Shadowing Practice: The Bible as the True Story of the Whole World | Session 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
You Christians don't seem to be aware of what you have in the Bible.
2
The comment was made by a prominent Hindu scholar to Leslie Newbigin, a missionary who had spent decades in India.
3
He continued, You missionaries have presented the Bible to us in India as
4
if it were simply another book of religion that gives teaching about God, salvation, and morality.
5
But the Bible is much more than that.
6
In fact, there is nothing comparable to it in all the world's religious literature.
7
It claims to tell the one true story of the whole world and where it all began,
8
where it is going, and the meaning of history in between.
9
It purports to give the true meaning of human life as part of that story.
10
Moreover, and even more astounding, it claims that the meaning of the world history is revealed in one person,
11
a male Jew named Jesus who lived in the first century.
12
As a Hindu, I find it hard to believe
13
that anyone could claim to know the meaning of cosmic history or would stake their life on one man.
14
It seems preposterous.
15
But if you are a Christian, and if you do believe that the Bible is God's word, why would you reduce it to something less?
16
He was genuinely perplexed.
17
Indeed, the Bible's claims about itself are astonishing.
18
Can we hear how scandalous they sound to a Hindu or even to a postmodern Western person,
19
no other holy book makes such a staggering assertion.
20
The Bible begins and ends with nothing less than a view of the entire world.
21
It demonstrates that the goal of universal history, what gives meaning to all history and all the world,
22
has been revealed and accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of one particular Jewish man in the middle of history.
23
It demands that we submit our lives wholly to the vision of the world it narrates,
24
because that vision tells us what our world truly is.
25
And most remarkably of all, the Bible professes to narrate the story of the one true God,
26
creator and sustainer of the universe, the Lord of all history and of every nation,
27
and the one who will bring all things to their proper fulfillment in reconciling them to himself.
28
The Bible tells the story of God's long journey through history to restore the whole creation
29
and the entire life of humanity from idolatry and rebellion
30
and the curse to again be the very good kingdom he created in the beginning.
31
We are going to narrate this journey with the hope that each of us might find our place in it,
32
And I'd like to invite you to join me as I tell this story in six acts.
33
You can read any one of the two books that I've co -authored with Craig Bartholomew.
34
The longer version is the drama of scripture, finding our place in the biblical story.
35
There's also a shorter version that you can also use, which is about two -thirds the length, with most of the footnotes taken out.
36
It is entitled, The True Story of the Whole World, Finding Your Place in the Biblical Drama.
37
There will be 16 videos, all about five to six minutes each.
38
After the first video, in which I show the importance of reading the Bible as one story,
39
I will summarize each major section of the story in the next 15 videos to guide your reading of the book.
40
You'll be able to find these videos at the website, my website, and the link is given to you on the screen.
41
You can also find some other material there that will help you or your small group on this journey.
42
There will be PowerPoint slides, Bible reading plans of varying lengths that will take you through the main lines of the story,
43
as well as other reading material and resources to expand your understanding of the Bible as one story.
44
This is the greatest story ever told, but even better, it is true.
45
It is the true story of the whole world.
46
And we are all summoned by no one less than the living God to find our place in it.
✨ Recommend Video
C14
112 sentences
The Bible in 10 Minutes (feat. Fr. Mike Schmitz)
University StudentsWorking Adults
C1163 sentences
What the First Christians Really Believed Will Surprise You
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
C13
138 sentences
Does God exist? | J. Krishnamurti
University StudentsWorking Adults
C13
154 sentences
The Church Prevails – Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
C11
402 sentences
Before We Became the Last Humans:The Lost Species That Once Shared Our World|Prehistoric Documentary
University StudentsWorking Adults
C11
256 sentences
Why Didn't Hinduism Spread Beyond India and South-East Asia?
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
![You’ll stop using ChatGPT after listening to this | Jonathan Pageau [ARC 2026]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yZUuKzDQSsI/mqdefault.jpg)
C13
173 sentences
You’ll stop using ChatGPT after listening to this | Jonathan Pageau [ARC 2026]
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
303 sentences
Ep. 01Genèse : premier ratage, ou comment dieu s'emmêle les pinceaux dans l'histoire de l'univers.
University StudentsWorking Adults
C12
118 sentences
John Lennox Discusses the Beginning of the Universe - Science Uprising Expert Interview
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
C14
76 sentences
Make AI Believe in God to Keep Humans Safe, Scientist Argues
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B27
88 sentences
How Global Is Your Faith? | Becoming a Global Disciple Ep. 1
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C13
28 sentences
The Jesus paradox | Yuval Noah Harari
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 46 sentences and 701 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:01. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- reveal /ɹɪˈviːl/ (verb) — To uncover; to show and display that which was hidden.
- biblical /ˈbɪblɪkəl/ (adjective) — Of or relating to the Bible.
- universal /ˌjunəˈvɜɹs(ə)l/ (adjective) — Of or pertaining to the universe.
- resource /ɹɪˈzɔːs/ (noun) — Something that one uses to achieve an objective, e.g. raw materials or personnel.
- expand /ɪkˈspænd/ (verb) — To change (something) from a smaller form or size to a larger one; to spread out or lay open.
- prominent /ˈpɹɑmɪnənt/ (adjective) — Standing out, or projecting; jutting; protuberant.
- humanity /hjuˈmænɪti/ (noun) — Humankind; human beings as a group.
- invite /ɪnˈvaɪt/ (verb) — To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something.
- slide /ˈslaɪ̯d/ (noun) — An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again.
- submit /səbˈmɪt/ (verb) — To yield or give way to another.
- vary /ˈvɛəɹi/ (verb) — To change with time or a similar parameter.
- creator /kɹiːˈeɪ̯təː/ (noun) — Something or someone which creates or makes something.
- demonstrate /ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/ (verb) — To show how to use (something).
- restore /ɹɪˈstoɹ/ (verb) — To reestablish, or bring back into existence.
- moreover /mɔːˈɹəʊ.və/ (adverb) — In addition to what has been said.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- have in (verb) — To allow in; grant permission or admittance to; invite in or over; admit.
- live in (verb) — To reside on the premises of one's employer (used especially of domestic staff such as nannies, cooks, maids, etc.)
- take out (verb) — To remove.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'd, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/, salvation /sælˈveɪ.ʃn̩/, resurrection /ɹɛzəˈɹɛkʃən/, assertion /əˈsɜɹʃən/, astonish /əˈstɑnɪʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: universal /ˌjunəˈvɜɹs(ə)l/, humanity /hjuˈmænɪti/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, comparable /ˈkɒmpəɹəbəl/, rebellion /ɹɪˈbɛl.i.ən/
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 reveal, biblical, universal.
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 | was made · is revealed · has been revealed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have presented · has been revealed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | one who will · use, which is |
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.