Shadowing Practice: What is Nuclear Medicine | Dr. Paulien Moyaert - Learn English Speaking with Video

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In this video, I'll explain what nuclear medicine is and what it's used for.

Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that uses small amounts of radioactive materials to diagnose and treat diseases.

Unlike radiology, which relies on external sources of radiation,

nuclear medicine involves introducing radioactive substances into the patient's body through swallowing, injection, or inhalation.

These substances are then attracted to specific organs, bones, or tissues, and emit radiation, which is picked up by a special camera.

Nuclear medicine, in a sense, is radiology done inside out.

Nuclear medicine is unique because it images organ function rather than just the anatomy.

Here's an example.

In this CT scan, we're looking at a patient who has already been diagnosed with breast cancer.

On the CT scan, doctors noticed three dark gray masses, but they weren't sure if these were cancer spreading.

Therefore, the doctor scheduled a PET scan to get a clearer picture.

The patient received a small amount of radioactive glucose.

This glucose is attracted to almost all cells in our body, especially cancer cells, as they need a lot of oxygen to grow their tumor.

On the PET scan, the first two spots didn't light up much, suggesting it's probably not cancer.

The third spot, however, lit up significantly, indicating that it's likely the breast cancer has spread to the liver.

Although nuclear medicine is primarily used for diagnosis, it can also be used to treat diseases,

for example, for the treatment of prostate cancer or pain relief from certain types of bone cancers.

Finally, while the term radioactive may be alarming, it's important to understand that nuclear medicine procedures are designed to be safe.

For instance, a single bone scan typically yields about 4 mSv of radiation,

whereas a full-body CT scan often results in at least double that amount.

What most people don't know is

that we are naturally exposed to a certain level of radiation due to naturally occurring radioactive minerals.

The average American receives an annual radiation exposure from natural sources of about 3 mSv.

Moreover, the higher the altitude, the higher the radiation dose, with air crew members experiencing roughly the same level of radiation exposure annually compared to

that of a bone scan without ever undergoing a nuclear imaging procedure.

In conclusion, nuclear medicine procedures are safe when put into perspective, and they play a crucial role in early disease detection.

Thank you for watching this video.

If you want to learn more about nuclear medicine, check out my playlist to watch the other videos on this topic.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “What is Nuclear Medicine”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: nuclear, medicine, scan, radiation, cancer. This video has 28 sentences and 425 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:58. The speaker talks at a steady 143 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 73% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
scan verb	/skæn/	To examine sequentially, carefully, or critically; to scrutinize; to behold closely.
radioactive adjective	/ˌɹeɪdioʊˈæktɪv/	Exhibiting radioactivity.
diagnose verb	/ˈdaɪ.əɡˌnoʊs/	To determine which disease is causing a sick person's signs and symptoms; to find the diagnosis.
radiology noun	/ˌɹeɪdiˈɑlədʒi/	The specialty of medical imaging and its interpretation, originally and especially radiography but now including all imaging modalities, including ones that…
glucose noun	/ˈɡluː.kəʊz/	A simple monosaccharide (sugar) with a molecular formula of C₆H₁₂O₆; a principle source of energy for cellular metabolism.
inhalation noun	/ˌɪnhəˈleɪʃən/	The act of inhaling; inbreathing.
playlist noun	/ˈpleɪˌlɪst/	A list of recorded songs scheduled to be played on a radio station.
prostate noun	/ˈpɹɑs.teɪt/	The prostate gland.
undergo verb	/ˌʌndɚˈɡoʊ/	To experience; to pass through a phase.
swallow verb	/ˈswɑ.loʊ/	To cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach; to take into the stomach through the throat.
specialty noun	/ˈspɛʃ.əl.ti/	That in which one specializes; a chosen expertise or talent; bailiwick.
altitude noun	/ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd/	The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.
anatomy noun	/əˈnætəmi/	The science that deals with the form and structure of organic bodies; anatomical structure or organization.
tumor noun	/tuː.məɹ/	An abnormal growth; differential diagnosis includes abscess, metaplasia, and neoplasia.
expose verb	/ɪkˈspoʊz/	To reveal; to uncover; to make visible; to bring to light.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
check out verb	To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
light up verb	To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten.
pick up verb	To lift; to grasp and raise.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	are then attracted · been diagnosed · is attracted
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has already been diagnosed · has spread

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, don't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: inhalation /ˌɪnhəˈleɪʃən/, specialty /ˈspɛʃ.əl.ti/, injection /ɪnˈd͡ʒɛk.ʃən/, detection /dɪˈtɛk.ʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: radioactive /ˌɹeɪdioʊˈæktɪv/, radiology /ˌɹeɪdiˈɑlədʒi/, inhalation /ˌɪnhəˈleɪʃən/, anatomy /əˈnætəmi/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like scan, radioactive, diagnose.

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: What is Nuclear Medicine | Dr. Paulien Moyaert - Learn English Speaking with Video

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