Shadowing Practice: Unit 12 Borrowed words - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Unit 12 Borrowed Words Do you often use shampoo or put ketchup on your food?
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Have you ever visited a sauna?
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If you think these words are originally English, you'd better think again.
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In fact, each of these words comes from a different language.
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Shampoo, for example, is actually a word from the Hindi language in India.
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This word originally meant massage.
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In hair shops in India, barbers massage your head while washing your hair.
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Over time, British people in India used this word to mean a liquid that cleans hair.
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Almost everyone knows what ketchup is.
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People all over the world like to pour this tomato sauce on french fries or sandwiches.
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This word is originally Chinese, from ketchup, a fish sauce.
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In the 1600s, British and Dutch sailors brought this fish sauce to Europe.
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Over time, people changed the sauce by adding tomato flavor to it, but the name basically stayed the same.
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Sauna, a popular type of public steam room and shower facility, comes from the Finnish language.
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During one of the European Olympics, athletes from Britain and Germany saw Finnish athletes use saunas after training.
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Later, the general public all over Europe started using this style of bathing too.
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Now, we still use this word to describe all kinds of steam rooms.
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English is full of many wonderful borrowed words from many languages.
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Perhaps English should change its name to Ing-Hin-Chi-Fin-Frager-Ital-Spanish.
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Listening Not really English Listen to the dialogue.
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Check true or false for each sentence.
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Can you speak any other languages?
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Well, I know some African words.
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What are they?
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Cola and zombie.
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Get out.
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Those are both English words.
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I know that Coca-Cola was first made in the US, and every horror movie has zombies in it.
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No, really.
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These words were originally borrowed from Africa.
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In fact, Coca-Cola was originally made from the kola nut, which came from Africa.
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Is that right?
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What about zombie?
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Zombie originally was the name of a snake god.
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People would eat special plants to celebrate the god.
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Then they became like a zombie.
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Thank you.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video titled "Unit 12 Borrowed Words" presents a fascinating exploration of how various words in English have origins in different languages. By practicing speaking along with this video, you enhance your linguistic awareness while engaging with a variety of culturally rich vocabulary. The context of borrowed words offers a unique opportunity to discuss their meanings and origins, which can deepen your understanding of English usage in real-life conversations.

Using shadow speak techniques, you can imitate the natural flow and rhythm of the speaker. This not only builds your pronunciation skills but also improves your ability to articulate these borrowed words confidently. Furthermore, connecting the origins of words like "shampoo," "ketchup," and "sauna" to their cultural backgrounds enriches your overall language learning experience—making it enjoyable while you practice your speaking skills.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, several key structures and expressions are utilized that can help bolster your speaking abilities:

  • “Each of these words comes from...” - This structure is useful for defining the origin of words in your discussions. Utilize this to describe where other borrowed terms might come from.
  • “Over time, British people in India used this word...” - The past tense here emphasizes historical contexts. Practicing this structure can help you talk about how words evolve historically.
  • “People changed the sauce by adding tomato flavor...” - This expression provides a template for discussing modifications, not only in language but also in recipes or cultural practices.

Employing these grammatical structures in your own sentences will help you articulate your thoughts more clearly while practicing speaking to learn English with YouTube resources effectively.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When engaging with the content of this video, pay attention to particular words that might present pronunciation challenges:

  • “Ketchup” - The pronunciation can vary by region, so listen closely to how it's articulated in the video.
  • “Sauna” - This word may be pronounced differently based on accents; some might say "saw-na" while others may pronounce it "saw-neh."
  • “Zombie” - Although familiar, ensure clarity in this word, as mispronunciation can occur depending on regional dialects.

By carefully shadowing the speaker and repeating these challenging words, you can master their pronunciation. Utilizing a shadowing app can be particularly beneficial for practicing these tricky pronunciations until you feel confident.

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.