Shadowing Practice: Spectacular Moments in Football - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Spectacular Moments in Football”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: goal, ball, score, brilliant. This video has 632 sentences and 4300 words to shadow. The speech runs for 56:58. The speaker talks slowly, about 75 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 78% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| penalty noun | /ˈpɛn.əl.ti/ | A legal sentence. |
| sensational adjective | /sɛnˈseɪʃənəl/ | Of or pertaining to sensation. |
| genius noun | /ˈd͡ʒin.jəs/ | Someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill; especially somebody who has demonstrated this by a creative or original work in science, music, art… |
| remarkable adjective | /ɹɪˈmɑɹ.kə.bl̩/ | Worthy of remark; notable; interesting. |
| goodness noun | /ˈɡʊdnəs/ | The state or characteristic of being good. |
| unbelievable adjective | /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəbl̩/ | Not to be believed. |
| magnificent adjective | /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/ | Grand, elegant or splendid in appearance. |
| header noun | /ˈhɛdɚ/ | The upper portion of a page (or other) layout. |
| goalkeeper noun | /ˈɡoʊl.kiːpɚ/ | A designated player that attempts to prevent the opposing team from scoring by protecting a goal. |
| blink verb | /ˈblɪŋk/ | To close and reopen both eyes quickly. |
| flick noun | /flɪk/ | A short, quick movement, especially a brush, sweep, or flip. |
| chase verb | /t͡ʃeɪs/ | To follow at speed. |
| steal verb | /stiːl/ | To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it. |
| flip verb | /flɪp/ | To throw so as to turn over. |
| restore verb | /ɹɪˈstoɹ/ | To reestablish, or bring back into existence. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| run through verb | To summarise briefly. | |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| clear off verb | To leave abruptly; scram. | |
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. | |
| come round verb | To change direction. | |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| cut out verb | To refrain from (doing something, using something etc.), to stop or cease (doing something). |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I think it's a goal.
- Isabel, I can't believe it!
- How did you shoot that?
- Ronaldinho, you just didn't see it coming.
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 | has stepped · have hit · has opened |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was played · is defended · are countered |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 26 contractions and reduced forms, such as doesn't, gonna, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, breathtaking /ˈbɹɛθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sensational /sɛnˈseɪʃənəl/, flash /flæʃ/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, consideration /kənˌsɪd.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: sensational /sɛnˈseɪʃənəl/, unbelievable /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəbl̩/, magnificent /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/, extraordinary /ɪksˈtɹɔːrdɪn(ə)ɹi/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/
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 penalty, sensational, genius.
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.












