Shadowing Practice: Why 'Lite' Smartphones Are So Popular - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B1
Music From VOA Learning English, this is technology.
⏸ Paused
27 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Music From VOA Learning English, this is technology.
2
23-year-old Rio Safianto sells face masks for about 30 cents each in Central Jakarta, Indonesia.
3
He earns enough money to own a cell phone that permits him to visit websites like Facebook and Twitter,
4
as well as finding game applications, or apps.
5
Rio Safianto says the average person in Indonesia has a cell phone.
6
He likes having one because he can talk to his family when he is away from home.
7
And he is pleased that he can use it to listen to music.
8
Rio's phone has a keypad that makes it look like a Blackberry.
9
It is known as a feature phone or smartphone light.
10
That is because it is less costly and cannot do as many things as more advanced phones like the Apple iPhone.
11
These devices make up the majority of cell phones sold around the world.
12
They are successful in places like Indonesia,
13
where some smartphones cost $700 or more.
14
Although many lower-income users are new to smartphones,
15
they are quickly learning to use the technology.
16
Phone manufacturer Nokia offers a service called Life Tools.
17
For a monthly payment, Nokia sends text messages to farmers.
18
They tell about weather conditions,
19
crop prices, agricultural news, and give advice.
20
Local businessman Aldi Jairio Protomo has developed a way for store owners to sell things
21
from prepaid cell phone minutes to life insurance through text messages.
22
A company called Ruma developed the technology.
23
It is working on a system that will inform people about jobs in their area.
24
Last year, the French company,
25
Semiocast, reported that Jakarta was the world's top tweeting city,
26
ahead of Tokyo and London.
27
For VOA Learning English, I'm Carolyn Prisuti.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Why practice speaking with this video?

The video "Why 'Lite' Smartphones Are So Popular" offers valuable insights into how technology impacts daily life in places like Indonesia. By engaging with this content, learners can practice speaking in an authentic context where **real-world** issues are discussed, helping them improve their conversational skills. This is particularly beneficial for those who want to participate in discussions about technology and its effects. The speaking practice can enhance your ability to express opinions, ask questions, and provide explanations, all vital for effective communication. Using the shadowing technique while listening can also improve your fluency and pronunciation. This method involves mimicking the speaker's words and intonation, allowing you to develop a more natural speaking style.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the transcript, several structures and expressions can enrich your English proficiency:

  • This is technology. - A straightforward way to introduce a topic. Use similar expressions to introduce discussions in your conversations.
  • ...make up the majority of... - This phrase is instrumental in statistical or comparative discussions, such as saying, "These devices make up the majority of the market."
  • A service called... - This structure helps introduce products or services effectively. For instance, "A service called X helps users to..."
  • They tell about... - This can be used to summarize information, so try incorporating it when discussing various subjects.

Practicing these sentence structures through shadow speech can help solidify your understanding and usage.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As learners engage in the video, they may encounter tricky words and phrases that can be challenging to pronounce correctly. For instance:

  • Smartphone - The division of syllables can confuse learners; practice saying it slowly as "smart-phone".
  • Jakarta - The stress is often misplaced; ensure you pronounce it with the stress on the second syllable: "Ja-KARTA".
  • Feature - This word can be tricky due to its two syllables; ensure to pronounce it as "FEA-ture".

To master these pronunciations, consider using a shadowspeaks approach where you listen and repeat immediately after the speaker. This is beneficial in learning the correct accent and rhythm of the language.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee