Shadowing Practice: Getting To Know Kimi Antonelli - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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I need to think about this.
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What is your name?
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My name is Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
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What is today's date?
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Today's date is the 7th of February, 2025.
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How old are you?
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I'm 18 years old.
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How many Instagram followers do you have?
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I think 1.2 million.
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Yeah. Not bad.
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Describe yourself as to who is Kimi?
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The Kimi outside the track, I will say is chill when he’s alone, but when he’s with friends is pretty crazy.
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Someone who really likes to eat pasta a lot at home.
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While the Kimi on track is someone who really trusts his instincts while driving.
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He's quite aggressive as well, but at the same time, just around the paddock with the engineers also tries to be funny as well.
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2025 is a huge season for you.
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How are you feeling about it at the moment?
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I'm feeling great.
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Really, you know, going through the preparation with the team.
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Really trying to work the best way as possible in order to prepare and to arrive ready for the season.
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I’m starting to realise now that it's all getting real.
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It's a dream coming true.
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And I'm really, really excited and I cannot wait to to get started.
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What do you want to achieve this year, what are your main aims?
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The mindset is going to be the same one as always.
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So, trying to go on track and win every race.
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But at the same time, I'm realistic that the level is super high, very competitive.
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So it's not going to be easy.
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But I believe, if I work well with the team and work well on myself, we can achieve some great things together.
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You mentioned those great things there.
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Are you going to win a Grand Prix this year?
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Well, that's the goal.
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Not only one, but more.
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Hopefully, as many as possible.
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What inspires you at the moment?
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I have a driver who I'm inspired by it’s Ayrton Senna.
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But, at the same time, I'm inspired by my dad as well.
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My mum as well, they’re both really big figures in my life.
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And they've helped me to become the person I am today and the driver as well, eventually.
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So definitely, you know, both of them and, yeah.
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That's it. What will it mean for you to see your parents there at your first race?
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It’s going to be quite a unique moment.
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Also my little sister is going to be there so, I think it’s going to be a really nice moment to share and hopefully it’s going to be a good weekend.
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But yeah, super-happy to have them and I feel it's really important to have them by my side.
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24 races of course, this season, which one are you most looking forward to?
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I mean, all of them, to be honest.
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Of course, Melbourne, because it's going to be my first race, then my two home races Imola and Monza.
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But if I have to be really honest, I'm really looking forward to the whole season.
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I'm just really excited and I cannot wait to get started.
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What do you think will be the most difficult part of 2025 for you?
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It's going to be completely something new for me.
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So definitely it's a lot to learn.
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A lot of new scenarios to face.
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Just trying to learn as much as possible to get up to speed and gain as much experience as possible every race to improve myself and level up.
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What advice would you give your future self, a year on from now?
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To my future self, I will just tell him to enjoy, not worry about external circumstances.
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Just enjoy the process and try to be happy.
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And also, always remind yourself that you're in a privileged position and to make the best out of it.
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Finally, what's your message to everyone who's watching this video?
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Thank you so much for following me and eventually supporting me.
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I really appreciate it and I think you're a really big part of motorsport in general because, the fans and all the supporters, is what that makes the sport so great.
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So thank you very much and hopefully we're going to do a great season.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will practice speaking English by focusing on a conversation with Kimi Antonelli, a young and talented race car driver. By engaging with the transcript, you will enhance your ability to understand and produce conversational English, improving fluency through a method known as shadowspeak. This approach encourages you to mimic the speech patterns, tone, and rhythm of native speakers, which can significantly boost your confidence and proficiency in English.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • chill - relaxed or easy-going
  • aggressive - likely to take strong action in pursuit of goals
  • mindset - a person's way of thinking
  • unique moment - a special or one-of-a-kind experience
  • competition - the act of competing; rivalry to achieve the same goal
  • inspired - motivated or stimulated by someone or something
  • realistic - having a sensible and practical outlook on a situation
  • achieve - to accomplish or reach a goal

Practice Tips

Utilizing the transcript for shadowing is highly effective for developing your speaking skills. Here are a few practice tips to enhance your experience:

  • Listen carefully: Play the video at a slower speed to grasp the nuances of Kimi's speech. Focus on his tone and the way he emphasizes certain phrases.
  • Repeat after him: As you listen to Kimi's responses, pause the video and try to mimic what he says. Pay attention to the rhythm and pace of his speech.
  • Use a shadowing app: Consider using a shadowing app that allows you to record your voice. This will aid you in hearing the differences between Kimi’s pronunciation and yours, which is crucial for improvement.
  • Practice with a partner: If possible, practice shadowing with a language partner. One can play the video while the other practices speaking, promoting a live conversation feel.
  • Focus on intonation: Notice Kimi's highs and lows in speech. Emulating these can dramatically change how natural your speech sounds.

By regularly implementing these techniques and leveraging shadowspeaks for practice, you will find your English speaking skills being enhanced effectively. Remember, consistency is key!

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.