Shadowing Practice: Fifa ordered to explain World Cup ticket pricing | BBC News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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FIFA is facing calls to answer questions now after allegations of artificially inflating prices
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FIFA is facing calls to answer questions now after allegations of artificially inflating prices
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and misleading fans over the sale of tickets for the upcoming World Cup.
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The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have officially launched an investigation into FIFA's practices.
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This is all coming a little over two weeks before the tournament kicks off.
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New Jersey's top prosecutor called FIFA's ticketing a gauntlet of confusion,
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fake scarcity and impossibly high prices.
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FIFA has declined to answer our request for comment.
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Our North American correspondent, Nena Taufik,
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has more from New York.
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For a while now, fans have been complaining about the sky-high ticket prices and alleging that they've been scammed.
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And so this is at its heart really a consumer protection case.
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It caught the attention of officials in New York and New Jersey who decided to probe those reports.
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They have subpoenaed FIFA,
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And they are going to be specifically asking for internal documents
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and communications in relation to ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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That's where eight World Cup matches are going to be held,
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including England's last match of the stage group of the group stage,
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as well as the final on July 19th.
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And there are a few things.
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First, that ticketing process that FIFA used,
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the lottery, the stages that many described as contenders.
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CONFUSING.
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WELL, OFFICIALS WANT TO SEE IF THAT ALLOWED FIFA TO ESSENTIALLY RAISE PRICES BY AN AVERAGE OF 34%.
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THEY ALSO SAY THAT FANS HAVE REPORTED GETTING TICKETS
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THAT WEREN'T IN THE CATEGORIES THAT THEY ORIGINALLY PURCHASED
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AND INSTEAD GETTING TICKETS THAT They also say
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that fans have reported getting tickets that weren't in the categories
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that they originally purchased and instead getting tickets far further from the field or even behind the goals.
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And in some cases, they say that FIFA actually altered the seating maps in the stadiums, those categories.
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So all of that is going to be looked into to see if consumers were exploited and manipulated.
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well let's talk to a fan Chris Donahue is here he
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is with the American Outlaws that's a fan group for U.S
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soccer teams it's great to have you on I understand you
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have been able to get some tickets to some matches what was
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that experience like for you
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and then how much did you actually end up having to
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pay yeah I'm actually going on two different trips one to Los Angeles and one to Seattle for the first two U.S games.
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And yeah, I think a lot of people within the American Outlaws knew that these prices would be extreme,
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but I don't think anyone really understood what it would cost
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to take a 40-hour trip to go see your national team play.
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You know, Category 2, 3 tickets are upwards of $2,000,
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and that's without flight, hotel.
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So yeah, it's going to be an expensive couple days to go see your national team football.
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Do you think that FIFA is misleading fans,
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as these attorneys general say,
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when it comes to tickets and seating for the World Cup?
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100%.
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I think that the message has been this is going to be an inclusive event.
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This is going to be the kind of thing where you can bring your family
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and bring everyone you know to see the world's biggest game.
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And yeah, now it's just unaffordable for a lot of people.
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I think the message has pretty much been pretty unanimous amongst the supporters that the rug has been pulled a little bit.
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And it's just not cost prohibitive to try to take a trip and see the World Cup for a lot of folks.
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And for FIFA to kind of give us the message that this was the event,
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you know, this is the world's game,
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it's the peace game, I think that the message is lost.
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When you're out there and you're buying tickets for the World Cup,
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people are reporting drastically different prices depending on the game,
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depending on the day, depending on even the time that you may be looking to buy tickets.
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What do you think of the way that FIFA has been using what they call dynamic pricing,
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where the price can change versus maybe previous cups?
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This is the first time they're doing this system where there's
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a certain price for a certain section for a certain game and it doesn't change.
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Yeah, you know, I don't see how I don't see the leality part of it,
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but I also just don't see the moral part of it.
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I don't know why the goal of FIFA seems to be making money versus getting butts in seats.
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I think that American fans,
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this is as good as it gets for seeing your national team play in a World Cup at home.
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I think this is what fans have dreamt of their whole lives.
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And now that it's here,
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it just feels a little bit like it's an elitist type event.
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And, you know, say what you want about the process.
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I understand that you have to weed people out
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and not everyone's going to get to go to every game that they want to go to.
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But it seems to me like the average person
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that is a hardworking American just can't afford to attend games in their hometowns.
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And I just don't see why this was the goal,
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and it wasn't communicated from the beginning.
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What do you make of the argument that we have been hearing from FIFA and its president,
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Gianni Infantino, that essentially what FIFA is doing here is charging what fans,
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particularly in the United States, are willing to pay?
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I think it's a cash grab.
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I think if you look at there's still a lot of tickets available on the secondary market,
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because I think a lot of people got into the lottery,
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got tickets, didn't realize that they would be getting charged $2,000 per ticket,
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realized that they can't afford to make a trip out to L.A to watch the opener.
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and now they're trying to sell their tickets and just get their money back.
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So I think that, yes,
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there are people that are willing to pay exorbitant prices for these tickets,
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but we also need to look at the bigger picture,
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and that is we need to get young people into these games.
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Young supporters, young American outlaws need to be in these games because there's just not another opportunity like this in our lifetime.
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Chris Donahue, an American football fan with the American Outlaws,
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a group dedicated to U.S soccer.
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Thanks for being on and thanks for sharing your experience with us.
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Thank you very much.

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Context & Background

In this video, the discussion revolves around the significant concerns raised regarding FIFA’s ticket pricing methods for the upcoming World Cup. Attorneys general from New York and New Jersey are officially investigating allegations of inflated prices and potential misrepresentation in ticket sales. The dialogue highlights a growing frustration among fans who feel deceived by the ticket allocation system. This context is essential for English learners, as it incorporates real-world events and legal matters which often utilize complex language and vocabulary.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Gauntlet of confusion” - Refers to a complicated situation that is difficult to navigate.
  • “Sky-high ticket prices” - Describes prices that are excessively high.
  • “Consumer protection case” - A legal term referring to laws designed to protect buyers of goods and services.
  • “Altered the seating maps” - Indicates changes made to the original plans of seating arrangements.
  • “Misleading fans” - Means providing information that can lead fans to misunderstand the actual situation.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively use the shadowing technique with this video, follow these steps to enhance your English speaking skills:

  1. Listen Carefully: Start by watching the video a few times without any pauses. This helps you grasp the overall message and tone of the dialogue.
  2. Break It Down: Divide the transcript into smaller sections. Focus on a sentence or two at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
  3. First Shadow: Play the video and repeat what you hear immediately after the speaker. This practice will reinforce your pronunciation and rhythm.
  4. Emphasize Key Phrases: Pay special attention to the phrases listed above. Use them in your own sentences to practice contextually.
  5. Record Yourself: As you practice, record your voice and compare it with the original speaker’s tone and delivery. This reflection is valuable for improving your articulation.

Utilizing this shadowing site alongside the mentioned phrases will improve your English fluency effectively. Incorporate the shadowspeak technique into your study routine, especially if you're preparing for exams like the IELTS speaking practice. By shadowing professionals discussing real-world issues, you'll gain not only language skills but also insight into current global conversations.

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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