Shadowing Practice: What Immigration Reform Could Mean to US Farmers - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Music From VOA Learning English,
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30 sentences
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Music From VOA Learning English,
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this is the Agriculture Report.
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Farmers in the United States are experiencing two big problems.
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There is a shortage of people to work in their fields.
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The workers they do have are mostly from Latin America.
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but many have entered the country with false documents.
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Farmers say that without immigration reform, both problems will continue.
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The Imperial Valley is an agricultural area in the western state of California,
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near the border with Mexico.
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Temperatures there are above 38 degrees Celsius during the summer months.
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As a result, not much grows in the Imperial Valley at this time of year.
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But in the winter, the fields are filled with lettuce and celery.
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And in the spring, farmers grow fruit like cantaloupe and watermelon.
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There also is work to do in the fields during the summer.
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Francisco Salcedo uses farm equipment to prepare the land for planting in the autumn.
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He lives in Mexico and wakes up in the middle of the night,
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so he can avoid long lines at the border crossing.
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Mr. Saucedo says that if he did this kind of work in Mexico,
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he would earn about $6 a day,
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but in the United States,
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he makes as much as $90 a day.
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Farmer Larry Cox says growing and harvesting vegetables depends on migrants,
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or day laborers, from Mexico.
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But he says not enough laborers are crossing the border.
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Mr. Cox says it is difficult to get visas to work in the United States.
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As a result, many farm workers from Latin America carry false documents.
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Tom Nassif is president of the Western Growers Association, a U.S farmers' business group.
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He says there are about 11 million workers in the United States with false documents.
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More than one million of them work in agriculture.
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For VOA Learning English, I'm Carolyn Pursuti.

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About This Lesson

This lesson focuses on understanding the challenges faced by farmers in the United States, particularly regarding immigration reform. As you listen to the transcript, you will practice your listening and speaking skills through the concept of shadowspeak. By shadowing the audio, you'll improve your English pronunciation and comprehension of context-specific vocabulary related to agriculture and immigration. The content emphasizes the real-world implications of labor shortages and immigration issues, which are relevant and engaging topics for discussion.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Shortage: A situation where there is not enough of something.
  • Migrants: People who move to another country for work or better living conditions.
  • Visas: Official documents allowing individuals to enter, stay, and work in a country.
  • False documents: Fake identification papers used to gain access or rights they are not entitled to.
  • Harvest: The process of gathering crops at maturity.
  • Imperial Valley: A specific agricultural region in California known for its crop production.
  • Laborers: Workers, typically unskilled, who perform manual work in various industries, including agriculture.
  • Field Work: Agricultural tasks performed in the open land where crops are grown.

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning experience while shadowing, follow these tips:

  • Slow Down: Start by listening to the audio at a slower speed. This will help you grasp the pronunciation and rhythm of the language, making it easier to imitate.
  • Focus on Tone: Pay attention to the speaker's tone. The transcript discusses serious issues, so try to convey that seriousness in your own speech.
  • Repetition: Repeat sections multiple times. Shadowing is effective when you say the phrases aloud right after hearing them. Try to match the speaker's speed and intonation to enhance your shadow speech.
  • Record Yourself: Use your device to record your shadowing attempts. Listening back will allow you to hear areas of improvement and track your progress in improving English pronunciation.
  • Practice on Key Phrases: Use the key vocabulary from this lesson in your daily conversations or writing. Reinforcing new words in various contexts will help solidify them in your memory.

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.

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