Shadowing Practice: Which country has the best schools? ⏲️ 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 Phil.
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And I'm Beth.
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So, Beth, we're talking about the best education systems in the world today.
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You went to school here in Britain.
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What do you think of the British education system?
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Do you think it could be the best?
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I think that it's quite good.
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There's probably a couple of things that I personally would change about it,
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but I would say it's quite good,
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but maybe not the best in the world.
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Well, in this programme, we're going to be talking about the PISA rankings.
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The rankings are based on tests carried out by the OECD,
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that's an international organisation, every three years.
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The tests attempt to show which countries are the most effective at teaching maths, science and reading.
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But is that really possible to measure?
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Well, here is former BBC education correspondent Sean Coughlin talking to BBC World Service programme The Global Story.
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When they were introduced first of all,
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that was a very contentious idea because people said,
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how can you possibly compare big countries,
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how can you compare America to Luxembourg or to parts of China or whatever?
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Sean said that the tests were contentious.
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If something is contentious, then it's something that people might argue about.
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It's controversial.
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So, at first, PSATES were contentious because not everyone believed it was fair to compare very different countries.
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Phil, I've got a question for you about them.
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So, in 2022, Singapore was top of the reading rankings.
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But which of these countries came second?
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Was it A, the USA,
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B, Ireland, or C, the UK?
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I think it might be B, Ireland.
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OK, well, we will find out if that's correct at the end of the programme.
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A common pattern in the PISA rankings is that the most successful countries tend to be smaller.
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Talking to BBC World Service programme The Global Story,
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Sean Cochland tells us that many large countries from Western Europe don't score that highly in the rankings.
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They're being outpaced and outperformed by these fast upcoming countries,
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Singapore or Estonia or Taiwan or those sort of places,
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which we don't historically think of as being economic rivals.
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But I suppose the argument for the PISA test is if you want to have a knowledge economy,
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an economy based on skills,
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this is how you measure it.
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We heard that many large European countries are being outpaced by smaller nations.
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If someone outpaces you, they're going faster than you, at a higher pace.
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We use the prefix out to say that someone or something is better at doing something.
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We also heard that smaller nations are outperforming larger ones.
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They're performing better.
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Singapore, Estonia and Taiwan are described as economic rivals to large European nations.
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That means that they are competing with them economically.
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We also heard about a knowledge economy.
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This is an economy based on service industries that require workers to be highly educated,
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such as IT, finance or advanced engineering.
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So what makes countries perform better in these tests?
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Let's hear again from BBC World Service programme, The Global Story.
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Sean Coughlin tells us that those countries that prioritise getting everyone to a certain level do well.
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We also hear from Rando Kustik, an Estonian school principal.
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Countries which make sure that all their pupils get through a certain level of education to a certain standard,
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regardless of their background, do well.
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If you are teaching them by different level of abilities,
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then you are segregating them.
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And we don't want to segregate any people in the world.
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Why we are doing that in the schools,
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this is one of the main things why Estonia is successful.
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Sean said the most successful systems educate everyone to a particular standard,
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regardless of their background.
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If one thing happens regardless of something else,
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it means that the something else is not important or not a problem.
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Rando Kustik said that Estonian schools do not want to segregate students.
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Segregate means to separate and keep apart.
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So, we've just heard about Estonia,
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but what about your question, Beth?
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What about those countries?
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Ah, I asked you which out of the USA,
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Ireland and the UK came second for reading in the 2022 PISA rankings.
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You said Ireland and that was the correct answer.
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Well done.
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OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt in this programme about education rankings,
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starting with contentious – argued about or controversial.
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If you're outpaced by someone,
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they're going faster than you are.
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Rivals are competitors.
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A knowledge economy is one based on industries that need highly educated workers,
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such as IT, finance or advanced engineering.
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If something happens regardless of a second thing,
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the second thing has no impact on it happening.
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And finally, if people are segregated,
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different groups of people are separated and kept apart.
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Once again, our six minutes are up.
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Remember to visit our website,
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bbclearningenglish.com, where you'll find a worksheet and quiz related to this programme.
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and we'll see you again soon for more trending topics and useful vocabulary here at 6 Minute English.
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Goodbye for now.
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Bye.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing your English speaking skills using this video is a fantastic way to enhance your fluency and comprehension. By focusing on the PISA rankings discussed by Phil and Beth, learners can engage with current educational themes while honing their language abilities. Utilizing the shadowing technique—wherein you mimic the speakers immediately after they say something—can significantly improve your pronunciation and rhythm. This method not only helps with English speaking practice but also allows you to internalize complex sentence structures and vocabulary related to educational systems worldwide.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the conversation, several grammatical structures and expressions stand out, which can be particularly helpful for learners aiming for proficiency. Here are a few worth noting:

  • "That was a very contentious idea" - This phrase uses the past tense to reflect on opinions, which is essential for expressing thoughts on debates and discussions.
  • "How can you possibly compare..." - This rhetorical question structure encourages engagement and can be utilized in discussions to emphasize a point, making it valuable for IELTS speaking practice.
  • "If you want to have a knowledge economy..." - A conditional sentence that suggests a cause-and-effect relationship, useful for explaining reasoning in conversations and presentations.
  • "Smaller nations are outperforming larger ones" - This construction highlights comparisons, which is beneficial when discussing different entities in English.

Incorporating these structures into your speech will make your communication more sophisticated and fluent.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When practicing the phrases from this video, pay attention to specific words that may present pronunciation challenges. For instance, "contentious" often trips up learners due to its unique stress pattern. The same goes for "PISA" (pronounced pee-zah)—ensuring correct pronunciation here will improve your overall clarity in discussion. Additionally, be aware of the varying accents present in the video, particularly the British accents of Phil and Beth, which can provide a rich environment for shadow speech practice. Make sure to listen closely and try to replicate the nuances of their speech, as this will enhance your own accent and comprehension capabilities.

By integrating these speaking techniques, grammatical structures, and pronunciation tips into your study routine, you will greatly improve your ability to converse effectively about complex topics like education, and thus enhance your overall English language proficiency.

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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