Shadowing Practice: My first World Cup game - Learn English Speaking with Video

I saw this video of Speed starting a wave at a World Cup game.

I have always wanted to start a wave at a sports game and watching him do it made me just say, Okay, fine, I'll go to a World Cup game and try this.

There are two problems with this.

Number one, I have never watched a soccer game in my entire life.

And number two, I don't think this guy is going to be capable of convincing 70,000 people to do anything.

But there is a World Cup game today in Houston, Texas, which means I can drive to the game.

It's Brazil versus Japan and it looks like it's going to be awesome.

So without further ado, let's go start a wave at a World Cup soccer game.

The adventure of a lifetime has begun.

Bucket hat.

Jersey.

You got anything on the back of that?

Uh, it's blank.

Okay.

We are not even close to arriving to Houston and we've already made a stop at none other than Buc-ee's.

I bet there's gonna be lots of World Cup fans in here, excited to make the trek to Houston to NRG Stadium to watch Brazil vs Japan.

This is probably a good time to introduce you to my, uh, counterparts for this video.

Mitch!

Ah, again.

Dang, you got hops.

I jumped pretty high.

Hey!

No, you're not jumping higher than me.

On the Doerride Day 24-hour stream, there was a big debacle about who's jumping higher because we started chest bumping every hour for some reason.

There's proof I jumped higher.

Mitch's role today, driving the car and also keeping the vibes high.

Who else is here?

Easy peasy.

Yeah.

We didn't plan transitions very well.

Mitch and Cohen, you guys know these are my friends, they help me make the joyride videos, and this is really just a fun excuse to make joyride content so that we can go to the World Cup.

Mitch's idea.

What?

I'm here with...

Brandon.

Kara. And Tim.

Also going to the World Cup game, first time at Bucky's, welcome to Texas.

Thank you, thank you.

Who are you going for today in the game?

I think Japan.

Okay, me too then.

I don't know yet, actually.

I'm so indecisive.

Okay, well have fun at Bucky's.

I'll be following awkwardly.

Done.

If you've never been to Bucky's, buckle up, it's probably the best store.

This beaver's on everything.

Okay, first of all.

This beaver making salsa, this beaver making bean dip.

Business mogul.

What does a beaver know about coffee?

What do you do, Mitch?

There's a beaver with a soccer ball.

Oh my gosh, perfect.

It's perfect for the game.

Hey, watch this.

You got it?

Ready?

Yeah, yeah.

Wait, what?

Wait, why was that kind of good?

I thought you were about to do something.

Nah, I got no skills in the soccer department.

The only bad thing about Buc-ee's, the only bad thing is they don't have Joyride.

It breaks my heart.

It breaks my heart, yo.

That's how I feel when a retailer doesn't carry Joyride.

What are we actually buying?

They got Prime in here, so they know about YouTube.

I've never heard someone speak on a mic in here.

Seeing some jerseys in Bucky's.

Exciting stuff.

Just to be clear, the USA is not playing at this game.

This was the only jersey I had access to, so.

I'm still open to supporting Brazil, I'm open to supporting Japan, we'll see.

I'm not seeing a bacon, egg, and cheese taco, I wonder.

Excuse me, do you guys sell bacon, egg and cheese tacos?

Ah, of course, thank you.

Going to the game?

Yes, sir.

Should I go for Brazil?

You should, you should.

Okay, they're gonna win it all?

Yes, sir.

We'll see, let's go.

I'll see you there.

I'm gonna get a bacon, egg and cheese taco.

You want one?

Yeah, I'll take one.

I'll get two then.

All right, they don't get much more American than this.

Cheers.

Taco!

Alright, we gotta hit the road y'all cause it's a long drive to Houston so let's hit the road.

So, we just stopped to get some coffee.

Cohen does not drink coffee.

I've basically never been drinking coffee in my entire life.

100

But we're about to do an official taste test right here.

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Yeah, because they're forcing me to for the vlog.

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Okay Well, they accidentally made this one for the record.

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We didn't even buy it.

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It's free.

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So they basically gave it to me.

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Yeah, so Okay, here we go.

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Let's take a moment Bro that's trash What are you tasting?

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I'm tasting coffee .

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Quick pit stop at Target.

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We're gonna be picking up some Joyride so people from other countries can try it for the first time.

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How fun is it to be able to tell people this is American candy

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and make them think that Joyride is already the number one candy in America, even though that's the goal.

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Eventually.

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Getting some party packs of the ropes to hand out to people, that'll be super fun, I'm gonna be really popular.

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Also, fun fact, the sour rainbow strips now have six colors on them.

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This is the before and this is the after.

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We figured it out.

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How cool is that?

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No fake colors.

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All right.

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I'm ready.

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Can I get a John?

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Yeah.

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Thank you.

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You want anything?

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Give me some sour zips.

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Cohen's a fiend for these.

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I'll get some fruity zips.

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Last bag of fruity.

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We made it!

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We're here at NRG Stadium where Brazil is gonna play Japan, my first World Cup game, my first soccer game I've ever been to.

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That guy over there is beating me for the coolest hat, in this parking lot anyway.

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Behind me in this stadium, I'm gonna be starting the coolest wave of the entire World Cup.

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Imagine this times 50,000.

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Let's go to the security.

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Nice, go, go.

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I'm in.

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Stay through.

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On our way to our seats.

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On the way.

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On the way.

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Going up.

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On the way.

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Exciting.

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We're in Houston for the Brazil-Japan game.

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Let's go.

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Let's go.

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Who's going to win?

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Yes.

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It was absolutely electric in that stadium.

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And it's an hour before the game starts.

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What?

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I was down there one time.

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One time I was on the field and I said, H!

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The game is about to start and it looks like this stadium is about 90% Brazil fans.

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Although I will say, even though the Japan fans are outnumbered, they are absolutely locked in.

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I mean, look at these guys, they're having so much fun!

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I know it's still early, but I think in my heart I'm rooting for Team Japan.

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However, if I'm gonna get a wave going, I feel like I'm gonna have to be cheering for Brazil a little bit.

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That's just the reality of the world I'm currently living in.

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But as the national anthems are sung, and the people around me are singing along, I only have one thing on my mind.

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Attempt number one at starting the wave.

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Here we go!

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Okay, so on the instant replay, it looks like we maybe got one guy.

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Uh, yeah, I'm not sure if he was standing for the game or my wave.

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So even saying we got one is a bit generous.

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Everybody wants to do the wave, nobody wants to do what it takes.

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This is my first time watching soccer.

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When someone scores, it's going to be electric.

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Everyone is very locked into watching this game, as they should be.

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I think my best chance at starting a wave is if one of the teams score,

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and then I can rally the people that are supporting that team to participate in a celebration of sorts.

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If Brazil scores, I'm gonna invite everyone behind me to join me in a celebratory wave.

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It seems possible.

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Maybe they would do it without scoring.

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We are currently having a hydration break, so a lot of people have just left, but I'm gonna see if we can start a wave anyway.

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You guys wanna do a wave?

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Alright.

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Ah, one more time, one more time, we got this.

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Hey, we'll get him next time.

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Even that felt amazing, so I can't even imagine if we get the whole stadium.

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Snack booooy.

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Mitch, we're missing the game!

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We're missing the game!

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Hey, I got nachos though.

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Aw, nice.

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I kid you not, moments after this water, the unthinkable happened.

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Japan scored a goal!

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I was literally so excited I didn't even try to do the wave.

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That's how excited I was.

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Japan takes the lead!

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It's halftime, y'all.

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Halftime.

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I thought this was the perfect opportunity to go to the concession area and get some chicken tenders and a souvenir cup.

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Cohen also got a chicken tender meal and we cheersed our chicken tenders together.

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He was honestly super yummy.

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No regrets.

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10 out of 10 chicken tinders.

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Brazil just scored.

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It's tied up one to one.

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Now's my chance.

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The only problem is everyone is already standing.

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You guys want to do the wave?

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You guys want to do the wave with me?

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Anyone want to do the wave?

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You guys want to do the wave?

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Oh my god!

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Oh my god!

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No way, are you seeing this?

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We're gonna do the wave on three, ready?

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One, two, three!

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Whoa!

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Yes, yes!

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Will you try again, try again?

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One, two, three!

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Oh!

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Go, go, go!

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Alright, one more try, one more try, on three.

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One, two, three!

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Oh my goodness, please tell me y'all saw that wave.

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That was actually a substantial amount of people doing a wave in unison.

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I'm starting to believe this is possible.

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I know it wasn't much, but I felt something from that wave we just did.

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I still believe!

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I'm just gonna start spamming waves.

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I'm done!

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The game is almost over.

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Woo!

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Woo!

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Woo!

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Woo!

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Woo!

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What do you think I'm gonna get this wave?

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You gotta get a rip sit.

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You gotta keep trying.

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Alright!

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How do people do this?

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I don't know.

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I think you gotta wait for like a big moment.

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There's only six minutes left in the game.

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My last two attempts have been garbage.

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Let's be honest.

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It's now or never for the wave.

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Let's do this.

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Woo!

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Woo!

249

Woo!

250

Woo!

251

Woo!

252

That's fun!

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Woo!

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Woo!

255

Woo!

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Really, Mitch?

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Really?

258

Not even my own friends want to do the wave with me.

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This is so embarrassing.

260

We are now over 90 minutes in, and there has not been a single wave in this entire stadium.

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If not me, then who?

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Someone's gotta do it, man.

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This stadium is frozen solid.

264

Everyone is locked in.

265

People are just chanting, which is honestly really fun as well.

266

I think I understand what's going on at this point, and this is a really good game.

267

And just like that, the game is over.

268

Brazil wins over Japan, and the only thing making me feel better about my 30-person wave is

269

that there was not a single successful wave in the entire building the whole game.

270

After the match, we went to the Fan Zone in Houston

271

and let a bunch of people wearing different jerseys try our Joyride party packs.

272

It was a lot of fun.

273

These party packs are one of our newest items from Joyride, so be sure to find them at Target.

274

They're on the top shelf.

275

If you buy a lot of Joyride anyway, it's a great way to get a good deal.

276

Thank you so much for watching.

277

I'll start a wave one day.

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121 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “My first World Cup game”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: wave, woo, Brazil, Japan, cup. This video has 277 sentences and 1966 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:43. The speaker talks at a natural 155 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 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

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
joyride noun	/ˈd͡ʒɔɪˌɹaɪd/	A ride in a vehicle taken solely for pleasure or enjoyment, especially a vehicle ride taken with no particular goal or purpose and just for the pleasure or…
beaver noun	/ˈbivɚ/	A semiaquatic rodent of the genus Castor, having a wide, flat tail and webbed feet, native to the Northern Hemisphere.
taco noun	/ˈtɑkoʊ/	A Mexican snack food made of a small tortilla (soft- or hard-shelled) filled with ingredients such as meat, rice, beans, cheese, diced vegetables, and salsa.
tender adjective	/ˈtɛn.dɚ/	Sensitive or painful to the touch.
bacon noun	/ˈbeɪ.kən/	Cured meat from the sides, belly, or back of a pig.
excite verb	/ɪkˈsaɪt/	To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement.
fruity adjective	/ˈfɹuːti/	Containing fruit or fruit flavoring.
zip verb	/zɪp/	To close with a zip fastener.
sour adjective	/ˈsaʊ.ə/	Tasting of acidity.
cheers	/t͡ʃɪəz/	A common toast used when drinking in company.
candy noun	/ˈkæn.di/	Crystallized sugar formed by boiling down sugar syrup.
awkwardly adverb		In an awkward manner; with discomfort or lack of coordination.
celebratory adjective	/ˈsɛləbɹəˌtɔːɹi/	Having the manner of, or forming part of, a celebration.
debacle noun	/dɪˈbɑ.kəl/	An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences.
embarrass verb	/ɪmˈbæɹəs/	To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
go up verb	To move upwards.
pick up verb	To lift; to grasp and raise.
tie up verb	To secure with rope, string, etc.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

You got anything on the back of that?
Who are you going for today in the game?
What are we actually buying?
We're gonna do the wave on three, ready?
What do you think I'm gonna get this wave?

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	have always wanted · have never watched · has begun
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	are outnumbered · are sung · is frozen
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	Texas, which means · chanting, which is
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the best · the coolest

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 81 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: unthinkable /ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl/, anthem /ˈæn.θəm/ [ˈæn̪.θəm]
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: hydration /haɪˈdɹeɪʃən/, concession /kənˈsɛʃən/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, shelf /ʃɛlf/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: celebratory /ˈsɛləbɹəˌtɔːɹi/, indecisive /ˌɪndɪˈsaɪsɪv/, unthinkable /ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl/, anthem /ˈæn.θəm/ [ˈæn̪.θəm], accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/

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 joyride, beaver, taco.

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 first World Cup game - 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

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?