Shadowing Practice: Russia v Saudi Arabia | 2018 FIFA World Cup | Match Highlights - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
The focus switches to Russia for the 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup
⏸ Paused
32 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
The focus switches to Russia for the 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup
2
and the opening match between the host nation and Saudi Arabia.
3
Time from Salman.
4
Back in again, free hitter!
5
And Russia score the opening goal of the World Cup.
6
It's Gaczynski who rises highest.
7
And a better start the host nation couldn't have wished for.
8
11 minutes gone in the Lozniki Stadium.
9
Zegoyev's gone down, and that's bad news for Russia.
10
No-one near him when he went over,
11
he's just clutching the back of his left hamstring at the moment.
12
Russia are going to make a change.
13
Denis Cherchev, the man who plays his club football for Villarreal in Spain, to come on.
14
Here's Golovac, on his own at the moment, now he's got support.
15
Here is Cherchev again, the pass was a little short.
16
Tchechev, brilliant finish!
17
Two defenders both failing to get a challenger,
18
and Ruscha double their advantage before half-time.
19
A little change made here by Russia.
20
Artem Zuban is the player coming on.
21
Here's Golovac, great ball, across!
22
And wouldn't you just know it,
23
the man who's just come off the bench keeps up that record,
24
and surely now Russia can celebrate three points in the opening match of the World Cup.
25
There's another great draw, what a goal that is!
26
Stunning strike from Cherchev, and a goal that you'll be seeing a lot more of over the next few days,
27
you can be sure of that.
28
In comes the free kick, oh, man!
29
They have got a fifth,
30
direct from the free kick.
31
And Russia are laying down a marker on day one, 5-0.
32
We'll be back here.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Context & Background

The 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in Russia, marking its 21st edition and showcasing the opening match between the host nation, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. This match not only kicked off the tournament but also provided an exciting atmosphere filled with high-stakes football. The commentary featured various key moments, including goals, player injuries, and strategic substitutions—elements that can enhance English listening and speaking skills. By immersing yourself in such contexts, you can significantly improve your English through engaging content such as sports commentary.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “They have got a fifth” - Indicates a score update, useful for discussing any competitive situation.
  • “A better start the host nation couldn't have wished for” - A phrase to express satisfaction with initial progress.
  • “Clutching the back of his left hamstring” - Useful for discussing injuries or physical issues.
  • “Direct from the free kick” - Describes a specific action in sports; applicable in various contexts where direct results are discussed.
  • “What a goal that is!” - An exclamatory phrase expressing excitement, applicable in various situations when praising someone’s achievement.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Shadowing is an effective method to improve your English pronunciation and fluency. To tackle the dialogue from this FIFA World Cup match highlights video, follow these steps:

  1. Choose a Shadowing App: Select an application that allows you to play the video with subtitles. This will help you see the words while hearing the pronunciation.
  2. Listen Carefully: Play the video and listen to the commentary without pausing. Try to understand the flow of the language used in sports commentary.
  3. Repeat Immediately: Play a short segment, then pause and repeat what you heard out loud. Focus on mimicking the intonation and rhythm of the speaker. This is essential for effective English speaking practice.
  4. Practice Shadow Speech: As you repeat, echo the speaker as closely as possible. This practice helps in internalizing common phrases and improving your accent.
  5. Record Yourself: Use your shadowing app to record your attempts. Play back your recordings and compare them with the original to identify areas for improvement.

By using this method with content like the FIFA World Cup highlights, you can enhance your English pronunciation and conversational skills effectively.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee