Shadowing Practice: WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DR Congo an international emergency | BBC News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Next, Rwanda says it's tightening screening on its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo
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Next, Rwanda says it's tightening screening on its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo
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because of a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus.
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It comes as at least 80 people are thought to have died,
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many of them in three areas across the north of the country.
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A first case has also now been confirmed in the city of Goma,
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close to the border with Rwanda.
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The World Health Organization has declared this Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
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Let's speak to Thomas Mogwana now who's following the stories from Nairobi.
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Thomas, good to see you.
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We've been following these developments and it seems to get increasingly precarious there.
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Yeah, you're right, you're right, Louis.
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The Congolese government and the WHO have not updated us on the figures of people who are suspected to have the virus.
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That still stands at 246.
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and people who have so far passed away from the virus,
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that stands at around 90 people.
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But the concern is overnight that there was a case that was recorded in Goma,
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which is in the border with,
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between the border of DRC and Rwanda.
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It's a very big city and a lot of people go there
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and one case of a woman who traveled from the epicenter
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of this current outbreak from Mituri province all the way to Goma was recorded with the disease.
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Now the problem is Goma is not under the Congolese government's control,
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which will bring up the bigger issue of conflict in this region.
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That will make it harder for humanitarian organizations to get into these areas
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and help people and try and curb the spread of this virus,
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because M23, a rebel movement that is backed by Rwanda allegedly,
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is present in Goma.
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They're the ones issuing the updates there.
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Kinshasa, one case was said to be there by WHO,
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but results of tests later,
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saying that it was a misreporting.
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And in the eastern side of the epicenter of this current outbreak in Ituri province,
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that's not even under parts of that region are not under the Congolese government's control.
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It's under a jihadist movement called ADF.
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So humanitarian organizations might have to face the problem of navigating within Congo to curb the spread of this virus
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because of how disjointed the leadership is I'd given all those logistical
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and governance problems what could actually be done
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when the system is working to try and stop the spread firstly the WHO
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So as soon as it declared this an international concern,
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it sent over US$500,000 worth of emergency funding to respond to this crisis.
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Organizations like Doctors Without Borders and other NGOs present around East Africa also responded by sending their experts over.
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But more importantly, countries around DRC.
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DRC has nine borders with different countries,
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a border with Uganda and a border with South at the center of this current outbreak
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because the Turi province is near those two borders.
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Now, further in Kenya, the government of Kenya has tightened surveillance for the disease
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and also border checks and ports of entries at airports and near the border with Uganda.
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The Ugandan government that is directly involved in this crisis,
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because one case was reported there after a death from Ebola,
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that government has also announced the postponement of an annual pilgrimage,
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because apparently a lot of Congolese citizens travel over to Uganda for that event.
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The president of Uganda postponed that.
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South Sudan is on high alert as well, same as Tanzania.
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They've tightened border controls.
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And Rwanda, which has also seen a case right across the border into DRC in Goma,
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they've also tightened controls.
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And according to some reports,
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the Rwandese government has restricted movement into the country.
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So that's the first line of defense for all these countries,
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to try and control who gets into the country,
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try and do temperature checks before anyone crosses into the border and hope that this doesn't cross over.
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If this crosses over, the catastrophe could be massive.
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The last time a big Ebola outbreak broke in West Africa,
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it caused over 11,000 deaths.
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Thomas, thank you for that.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will focus on enhancing their English listening and speaking skills by engaging with a recent news segment about the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). By practicing shadowing—a technique where you listen and repeat after a speaker—you will gain exposure to emergency-related vocabulary, improve your pronunciation, and pick up the rhythm of English speech patterns. This exercise is particularly beneficial for those preparing for the IELTS speaking test, as it introduces the type of urgent communication often found in global news reporting.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Ebola outbreak - A serious viral infection that has caused health emergencies in various countries.
  • International emergency - A situation that has been declared a global concern requiring immediate action.
  • Screening - The process of checking for the presence of a disease or infection.
  • Humanitarian organizations - Groups that provide assistance and relief in crisis situations.
  • Confirmed case - A situation where a person has been tested and diagnosed with a disease.
  • Logistical problems - Challenges related to the coordination and management of resources in an emergency.
  • Surveillance - Monitoring and observing a situation, especially regarding health-related concerns.
  • Mistaken reporting - Incorrect information or updates regarding events or situations.

Practice Tips

To effectively use the shadowing technique while learning English with YouTube, follow these steps to ensure a productive practice session:

  • Start by listening to the video at a slower speed to familiarize yourself with the vocabulary and key phrases about the Ebola outbreak; many shadowing apps allow you to control playback speed.
  • As you listen, pause frequently to repeat phrases out loud. This will help you adjust your pronunciation and intonation to match the speaker's tone.
  • Pay close attention to how the speaker emphasizes certain words, particularly when discussing health and emergency topics. This will help you understand the importance of certain phrases, especially for your IELTS speaking practice.
  • Practice shadowing multiple times with varying speeds. Listening to the original speed after repeating at slower speeds will challenge your listening comprehension and fluency.
  • Review the transcript, focusing on any sections where you struggle, and repeat shadowing specifically those parts to build confidence in your speaking abilities.

By implementing these techniques, you will improve your overall English communication skills and be better prepared for real-world discussions on important global issues, such as health emergencies.

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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