Shadowing Practice: What's your favourite kind of noodle? ⏲️ 6 Minute English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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I'm Neil.
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And I'm Beth.
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Do you enjoy eating noodles, Beth?
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I love noodles, yes.
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I think my favourite are udon, the big thick ones.
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Mmm, they're so good.
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Well, some people buy them dried in a packet,
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others make them fresh from wheat or rice,
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but there is little doubt that noodles are popular around the world.
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From their origins, probably somewhere in China,
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noodle recipes were spread by traders on the ancient Silk Road.
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At each destination along the road,
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people gave noodles a twist,
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adding different flavours and ingredients to create a new dish.
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In this programme, we'll visit the United States and Japan,
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two countries which have taken noodles and created exciting new varieties.
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As usual, we'll learn some useful new vocabulary.
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And remember, you can read along with the transcript of this programme,
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available now on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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But first, Neil, I have a question for you.
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As well as different shapes and ingredients,
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noodles come in many different flavours.
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So which region of China is famous for its spicy flavours? Is it...
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A. Shanghai B.
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Sichuan or C.
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Guangzhou Well, I think actually,
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Beth, I know the answer to this.
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I've been lucky enough to have been to this place.
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I think it's B.
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Sichuan.
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OK, well you sound confident.
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I will reveal the answer later in the programme.
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BBC World Service programme The Food Chain investigated how noodles spread from Asia through Europe to America.
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They uncovered a surprising story that pasta comes from noodles brought back to Italy by Marco Polo in the 13th century.
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Zhenlin Liu, author of the book On the Noodle Road,
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doesn't believe this story.
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So noodles were very exotic in the 1920s and 30s in the United States.
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And there was a new pasta association in America that wanted to promote the manufacturing of dried pasta.
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And so they came up with a story about how Marco Polo went to China
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and found the noodle there and brought it all the way to Italy.
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In the 1920s, noodles were popular because they were exotic,
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meaning foreign, unusual and exciting.
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At that time, pasta companies were promoting a new invention – dried pasta.
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So they came up with a story about Marco Polo to sell more pasta.
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If you come up with something,
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you suggest or think up an idea.
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And it worked!
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Sales of pasta jumped as a result.
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Now our second destination, Japan,
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also has a history of eating noodles.
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One of the most famous Japanese noodle dishes is ramen.
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And Frank Striegel, a blogger living in Tokyo, knows all about it.
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He eats over 300 bowls of ramen a year.
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He explained to BBC World Service's The Food Chain how Chinese immigrants to Japan in the late 1800s influenced this Japanese dish.
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And at one point or another,
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different chefs decided to localize these dishes.
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They said, we love these Chinese noodle dishes,
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however, why don't we tweak them?
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Why don't we make them a little bit more Japanese?
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Frank says that at one point or another,
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chefs started to make noodle dishes more Japanese.
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Here, the phrase, at one point or another,
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means at some unspecified time in the past.
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They did this by tweaking Chinese noodles.
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In other words, by changing them slightly to make them better.
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Different, or in this case, more Japanese.
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By making these tweaks, adding new toppings and slices of beef or chicken,
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Japanese chefs created the noodle dish we know today as ramen.
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Here's Frank Striegel again, talking with BBC World Service's The Food Chain.
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And what I find fascinating about ramen,
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compared to perhaps other wonderful noodle dishes around the world,
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is that ramen continues to evolve.
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Unlike other Japanese foods, it's okay to push the boundaries.
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Frank thinks that Japanese ramen continues to evolve,
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to develop and change gradually in response to new developments and ideas.
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Unlike other traditional foods such as sushi,
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modern versions of ramen push the boundaries.
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If you push the boundaries,
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you act in a way which challenges normal, acceptable behaviour.
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Yes, noodles have changed so much since ancient times
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that today you can buy them dried in a packet and simply add hot water.
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But the flavours and the noodles themselves maintain a link to the past.
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Now speaking of flavours, what was the answer to your question, Beth?
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Well, I asked you which region of China is famous for its spicy flavours.
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You were very confident with saying Sichuan and that is the correct answer.
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Sichuan is a place that is famous for spicy food such as the Sichuan pepper and Sichuan hot pot.
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OK, it's time to recap the vocabulary we've learnt.
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If you give something a twist,
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you change it in some small way to create something new and exciting.
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The adjective exotic means unusual and exciting because of coming from far away.
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The phrase, at one point or another,
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means at some unspecified time in the past.
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If you tweak something, you alter it slightly in order to improve it.
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Something which evolves, develops and changes gradually.
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And finally, the idiom, to push the boundaries,
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means to do things which challenge normal, acceptable behaviour.
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Once again, our six minutes are up.
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If you enjoyed the programme,
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why not visit our website and check out all of the different podcasts that we have at BBC Learning English.
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There's something there for everyone.
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Thanks for joining us and goodbye.
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Bye!

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will learn English with YouTube as you practice your listening and speaking skills through an engaging conversation about noodles. The video features two hosts discussing their favorite types of noodles, the history of noodles, and how different cultures have embraced them. By the end of this lesson, you will not only enhance your vocabulary but also gain insights into global cuisine, which can be a fun way to connect with others. This content will serve as a practical tool for your English speaking practice and help you sound more natural in everyday conversations.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Noodles: A type of pasta made from wheat or rice, popular in various cultures.
  • Exotic: Something that is foreign and unusual, often exciting or appealing.
  • Twist: To give a unique variation to something, in this case, noodles.
  • Promote: To support or advertise something to increase its popularity.
  • Dried pasta: Pasta that has been dehydrated for shelf-stability, commonly found in stores.
  • Manufacturing: The process of producing goods on a large scale, often using machinery.
  • Origins: The starting point or source of something, like the history of noodles.
  • Recipes: Sets of instructions for preparing a particular dish.

Practice Tips

To effectively improve your speaking skills through this video, consider the following shadow speech tips:

  • Shadow speaking: Play the video and mimic the speakers. Focus on their intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation. This will help you develop a more natural speaking style.
  • Segmented practice: Break the video into short segments. Practice each segment a few times before moving on to the next. This approach allows you to master difficult phrases and enhance clarity.
  • Record yourself: Use your device to record your shadow speaking practice. Listening to your recordings will help you identify areas for improvement and track your progress.
  • Emphasize emotion: Pay attention to how the hosts express enthusiasm and excitement. Try to incorporate similar emotions in your shadow speaking, which will make your English conversations more engaging.
  • Repeat often: Regular repetition of vocabulary related to food and culture from the transcript will reinforce your learning. This can significantly enhance your ability to engage in discussions about global topics in English.

By integrating these techniques into your routine, you will not only enhance your vocabulary but also become more confident in your English speaking skills. Start practicing today with this fun noodle-themed lesson!

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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