Shadowing Practice: What is Marxism? (And Why The Outrage is Wrong) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Turn on the news and you'll hear one word yelled constantly.
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These are the same dumb Marxist ideas.
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Far left, radical, Marxist.
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Uh, Marxist.
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Marxist -Leninist, they get along.
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The Marxist left, another lunatics preaching radical ideology.
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It's blamed for everything from cultural collapse to economic decline.
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But here's the problem.
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No one ever actually explains what it is.
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I'm Dr. Alexander Matnansky.
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I'm a political scientist who studies all of the issues that everybody argues about online and tries to make sense of them.
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So today, let's tackle the ism that everybody seems to argue about online but nobody ever seems to have an answer for.
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What is Marxism?
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We interrupt this program for a special news bulletin.
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For this discussion, the natural starting point is who is Karl Marx?
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Karl Marx was a Prussian philosopher and political theorist who specialized in capitalism.
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He was particularly interested in how class was shaped by history, politics, and society.
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Now, I know we've all heard
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Marx was this mysterious revolutionary who was going to take up arms to overthrow the Western order,
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but in reality he was simply a political scientist, no different than myself.
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He was essentially just a guy up the road in Hiberian Islington here in London.
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Getting his start in the mid -1800s, he finished his PhD from the University of Vienna, which is in what is now modern -day Germany.
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And one of my favorite stories, a little bit of folklore while not proven necessarily to be true.
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After finishing his PhD defense him and his PhD supervisor stole a donkey
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and paraded their way around town wreaking havoc in celebration.
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While not necessarily true or historically accurate it kind of contextualizes how
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Marx is seen in kind of everyday folklore.
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He's a real person that behaved like everybody else that wanted to go and celebrate good times.
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He wasn't a radical revolutionary in this way.
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He was simply a guy celebrating earning a degree.
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Originally Marx considered a career in academia
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but there was a large conservative turn in Germany at the time and then he decided to pivot towards journalism.
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This kind of reflects something that's happening in the world right now where places like the United States, parts of Europe such as Hungary,
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right -wing governments have began to attempt to facilitate a right -wing turn in academia
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which has pushed out a lot of early career academics.
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It was in Paris where
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Marx would go on to meet Friedrich Engels, a lifelong collaborator.
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Engels came from a wealthy industrial family and would support
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Marx financially for much of his life.
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Engels own experience would help to contribute some insights that would ultimately develop into what is now Marxism.
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Together they would write the texts
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that would now define Marxism as a field of study and academia and would influence some revolutionaries later on,
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the most prominent of which is the Communist Manifesto, which we're gonna demystify a little bit in this video.
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Before discussing Marxism further, we need to first identify the two key forms of Marxism.
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Marxism as a part of academic literature, a theoretical critique of class structures in society, and also Marxism in practice,
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something that we see in the world.
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The scholarlyism as it is, is something that just identifies how capitalism and class structures influence large inequality throughout the world.
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Academics use this toolbook to ask who benefits?
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Why is society structured a certain way?
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So at its core
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Marxist theory is a way to understand how capitalism creates inequalities around the world.
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It focused on the relationship between two key groups, something Marx and Engels called the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
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The bourgeoisie is those who own the means of production
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and the proletariat is those who sell their labor to make a living.
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While this is a story about greed that isn't the entire picture.
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Marx argued that capitalism itself, the structures of society, are what created the perpetual inequalities that we see.
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Those who own the means of production are in a position to continue to reproduce these balances
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and continue to perpetuate their own power on those that don't have the resources.
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So while workers generate value through their labor, they don't ever reap the benefits of this through power.
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While Marx was writing about this in the mid -1800s, we continue to see how workforces are exploited.
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This wasn't just a product of the 1800s, we're seeing this now.
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Amazon workers were prohibited from unionizing.
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This is the one way that labor can come together, influence the balance of power.
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We can use this understanding to see how ruling elites, large corporations can exploit their own power, push down working class people from unionizing.
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And if you think about it today, we are in an even more capitalized version that
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Marx likely saw.
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Every part of society is monetized.
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The second you pick up your phone, you're using a tool that was created by capitalism.
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While my iPhone might be something that I find useful and something that I can use to create my own intellectual labor,
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it's still a product of capitalism.
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And then let's take this a step further.
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The second you turn on your phone and you scroll to the nearest app, we're completely bombarded by advertisements.
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So when academics use this as a lens.
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We can see the useful elements of how capitalism continues to exploit labor,
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the labor where you go and you earn money through your job,
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and then it's continued to cycle through advertisements where you go purchase new t -shirts or we go purchase items on Amazon,
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all the while while people at the top of the ladder continue to retain the wealth,
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while those in the middle and lower portions of the ladder are unable to move upward.
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So what makes Marxism so useful?
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It doesn't just critique capitalism, it gives us useful lenses to interpret society today.
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One of my favorite examples is David Harvey's right to the city.
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David Harvey is of course a modern
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Marxist theorist and I've included a link to his piece in the show notes below.
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So essentially in Harvey's piece he looks at the city
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and he says this isn't simply just a place we live
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but it's something that's shaped by capitalism itself
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and gives examples of how everyday life has imbalances of power exploited by people
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that earn a lot of money and those that are continuing to create labor that supports the system itself.
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We could see the imbalances of power throughout the worlds.
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I'm thinking some places that I've been to myself, places that I've lived, London, Dakar, Senegal, New York, Tokyo, Mumbai, places like this.
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There are luxury accommodation alongside housing shortages throughout cities gentrification is
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when richer people move in and push out lower income folks
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and this is what harvey sees as the city
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we don't necessarily have a right to the city some people
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have the right to the city those with more resources than others the city isn't something
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that we have the right to like the freedom of speech in some cases
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but it's something that we have to live with something
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that we experience and something that we deal with on the ladders of capitalism.
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Each person, based on their background, how they look, their socioeconomic status, they all have different experiences of living in a city.
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Who gets to live where, who gets pushed out, are all affected by these capitalist structures.
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So as the Harvey piece illustrates, Marxism isn't a regime, it isn't a social movement.
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In this case, it is just a lens to critique the way we live on a daily basis.
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Marxist theory can help us identify the unequal structures of a capitalist society and how it affects everyday individuals.
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So in practice often what we're talking about in the news media or online, Marxism is quite different than how it's applied theoretically.
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An interesting point of this is a key assumption by Marx was that the so -called
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Marxist revolution or the class revolution or the socialist revolution was likely
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or in some cases could be viewed as inevitable in some parts of society
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and in some states in particular because the capitalist elites exploited the working class so much.
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An interesting point from Marx's own work is that he thought
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that the Marxist socialist the workers revolution was a likely outcome in many capitalist states.
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While Marx thought this was potentially going to happen and likely in some places, he was largely wrong.
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In some places there were Marxist -esque revolutions such as that in the Bolshevik Revolution or the Maoist Revolution.
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Even these we can see as not being perfectly
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Marxist because of the states that came out of them were in fact not Marxist states.
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While the right wing media would like you to believe that every instance of an authoritarian government, a repressive regime, were all
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Marxist, Socialist, or Communist regimes, there has not ever been an exact
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Marxist model of a government implemented in history.
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Marx never created a concrete roadmap for what an ideal state would look like.
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In many of them, he saw economic equality or workers having a large portion of power.
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So while the media itself would like you to believe that every instance of authoritarianism or repression was in fact this
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Marxist states, there wasn't a roadmap.
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Marxism just wanted economic equality and a state where workers retained their rights.
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And we've never actually seen that.
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That's the greatest fallacy of modern media is that there hasn't been a Marxist state.
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States often labeled as Marxist or socialist or communist like the Soviet Union
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or the People's Republic of China use the Marxist facade
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but in fact do not operate in any interpretation of Marxism where there is economic inequality.
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Generally these states operate with a concentrated elite at the top that enrich themselves off of the working class.
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While there have been instances of these states lifting up lower
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classes as we've seen the the rise of the middle class in China.
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This in fact still has to do with capitalism where the
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central government in China have operated within the capitalist system and in some places repressed their people.
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This was not a workers' revolution in which workers gained lots of rights and helped operate the state.
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It's in fact a concentrated center of elites that enrich themselves
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while the working class in some cases can climb up their ladder slightly,
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but continue to be subjugated by a repressive government using capitalists' apparatuses.
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Examples of this are state -owned enterprises.
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We think of state -owned gas companies like Gazprom in modern Russia.
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We think of the numerous state -owned corporations in China that usually often orient themselves around technology.
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This is not Marxism.
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This is not communism or socialism.
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This is state -ran capitalism.
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And through this, they continue to repress people while enriching themselves and gaining more and more resources.
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So rather than redistributing wealth or creating economic equality, we have entrenched elites continuing to gain resources and wealth
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while the working class gains very little semblance of power influence in society.
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This is no different than capitalist societies that are democratic throughout the world.
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You think about this in the United States where we have billionaires that are influencing elections,
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we have billionaires in Western Europe that are continuing to assert their influence.
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And just because somebody puts the facade of communism, Marxism, or socialism onto the title of their state, that does not in fact make it socialist.
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So with this we have a world shaped by capitalist structures where elites manipulate narratives around nationalism,
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ideology, to pit workers and the working lower
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and middle classes against each other so they can continue to entrench themselves in power.
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Understanding that we have not in fact had a Marxist state before,
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states that label themselves as socialists or Marxists are in fact operating within a capitalist system,
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and understanding that academics use the Marxist theory to identify systemic inequalities in society
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and understand patterns of political mobilization is useful
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because it helps us to demystify the reality of what Marxism is
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and that in fact many people in the news media
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and on social media
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that demonize Marxism are actually doing it for their own benefits to continue to entrench themselves in a system
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that supports the capitalist elites, the media elites, and to ensure that labor -based,
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class -based political action is continued to be perceived as a stain on society and something that shouldn't happen.
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So recognizing that there are two aspects of Marxism,
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the first being a critical theory used by academics to understand how capitalism creates
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and reproduces inequalities from that of the Marxism in practice where there are instances of political movements
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that created states that ultimately weren't a equal socioeconomic view of society
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and often use the Marxist
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or communist label to entrench themselves in power is a way to deepen our understanding
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and assure that people can't misuse this term for their own benefits
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and we're seeing this throughout the news media
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and on social media where capitalists economic elites want to ensure
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that working -class people don't come together
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because people together are more powerful in mass so recognizing
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that there is an academic view of Marxism that identifies capitalism
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and socio -economic inequalities from it as a understanding for patterns in society from
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that of Marxism in practice where instances of revolution use the label of Marxism but did not implement
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Marxist states helps us to ensure that people in power don't demonize this term and use it for their own benefit.
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So in sum, Marxism as a political theory is still widely used to interpret how class perpetuates inequalities,
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it helps identify patterns in places like cities that we live in, and how we live our everyday lives.
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It can help us identify who the elites are that control the resources, how labor is influenced, how we live in cities,
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and all of these are useful tools for helping academics to understand the patterns of the world.
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At the same time the term has been weaponized.
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It's thrown around as a catch -all boogeyman for all things right -wing media figures don't like.
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Cases like China and the Soviet Union are not examples of Marxism,
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but they're examples of entrenched elites using the capitalist structures of the world to their own benefits while repressing their citizens.
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So who does this actually serve?
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The rich talking heads on Fox News want you to believe that everything is fair.
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All the while, they get to go home to their Fifth Ave penthouse apartment.
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While millions of Americans struggle to put food on the table, put gas in their cars.
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Simultaneously, billionaires are infiltrating public spaces that should be where everyday citizens have access to power.
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In America, we should continue to see more plumbers,
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more electricians, computer programmers, all enter public life and pursue power through the structures that were given to them.
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We should see senators and house members that are farmers or bartenders because these public houses,
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these forms of government were built for everyday citizens to ascend to the heights of power, not for billionaires to buy their way into public office.
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When wealth becomes the only ticket to influence, we should ask the question,
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who benefits from casting working -class aspirations as radical or dangerous.
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Understanding this isn't just an academic exercise or a reinterpretation of how history has been manipulated.
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It's a way for us to move past the fear -mongering
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and question if society is structured in a way that benefits all people.
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I think it's important for us to reinterpret these key issues so we can build a society that empowers everybody.
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And with that, the more we know, the more we talk, the better future we can build.
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See you next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “What is Marxism?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Marxist, Marxism, society, Marx, capitalism. This video has 202 sentences and 2673 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:31. The speaker talks at a natural 162 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| capitalism noun | /ˈkæp.ə.təlˌɪzm̩/ | A socio-economic system based on private ownership of resources, and capital and their exploitation for profit. |
| capitalist noun | /ˈkæp.ɪ.tə.lɪst/ | The owner of a considerable amount of capital; a wealthy person. |
| elite noun | /ɪˈlit/ | A special group or social class of people who have a superior social or economic status and attendant power, advantages, or privileges in society; a member of… |
| inequality noun | /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/ | A condition or state (of social, cultural, or legal matters) that is not equal; especially, such a condition that is thereby also unfair. |
| everyday adjective | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions. |
| socialist noun | /ˈsoʊ.ʃə.lɪst/ | One who supports or advocates socialism. |
| exploit noun | /ˈɛksplɔɪt/ | A heroic or extraordinary deed. |
| label noun | /ˈleɪ.bəl/ | A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached. |
| radical noun | /ˈɹædɪkəl/ | A root (of a number or quantity). |
| communist noun | /ˈkɑ.mjə.nɪst/ | An advocate of a society based on the common ownership of property; a proponent of communism. |
| ladder noun | /ˈlæd.ɚ/ | A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or… |
| billionaire noun | /ˌbɪl.jəˈnɛɚ/ | Somebody whose wealth is at least one billion (10⁹) currency units (usually understood to exclude holders of hyperinflated currencies). |
| earn verb | /ɝn/ | To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work. |
| necessarily adverb | /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/ | Inevitably; of necessity. |
| argue verb | /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/ | To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| push out verb | To force (someone) to leave a group. | |
| come together verb | /ˈkʌm tʊˈɡɛðɚ/ | To assemble; to congregate; to combine. |
| get along verb | To interact or coexist well, without argument or trouble. | |
| lift up verb | To elevate to a higher position. | |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. | |
| push down verb | To force downwards (literally or figuratively). | |
| take up verb | To pick up. |
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 | has pushed · I've included · I've been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was shaped · is seen · are exploited |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Vienna, which is · those who own · those who sell |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 38 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, isn't, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: wealthy /ˈwɛl.θi/, theoretical /ˌθi.əˈɹɛt.ɪ.kəl/, overthrow /ˌoʊvɚˈθɹoʊ/, authoritarian /əˌθɑ.ɹəˈtɛɹ.i.ən/, theorist /ˈθiːəɹəst/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: socialist /ˈsoʊ.ʃə.lɪst/, regime /ɹəˈʒiːm/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, revolutionary /ˌɹɛvəˈluʃənɛɹi/, socialism /ˈsoʊʃəlɪzəm/
- Long words — get the stress right: capitalism /ˈkæp.ə.təlˌɪzm̩/, capitalist /ˈkæp.ɪ.tə.lɪst/, inequality /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/, necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/, equality /ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/
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 capitalism, capitalist, elite.
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.