Shadowing Practice: My Experience As A Female Soccer Player - Learn English Speaking with Video

When I was five years old, someone gifted me a 3 ,000 piece puzzle on my birthday.

My parents thought it was too hard for me

and put it away but I snuck into their room when they were asleep and took it.

I stayed up all night piecing it together.

And when they saw it the next morning, They were totally amazed.

"Laura, you're a genius !" We're gonna send you to the best schools, the best classes!

You're going to be the best child in the world.

In an instant, my life changed.

My parents shifted us to a new city, got me into a fancy new school, and signed me up for six hours of tutoring daily.

But the problem was that I had ADHD as a kid

and it was really tough for me to focus the way my mom wanted me to.

Once, Mom even tried to give me pills to control my behavior.

"You should take these, Laura.

They will help you focus on your studies." "Okay, Mom." When she left, I threw the pills in the trash.

What if she wanted to poison me?

My mom made me hate studying, so I had no choice but to start sneaking out when my parents weren't looking.

My little escapades were awesome.

I got to play soccer with the other kids, and eat all the junk food I liked.

It was all going so well, until one day in the second grade, When I snuck out to go to a soccer match, two big girls approached me on the street.

Hey you!

Give me your bag.

No way!

One of the girls grabbed me while the other tried to pull my bag off my shoulder.

Suddenly our neighbor spotted us.

Hey!

What are you doing?

The girls ran off in a hurry, and the neighbor took my hand.

I'm taking you home to your parents, Missy.

Oh no!

Not my parents!

When mom saw me, her face turned red with anger.

"'What are you doing out, Laura?' Once she learned about the incident, she totally lost it.

She took away all my toys and grounded me until further notice.

Until you can learn to be a grown -up, you're not going anywhere!

Uh, I already don't go anywhere.

Mom was about to slap me when Dad came between us and stopped her.

Such a rude kid!

The next morning, Mom woke me up at 4 a .m., You're going to learn self -defense with your dad every morning and night.

But mom, it's not even morning yet.

You start now!

I had no choice.

He began to teach me kickboxing every morning and jujutsu every night.

One day, I was heading to an advanced math exam.

My mom had been grilling me about this paper for a year.

She wanted me to rank number one.

I was on my way to the exam room when I suddenly spotted an adorable boy with glasses

cornered by some bigger kids, who were pushing him around.

I knew I had to go in for my paper, But I couldn't ignore this.

I ran in between them.

Hey!

Stop it!

Uh, is this little girl here to save Devon?

This little girl will kick your big butt!

I kicked one of the boys on his knee and he fell.

When his friend ran to get me, I dodged him easily and pushed him away.

The boy was totally stunned.

You're awesome!

Suddenly, my teacher came out of the exam room.

Miss, this girl just attacked us.

She's crazy.

Before I knew it, I was being dragged to the principal's office.

I already knew what would happen now.

He called my parents.

Mom came in like a raging bull.

You missed the exam?

You beat someone up?

Mom, they were bullying someone! So what?

Are you Mother Teresa?

Or Wonder Woman?

Mind your own business!

How dare you ditch your exams like this!

Dad, I did the right thing!

You know that!

Say something!

I knew Dad agreed with me but he was just too weak to say anything in front of mom.

who is acting like freaking Godzilla.

She signed me up for a replacement exam in 3 months and told me to get to work.

The next day, the boy helped Devin, came up to me and thanked me for saving him from the bullies.

He thought I was amazing and asked me out on a date.

My first day ever!

And he was just so cute.

Of course I said yes.

Devon and I began dating and I did everything I could to keep it secret from my parents.

I got a secret phone with my savings to text him and I sneak out every night to meet him.

I started to think that life wasn't so bad after all.

Until one day, Noah, the gorgeous soccer player from my school came up to me during lunch.

Hey.

Go to the Blue Pearl Cafe at 5 :00 PM.

Watch what happens.

What?

Just do it.

It's very important.

With that, Noah walked away from me.

That was so weird.

But I decided to go anyway.

When I reached the cafe, I saw Devon sitting there arm in arm with another girl.

What?

Devon kissed that girl right on the lips before she left.

Oh my god!

100

Devon!

101

You cheater!

102

The whole cafe turned to look at us, but I didn't care.

103

Laura, what are you doing here?

104

I'm dumping you!

105

I walked forward, grabbed his plate, and dunked all his food over his head.

106

Just then, another girl walked into the cafe.

107

Devon?

108

What's going on?

109

I'm here for a date.

110

Oh my God!

111

I told the new girl the truth about him

112

and she grabbed some food from another table and chucked it right in Devin's face.

113

Just then the manager showed up and threw us all out of his cafe.

114

I hope you rot in hell, Devon.

115

And with that, I ran back to school.

116

I was going to find Noah.

117

He was practicing soccer with the school team.

118

I pulled him aside and demanded that he tell me how he knew about Devin.

119

I've seen him around with you, so I knew you were dating.

120

But I saw him with other girls too.

121

Why did you tell me? because I kind of have a huge crush on you.

122

You.. what?

123

I'm not sure if you remember.

124

We used to play soccer together before you stopped showing up for practice.

125

I've always liked you.

126

And I didn't like the idea of you dating that slime.

127

Oh my god.

128

Noah had a crush on me?

129

I know it's kind of weird and sudden, but do you want to go out with me sometime?

130

He was so stunning and I wanted to say yes.

131

But I couldn't get Devon out of my head.

132

How could I ever trust a guy again?

133

I had to turn Noah down.

134

Maybe we can just play soccer.

135

Like old times, Yes, we can try that.

136

I started playing and it was the best fun I'd had in years.

137

Everyone loved me and asked me to try out for the official soccer team.

138

I clear the tryouts easily.

139

but I had to make sure my parents never found out about this one day after practice.

140

Noah came to me with a whole bunch of roses and a couple of friends playing guitars.

141

He asked me out on a date, again.

142

Oh my god, you're dating Noah?

143

I turned around to see Devon behind me and he looked really mad.

144

It's none of your business what I do with my life.

145

Tell me the truth, Laura.

146

No one told you about my dates, didn't he?

147

So what if he did?

148

I always knew he liked you.

149

He was always staring at you.

150

"Go away, Devon !" Yeah before we make you.

151

The entire soccer team steered him down, and he had no choice but to back off and walk away.

152

I turned to Noah and said, I'm sorry, Noah.

153

I really like you, but...

154

I just can't trust someone so soon.

155

That's okay, Laura.

156

I get it.

157

Come on, let's prep for the semi -finals.

158

The semi -finals of our tournament went by like a breeze.

159

We had trained hard and our skill and teamwork were totally unmatched.

160

When I scored that winning goal, I literally lost my mind.

161

The thrill and joy was too much.

162

I wrapped my arms around Noah and gave him a kiss right on his lips.

163

The entire stadium began to hoot at us, but I didn't care one bit.

164

Everything was perfect until I heard it.

165

Laura!

166

I jumped away from Noah and literally screamed in shock.

167

Mom!

168

Dad!

169

What are you doing here?

170

Devon called and he told us everything.

171

You've been sneaking away every day to play this stupid game?

172

My mom began to fight with me in front of hundreds of people.

173

I had never been more humiliated in my life.

174

You're grounded forever!

175

Mom, the finals are tomorrow!

176

Come on, honey.

177

We can't make her miss that.

178

Why not?

179

She should be punished!

180

She is a bad daughter!

181

To my surprise, Dad finally put his foot down.

182

He told my mom that I was an amazing daughter and that he'd had it with her bullying.

183

My mom went purple with rage.

184

Laura is playing tomorrow and there's nothing you can do about it.

185

I love you, Dad.

186

I hugged dad.

187

He'd finally accepted me!

188

My mom refused to say one word to me from that day on.

189

I won the soccer finals 6 -0 and without our knowledge, A scout had come to watch the match.

190

They picked me up and I got a full sports scholarship for my undergrad degree.

191

None of my other teammates got that offer, including Noah.

192

He got into a good college too.

193

but it was thousands of miles away from me.

194

You have to take this opportunity, Laura.

195

You're going to be great.

196

I loved him so much that I really tried to make it work long distance.

197

but it just became too painful for us to keep missing each other.

198

We had to end things.

199

even though we still love each other and we're on excellent terms.

200

My soccer career was thriving and I was playing at the state level, topping every chart in the women's league during a final match with Penn State.

201

I fell and twisted my ankles so hard that I blacked out instantly.

202

When I woke up, I was rushed to the hospital where the doctor told me in clear terms.

203

You can walk and run if needed, but you can't play soccer ever again.

204

My heart was broken.

205

and it felt like my life was shattered.

206

I went back home and my dad consoled me and supported me.

207

My mom made a few snide comments about how she was right.

208

But Dad chased her away.

209

I believe in you, Laura.

210

We'll get through this together.

211

I eventually started teaching self -defense and soccer classes for little kids in my city.

212

It was good pay, and I really enjoyed working with children.

213

One day, I got a text from Noah and I flint!

214

I didn't realize we were in the same town now.

215

He asked to meet me for dinner and I was shaking.

216

My jaw fell when I saw Noah.

217

He was drop -dead gorgeous just as the day I met him.

218

He wasn't here alone.

219

Some of our friends from the soccer team were here with their old guitars.

220

Noah had a hundred roses, and he gave them to me before he asked me to be with him again.

221

And this time, I said yes and jumped into his arms.

222

He lifted me up in the air as I kissed him passionately.

223

Noah and I started our lives together and eventually got married three years later.

224

My dad attended, and my mom didn't which was totally fine by me.

225

A year after our marriage, I became pregnant with our first baby.

226

The pregnancy itself was a breeze but the delivery was tricky.

227

There was a complication and I had to go into surgery, which really scared us all.

228

Thankfully, both my daughter Claire and I made it when I'd recovered.

229

The doctor said.

230

I'm sorry, Laura.

231

Getting pregnant again could be really dangerous for you.

232

That complication would happen again.

233

At first, I was heartbroken because I'd always wanted a big family.

234

But once the grief passed, I said to Noah, I'm grateful I have Claire and I still want her to have siblings.

235

We adopted three children after I had Claire.

236

Claire absolutely fell in love with her siblings.

237

and Noah and I got to give our four children a wonderful, loving home.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 237 sentences and 2144 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:58. The speaker talks fast, about 215 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 81% 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
soccer noun	/ˈsɑk.ɚ/	Association football.
examination noun	/ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/	The act of examining.
sneak verb	/sniːk/	To creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen.
guitar noun	/ɡɪˈtɑɹ/	A stringed musical instrument, of European origin, usually with a fretted fingerboard and six strings, played with the fingers or a plectrum (guitar pick).
gorgeous adjective	/ˈɡoɹd͡ʒəs/	Sumptuously dressed.
crush verb	/kɹʌʃ/	To press between two hard objects; to squeeze so as to alter the natural shape or integrity, or to force together into a mass.
lip noun	/lɪp/	Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth.
rage noun	/ɹeɪd͡ʒ/	Violent uncontrolled anger.
pill noun	/pɪl/	A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication.
bullying noun	/ˈbʊ.li.ɪŋ/	An act of intimidating a person to do something, especially such repeated coercion.
breeze noun	/bɹiːz/	A light, gentle wind.
neighbour noun	/ˈneɪbɚ/	A person living on adjacent or nearby land; a person situated adjacently or nearby; anything (of the same type of thing as the subject) in an adjacent or…
sibling noun	/ˈsɪb.lɪŋ/	A person who shares a parent; one's brother or sister who one shares a parent with.
ignore verb	/ɪɡˈnɔː/	To deliberately not listen or pay attention to.
rush verb	/ɹʌʃ/	To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
come up to verb		To approach.
back off verb		To move backwards away from something.
do out verb		To decorate, tidy, or clean (a place).
get through verb	/ɡɛt ˈθɹu/	To overcome; to endure.
go away verb		To depart or leave a place.
go back verb		To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time.
go in for verb		To enter a competition.
grow up verb		To mature and become an adult.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 42 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, thrive /θɹajv/, thrill /θɹɪl/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, crush /kɹʌʃ/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, shock /ʃɔk/, trash /tɹæʃ/
Long words — get the stress right: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, adorable /əˈdoɹ.əˌbəl/, complication /ˌkɑm.pləˈkeɪ.ʃən/, humiliate /hjuːˈmɪliˌeɪt/

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 soccer, examination, sneak.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	being dragged · should be punished · was rushed
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've seen · I've always liked
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	weren't looking · was heading · were pushing
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form	hate studying · stopped showing · started playing

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: My Experience As A Female Soccer Player - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?