Shadowing Practice: Bài 4 - Người Chuyên Săn Thưởng - Learn English Speaking with Video
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This is 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com Hello, I'm Rob.
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Welcome to 6 Minute English.
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I'm joined today by Neil.
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Hello, Neil.
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Hello, Rob.
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Now, Neil, I have a question for you.
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Do you think you're a winner?
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Err, you mean someone who has a lot of success in everything?
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Well, not exactly.
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I'm just talking about competitions.
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Do you have a lot of success or luck in winning them?
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Err, competitions?
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No, not at all.
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Oh, I don't think I've ever won a competition.
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Ah, bad luck.
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That means you're not a compa.
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That's an informal name for someone who takes part in, or enters, competitions on an almost semi-professional basis.
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They spend a lot of time trying to win something.
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You mean winning prizes or free gifts?
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I do.
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And Neil, you could win a prize if you can correctly answer today's question.
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So are you ready?
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I'm ready.
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OK, well, a lottery is one kind of competition where the prize is money.
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The biggest cash prizes can be won in the USA.
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But do you know what the biggest ever cash prize to be paid in America is?
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Is it a $590 million, b $890 million, or c $1 billion?
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Well, things tend to be big in America, so I'm going to go for c $1 billion.
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Hmm, I'd like to win that.
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We'll find out if you're right or wrong later on.
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So let's talk more about compers, people who regularly take part in competitions.
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We could say they're hooked on, meaning addicted, to taking part.
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Yes, the lure or attractiveness of winning big prizes means these people just can't stop answering quiz questions,
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writing slogans and captions or solving puzzles.
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Some people go to great lengths or put a lot of effort into winning something, even if it's just a box of chocolates or a coffee mug.
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It's just the excitement of winning.
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But sometimes there are big prizes to win – a new car, a speedboat or a holiday of a lifetime.
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The only problem is that these prizes are either not easy to win
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or there are millions of people trying to win them.
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I've certainly never won anything as fantastic as that.
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But one man who's had plenty of good luck is Martin Dove, who is a retired lecturer and an expert comper.
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He certainly is.
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He's won a yacht, a racehorse, and lots of smaller prizes too.
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Let's hear from him now.
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Listen out for the names he says people have called him.
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I've been a comper for 40 years.
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It's like I've admitted to some addiction, isn't it, really?
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Some people have called me the master of comping, the king of comping, the guru of comping, but it's just a word, it's just a phrase.
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It was just...
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I was fairly high profile.
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So, he says he was fairly high profile.
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That means he was often seen in public, mentioned in newspapers, or appeared on television.
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And because he was high profile, he got called a few nicknames.
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Names like the Master of Comping – so someone who's very good or skilled at it.
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And the King of Comping – not an actual royal king, but someone who is the best at doing something.
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And the Guru of Comping – that's someone who other people respect and go to for advice about comping.
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Well, he knows his stuff and he still checks out competitions on cereal boxes and crisp packets for the next big win.
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He's even written books on the subject and offered advice to other compers.
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But comping has changed, Rob.
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There are lots of competitions to enter on the internet now.
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Every web page you look at seems to tempt us with a fantastic prize to be won.
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Yeah, that's true.
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But Martin Dove doesn't think that is necessarily a good thing.
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Can you hear why?
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The thing is now, competitions are far easier to enter than they ever were.
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The only I could spend a fortnight crafting a slogan and really working hard and really being proud of it.
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Now all you have to do is click, click, click, click, click.
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And because they only take 30 seconds to do, 20 minutes, you can knock out 40 competitions.
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And you could get a million entries now, so it's a million to one.
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So competitions online are easier to enter – you just have to click.
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Martin said he could enter about 40 competitions in just 20 minutes.
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Ah, but because it's so easy, more people enter and so the odds, or chances of winning are less.
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Sometimes a one in a million chance of winning, a very rare or unlikely chance.
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I wonder what your chances are of getting today's question right, Neil?
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One in three, maybe.
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Maybe.
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Well, earlier I asked you what is the biggest ever cash prize to be paid out in a lottery in the USA?
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Is it a $590 million, b $890 million, or c $1 billion?
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I said it was c $1 billion.
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And you are wrong.
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It's actually only $590 million, OK?
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That was won by an 84-year-old woman in Florida last year.
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So, Neil, what's the biggest prize you've ever won?
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Err...
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I think I once, about ten years ago, won £10 on the British National Lottery.
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Wow, that's a big win.
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OK, well, for getting today's question wrong, you get the consolation prize of reminding us of some of the words that we've heard today.
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OK, we heard...
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luck compa prizes lottery hooked on the lure
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slogans high profile master guru the odds one in a million
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OK, thanks Neil, you really are a winner there.
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OK, well, we hope you've enjoyed today's programme.
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Please join us again soon for Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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Bye.
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Learn English with YouTube: Dive into a Fun Conversation About "Compers"
The video features a lively chat between Rob and Neil about "compers"—people who semi-professionally enter competitions. They discuss the thrill of winning, share a story about a legendary comper, and even include a quiz about the biggest U.S. lottery prize. It’s a perfect resource for IELTS speaking practice because it uses everyday language, natural dialogue, and interesting topics that mimic real-life conversations.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- Hooked on: "She’s hooked on baking—she makes a new cake every weekend." (Means addicted to something.)
- Go to great lengths: "He went to great lengths to find the perfect gift for his mom." (Put in a lot of effort.)
- Lure: "The lure of free coffee made her sign up for the app." (Attraction or temptation.)
- High profile: "After winning the award, she became high profile in her field." (Well-known or visible.)
- Semi-professional: "He’s a semi-professional photographer—he takes photos at weddings on weekends." (Doing something part-time but with skill.)
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video
Master the shadowing technique with this engaging dialogue. Here’s how: 1. Listen once: Focus on the main idea—what are Rob and Neil talking about? Don’t worry about every word. 2. Repeat in chunks: Pause after 5-10 seconds, then repeat the speaker’s words immediately. Copy their tone and speed. This builds fluency, key for shadow speak. 3. Emphasize phrases: Practice "hooked on" and "go to great lengths"—say them with feeling, like you’re explaining your own hobbies. 4. Role-play: Switch parts with a partner. Neil’s questions and Rob’s answers are perfect for IELTS speaking practice—they’re natural and conversational. 5. Record yourself: Compare your recording to the video. Notice gaps in pronunciation or pace, then try again. You’ll improve quickly—this video’s casual tone makes it easy to mimic. Remember, shadowspeaks is about copying real speech, not memorizing. Have fun, and soon you’ll sound more confident in English!
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 ever won · I've certainly never won · have called |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can be won · be paid · was often seen |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who has · someone who takes · people who regularly |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | The biggest · the best |
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.