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English Listening: From Meridians to Reflexology
English listening practice you’ll want to listen to anyway. That’s how we like to approach all of our English listening lessons, make it so interesting you’d happily choose to listen to the podcast even if you weren’t improving your English language skills. Today it’s all about alternative medicines, and the interesting English vocabulary that involves. We have hundreds of podcasts to choose from, so if you don’t fancy alternative medicine you can browse our enormous library of podcasts and pick something else here.
- 🧠 Enhance listening comprehension
- 🗣️ Improve speaking skills
- 📚 Expand vocabulary with health-related terms
- 🌍 Learn about alternative medicine and acupuncture
- 💡 Gain practical conversation tips
✔️ Lesson transcript: https://adeptenglish.com/lessons/english-listening-practice-alternative-medicine/
Health is not valued till sickness comes.
⭐ Thomas Fuller
If you’ve ever wondered how on earth sticking needles in your body could supercharge your English skills? Today’s English lesson uses the topic of acupuncture to help you with your English language learning.
You’ll uncover medical mysteries, expand your vocabulary, and maybe even unlock the secret to sleeping like a baby. Ready for the unexpected?
Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.
⭐ Jim Rohn
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More About This Lesson
Improve your English by listening to this lesson on acupuncture. Learn health vocabulary and enhance your comprehension skills.
Acupuncture is a holistic approach to health that focuses on the whole person rather than just the symptom.
⭐ Deepak Chopra
Listening to this lesson offers multiple benefits. You’ll learn new health-related terms, improve your listening skills, and get familiar with British English and alternative medicine.
- Expand health and medical vocabulary Learn new health terms like ‘acupuncture’, ‘reflexology’, and ‘allergy’.
- Improve spelling skills Enhance spelling with words like ‘acupuncture’, ‘Chinese’, and ‘meridians’.
- Boost listening comprehension Practice understanding spoken English through engaging content.
- Learn alternative medicine concepts Understand terms like ‘qi’, ‘meridians’, and ‘blocked’.
- Get personal anecdotes Hear about the speaker’s first acupuncture session, making learning relatable.
- Practice pronunciation Hear how to pronounce complex words correctly.
- Engage with interesting content Stay motivated with intriguing topics like acupuncture.
- Follow real-world examples Connect English learning with practical, everyday scenarios.
- Expand everyday vocabulary Learn terms like ‘insomnia’, ‘migraines’, and ‘hay fever’.
- Enhance understanding of alternative treatments Discover how treatments like acupuncture work and their benefits.
- Experience cultural insights Learn about acupuncture’s roots in Chinese medicine and its practice in the UK.
- Build confidence in English Gain confidence by listening to and understanding complex discussions.
Today we focus on health vocabulary & understand and use essential medical terms in context. Enhance your listening skills while you improve your comprehension by listening to a native English speaker. Experience authentic language use: Hear natural, flowing English in context.
Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.
⭐ Buddha
You’ll gain immense exposure to natural, English speech. This lesson doesn’t just teach vocabulary; it immerses you in authentic language use. By listening to a native speaker discuss acupuncture, you’re absorbing pronunciation, intonation, and sentence structure effortlessly. You’re also picking up health-related terms in context, which is far more effective than rote memorization.
Subscribe to our podcast now for more exciting lessons and become fluent in English!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How can listening to lessons on acupuncture improve my English?
Listening to lessons on acupuncture can enhance your English by exposing you to new vocabulary related to health and alternative medicine. This immersion helps improve your listening comprehension and pronunciation. For example, you’ll learn terms like “acupuncture,” “alternative medicine,” and “meridians,” which will expand your vocabulary and understanding of English used in health contexts. - What specific vocabulary will I learn from this acupuncture lesson?
In this acupuncture lesson, you will learn health-related vocabulary such as “acupuncture,” “reflexology,” “meridians,” “qi,” “needles,” and “histamine.” These words will help you discuss and understand topics related to alternative medicine in English. The lesson also provides spelling and meanings for difficult words, aiding your comprehension and retention. - How does acupuncture relate to traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine?
Acupuncture originates from traditional Chinese medicine and involves inserting fine needles into the body to stimulate nerves and restore energy flow, or “qi.” Unlike Western medicine, which is scientifically based, acupuncture is considered an alternative treatment. The lesson explains that while acupuncture may not easily fit into scientific studies, it has a long history and is gaining credibility in the UK. - What can acupuncture treat, according to the lesson?
Acupuncture is believed to be able to treat conditions such as allergies, migraines, and insomnia. It is believed to address issues related to energy flow in the body. For example, acupuncture might help alleviate insomnia caused by high histamine levels by promoting relaxation and better sleep patterns. - How can I continue improving my English with Adept English?
You can continue improving your English with Adept English by listening to more podcasts available on our website. Investing in podcast bundles allows you to download and listen to lessons anytime, enhancing your English language understanding. Regular listening practice will help you achieve fluency and better comprehension of spoken English.
Learning English through this lesson on acupuncture is like threading a needle through the rich fabric of language and culture. Each stitch—whether it’s new health vocabulary or a comprehension skill—brings you closer to mastering fluent English.
Most Unusual Words:
- Acupuncture: A treatment using fine needles inserted into the body to promote health and well-being.
- Alternative: Different from the usual or traditional.
- Reflexology: A therapy focusing on the feet, believing certain points are connected to other body parts.
- Meridian: Channels through which energy flows in the body, according to traditional Chinese medicine.
- Qi: Life force energy believed to flow through the body.
- Credibility: The quality of being trusted and believed in.
- Skeptical: Not easily convinced; having doubts.
- Allergy: A reaction by the body to a substance that is usually not harmful.
- Migraine: A severe headache that can cause significant pain and other symptoms.
- Insomnia: Difficulty in falling or staying asleep.
Most Frequently Used Words:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| Acupuncture | 24 |
| English | 9 |
| People | 9 |
| Alternative | 8 |
| Means | 7 |
| About | 7 |
| Needles | 7 |
| There | 7 |
Listen To The Audio Lesson Now
Transcript: English Listening Practice: Alternative Medicine
Have you ever wondered if acupuncture really works?
Hi there! Have you ever had acupuncture? That’s A-C-U-P-U-N-C-T-U-R-E in English. And of course, it may be a different word in your language. Acupuncture is a treatment for health and wellbeing. And it’s not mainstream medicine. It’s instead what’s called in English ‘alternative medicine’. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t work or have value. It just means that it’s a treatment that hasn’t arisen from Western, scientifically-based medicine. But from an alternative source. Listen on to find out more about acupuncture.
You’ve probably heard of it already. It’s where fine needles are inserted into the body. And it comes from ancient Chinese medicine. That’s C-H-I-N-E-S-E. From China, in other words. Listen on also to find out my personal experience of my first acupuncture session. It may surprise you. I hope this is an interesting topic for you. And it’s also an English lesson. So while you’re listening and your brain is doing its English language practice, I’ll give you the spelling and the meanings for any difficult words. This lesson not only talks about an intriguing alternative treatment, but it introduces some essential health and medical vocabulary. You’ll improve your listening comprehension and expand your English knowledge in a unique and engaging way. Listen to the end for my experience.
Hello, I’m Hilary, and you’re listening to Adept English. We will help you to speak English fluently. All you have to do is listen. So start listening now and find out how it works.
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Other alternative therapies that I’ve tried!
OK, so today I had my first experience of acupuncture. I’ve not had this treatment before. But of course, as many of you know, I’m no stranger to alternative health treatments. I’m a psychotherapist by profession, often seen as an alternative health treatment, and I’ve done lots of psychotherapy before to other people, and I’ve had lots of it myself. The other alternative treatment that I’ve experienced, reflexology, R-E-F-L-E-X-O-L-O-G-Y. Though again, the name of this may be different in your language. Reflexology is where the person pays attention to your feet, to the bottoms or ‘soles’ of your feet. That’s S-O-L-E-S. And through massage and touch, the reflexology can tell certain things about your body and work on parts of your body, which are believed to be connected with areas of the feet.
How would you feel about getting needles inserted into your body for health benefits?
And in some ways, acupuncture works on the same ideas, the same principles. That there are flow lines through the body. And where there is ill health or disease of some kind, this means that those flows are ‘blocked’ somewhere in the body. That’s B-L-O-C-K-E-D. That means ‘they’re stopped’. Rather than massage or touch, acupuncture, of course, uses needles. That’s N-E-E-D-L-E-S. And the needles are used to stimulate nerves under the skin. Many of you listening may feel that having needles inserted into your body must be a bad thing. Perhaps you’re scared, fearful of injections or vaccinations or of giving blood for a test. Usually where a needle is stuck into your arm. And yes, that hurts, of course. But the first thing to say about acupuncture is that the needles are very fine, not very big. So the level of pain or discomfort is much, much less. I wouldn’t say it didn’t hurt at all, but it’s not the same as having an injection. Not the same level of pain at all.
Have you ever experienced the sensation of ‘Qi’ or life force flowing in your body?
Of course, acupuncture comes from a long tradition of Chinese medicine. And acupuncture has been practised for at least 2,500 years. It’s got a much longer history than Western medicine then. Traditional acupuncture holds the belief that there are flows of energy through the body. Energy or ‘life force’. And that this flows through our bodies along particular channels. These channels have various names. In English, ‘meridians’ is one name. That’s M-E-R-I-D-I-A-N, ‘meridian’. And the name which comes from the Chinese origins, the life force, is ‘qi’, spelt Q-I. Acupuncture is believed to restore the flow of ‘qi’ and bring back healthy functioning to the body. Although it doesn’t subject itself well to being studied scientifically, I think most people would agree that psychological experiences like stress, loss, anxiety, are very real and have a real effect on the body even though they’re hard to measure scientifically. How would you measure ‘loss’ scientifically? You couldn’t. But it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. So the concept of ‘qi’ is perhaps a bit like this.
Are you a sKeptic? Do you think alternative medicine like acupuncture is just a placebo?
In the UK, although acupuncture is an alternative treatment, it’s gaining credibility. That’s C-R-E-D-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y. It’s gaining belief, in other words. That means more people are taking acupuncture seriously. Often, rather like psychotherapy, the issue is that it’s difficult to prove definitively that the treatment works. How do you measure the result? For something like psychotherapy, a positive outcome may be very different in different people. And that’s not easy to evidence in any scientific way. Most people are able to describe why they feel better when they’ve had psychotherapy and what it helped them with. But it’s their own experience, especially emotional experience, so it’s really hard to measure. But it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. It’s rather like trying to measure art, or comedy, or spirituality. You can’t. Its value is beyond measurement, perhaps. And like therapy, acupuncture doesn’t work for everyone. But those who do it mostly pay for themselves privately. Acupuncture is available in the UK on the NHS, but for a very limited list of conditions only. So where people pay privately for a treatment and they return to do more, generally I take that as evidence that it has some value. It’s doing something positive. People don’t spend their own money easily. And particularly the case where people are skeptical. S-K-E-P-T-I-C-A-L. ‘Skeptical’ means that you don’t yet believe in something. You remain to be convinced. But you may try it out.
What does acupuncture treat?
What can acupuncture treat? And why am I having it? Well, acupuncture can treat a range of conditions. For example, issues like allergies, migraines, or insomnia can be addressed. And there is evidence from various studies that it can work. An ‘allergy’? That’s A-L-L-E-R-G-Y. That’s when your body reacts to a particular substance as though it’s harmful, even though it’s not. One example I’m hearing a lot about at the moment in English is called ‘hay fever’. That’s H-A-Y F-E-V-E-R. And ‘hay fever’ is when people have a reaction to pollen in the summer. That’s P-O-L-L-E-N. It’s what plants put out. I’ve heard lots of people complain this week in the UK about their ‘hay fever’. So the ‘pollen count’ must be very high. That’s not something I suffer from, fortunately. The other examples I gave of conditions that acupuncture can treat? ‘Migraines’. That’s M-I-G-R-A-I-N-E-S. So a ‘migraine’ is a bad headache, except it’s a lot more than a bad headache for the people who have them. They can really be a big problem for some people. If you have a migraine, you can’t really just take a painkiller and be okay. It’s the kind of headache that means that you are in bed for the afternoon. And acupuncture is quite effective for migraines. The last one I listed? Insomnia. That’s I-N-S-O-M-N-I-A. And ‘insomnia’ means ‘difficulty sleeping’. Of course, like any treatment, whether or not acupuncture succeeds with something like insomnia depends whether it actually addresses the cause. If your insomnia is down to too much caffeine, too much coffee, but you haven’t made the connection yet, then it’s unlikely that acupuncture is going to solve the problem. But if you can’t sleep because you’re psychologically too hyped up, too stressed, too worried, or your histamine is high – that’s H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E – then acupuncture can make a difference. Despite what the NHS website says, medical sites like Healthline do say, “Acupuncture is an evidence-based medicine that has been proven in literally thousands of studies”. It’s just it doesn’t submit very easily to the standard RCT, randomised control trials, that are beloved of Big Pharma. So such treatments remain a little ‘out in the cold’, as we might say.
British English Listening Practice | Exploring the Amalfi Coast
My reasons for having acupuncture?
Why am I having acupuncture and what was my first experience like? Well, I’m hoping to improve my sleep and relaxation through acupuncture. I have felt a little ’emotionally blocked’ recently, although that’s already started to improve, and I’m hopeful acupuncture will help me with this. Part of the reason my sleep isn’t how I want it to be, I have high histamine – H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E. It’s a chemical in the body, in the brain specifically. It’s actually what gets triggered when you have allergies, though that’s not the reason for mine. But the effect of histamine is to make you feel really alert and awake, especially at nighttime when you’re trying to sleep. That’s not great, is it? So I’m hoping that acupuncture will bring down my histamine level and enable me to sleep better.
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My first experience of acupuncture?
And my experience today? Well, the acupuncturist Caroline was lovely and took a full history. She placed needles around my ears, in my wrist and just one in the centre of my forehead. She left the needles in for around 20 minutes while we had a very nice, calm and honest conversation. Did it hurt? Well, actually one or two of the needles did hurt a bit going in. But the acupuncturist saw this as significant and offered reasons why particular needles, particular acupuncture points might be painful for me, which was really interesting. But the pain even here was only tiny. Caroline suggested that I monitor how I feel for the first 24 hours after my acupuncture session. And the effect so far? I feel incredibly calm, C-A-L-M, and grounded, G-R-O-U-N-D-E-D. And also, I feel as though I could go to bed and sleep a lot. Let’s see how it is tonight. I’ll let you know how it progresses.
How does your culture view acupuncture and other alternative treatments?
I’m interested in your experiences with alternative medicines and alternative therapies, especially with acupuncture, if you’ve had it.
Goodbye
I look forward to hearing from you. Enough for now. Have a lovely day. Speak to you again soon. Goodbye.
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