Shadowing Practice: What is Urbanisation? - Learn English Speaking with Video

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41 sentences

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A growing proportion of the world's population lives in urban areas, such as Lagos, seen here.

It is estimated that, for the first time in human history, the world's urban population has overtaken the world's rural population.

Urbanisation is defined as a growing proportion of people living in towns and cities.

The word proportion is key here.

It means that if we take the total population, the percentage living in towns and cities is getting bigger,

and the percentage living in the countryside is getting smaller.

It doesn't assume the total population is getting bigger overall although it is,

just the proportion living in urban areas is increasing.

The pattern of urban change is not equal across the globe

as can be seen in this graph of urbanization in six of the seven continents.

It is important that you are aware of the different levels of urbanization in high -income countries and low -income countries.

In most high -income countries over 60 % of the population live in cities

and it is higher for some specific high -income countries.

In some low -income countries in Africa

and Asia the urban population can be as low as 20

% although as you can see the average is over 40 % for Africa as a whole, and nearer to 50 % in Asia.

Predicted trends see large increases in low -income countries.

With high -income countries already highly urbanised, their rate of urbanisation is set to slow in the future.

The two factors affecting the rate of urbanisation are migration and natural increase.

Rural urban migration is the movement of people from the countryside to towns and cities.

This movement is caused by push and pull factors.

Push factors are the reason why people wish to leave the countryside.

Pull factors are the reasons why people are attracted to the city.

An example of a push factor is the lack of farming jobs due to mechanisation in the countryside.

An example of a pull factor is that the standard of living could be higher in the cities.

Natural increase in towns and cities is also contributing to urbanisation.

people thrive in towns and cities where medical care

and support is often better

and death rates can be significantly lower there are also lots of young adults in towns

and cities in part due to migration who may choose to have children and add to the urban population

You should be aware of the emergence of megacities.

Megacities are cities with a population of over 10 million people.

This map shows the location of megacities in 2010.

There is often debate about which cities have become megacities.

It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the names of megacities

and their location but don't be surprised if names appear

and disappear as you see a variety of maps

it's all to do with different methods of working out city boundaries make sure

you can describe the distribution of the world's megacities notice the

high number of megacities in Asia look back to the graph showing urbanisation across the continents.

Where do you anticipate future megacities will develop?

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115 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “What is Urbanisation?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: cities, population, megacities, urban, income. This video has 41 sentences and 515 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:21. The speaker talks at a steady 118 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
proportion noun	/pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/	A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.
countryside noun	/ˈkʌn.tɹiˌsaɪd/	An area located outside of towns and cities; an area that is not urban or suburban; a rural area.
migration noun	/maɪˈɡɹeɪʃ(ə)n/	An instance of moving to live in another place for a while.
percentage noun	/pə(ɹ)ˈsɛntɪd͡ʒ/	The amount, number or rate of something, regarded as part of a total of 100; a part of a whole.
continent noun	/ˈkɑntɪnənt/	One of the main contiguous landmasses, separated by water or geological features, on the surface of a planet, sometimes including its continental shelves and…
graph noun	/ɡɹæf/	A data chart (graphical representation of data) intended to illustrate the relationship between a set (or sets) of numbers (quantities, measurements or…
contribute verb	/kənˈtɹɪb.jut/	To give something that is or becomes part of a larger whole.
define verb	/dɪˈfaɪn/	To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.
estimate noun	/ˈɛs.tɪ.mət/	A rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something.
globe noun	/ɡloʊb/	The eyeball.
attract verb	/əˈtɹækt/	To pull toward without touching.
boundary noun	/ˈbaʊndɹi/	The dividing line or location between two areas.
disappear verb	/dɪsəˈpɪɹ/	To vanish.
predict verb	/pɹɪˈdɪkt/	To make a prediction: to forecast, foretell, or estimate a future event on the basis of knowledge and reasoning; to prophesy a future event on the basis of…
emergence noun	/ɪˈmɝ.d͡ʒ(ə)ns/	The act of rising out of a fluid, or coming forth from envelopment or concealment, or of rising into view; appearance.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
work out verb	/ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/	To calculate.

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	is estimated · is defined · can be seen
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has overtaken · have become

Pronunciation to watch

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: proportion /pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/, migration /maɪˈɡɹeɪʃ(ə)n/, mechanization /ˌmɛkənaɪˈzeɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: anticipate /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/, familiarize /fəˈmɪliəɹaɪ̯z/, mechanization /ˌmɛkənaɪˈzeɪʃən/

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 proportion, countryside, migration.

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 Urbanisation? - Learn English Speaking with Video

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