Shadowing Practice: VOA Learning English - Agriculture Report # 393 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

C1
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
⏸ Paused
37 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
2
Sorghum is an important grain for Africa.
3
Millions of Africans have more to eat because of Gabisa Ejeta.
4
The Ethiopian scientist developed sorghum seeds that can resist long dry periods.
5
The seeds can also resist the Striga weed,
6
a big cause of crop failures in Africa.
7
Now his work has earned him this year's World Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa.
8
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the announcement in Washington in June.
9
She pointed out that Professor Ejeta did not just develop the seeds.
10
He also worked to get them to farmers.
11
He will receive the $250,000 award at a ceremony in October.
12
He is only the second African to win the prize since it was established in 1986.
13
Monty Jones, a rice expert from Sierra Leone,
14
was the winner in 2004.
15
Gabisa Ejeta is a professor at Purdue University in Indiana.
16
Over the years, he has worked with farmers and seed companies and developed more than 80 seed types for Africa.
17
In the early 1980s, Professor Egeta developed the first sorghum hybrid seeds.
18
These resisted drought and led to a major increase in production.
19
Drought is not the only enemy.
20
Striga is a parasitic weed that Africans commonly call witchweed.
21
The plant attacks sorghum and other crops and steals water and nutrients from the roots nutrients from the roots.
22
In the 1990s, Gabisa Ejeta and another Purdue researcher,
23
Larry Butler, identified the complex relationships between striga and sorghum plants.
24
That finding led to the development of seeds resistant to both striga and drought.
25
Gbisa Ejeta was raised in a one-room hut in a rural village in west central Ethiopia.
26
His mother wanted him to get an education.
27
He walked 20 kilometers to school in a neighboring town.
28
He left home on Sunday nights and returned on Friday.
29
For secondary school, he attended an agricultural and technical school.
30
It was established by Oklahoma State University under an American government program.
31
From there, he received an invitation to study at Purdue,
32
where he earned a doctoral degree.
33
But Professor Ejeta has never forgotten his African roots.
34
Today, he encourages other scientists to turn their attention to Africa's needs.
35
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
36
Transcripts and MP3s of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com.
37
Thank you.

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

About This Lesson

This lesson focuses on improving your English pronunciation and fluency through shadow speech techniques using the report on agriculture by VOA Learning English. By listening to the transcript about Gabisa Ejeta, an Ethiopian scientist who developed crucial sorghum seeds, you will practice not only vocabulary related to agriculture but also the rhythm and intonation of spoken English. This method allows learners at any level to enhance their spoken English skills, making it ideal for IELTS speaking practice as well.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Sorghum: An important grain crop that is drought-resistant.
  • Striga: A parasitic weed that harms crops, also known as witchweed.
  • Drought: A prolonged dry period that affects agricultural production.
  • Crop failures: When agricultural produce does not grow as expected.
  • World Food Prize: An award recognizing those who have improved the quality of life for people through food production.
  • Resistant: Able to withstand challenges, such as pests or environmental conditions.
  • Developed: Created or improved upon something through research or innovation.

Practice Tips

To effectively use the shadowing technique with this transcript, follow these steps:

  • Listen Actively: Play the video or audio and listen carefully to the pronunciation, tone, and pacing.
  • Repeat Immediately: Pause after each sentence or phrase and repeat it out loud, mimicking the speaker's pronunciation and intonation to improve your English pronunciation.
  • Slow it Down: If the speech is too fast, utilize the playback speed settings to slow it down. This can help you catch nuances in the speaker's delivery.
  • Focus on Difficult Words: Pay special attention to challenging vocabulary like "sorghum" and "Striga." Repeat them several times until you feel comfortable pronouncing them correctly.
  • Record Yourself: Use a recording device to capture your shadow speech practice. Listening to it afterward can highlight areas for improvement.
  • Regular Practice: Incorporate this shadowing technique into your daily routine to experience gradual improvement in speaking fluency and confidence.

By adopting these strategies and engaging in consistent practice, you can enhance your English communication skills while exploring essential global issues like agriculture. Shadowing will also prove beneficial for your IELTS speaking practice, helping you to articulate thoughts clearly and effectively.

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