Shadowing Practice: Like - Learn English Speaking with Video

Hello and welcome to this first video on the AS Level Thinking Skills course.

My recommendation would be that you make notes as you're watching this particular video

and you can use something like an exercise book or use a Word document.

So the heading for this first particular video and the title is what is the AS Level Thinking Skills course.

So we're going to go through a brief overview as to what the content for the course is, how the course operates, to understand the skills that you need to hone

and will need to work on to approach this particular course.

And then hopefully to begin to apply some of the skills introduced.

So we're going to introduce some of the things

that we're going to be looking at over the course of the next few weeks.

This is a brand new course for Osh.

It's not something that we've offered before.

And the reason why there's been a bit of a delay in

producing this particular video compared to the EBQ is

that understandably I need to make sure

that I understand the requirements of the course and what is expected of students and staff.

So I had to do a little bit of research on this particular one.

Just to give you a bit of reassurance on that particular component

because you might think as a teacher that hasn't taught this particular course before, you might be a bit skeptical but as a history

and politics teacher and the skills that are appropriate for the thinking skills AS course, which are essentially critical thinking and problem solving, are essentially what we teach for history,

particularly anyway at A -level.

So a lot of these skills will be transferable

and from my own expertise I have had experience at A -level delivering a number of these pieces of content.

So What is the Cambridge International AS Level in Thinking Skills?

Well you can do an AS Level in Thinking Skills or you can do a full A Level.

It is from the Cambridge International Board which is different to OCR.

but it is a recognised course, it is an internationally recognised course that is accepted by UK universities.

It is not a soft option and you know going back maybe 15 years ago,

lots of students did things like general studies and they weren't necessarily accepted by universities.

Thinking skills is recognised by very reputable universities internationally

and the reasons why is this is a very difficult course

and it is something which does need time and it does need attention.

It is designed to do a number of things this particular course.

The first is that it's designed to complement your other chosen A -levels and that's really any combination of A -levels.

So whether you're studying history, politics and geography or maths, physics and chemistry, the skills

that you should be developing through this particular course should be applicable to your other chosen A -levels.

which are assessed in competitive application tests.

So some students might be looking to apply for competitive medical pathways or law pathways.

They might be asked to go to interview for different universities or for higher apprenticeships.

And the skills that you develop through this particular course are utilized in lots of these different competitive application tests.

were able to critically challenge and reflect on the events of the world.

So as an adult, going into the world of work or being aware of certain issues,

being able to critically challenge and reflect on the current affairs and current events.

This course is for those that are wishing to learn for the skills alone.

So you might be wanting to improve on the skills at Thinking Skills AS qualification.

brings forward and you may not wish to gain a qualification at the end of this.

You might do this purely just to improve those particular skills to complement your A -level studies.

You might wish to do this to gain a qualification at the very end.

For students at OSH, with all the current events as they are, the primary focus is on your A -level subjects

and it might be the case that you want to learn these for the skills, but for year 11 students it might be

that you wish to get a qualification at the very end of this particular course.

And these particular sessions are designed for both groups of people.

So whether you want that qualification or if you don't, it is something that hopefully you can get something from.

So we're offering the AS level thinking skills course, not the full A level course.

The reason for that, obviously with the current circumstances to offer another A level.

could perhaps be detrimental in terms of the amount of workload that would be expected of you.

With the AS level thinking skills course, and it is a an externally assessed.

course, it is something that has no coursework components and it involves two exam papers.

The first exam paper is on problem solving and it is an hour and 30 minutes.

It's got 50 marks in total and it makes up 50 % of the overall course.

For that examination, you are allowed to have a calculator and the subject content is predominantly focused on organising information,

processing information, analysing data and considering wider problems.

For paper two it is slightly longer with an hour

and 45 minutes and there are more extended questions

but it is also 50 marks and it is worth 50 % of your overall course.

The subject content for critical thinking is to evaluate and use evidence appropriately, to analyse reasoning, to evaluate reasoning and to construct reasoning.

that we're going to look at.

So in terms of what you'll need, this is a remote course to begin with during the lockdown process.

So I can't necessarily have the same interactions that I would particularly want, which would be in the classroom.

any internet browser that you've got I would recommend going on

that particular page downloading all the PDF forms and making sure that you've got them in a secure folder on your computer.

The website that you've got there has information about the syllabus, it has information about the examination process, and it's something that I would suggest after you've watched this particular video

that you go through in a little bit more detail.

Thank you.

What you'll also need is you'll need access to a number of websites which the Cambridge International Board website directs you to.

So, for example, this particular website that's on the screen now has a number of different exercises

that you can do as and when you would like.

And the benefit of this particular course is you shouldn't just necessarily be waiting for the video content.

You can be going away and you can be finding a variety of quality online resources at your disposal on critical thinking.

So do have a look on the Cambridge website, which will direct you to websites such as this.

You may wish to, and I'm not saying that you need this, but you may wish to invest in some of the approved resources by Cambridge,

the Cambridge International Board.

The book to the left, so Dawes, Matthews, Roberts and Thwaites, is the one that I'm using at the moment, it's one that I've read through

and it's very user friendly it's very straightforward is very well laid out as well and it's

quite hefty in terms of the the amount of pages

so it is something that is going to take a bit of time

but it might be something that you wish to work through

or it might be something that you can use as a reference point.

The book to the right

and unfortunately isn't available at the moment on Amazon there seems to be a supply issue with the current circumstances

and so I did try and order it about a month ago

but unfortunately it's been there's no stock left so hopefully

when you're watching this there's more stock and that might be something that you wish to invest in.

What I would also suggest that you do is you get yourself organized, as I said at the very start of this video, and you have a folder that you can...

set up on your computer and you can have it labelled as thinking skills as resources come through

and as you start typing your notes it would be a good idea to keep a record

and so that when you're revising you've got a wealth of information that you can go to.

Likewise it might be useful as you're watching these YouTube videos to take notes at the same time

and again you can put that in your secure folder

if you prefer to work and on paper and

100

that might be quite useful if you're watching youtube videos

101

and then i would suggest

102

that you've got a you've got a pad of paper in a folder

103

or alternatively you've got an exercise book that you can just record and make notes in as well

104

So this is how we're going to structure the course.

105

This is the advice from the board as well.

106

We're going to break it down into eight components in terms of how long this will take.

107

For however long we're in lockdown, I'll be releasing videos every Monday and hopefully they're things that you can take on board and can build upon.

108

So we're going to be looking at critical thinking first, which is for paper two.

109

We're then going to look at problem solving and introduce the basic components for that.

110

We'll then look at critical reasoning.

111

then critical thinking, problem solving, data analysis, and then reasoning with data.

112

So we're not just gonna go paper two solely and then paper one, you know, lots of these particular skills

113

that we're bringing up will be applicable in both papers

114

and we're going to go at the approach that the exam board have recommended.

115

If you do get the textbook as well, it's not necessarily in the same order and the order of the textbook is slightly different.

116

But this is the advice from the Cambridge board as to how we're going to lay this out.

117

So we're going to start off by looking at paper two, which is our critical thinking course.

118

Now you might know a little bit about what you might think you know what criticism or critical thinking or critics are.

119

And, you know, the purpose of this particular video, what's left of this particular video, is to just go through really what those particular terms mean and just to start.

120

getting your thinking along the right sort of lines before we go into some specifics

121

and make sure that we build up those particular skills.

122

Now, those words of critical thinking or criticism or critic,

123

they all originate from the classical Greek word kritikos, which means to judge.

124

Now, If we think about our own judgments of what the word critic might mean, we usually hold it in quite a negative light.

125

So usually we think of critics being very negative towards the subject matter in which they're critiquing.

126

And that word criticism is usually got negative connotations that go alongside it.

127

But we also, you know, might be aware of the work of different critics.

128

So on the left of your screen, you've got Ali Plum, who is the Radio One film critic.

129

And you'll be aware that a lot of his work is incredibly positive.

130

And he tries to show the positives of the films that he's reviewing.

131

Likewise, we might know films like Ratatouille where we've got the critic on the right

132

and you know him being incredibly negative towards all the dishes

133

apart from at the very end bit of a spoiler there with a Ratatouille dish.

134

So that word "critic" or "critical" usually has negative connotations, but that isn't what critical thinking necessarily is.

135

It's not just judging.

136

Anyone can make a judgment and give an opinion on something.

137

It takes no special training to do that.

138

And it's very easy for people to go online to offer an opinion, to offer a judgment, and to say that that's them thinking critically.

139

Really what we need to do is we need to.

140

approach critical thinking as a discipline.

141

So you'll notice at the top that critical thinking has a capital C and a capital T.

142

And the reason for that is that this has to be approached as a process.

143

So critical thinking operates by trying to train people to become critical thinkers.

144

And that's what we're aiming towards with this particular course.

145

So if we're a critical thinker, the first thing that we need to do is we need to direct our attention to

146

our focus and our focus is what we call texts.

147

Now in history and other disciplines we might refer to these as sources

148

but texts or sources are essentially where information or where arguments or where persuasive points have been written or communicated on.

149

So it might be the form of an online article, it might be a book, it might be a magazine entry, it might be a television programme,

150

a tweet, it can be a YouTube video, it could be this, anything whatsoever where people are communicating ideas.

151

Now, Texts.

152

Oh.

153

are produced for a particular purpose

154

but we can't just see them in isolation we've got to know a little bit about where that text has come from.

155

So as part of this process of critical thinking we have to consider who has made

156

that particular text and we call that the author.

157

So the author can be an organisation, an institution, it can be an expert,

158

it might be somebody just passing judgment but we need to consider that as well. of the particular text.

159

Now, The audience might be somebody who is being quite passive, they might be quite active, they might be a reader, a watcher, a listener.

160

What we need to concern ourselves with is...

161

us being that critical audience.

162

So as a critical thinker we need to change our approach in how we try

163

and receive that information from the text and how we approach that.

164

So, If we're approaching a text as a critical thinker and as part of that critical audience,

165

we need to do three things.

166

And these three things make up the assessment objectives of this particular paper.

167

So the first thing that we need to do is we need to analyze the that particular text.

168

Now that's identifying what are the key parts to the text.

169

You might see a lot of people highlighting as they're reading and that's something that

170

there's no actual empirical evidence to suggest that it particularly works, highlighting, but it's a way in which people try and organise

171

the analysis or that analysis stage of their critical thinking approach to that text.

172

And what they're trying to do is they're trying to understand the meaning of the text,

173

breaking it down maybe into a more manageable bite sized chunk and processing what it might mean.

174

The second assessment objective is to evaluate.

175

Now that's judging as a process and we've talked about critiquing before as something that critics might do,

176

but that's judging either in a positive or a negative manner how successful the text is.

177

Now that can be in the form of how effective that particular text has been in forming an argument.

178

It might be judging its credibility.

179

So if I'm Ali Plumb, for example, and I was watching a film, I would be analysing it.

180

I would be noting down what the key parts I would try and understand their meaning, the key themes.

181

And then my evaluation would be judging the success of that particular film,

182

judging the credibility of the arguments that has been formed or tried to be portrayed during that particular film.

183

And that would make up that evaluation component.

184

one that we're really really focused on for this thinking skills course

185

and not only do we want people to pass judgment

186

but we want people to give further arguments and that's giving your response to the text

187

So some of the questions which are posed during this Thinking Skills course and questions that you might get in your examination, you might not know anything about before.

188

But you'd be asked to read different pieces of text, you'd be asked to pass judgment in the form of an evaluation after analysing it and give your opinions as well.

189

And that can be on a range of different topics.

190

So the skills that are trying to be introduced through this course mean

191

that you can hopefully apply that to any kind of information that you're shown.

192

So let's take an example for this first week

193

and this is the first video

194

and what we could do is we could start off incredibly patronizing

195

and we could go through the very very minute details of what forms an argument

196

and how we analyze and how we evaluate but it's important

197

that we build this up through time and I At the very start, what the AS Cambridge course suggests that you do is

198

You jump in right at the deep end

199

and see what your skills are like and before we do any specific teaching on how we can improve them.

200

So let's take this particular article, it's from the Guardian, And you can see the hyperlink at the top.

201

And again, you could note it down, copy it into a browser or alternatively, you can go to Google

202

and type in how will the world emerge from the coronavirus crisis and put the Guardian as well.

203

and it's something that perhaps you'll be able to engage with as something that might be quite interesting.

204

The title is about how perhaps we can't go back to normal and how coronavirus will change the world.

205

if you have a look at that picture you might start to think about

206

perhaps what the argument might be from the author of this, a gentleman called Baker.

207

So what I'd like you to do is I'd like to read this particular article.

208

It's not going to be a quick article.

209

It's going to take maybe a bit of time.

210

I'm not going to give you any advice about how to analyse it.

211

how to evaluate it, how to offer your own judgement

212

and I just want to see how you cope with this particular task to start with.

213

And I do have some questions for you that I'd like to go through next week in next week's video.

214

The questions are relatively short, but it's going to take you a bit of time to consider some points for this.

215

So firstly, what is the argument put forward by Baker?

216

If you go back to that previous picture, you might already have a bit of an idea just by looking at the picture itself.

217

And that's really that analysis stage.

218

What techniques has Baker used to support his argument as well?

219

judgment.

220

Thank you.

221

Finally, are you persuaded by the argument that Baker has put forward?

222

And if not, why not?

223

So it's not about just being critical.

224

It's not just saying, oh, I don't agree with things.

225

And in this era of fake news, that's something that a lot of people will go to as their initial thought process.

226

I don't agree with something and I've got to be sceptical about it.

227

Critical thinkers don't do that.

228

So my advice...

229

when you're reading this is is five things firstly Be open -minded and fair.

230

You might already have an opinion about the Guardian.

231

Put that to aside.

232

Secondly, Try to be active and informed.

233

If there are things that you don't understand as you're reading, it might be worth just going on Google, getting a book, having a look as to what they are.

234

So if you don't know what the Black Death is, for example.

235

Just go on Google, find out what it is.

236

Thirdly, be skeptical, to a degree don't go overboard don't think that everything

237

that you read is wrong but don't necessarily believe everything

238

that you read as well it's it's treading a fine balance

239

and obviously we'll be going through this at a later stage as well be independent as well

240

so by independent doesn't mean that you have to just read this all by yourself It's important to listen to others,

241

but it might be that you want to read other information whilst you're reading that particular Guardian article.

242

So show that independence, not just to do the bog standard thing that has been set here.

243

And finally, and this is the advice from Cambridge and I think it's quite pertinent as well, is to be brave about this.

244

If you've got a judgement, if you've got an opinion about what Baker has put forward

245

and you might agree with it and you might want to add further points or you might disagree with it, then put forward that particular approach.

246

Too often at GCSE and A -level standards students are wary of offering their opinions in case they are wrong.

247

Now, at this particular stage, we're at the very, very embryonic process of critical thinking.

248

So we're not going to get it right.

249

And as a consequence, try and be brave.

250

Have conversations with your family members about what you're reading.

251

Pass on what you're saying.

252

Ask for their opinions.

253

Challenge them.

254

Put forward what you think as well.

255

So I'll be posting these videos every single Monday.

256

Thank you very much if you listened all the way to the end.

257

And have a go at that prep work ready for next week.

✨ Recommend Video

48 sentences

2019 Cambridge Complete First for Schools 2nd edition: Unit 2| Track 5 @alicenglish92

Cambridge Exam PrepBusiness EnglishInterview English

9 sentences

[Audio] Cambridge Vocabulary For Ielts With Answers - 13 5a

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepHigh School Students

376 sentences

How to study for exams - Evidence-based revision tips

Business EnglishHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

The speaker keeps coming back to these words: particular, thinking, skills, critical, text. This video has 257 sentences and 3663 words to shadow. The speech runs for 21:54. The speaker talks at a natural 167 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 88% 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

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
critic noun	/ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/	A person who appraises the works of others.
analyse verb		UK standard spelling of analyze.
thinker noun	/ˈθɪŋ.kɚ/	One who spends time thinking, contemplating or meditating.
qualification noun	/ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/	The act or process of qualifying for a position, achievement etc.
evaluate verb	/ɪˈvaljʊeɪt/	To draw conclusions from examining; to assess; to appraise.
folder noun	/ˈfoʊldɚ/	An organizer that papers are kept in, usually with an index tab, to be stored as a single unit in a filing cabinet.
critically adverb	/ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kə.li/	In a critical manner; with, or in terms of, criticism.
connotation noun	/ˌkɑnəˈteɪʃən/	A meaning of a word or phrase that is suggested or implied, as opposed to a denotation, or literal meaning. A characteristic of words or phrases, or of the…
coronavirus noun	/kəˈɹoʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/	A member of the family Coronaviridae, comprising viruses which infect animals and human beings, and the genome of which consists of a single strand of RNA.
lockdown noun	/ˈlɑkˌdaʊn/	The confinement of people in their own rooms (e.g., in a school) or cells (in a prison), or to their own homes or areas (e.g., in the case of a city- or…
circumstance noun	/ˈsɝ.kəmˌstæns/	Something which is related to, or in some way affects, a fact or event.
skeptical adjective	/ˈskɛptɪkəl/	Having, or expressing doubt; questioning.
firstly adverb	/ˈfɜɹstli/	In the first place; before anything else; first.
textbook noun	/ˈtɛkst.bʊk/	A coursebook, a formal manual of instruction in a specific subject, especially one for use in schools or colleges.
pathway noun	/ˈpæθˌweɪ/	A footpath or other path or track.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
go through verb		To travel from one end of something to the other.
put forward verb		To propose for consideration.
go back to verb		To stem from; to originate in.
make up verb	/ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/	To constitute, to compose.
start off verb		To begin.
bring forward verb		To call up for consideration.
bring up verb		To mention.
build up verb		To erect; to construct.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

It's not something that we've offered before.
We'll then look at critical reasoning.
Pass on what you're saying.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	we've offered · hasn't taught · you've watched
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is expected · is accepted · is recognised
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	course, which are · Board which is · website, which will

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 93 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, you're, you've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: thinker /ˈθɪŋ.kɚ/, pathway /ˈpæθˌweɪ/, thirdly /ˈθɚdli/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, connotation /ˌkɑnəˈteɪʃən/, apprenticeship /əˈpɹɛn.tɪs.ʃɪp/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, critically /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kə.li/, connotation /ˌkɑnəˈteɪʃən/, coronavirus /kəˈɹoʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/, alternatively /ɔlˈtɝ.nə.tɪv.li/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like critic, analyse, thinker.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Like - Learn English Speaking with Video

Cambridge Secondary: Tips for Good Board Work

IB EXPLAINED | everything you NEED TO KNOW about IB

Incredible Band 9 Speaking Test (she's only 17!)

[CAM 11] Test 2 Section 3

Unit 1.1: Introduction to Business Management - IB Business Management

Cambridge B1 Preliminary Speaking Exam - How to Do Parts 3-4

IELTS SPEAKING PART 3 EDUCATION

CAMBRIDGE IELTS 18 TEST 1 PART 2

Listening Test 1. Part 3: Jess and Tom art project.