Shadowing Practice: The Rise Of Lewis Hamilton | Formula One World Champion (Documentary) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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But, imagine being in a Formula 1 car. Must be very powerful.
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The world championship record is equaled.
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Lewis Hamilton wins the Turkish Grand Prix and is a seven-time champion of the world.
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Lewis Hamilton is a British racing driver who competes in Formula 1 for Mercedes.
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At the time of making this video, Hamilton has won a record seven World Drivers Championship titles.
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He is currently tied with Michael Schumacher, the only other driver to attain that number of titles.
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He also holds the record for most wins, among many other records.
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In this video, we take a look at the rise of this incredible sportsman, who has won the hearts of millions all over the globe,
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and is rightfully hailed as the best racing driver in the world.
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The Louis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born on January the 7th 1985 in Stevenage,
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England to Anthony Hamilton a black British man and Carmen Larbalestier a white British woman.
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At the tender age of two his parents separated and this young Hamilton moved in with his mother.
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While living with his mother Hamilton and his half sisters lived together.
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Hamilton was generally a smaller kid and was often bullied in school,
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so at the age of six he took up karate in order to defend himself from the bullies.
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Hamilton grew up with his mom until the age of eight, then he moved in with his dad who had no idea what to do with him at first.
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In 1991 his dad bought him a radio-controlled car which he used to compete in the British Radio Car Association Championship.
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That's where Hamilton got his first taste of car racing.
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He was the youngest competing in the championship by 10-15 years and believe it or not, he was beating everyone.
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His father soon realized that he had amazing hand-to-eye coordination, so he had the brilliant idea to put him in a go-kart.
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After that year for Christmas, his father surprised him with a go-kart, but since they didn't have much money back then, the cart was fifth hand.
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However that didn't matter to young Hamilton, he loved and cherished it.
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They went to the local DIY store and drove it around after hours, and naturally, he loved it.
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They eventually found a race course nearby and began to go there to practice.
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They had absolutely no idea what they were doing, however it was a good bonding time for the two.
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Hamilton's favorite movie of all time is Cool Runnings and he always relates his life to it.
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He relates the first race he
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and his dad had on the course to a scene in
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Cool Runnings where the main characters in the movie arrive at
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the top of a hill with a rusty old bobsled
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and the whole paddock goes quiet because they seem so out of place there.
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Everyone is so confused as to why they are there.
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He says that's how he remembers it being for him
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and his dad when they showed up in a car that had his go-kart sticking out the back.
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It looked odd and not to mention they weren't really welcomed because they were the only black people there.
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He said his dad was pushing him down to the track just like in the movie
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when the coach pushes the main characters down the hill in the bobsled.
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However, despite his first encounter, he won his first race, which shocked everyone.
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From the very beginning, a key element to Hamilton's success was his father.
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His father worked very hard to make sure his boy could take part in the sport which he loved so much.
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He worked in IT at a railway station in London
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and did just about any and everything else to earn enough money to pay for whatever his son needed to raise.
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His father would leave home at 5.30am to go to London,
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work all day, then come back home and maybe spend 15 minutes eating, then he would go into their garage
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and fix Hamilton's cart until around 2 am in the morning and then he'd do it all over again the next day.
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Hamilton said his father worked a total of 4 jobs just to keep him racing.
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His father and stepmom even remortgaged their house multiple times just to support him.
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Growing up, Ayrton Senna was Lewis' hero.
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He was his favorite driver.
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He loved the way Ayrton stood up for his values and beliefs, how he defied the odds, and also how he was outspoken.
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He wanted to be just like Ayrton when he grew up.
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He was the reason Lewis wanted to race for Ron Dennis, who was the CEO of McLaren at the time.
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Lewis was actually fortunate to meet Ron Dennis at an awards ceremony he attended
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when he was only 10 years old for winning a championship.
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At the time, Lewis' parents couldn't afford a suit for him, so they borrowed one from the winner of the previous year.
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It was a green velvet suit.
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When he put it on, it looked like it was made just for him.
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Young Louis looked sharp.
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During the ceremony, Louis went over to Ron with a little booklet
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that he got from his dad and asked for an autograph.
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He then said, Hey, I'm Louis Hamilton, and one day I want to be a world champion in your car.
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Ron then wrote in Lewis' book, Phone me in 9 years and I'll give you a deal.
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It was a nice gesture to a cute and confident kid.
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However, over the next 3 years, Ron paid close attention to Lewis, who went on to win 3 championships consecutively.
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Eventually, Ron called Lewis' dad and offered him a sponsorship deal for the then 13-year-old Lewis.
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The contract he signed included the option of a future Formula One seat.
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Over the next few years, Lewis continued to progress in various divisions of racing and claim many championships and titles.
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In 2007, Hamilton debuted in the Formula 1 for McLaren,
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making Hamilton the first black driver to race in the sport.
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His partner was two times defending champion Fernando Alonso.
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During his debut season, he made several records such as the joint most wins in a debut season
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and finished runner-up Takemi Raikkonen by one point.
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The following season, he won his maiden title in dramatic fashion,
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making a crucial overtake on the last corner of the last
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lap in the last race of the season to become the then youngest Formula 1 world champion in history.
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After four more years with McLaren,
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Hamilton would then sign with Mercedes in 2013 and become teammates with Nico Rosberg,
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his childhood car team teammate and friend.
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In his first season with Mercedes, he won the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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In his second season, he won 11 races for Mercedes and fought hard against teammate
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Nico Rosberg to win his second Formula One championship.
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Around that time, according to new regulations,
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drivers had to choose a number to be used throughout their career and Hamilton chose number 44,
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which goes back to his development years on the conning circuit.
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When he arrived for his first ever race,
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he saw the number 44 on his father's license plate and decided to use it as his own number.
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Since then, according to Hamilton, it has become his lucky number.
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Though as the reigning world champion, he had the opportunity to change it to number 1 in 2015,
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he opted to remain with number 44.
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Hamilton went on to win 10 races
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and was involved in a tenth rivalry with Nico Rosberg but eventually won his third championship.
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He then went on to sign a three-year contract with Mercedes worth £100 million.
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Hamilton Hamilton was able to secure a fourth title in 2017,
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but in 2018 it was such an intense one for both drivers because they were both competing to secure a fifth championship.
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This was a struggle for a title which journalists refer to as fight for five.
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Hamilton went on to set the record for the most points scored in a season to win his fifth championship.
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He then signed a two-year contract with Mercedes which will see him receive as much as £40 million annually.
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In 2019, Hamilton claimed his sixth driver's championship,
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placing him one title behind Michael Schumacher.
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The following year, Hamilton tied Schumacher's mark with his seventh championship in 2020
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while breaking his record for career F1 race victories in the process.
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That championship win was definitely one for the books.
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Not only was it a topsy-turvy race, but the track was treacherously wet and slippery.
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However, Hamilton managed to pull off a masterful victory.
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At the age of 36 and probably in the best form of his life,
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Lewis Hamilton is showing no signs of slowing down.
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He is truly an outstanding and inspirational athlete.
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F1 fans and admirers of Hamilton,
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look on with high anticipation to see what he accomplished is next.
Why practice speaking with this video?
Watching the documentary on Lewis Hamilton offers a unique opportunity for English learners to engage with inspiring content while practicing their speaking abilities. This video not only showcases his incredible achievements as a seven-time Formula One World Champion, but it also delves into his personal journey and challenges. By incorporating elements of storytelling related to motivation and perseverance, you can enhance your English speaking practice as you discuss your own experiences or those of others who inspire you.
Using the shadowing technique enables you to mimic Hamilton's speech patterns and intonation, which is essential for improving fluency and gaining confidence in your speaking abilities. You'll find that discussing topics like resilience and the path to success can not only broaden your vocabulary but also give you the opportunity to express your thoughts more effectively in English.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the transcript, several key grammatical structures and expressions are noteworthy:
- Passive voice: "The world championship record is equaled." This structure is often used to emphasize the action rather than the subject, making it a valuable tool in formal English.
- Past simple tense: "Hamilton was born on January the 7th 1985." Using the past simple is crucial when discussing past events, especially in storytelling contexts.
- Complex sentences: "While living with his mother, Hamilton and his half sisters lived together." This type of sentence showcases how to effectively connect ideas, enhancing the sophistication of your speech.
- Descriptive phrases: "He loved and cherished it." This phrase not only expresses strong emotion but can also be used to enhance personal anecdotes in conversation.
Understanding and practicing these structures can significantly boost your IELTS speaking practice as they are frequently used in academic and professional contexts.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you watch and practice shadow speaking with Lewis Hamilton's video, pay special attention to the following pronunciation challenges:
- Racial and cultural terms: Words like "mixed-race" or "black British" can carry subtle connotations, making it essential to pronounce them clearly and respectfully in any discussion.
- Professional terminology: Terms related to Formula One, such as "Grand Prix" or "championship," may require extra attention to ensure clarity and precision in your speech.
- Emphasis on emotions: When Hamilton speaks about his father’s sacrifices, the emotional tone can be tricky to replicate. Practice inflecting your voice to convey depth, making your delivery more engaging.
By focusing on these pronunciation traps during your shadow speech practice, you will enhance your overall speaking skills, enabling you to communicate more effectively in English.
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.