwik.nɪs/ | The condition of being weak. |
| adoption noun | /əˈdɑp.ʃən/ | The act of adopting. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being taught · is undertaken · are allowed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | they've already seen · I've had |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 8 contractions and reduced forms, such as they've, we're, aren't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: institution /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/, regulation /ˌɹɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, artificial /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, adoption /əˈdɑp.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: infrastructure /ˈɪnfɹəˌstɹʌkt͡ʃə/, institution /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/, regulation /ˌɹɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/, fundamental /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/, artificial /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like assessment, cognitive, mount.
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.