Shadowing Practice: 2019 Cambridge Complete First for Schools 2nd edition: Unit 2| Track 5 @alicenglish92 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Track 5.

You will hear a woman called Claire Jackson who is a

professional footballer talking about how she managed to make football her career.

For each question, choose the best answer, A, B or C.

I always loved playing football.

When I was a child, I used to play with my older brother and his friends in the park.

It was very near the local football stadium.

My brother was two years older than me, and so were his friends.

At first, it was difficult for me, as my brother and his friends were bigger and stronger, but that probably helped me to develop into a much better player.

I learnt to use my skills and speed to make up for my lack of strength and height.

I was also good at making quick decisions, not just in football, and this was really useful.

I remember when I started playing with my brother's friends, no one wanted me to be on their team, but that soon changed.

When I went to secondary school, I played for my school team,

and I soon realised I was more influential in almost every game I played in than many of my teammates.

I loved playing in matches, but I think one of the reasons I'm able to have a career as a footballer now is

that I enjoyed training too.

Some players thought that training was boring, but I was never bored, and I often stayed behind to do more.

My parents weren't too keen on me spending so much time playing, but as long as I always did my homework and got good marks in my exams,

they were fully supportive of my hobby, as it was at the time.

Shortly after my 14th birthday, I was just about to play in a match for my school

when the school coach told me

that a scout from a big football club was coming to

watch our team play in order to hire potential players for their academy.

I remember thinking to myself

that I needed to really impress him to have a chance of being asked to join the club.

During the game, at first I was a bit scared of making mistakes

and I started to doubt that I was playing well enough to be chosen.

But then I told myself to relax and just focus on the game I was playing.

After that, I played much better.

In fact, my performance was as good as I could have hoped for.

I created a lot of chances and scored two goals.

I didn't stop running.

It was really exhausting.

Well, it was all worth it.

I'm happy to say that I was asked to join the academy

and that's when I began to realise that I could actually become a professional footballer.

Being a female footballer, you have to deal with a I've heard a lot of negative comments.

People say that the women's game is more limited when compared to the men's game because it's a bit slower, but I think it's just that they have less respect for female footballers.

I find it a bit irritating and confusing to be honest, but it makes me more motivated to do well.

I'm convinced the women's game is equally entertaining to watch.

The only issue is we don't get enough spectators.

Even now when we've had female presidents and leaders, it's a bit concerning to know that some girls still think there are jobs that only men can do.

But I hope that if more female players are given greater opportunities to play, children will realise that football is a game for both girls and boys.

I've been luckier than many female players.

So far, I'm really pleased with how well things have turned out for me.

I've been to two World Cups and won some trophies here in this country,

and I've been fortunate to only have picked up a few minor injuries in my career so far.

I must say I have no regrets about becoming a footballer.

It really is the most amazing thing that's happened to me.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 49 sentences and 690 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:55. The speaker talks at a natural 176 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

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
footballer noun	/ˈfʊtbɔːlə/	One who plays association football.
realise verb		Non-Oxford British standard spelling of realize.
bore verb	/boɹ/	To inspire boredom in somebody.
shortly adverb	/ˈʃɔɹtli/	In a short or brief time or manner; quickly.
compare verb	/kəmˈpɛɚ/	To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it…
skill noun	/skɪl/	A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
hire verb	/ˈhaɪɹ/	To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment.
equally adverb	/ˈiːkwəli/	In an equal manner; in equal shares or proportion; with equal and impartial justice; evenly
regret verb	/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/	To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.
relax verb	/ɹɪˈlæks/	To make something loose.
convince verb	/kənˈvɪns/	To make someone believe, or feel sure about something, especially by using logic, argument or evidence.
exam verb	/ɪɡˈzæm/	Shortened form of examine
trophy noun	/ˈtɹoʊfi/	An object, usually in the form of a statuette, cup, or shield, awarded for success in a competition or to mark a special achievement.
homework noun	/ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/	Exercises assigned by a teacher to a student which review concepts studied in class.
keen adjective	/kin/	Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
pick up verb	To lift; to grasp and raise.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've heard · we've had · I've been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	being asked · be chosen · was asked

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shortly /ˈʃɔɹtli/, influential /ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl/

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 footballer, realise, bore.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →