Shadowing Practice: Why do we celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday in September? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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16 sentences
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1
Why do we celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday every September?
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While most people think of Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer, it is actually a celebration of workers.
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Its origins reflect how far workers' rights have come in this country.
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At the height of the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century, the average American worked 12-hour days, seven days a week.
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And even though it was illegal in some states, children as young as five did backbreaking labor in factories, mines and mills across the country.
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Around the same time, labor unions started to pop up demanding better treatment for workers.
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Strikes and rallies broke out, sometimes turning violent.
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But some were peaceful, including a march on September 5th, 1882 in New York City that is considered the first Labor Day parade in U.S history.
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Soon the holiday caught on in other industrial hubs around the country.
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It took another 12 years for Labor Day to become a national holiday.
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In 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike.
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That ended up crippling railroad traffic nationwide.
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The federal government sent troops to break up the strike, resulting in more than a dozen workers being killed.
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In an attempt to settle the unrest, Congress made Labor Day a national holiday.
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Now, American workers get a long weekend at the end of summer for a little rest and relaxation.
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With The Y, I'm Cheryl Mercedes.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Why do we celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday in September?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: labor, workers, strike, holiday. This video has 16 sentences and 241 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:30. The speaker talks at a natural 161 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| worker noun | /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ | One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor. |
| violent adjective | /ˈvaɪ.ə.lənt/ | Involving extreme force or motion. |
| reflect verb | /ɹɪˈflɛkt/ | To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface. |
| mill noun | /mɪl/ | A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc. (Some are small and simple, and some are large and complex.) |
| settle verb | /ˈsɛtəl/ | To determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc). |
| rally noun | /ˈɹæli/ | A public gathering or mass meeting that is not mainly a protest and is organized to inspire enthusiasm for a cause. |
| railroad verb | /ˈɹeɪlɹoʊd/ | To transport via railroad. |
| celebration noun | /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament. |
| parade noun | /pəˈrɑd/ | Synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive orders, or especially for inspection at set times. |
| hub noun | /hʌb/ | The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave. |
| nationwide adjective | /ˌneɪ.ʃənˈwaɪd/ | Extending throughout an entire nation. |
| relaxation noun | /rᵻˌlækˈseɪ.ʃən/ | The act of relaxing or the state of being relaxed; the opposite of stress or tension; the aim of recreation and leisure activities. |
| troop noun | /tɹup/ | A collection of people; a number; a multitude (in general). |
| unofficial adjective | /ʌn.əˈfɪʃ.əl/ | Not officially established. |
| unrest noun | /ʌnˈɹɛst/ | A state of trouble, confusion and turbulence, especially in a political context; a time of riots, demonstrations and protests. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| break out verb | To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly. |
| break up verb | To break or separate into pieces. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
| pop up verb | To come up with a "pop" sound. |
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 considered · being killed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have come |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, nationwide /ˌneɪ.ʃənˈwaɪd/, relaxation /rᵻˌlækˈseɪ.ʃən/, unofficial /ʌn.əˈfɪʃ.əl/
- Long words — get the stress right: celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, unofficial /ʌn.əˈfɪʃ.əl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like worker, violent, reflect.
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.