Shadowing Practice: Gretel: An Olympian’s Dream - Learn English Speaking with Video
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41 sentences
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1
I used to dream a lot.
2
It was always 100,000 people and I’m standing there waiting for the high jump.
3
And then the announcement comes: “Report to the high jump.” And I can’t move.
4
Champion high jumper Gretel Bergmann was poised to win a medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, but the German Jewish athlete was ultimately stripped of the opportunity to compete.
5
Under the Nazi regime, German Jews felt the impact of hundreds of new anti-Jewish laws designed to restrict their role in society.
6
These new restrictions meant that Gretel was forbidden from entering training facilities in Germany even though she was one of the top athletes in the country.
7
When I was 19 years old, I went to England because we saw there was no future for me in Germany.
8
I couldn’t compete in Germany under the Nazis.
9
On the day of the English Championships, my father came to watch me.
10
He had a message for me that I had to come back to Germany.
11
Gretel did not want to go, but her father explained… she was being “invited” to compete at pre-Olympic qualifying trials and there could be trouble for the family if she refused.
12
When I got back to Germany I was hoping I would at least have a place where I could train.
13
But the fact that I was a member of the German Olympic team did not allow me to use any of the stadiums.
14
I was still a Jew.
15
As Germany abandoned democratic values, Americans began to question the morality of supporting the 1936 games.
16
There were heavy debates in the US about boycotting the games.
17
In response, German authorities assured the United States Olympic committee that Jewish athletes would be treated fairly, ultimately convincing the US to compete.
18
The final trials for the German Olympic team took place in June 1936, just two months before the Games.
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Gretel competed in the high jump.
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I figured if I give up, then they would say, “See what happens to the Jews? They’re not worth a damn.” And I told them, “I’m gonna teach you guys a lesson whether you like it or not.” And I did.
21
At the trials Gretel equalled the German women’s high jump record of 1 metre and 60 centimetres.
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She was officially one of Germany’s best female high jumpers.
23
Despite her record, the Nazis had no intention of allowing Gretel to participate in the Olympics.
24
I got a letter two weeks before the Olympics started that told me that I wasn’t good enough and I wouldn’t be able to compete.
25
The letter read: “Looking back at your recent performances, you could not possibly have expected to be chosen for the team." They waited until the Americans were on the way to come over… They told them that I was injured and that’s why I couldn’t compete.
26
And that was all a lie of course. That was all a lie.
27
Officials removed her accomplishment from the record books and offered Gretel a free standing-room ticket for the Olympic track and field events.
28
I always loved sports and all of a sudden... I was completely in the hands of the Nazis.
29
It was a terrible shock because I was the best.
30
In August 1936 crowds poured into Berlin from all over the world for the opening of the Olympic Games.
31
But behind the mask of fanfare and international comradery were intensifying anti-Jewish laws, and what would eventually prove to be a murderous regime.
32
In 1937, Gretel immigrated to the United States.
33
She immediately changed her name to Margaret and stopped speaking German shedding all reminders of her life in Germany.
34
She started over in her new country and went on to win the US Women’s high jump and shot put championships.
35
Positioned once again to make it to the Olympics, Margaret began training for the 1940 Games in hopes of competing for the United States.
36
Her chance never came. World War II broke out leaving no hope for the Olympics taking place.
37
She retired from the sport permanently.
38
Despite the heartbreak of never being able to compete in the Olympic Games, Margaret found a new sense of strength in her life.
39
I think it made me a lot tougher, you know to face what, what I had to face… It was a not only a physical, but a moral victory.
40
I could have won this thing if they had let me compete.
41
I could have won.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 41 sentences and 739 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:25. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| compete verb | /kəmˈpiːt/ | To be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend. |
| athlete noun | /ˈæθ.liːt/ | A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking. |
| regime noun | /ɹəˈʒiːm/ | Mode of rule or management. |
| litter noun | /ˈlɪt.ɚ/ | Straw, grass, and similar loose material used as bedding for people or animals. |
| jumper noun | /ˈd͡ʒʌmpɚ/ | A woollen sweater or pullover. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| moral adjective | /ˈmoɹəl/ | Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially conforming to principles of rectitude. |
| shock noun | /ʃɔk/ | A sudden, heavy impact. |
| participate verb | /pɑːˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/ | To join in, to take part, to involve oneself (in something). |
| sudden adjective | /ˈsʌd.ən/ | Occurring quickly with little or no warning or expectation; instantly. |
| medal noun | /ˈmɛdəl/ | A stamped metal disc used as a personal ornament, a charm, or a religious object. |
| refuse verb | /ɹɪˈfjuːz/ | To decline (a request or demand). |
| strip verb | /ˈstɹɪp/ | To remove or take away, often in strips or stripes. |
| intention noun | /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/ | A course of action that a person intends to follow. |
| announcement noun | /əˈnaʊns.mənt/ | An act of announcing, or giving notice. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| break out verb | To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly. |
| come over verb | To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse. |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) |
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as couldn't, I'm, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: regime /ɹəˈʒiːm/, shock /ʃɔk/, intention /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/, assure /əˈʃʊɹ/, restriction /ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: participate /pɑːˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/, permanently /ˈpɜː.mə.nənt.li/, morality /məˈɹælɪti/, accomplishment /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ.mənt/, centimetre /ˈsɛn.tɪ.miː.tə/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like compete, athlete, regime.
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.