Shadowing Practice: Turning Unused City Lots Into Farms - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
⏸ Paused
26 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
2
Farms are spreading to unused city lots and old properties across the United States.
3
These urban farms grow crops in areas where people rarely buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
4
They have the power to change what people eat.
5
They also have the power to influence troubled neighborhoods.
6
EcoCity Farms is an educational,
7
non-profit organization in Prince George's County, Maryland.
8
It seeks to help the local community by teaching economic development,
9
job training, and a healthier way of living.
10
The group has set up farms near automobile repair businesses and fast food stores in urban neighborhoods.
11
activist Margaret Morgan Hubbard founded Eco City Farms.
12
She says the lack of fresh fruits
13
and vegetables is a health problem for children and their families who live in nearby Bladensburg, Maryland.
14
Eco-City Farms offer several programs,
15
including educational activities on agriculture,
16
food, and finding jobs with environmentally friendly businesses.
17
People can also learn how to cook healthier foods and teach others how to prepare meals.
18
Recently Philip Sidibe demonstrated his cooking skills.
19
He prepared aloko, a popular food in Cameroon where he grew up.
20
He and other young people not only cook their food,
21
they also grow it in a large garden next to the Autumn Woods Apartments.
22
Margaret Morgan Hubbard says the urban garden is an agent for change and the young people are its newest supporters.
23
She says young people work throughout the year helping with the farm.
24
They are not only farming food,
25
but also making that food available to people who live in the community.
26
For VOA Learning English, I'm Laurel Bowman.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video, titled "Turning Unused City Lots Into Farms," provides an excellent context for english speaking practice. By focusing on urban farming and community development, it exposes learners to relevant contemporary themes that enhance conversational skills. Engaging with this content allows you to explore vocabulary related to agriculture, community action, and health, all while practicing how to articulate your thoughts on important social issues.

Additionally, by discussing initiatives like EcoCity Farms, you can practice formulating opinions, asking questions, and suggesting actions related to your local food environment. It encourages active engagement, which is essential for improving fluency and building confidence in speaking. Utilizing this video as a shadowing site can help reinforce pronunciation and intonation, as you mimic the natural speech patterns of the presenter.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the transcript, several key grammatical structures and expressions stand out that are valuable for learners:

  • Present continuous tense: "Farms are spreading to unused city lots." This tense is used to describe ongoing actions, helpful in both formal and informal contexts.
  • Infinitive phrases: "to help the local community" illustrates how to use infinitives to express purpose and intention.
  • Descriptive adjectives: Words like "troubled neighborhoods" provide insight into how adjectives can convey significant contextual information, enriching your speech.
  • Modals for ability: Phrases such as "have the power" indicate ability or potential, which are essential for expressing capability in discussions.

Practicing these structures through speaking exercises can greatly enhance your ability to communicate effectively in English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Pay attention to certain tricky pronunciations in this video that might help you improve english pronunciation skills:

  • “Aloko”: This word may be unfamiliar. Ensure to practice its pronunciation by listening closely in the video context.
  • “EcoCity Farms”: The transition between ‘Eco’ and ‘City’ can be challenging; practice saying it smoothly to enhance your fluency.
  • “Automobile” and “repair”: These words require attention, particularly the syllable stress, to ensure clear communication.

By focusing on these pronunciation aspects while practicing, you can significantly refine your spoken English. Try using the learn english with youtube approach by repeating phrases and sentences after the speaker, which is a great way to enhance your speaking and listening skills.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee