Shadowing Practice: World Cup | English conversation | English podcast - Learn English Speaking with Video
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This is your Everyday English class.
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Hello everyone!
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Welcome to English Cactus.
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My name is Anna.
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And my name is Brian.
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This podcast will help you practice your English in a fun and natural way while improving your listening skills.
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Have you ever noticed something interesting?
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Many English students spend hours studying grammar, but when it's time to have a real conversation, they freeze.
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That's true.
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And sometimes the best way to learn English is not by studying complicated rules, but by talking about topics you already love.
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Today, we're going to talk about one of the most exciting topics in the world, the greatest World Cup players ever.
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Who is the greatest?
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Pelé, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, Zidane?
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People have debated this question for decades, and everyone seems to have a different answer.
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The good news is that while you listen to this conversation, you'll learn useful English vocabulary,
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natural expressions, and practical phrases that you can use in your own conversations.
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And don't worry if you don't understand everything the first time.
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That's completely normal.
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After the dialogue, we'll explain the most important vocabulary, useful expressions, and cultural points to help you understand everything more easily.
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So relax, grab your coffee, enjoy the conversation, and focus on learning one new thing at a time.
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And before we begin, don't forget to subscribe to the channel.
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Your support helps us continue creating free English lessons and podcasts for learners all around the world.
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Also, tell us in the comments, where are you from, and who is your favorite World Cup player?
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We would love to hear from you!
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Now, let's begin!
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Hey, Sofia.
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I watched a documentary about the greatest World Cup players ever last night.
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Really?
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That sounds interesting.
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Who did they talk about?
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Many legends.
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Pelé, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo Nazario, Zidane, and a few others.
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Wow, that is a difficult topic.
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Everyone has a different opinion.
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Exactly.
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That is why football conversations are always fun.
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So, let me ask you, who do you think is the greatest World Cup player ever?
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For me, Pelé is number one.
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Good choice.
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Why Pelé?
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Because he won three World Cups with Brazil.
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Nobody else has done that.
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That is true.
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Three World Cups is incredible.
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And remember, he was only 17 years old when he played in the 1958 World Cup.
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17?
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That is amazing!
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Yes, most teenagers are thinking about school and friends, but Pele was playing in the biggest football tournament in the world.
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That shows confidence and talent.
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And hard work, too.
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Talent is important, but practice is important as well.
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That reminds me of learning English.
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How?
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Many people think good English comes from talent, but most of the time it comes from practice.
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I agree.
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Play English every day.
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Even ten minutes can help.
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Exactly.
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Keep going and learn something new every day.
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Pele is a good example of that.
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He worked hard and became a legend.
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Besides winning, people also remember the way he played.
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Yes, he made football look easy.
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The best players often make difficult things look simple.
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Very true.
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OK, Pele is on the list.
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What about Maradona?
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Oh, Maradona is impossible to ignore.
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His 1986 World Cup was incredible.
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Many people say it was one of the greatest individual performances in football history.
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I remember watching videos of his famous goal against England.
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The one where he dribbled past several players?
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Yes, that goal was amazing.
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Maradona had creativity, confidence, and courage.
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He was not afraid to take risks.
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That is a great lesson for English learners, too.
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What do you mean?
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Many students are afraid of making mistakes.
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That is true.
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But if you never try, you never improve.
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Exactly.
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Sometimes you need to speak even if your English is not perfect.
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I tell people the same thing.
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Communication is more important than perfection.
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Good advice.
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Maradona was not perfect, but he was unforgettable.
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I like that sentence.
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Thanks.
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So far we have Pele and Maradona.
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Now we need to talk about Messi.
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Of course, we cannot have this conversation without Messi.
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Especially after the 2022 World Cup.
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Absolutely.
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For years, people said Messi needed a World Cup title.
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Then he finally won it.
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And what a tournament it was.
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The final against France was unbelievable.
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One of the best football matches I have ever seen.
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Messi showed skill, leadership, and patience.
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Patience is an important word.
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Very important.
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Many people give up when success takes time.
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But Messi never gave up.
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Exactly.
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He played in several World Cups before winning one.
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That's inspiring.
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It reminds me of students who are learning English.
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Yes, some people want to become fluent in a few months.
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But language learning takes time.
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Step by step.
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One day you learn a word.
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The next day you learn a phrase.
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Then you start understanding videos.
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And little by little, your confidence grows.
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Just like Messi, years of effort finally brought success.
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Keep going.
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You're doing great.
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That is a message every learner should hear.
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Definitely.
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Now, let's talk about Ronaldo Nazario.
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Good idea.
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And let's be clear, we are talking about the Brazilian Ronaldo.
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Exactly.
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Sometimes people get confused.
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Ronaldo's story is one of my favorites.
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Mine too.
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He had injuries, difficult moments, and a lot of pressure.
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Especially after the 1998 World Cup.
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Yes, then he came back in 2002.
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And what a comeback!
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Brazil won the tournament and Ronaldo was the star.
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He scored two goals in the final against Germany.
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That performance made history.
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His story teaches an important lesson.
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Never give up?
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Exactly.
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Sometimes life is difficult.
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Sometimes learning English is difficult, too.
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Maybe you forget words.
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Rinaldo showed the world that one bad moment does not define your future.
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I love that idea.
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Me, too.
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Now who should we discuss next?
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Zanadidine Zidane.
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Great choice.
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Zidane played with elegance.
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That is the perfect word for him.
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In 1998, he helped France win the World Cup.
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And he scored two goals in the final.
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People still talk about that performance today.
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Zidane always looked calm.
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Yes, but even he had difficult moments.
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You're talking about the 2006 final, right?
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Exactly.
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That shows that even great players can make mistakes.
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Nobody is perfect.
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Another lesson for English learners.
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Definitely.
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Some students stop speaking because they are afraid of mistakes.
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If you had to choose only one quality from Zidane, what would it be?
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Calmness.
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Good answer.
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What about you?
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Intelligence.
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Also a great answer.
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Football is not only about speed and strength.
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It's also about decisions.
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Exactly.
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Speaking of intelligence, another player people often mention is Jojen Cruyff.
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Yes, he never won a World Cup, but he changed football.
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Some players win trophies.
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Some players change the game.
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Cruyff did both as a player and as a football thinker.
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His influence is still visible today.
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That is true.
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What do you think makes a player great?
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That's a difficult question.
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I know.
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For some people, it's trophies.
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For others, it's talent.
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Some people value leadership.
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Others value creativity.
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That is why these discussions never end.
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And that's why they are fun.
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Exactly.
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So, let me ask you, if an English student loves football, how can football help them learn English?
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Great question.
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Thank you.
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First, watch football interviews in English.
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That's a good idea.
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Start with subtitles if necessary.
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Then watch again without subtitles.
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Exactly.
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Also, learn useful football vocabulary.
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Like goal, pass, coach, captain, and stadium.
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Exactly.
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Try making simple sentences such as messy is my favorite player nice
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Brazil won the World Cup very good Pelé was a great leader perfect
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Simple sentences are powerful especially for beginners many students think they need complicated vocabulary
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But simple English works very well absolutely so Sophia let's create our top five list Okay.
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Pelé must be there.
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Agreed.
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Maradona, too.
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Definitely.
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Messi? Of course.
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Ronaldo Nazario?
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Yes. And Zidane?
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Absolutely.
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That's a strong top five.
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Very strong.
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But I also want to mention Closi.
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The top scorer in World Cup history.
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Exactly. And Beckenbauer.
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Another legend.
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And Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Yes, even though he never won a World Cup, his impact is huge.
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Football history is full of amazing players.
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Which makes this conversation difficult. But fun.
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Very fun.
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So who is your number one?
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Pelé.
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Why?
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Three World Cups.
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For me, that record is special.
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Fair enough.
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What about you?
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My heart says messy.
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Because of 2022?
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Yes, it was such an emotional story.
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I understand.
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Watching him lift the trophy after so many years was incredible.
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I felt the same way.
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But I also respect people who choose Pele.
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And people who choose Maradona.
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Exactly.
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There is no wrong answer, only different opinions.
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That's what makes football special.
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Thanks for the conversation, Michael.
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Thanks so much, Sophia.
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No problem.
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See you next time.
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See you soon.
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Before we start today's explanation, we want to say thank you for being here with us.
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We always work hard to create these English lessons and podcasts for free, so you can improve your English in a fun and natural way.
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And if you would like to support our work, you can buy us a coffee.
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Any amount helps us continue creating more content.
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The link is in the video description.
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Now let's review some of the most useful parts of the conversation.
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We will explain important phrases, useful vocabulary, and interesting cultural points related to football and the World Cup.
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Don't worry if you didn't understand everything in the dialogue.
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That's normal.
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After this breakdown, everything will become much clearer.
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One important moment was when Michael said, for me, Pele is number one.
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This is a very natural way to express an opinion in English.
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Instead of saying only, Pele is the best, he says, for me, which makes the statement more personal and polite.
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Exactly.
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You can use this structure in many situations.
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For example, for me, summer is the best season.
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Or for me, coffee tastes better than tea.
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Native speakers use this expression very often because it shows respect for other opinions.
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Later, Sophia said, there is no wrong answer, only different opinions.
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This is a beautiful phrase because it teaches respectful conversation.
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When discussing sports, movies, music, or favorite foods, people often disagree.
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This phrase reminds us that different opinions are normal.
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For example, someone may think Messi is the greatest player ever.
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Another person may think Pelé is the greatest player ever.
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Both people can share their opinions respectfully.
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This is also useful in English conversations because it helps keep discussions friendly.
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Another useful phrase was, keep going.
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This is a short expression, but it is very powerful.
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It means, don't stop, continue moving forward.
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You can use it when encouraging a friend.
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For example, your English is improving.
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Keep going.
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Or, you are studying every day.
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Keep going.
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Native speakers use this expression very often in motivational situations.
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Another important phrase was, don't be afraid of mistakes.
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Many English learners need to hear this.
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Absolutely.
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Mistakes are part of learning.
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Children make mistakes when learning their first language language, adults make mistakes when learning a second language.
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If you wait until your English is perfect, you may never speak.
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That's why this phrase is so important.
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Michael also said, the goal is practice, not perfection.
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This is one of my favorite sentences from the dialogue.
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Many students focus too much on speaking perfectly.
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But communication is more important.
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Imagine you travel to another country and successfully order food, ask for directions, have a conversation.
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Even if your grammar is not perfect, that is still success.
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Practice creates improvement.
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Perfection should not stop you from speaking.
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Now let's look at some important words from today's episode.
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These are words every football fan and English learner should know.
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The first word is legend.
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Pele is a football legend.
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Maradona is a football legend.
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You can also use this word outside sports.
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For example, a musician, scientist, or actor can be a legend.
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The opposite might be an ordinary person who is not widely known.
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The next word is tournament.
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A tournament is a competition with many teams or players.
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The World Cup is one of the biggest tournaments in the world.
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Tennis tournaments, chess tournaments, and gaming tournaments also exist.
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This is a very useful word because it appears frequently in sports conversations.
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Another important word is leadership.
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Leadership means the ability to guide and inspire other people.
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Messi showed leadership during the 2022 World Cup.
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A good teacher can show leadership.
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A manager at work can show leadership.
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Leadership is not always about speaking loudly.
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Sometimes it means setting a good example.
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Another important word is confidence.
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Confidence means believing in yourself.
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Great football players need confidence.
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English learners need confidence, too.
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You may know more English than you think.
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Confidence grows through practice and experience.
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Another useful word is comeback.
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Ronaldo Nazario's story is a great example of a comeback.
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A comeback happens when someone returns successfully after difficulties.
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An athlete can make a comeback after an injury.
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A student can make a comeback after failing an exam.
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It is a very motivational word.
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Another useful word is inspiring.
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Something inspiring motivates people.
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Messi's story is inspiring.
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Ronaldo's comeback is inspiring.
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A good teacher can be inspiring.
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A successful friend can be inspiring.
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This word appears often in conversations about success and personal growth.
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Our final vocabulary word is improve.
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Improve means to become better.
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Improve your English.
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Improve your pronunciation.
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improve your listening skills.
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This is one of the most important words for language learners.
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Because learning a language is a process of continuous improvement.
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And that's a wrap for today's episode.
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Today we talked about some of the greatest World Cup players ever, including Pele, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo Nazario, and Zidane.
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Along the way, you learned useful vocabulary, practical expressions, and natural ways to share your opinions in English.
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We also practiced how to agree, disagree politely, describe achievements, and talk about inspiring people.
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And remember, you don't need perfect English to communicate.
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You only need the courage to start.
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If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to the channel.
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Share this podcast with friends who are learning English too.
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And leave a comment telling us where you're from and who you think is the greatest World Cup player ever.
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We love reading your comments
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and hearing your opinions thank you for spending this time with us take care everyone see you in the next episode
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will engage with a fun and dynamic conversation about one of the most thrilling topics in sports: the greatest World Cup players. This discussion offers an excellent opportunity to practice your speaking skills and improve your listening comprehension. The podcast is designed for English learners who want to become more fluent by discussing subjects they are passionate about. By focusing on football and its legends, you will not only enhance your vocabulary but also gain confidence in expressing your opinions during conversations.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- World Cup - The premier international football tournament held every four years.
- Legend - A person who is famous and admired for their exceptional skill in a particular field.
- Confidence - Belief in one's abilities or qualities; an essential trait for effective communication.
- Debate - A discussion or argument about a particular topic, where different opinions are expressed.
- Opinion - A belief or judgment regarding a particular topic, often subjective.
- Teenager - A person between the ages of 13 and 19, often unpredictable in behavior and interests.
- Talent - A natural ability to do something well, particularly in sports or the arts.
- Incredible - Something that is extraordinary; beyond belief in quality or performance.
Practice Tips
To maximize your learning experience, utilize the technique of shadow speech. As you listen to the podcast, try to repeat sentences exactly as the speakers say them, mimicking their speed and intonation. This technique is especially effective when practicing for the IELTS speaking test, as it helps develop fluency and pronunciation. Start slowly if needed; it’s more important to understand and replicate the rhythm and emotions behind the words, rather than just repeating them mindlessly.
Furthermore, pay attention to natural expressions and phrases used throughout the discussion. Create your own sentences using these phrases after listening, to enhance your English speaking practice. Aim to integrate new vocabulary into your everyday conversations, and don't hesitate to comment on your favorite World Cup players, as engaging with others is an excellent way to reinforce what you’ve learned. Remember, learn English with YouTube effectively by mixing entertainment with education, and let shadowspeaks guide your path to English fluency!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | students who are · people who choose · person who is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you ever noticed · have debated · has done |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the best · the most exciting · the greatest |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | Keep going · start understanding · stop speaking |
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.