Shadowing Practice: Why the UK won't return the Parthenon Marbles | Stuff The British Stole | ABC iview - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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The British Museum goes to great lengths to paint Lord Elgin as a conservationist,
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The British Museum goes to great lengths to paint Lord Elgin as a conservationist,
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a protector of antiquity and history.
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Rubbish talk.
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See, they keep talking rubbish.
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What's the biggest challenge to the movement right now?
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Well, I would say the British Museum and the British government, where they're stubborn.
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The British Museum is one of a handful of universal museums.
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It's a museum of all humanity.
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These museums are great creations of the human spirit.
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The principle that artefacts should return to the place where they originated is one
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which would be utterly destructive of some of the great educational and artistic institutions of the world.
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It would impoverish our artistic life if all Greek sculpture ended up in Greece.
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And yet, in 2009, the Greeks opened the Acropolis Museum,
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specifically to house the Barthenon marbles.
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But that hasn't swayed the British Museum or government.
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It is like the British Museum saying that,
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look, you, museums of the world,
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you're Class B, and I am Class A.
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And it is me that people should visit to compare the different civilisations.
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And the Elgin marbles, do you think they should be returned back to Greece?
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I don't support that.
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If you give back the Elgin marbles to Greece,
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then you leave a huge gap in that narrative.
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I think sending them back is a dangerous road to go down,
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but also one that is prohibited in law.
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We're not about to change the law to facilitate that.
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Over the years, the faces have changed,
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and there has been the vague suggestion of a loan to Greece.
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But the fundamental position of the British government in the British Museum is that by British law,
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these are British property.
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But why do these sculptures matter so much to the UK?
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At that point, Britain was the wealthiest nation on Earth.
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They were the most powerful nation on Earth.
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But what they didn't have was this history that lots of their neighbours had,
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the history that France had,
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that Italy had, Greece had.
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When the Parthenon was built,
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it was still the Stone Age in Britain.
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All these places have this ancient history,
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ancient literary and artistic legacy.
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Britain didn't have any of that, and they wanted it.
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And I think they went out and they got it,
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but what Britain did was go out
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and rip these things off of Greek buildings that had nothing to do with Britain or Britain's history,
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and bring them to England and say,
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here we are, now we've got a history,
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and that's what these objects are.
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They are a trophy that they hang in the British Museum.
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Thank you.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice listening and speaking skills by engaging with a transcript from a discussion on the Parthenon Marbles and their significance. The conversation highlights historical narratives, cultural ownership, and the role of museums in preserving artifacts. Through this exercise, you'll enhance your ability to articulate opinions, improve your comprehension of complex subjects, and develop your linguistic fluency, all of which are essential for effective communication in English.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Conservationist: A person who advocates for the protection and preservation of natural resources and historical artifacts.
  • Artefacts: Objects made by humans that hold historical or cultural significance.
  • Universal museums: Museums that aim to represent the heritage and culture of all humanity.
  • Educational institutions: Establishments dedicated to teaching, learning, and knowledge dissemination.
  • Rich narrative: A detailed and complex story or account of history.
  • Ancient legacy: Cultural heritage and achievements that have been passed down from ancient civilizations.
  • Law prohibits: An expression indicating that legal restrictions exist against a particular action.
  • Trophy: An object taken as a symbol of victory or achievement.

Practice Tips

To make the most of this lesson, try shadow speaking using the transcript provided. Listen carefully to the speaker's pace and tone; they provide important cues for emphasis and emotion. Here are some specific tips to enhance your shadowing experience:

  • Start Slow: Focus first on understanding the key phrases and their meanings, then gradually increase your speaking speed to match the speaker’s fluidity.
  • Listen Actively: Pay close attention to how phrases are stressed. The speaker often uses emphatic tones—mimicking this will enhance your pronunciation and delivery.
  • Repeat & Reflect: After you shadow, take a moment to reflect on the context of your phrases. What are the underlying sentiments being expressed?
  • Record Yourself: Use a device to record your shadow speech. Listening to your own voice helps identify areas for improvement in articulation and intonation.
  • Use a Shadowspeak site: Consider practicing with other similar dialogues available on various shadowspeaks platforms where you can engage with diverse accents and topics.

By incorporating these techniques into your practice routine, you'll develop a deeper understanding of the English language while building confidence in your speaking abilities.

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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