Pratique du Shadowing: Chapter 7 - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

Création de la leçon...
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Chapter 7 The Last Letter Six months later,
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in April 1890, I found him dead in bed.
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He was on his back in bed, so at first I thought he was asleep.
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I talked to him, but he did not move.
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Then I saw that the skin on his face was blue, so I knew he was dead.
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He did not usually sleep on his back.
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His enormous head was very heavy, so he usually sat up in bed, with his arms round his legs, and his head on his knees.
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He could sleep well like this.
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But he wanted to sleep on his back like you and me.
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He tried to sleep on his back that night, but his heavy head came off the bed, and he broke his neck.
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He died very quickly.
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Next day, the chairman of the London Hospital, Mr. Carr Gomm, wrote to the editor of the Times again.
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The Times, April 16, 1890.
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Dear Sir, Three and a half years ago I wrote to you about a man called Joseph Merrick.
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This man was called the Elephant Man, because he was born with a very ugly body.
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Merrick was not ill, but he could not work, and he had no money.
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The readers of the Times felt sorry for him, and they gave me a lot of money for Merrick.
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Because of this money, we could give Merrick a home in the London Hospital.
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It was his first good home, and for three and a half years, he lived here happily.
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The doctors and nurses of the hospital helped him, and many important people visited him.
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He read many books, he went to the theatre, and in the summer he stayed in the country for six weeks.
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Because of your reader's money, we could give him a happy life.
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Last night, Joseph Merrick died quietly in his bed.
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He was a man with a very ugly body, but he was a good, kind man, and he had a lot of friends.
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We like to talk to him, and we are all very sorry because he is dead.
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A lot of people are going to remember him for a long time.
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There is some money left, so I am going to give it to the hospital.
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Thank you, sir, for your help.
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Yours faithfully, F.C.
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Cargom, Chairman of the London Hospital.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

This video’s heartfelt narrative about Joseph Merrick offers the perfect shadowing opportunity—its slow, clear delivery and emotional tone make it easy to mimic rhythm and intonation. Whether you use a shadowing site or practice "shadowspeak" on your own, this story helps you master conversational flow while connecting with a meaningful context. You’ll build confidence in storytelling and learn to convey empathy, a key skill for real-world interactions. Plus, the formal letter segment introduces you to polite, structured language—double the practice in one video!

Grammar & Expressions in Context

  • Past Continuous Tense: "He was on his back in bed, so at first I thought he was asleep." This structure shows actions in progress, ideal for setting scenes. Practice saying it aloud to nail past tense flow.
  • Conjunctions for Cause & Effect: "Because of this money, we could give Merrick a home." "Because of" and "so" link ideas smoothly—use them to explain reasons, a common speaking need.
  • Descriptive Adjectives: "enormous head," "ugly body," "kind man." These phrases add detail without complexity. Repeat them to expand your vocabulary for describing people and objects.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Watch out for tricky words like "Merrick" (stress on the first syllable: MER-rick) and "enormous" (avoid rushing the "or" sound: e-NOR-mous). The phrase "shadowspeak" itself can trip up learners—focus on blending "shadow" and "speak" into one smooth word. Also, the formal tone in the letter uses longer pauses; mimic these to sound more natural in polite conversations. With practice, these traps become second nature!

Start Your "Shadow Speak" Journey Today

Whether you’re using a shadowing site or practicing alone, this video is a goldmine for improving speaking skills. "Shadowspeak" isn’t just about repeating—it’s about feeling the language, and this story’s emotion makes it easy to connect. Hit play, pause, and repeat—you’ll be amazed at how quickly your fluency grows. Remember: every "shadow speech" session brings you closer to sounding like a native. Let’s start speaking!

Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?

Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.

Technique du shadowing : lire le guide complet étape par étape →