Shadowing Practice: ENGLISH SPEECH | VIRAT KOHLI: Rapid-Fire Questions (English Subtitles) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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141 sentences
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Look, I don't watch matches right now
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and feel like I want to be on the field
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because I've started to listen to my body and I've been on the road for a long, long time.
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You know, I've hardly missed any games and you need to pay respect to your body as well at times.
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And as I said, this phase is very important for me.
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So let's take your mind further away from cricket.
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We have fun, a little bit of a rapid fire for you.
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Some of your fans might actually already know the answers or think they know the answers.
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So surprise us, Virat.
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Favorite holiday destination?
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favorite holiday destination would be somewhere in Europe nobody owes you yeah
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but if I'm playing cricket
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and I want to have some downtime I think Australia is a great place
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but if I want to be on a holiday where no one recognizes us then definitely somewhere in Europe
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or one of the Arctic countries Arctic countries you know where there's
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so much snow that you've been yeah I have yeah I have been
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and it's a wonderful experience no one knows you at all
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and just to be able to walk on the streets going unnoticed is a great feeling.
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You, like I introduced you as someone who's kind of transformed India's sporting culture is mainly because of what you eat.
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So what's your favorite cuisine?
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Now, Japanese.
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Earlier it was...
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For a couple of years, I think, though, you like the Japanese because it's most healthy, isn't it?
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For about three years now, I can eat Japanese food at any time of the day.
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I totally love the cuisine.
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I've developed a taste for it.
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But earlier it was muglai, butter chicken and all that.
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But I'm far from it now.
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I tell you what, if rumors are to be believed, Virat Kohli has not touched carbs in six years.
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If rumors are to be believed.
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That's not true.
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Why I want to ask you that is because for us, that's like comfort food, like cheat day food.
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So do you have comfort food?
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Do you have a cheat day?
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Do you give yourself that time?
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Cheat day for me would be some gluten-free, No one has to have gluten, come on.
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It's not a cheat day without something fried and without something gluten.
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That's what I'm saying.
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It's not only black or white.
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It's a mixture of everything you have to understand
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that you can't live without carbs you know as a human being you have to eat carbs
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but what kind of carbs you eat is what is important
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and that's what i keep a check on so
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when i have people come and tell me oh you haven't eaten carbs in six years
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and i tell them you got to be joking man i would be on the hospital bed you know
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so i'm very smart about what i eat
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and that's been the main factor for me
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so indulging in i would probably have a gluten-free dessert
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which is you know made of natural sugar and all
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that stuff so that once in a while i do
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but i don't i don't get those cravings anymore
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and that's what i was going to ask you have a craving
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but you've trained yourself so well you don't have it so
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when you have this off time like what's a habit of yours at home a favorite thing
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that you like to do when you just have nothing else on your mind
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I can sit and not move from one place for hours.
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You know, that's how lazy I can be.
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As much energy as I show on the field.
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But when I get time at home, I can just be a total vegetable.
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And I can be very annoying because I don't move at all.
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And spending time with your dog, I'm guessing, with the dogs.
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I'm living in Mumbai now.
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So, the pet is in Gurgaon.
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I haven't seen him in a few days.
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I don't have any dogs at home in Mumbai at the moment.
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But we'll think about it in the future.
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We both love dogs.
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But in Mumbai right now, we don't have any.
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We're looking forward to that.
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Okay, so what's on your playlist right now?
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What's your current favorite song?
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Or maybe a song that's just stuck in your head?
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Current favorite song would be Say Something by Justin Timberlake.
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That's the latest favorite of mine on my playlist.
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And like a current favorite movie or a book or something?
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Book, the last book I read was, I read Nadal's autobiography, which I think was really cool.
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Before that, I read autobiography of a yogi, which was an eye-opener in many ways.
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So yeah, those two have to be the recent favorite books.
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You know, what's become really popular these days is movies on sports people because they're so inspiring.
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Their journeys are inspiring.
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So if there was to be a biopic made on you, who do you think should play you?
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Just a fantasy.
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I don't think there'll be a biopic made on me.
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I think it'll be just a real account of what my life has been like.
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so I don't know I mean the many talented people out
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there I mean I'm still quite a few years from
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that quite a few years I'm talking like 20 years in
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the future some new new talented actor would come along
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and you know he might fit the role perfectly if something like
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that happens but that's far far down the line you know I can't even think about that right now
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and apart from cricket obviously this is the game
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that has given you everything this is the game that has given the country everything
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Do you have a favourite sportsperson or a sportswoman apart from cricket that you really look up to these days?
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Yes, Roger Federer is my ultimate favourite.
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Just because of the way that belief shows when he plays.
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It's so beautiful.
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He has a family now.
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He has his priorities set.
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He takes time off the game without worrying about opinions and criticism of people.
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And then he comes in and wins Grand Slams at 36.
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So he's defying all the logics and that's something that I totally love.
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You know, I hate following the norm.
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And, you know, he's someone that's breaking all those barriers on a daily basis.
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So I have huge respect for him.
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Before we move on to IPL, I just got to say, just going back to what happened in South Africa, so many personal milestones for you as well.
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You know, you carry that form forward.
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You're scoring centuries, nothing new.
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Picking up the test mace yet again.
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And now back into the cricket.
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Looking forward to the IPL?
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Physically fit?
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Mentally ready?
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Yeah, physically I had a few niggles.
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I'm just getting over those niggles.
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You know, the workload has started to disagree with me a little bit.
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So I have to be very careful about how I go forward with my body, my mind and my cricket.
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So, you know, times like these are very very important going ahead
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and I'm totally enjoying it you know I don't even have an inch of me missing out on anything
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because my body really needed this although I'm keeping a track
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on the games I watch the boys play you know whenever the matches are on
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and yesterday again it was a really good win for us
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but look I don't watch matches right now
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and feel like I want to be on the field
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because I've started to listen to my body and yeah when I'm
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when I'm done with this period obviously IPL I'll be coming
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out fresh I'll be mentally in a better better place to want to be out there on the field
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because I've been on the road for a long long time you know I've hardly missed any games
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and yeah look you need to pay respect to your body as well at times
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and as I said this phase is very important for me.
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So if you had to give someone a Tissot watch, who's it gonna be and which watch would you give them?
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Well, depends.
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Let's pick someone, pick anyone, doesn't even have to be a teammate.
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I would give Chahal a watch because he's always late.
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So I'll give him any watch just to keep a check on time.
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It's gonna be a little tricky to find a watch that doesn't fall off his wrist.
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Let's be a little honest about that.
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I know, it'll have to be a rubber band strap or something because all the other straps will be loose for him.
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Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us today.
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I really appreciate the time that all of you have taken.
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I want to thank you on the behalf of Tissot and on Virat's behalf as well.
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Thank you so much.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 141 sentences and 1523 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:01. The speaker talks fast, about 190 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| cricket noun | /ˈkɹɪkɪt/ | An insect in the order Orthoptera, especially family Gryllidae, that makes a chirping sound by rubbing its wing casings against combs on its hind legs. |
| cheat verb | /ˈt͡ʃiːt/ | To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation. |
| gluten noun | /ˈɡluːtən/ | The major protein in cereal grains, especially wheat; responsible for the elasticity in dough and the structure in baked bread. |
| behalf noun | /bɪˈhæf/ | The interest, benefit, or wellbeing of someone or something. |
| comfort noun | /ˈkʌm.fət/ | Contentment, ease. |
| physically adverb | /ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/ | In a physical manner. |
| talented adjective | /ˈtæləntɪd/ | Endowed with one or more talents. |
| destination noun | /dɛstɪˈneɪʃən/ | The place set for the end of a journey or to which something is sent; place or point aimed at. |
| mentally adverb | /ˈmɛntəli/ | In a mental manner; an idea thought out in one's mind, as opposed to an idea spoken orally. |
| inspire verb | /ɪnˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ | To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by… |
| cuisine noun | /kwɪˈziːn/ | A characteristic manner or style of preparing food, often associated with a place of origin. |
| strap noun | /stɹæp/ | A long, narrow, pliable strip of leather, cloth, or the like. |
| rumor noun | /ˈɹumɚ/ | A statement or claim of questionable accuracy, from no known reliable source, usually spread by word of mouth. |
| autobiography noun | /ˌɔː.tə.baɪˈɒɡ.ɹə.fi/ | A self-written biography; the story of one's own life. |
| playlist noun | /ˈpleɪˌlɪst/ | A list of recorded songs scheduled to be played on a radio station. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. | |
| come along verb | To accompany. | |
| fall off verb | To become detached or to drop from. | |
| get over verb | To overcome. | |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| look up to verb | To show respect or admiration for (someone); to see (someone) as a role model. | |
| 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 started · you've been · I've developed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be believed |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 52 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: destination /dɛstɪˈneɪʃən/, autobiography /ˌɔː.tə.baɪˈɒɡ.ɹə.fi/, priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/
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 cricket, cheat, gluten.
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.