Pratique du Shadowing: The Fifteenth Character Oxford Bookworms Starter - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

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Oxford Bookworms Starters The Fifteenth Character by Rosemary Border Read by Nick Mercer Published and copyright Oxford University Press 2000.
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Chapter 1.
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Jobs for Today Every day lots of different people come to Happy Hills,
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because there are lots of exciting things to do.
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Sally Brown works at Happy Hills in her holiday.
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She is a student and she wants to be a teacher.
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I need the money, she tells her family, and it's an interesting job.
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But she is always very tired in the evening.
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The workers at Happy Hills arrive early in the morning.
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They all wear clean green trousers and yellow shirts.
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They must smile a lot and be nice to all the visitors.
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Every morning Mr Parry puts a list of jobs for today in the workers' canteen.
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Mr Parry wears different clothes.
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His shirt is green and his trousers are white and he wears a red coat with I'm Ken Parry,
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can I help you? on his pocket.
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The visitors call him Ken, but all the workers call him Mr Parry.
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Today Sally arrives at Happy Hills at eight o'clock.
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On her shirt there is a picture of a smiling face and,
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have a happy day, in black and red writing.
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She goes to the canteen and looks for Mr Parry's list.
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What job am I doing today?
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Sally thinks.
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Am I making tea or helping in the children's playhouse? But Sally is wrong.
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The list says, Sally Brown, Connie Cat.
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Break, 11 o'clock.
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Oh no, thinks Sally.
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Nobody likes wearing the costumes.
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But at Happy Hills, the characters are very important.
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The visitors like to take photos of their children with Cowboy Joe,
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Charlie Clown, Baby Blue Eyes, Photo Phil, Big John, Connie Cat,
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Big Apple, Miss Flower, Edward Elephant and all their friends.
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Charlie always asks the same questions.
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Are you very hot in your costume?
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And how do you eat and drink?
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Edward Elephant has the best job.
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He has a bag of water under his costume.
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He can spray the visitors with water.
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And Photo Phil and Charlie Clown make everybody laugh.
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But Connie Cat cannot do that.
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She can only say, meow, to the children all day.
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Sally looks for her costume.
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A tall man in a cowboy costume is standing beside her.
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Hello, Sally, says the cowboy.
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It's me, William.
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William is a student too.
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He is Sally's friend.
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Which costume are you looking for?
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When's your break?
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Eleven o'clock.
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Me too!
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Chapter 2 Here Comes Zap It is nine o'clock.
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The doors open.
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But there are not many visitors today many visitors today.
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They all have invitations, and they show them to Mr Parry.
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A very famous man is coming to Happy Hills, so Mr Parry is very excited.
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Zap's coming today.
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He's opening the new Zappocopter, says William to Sally.
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Stop talking and do some work, says Mr Parry.
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Zap is a singer.
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Sally loves listening to his songs, and she has all his CDs.
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There is a picture of him in her room, too.
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The zappacopter is very exciting.
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People can sit in little helicopters and go up and down very fast.
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The visitors stand behind a blue rope and wait for Zap.
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Please stay behind the rope, says Mr Parry.
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Suddenly, there is a noise in the sky.
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Everybody looks up.
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It's Zap's helicopter, says William.
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The helicopter comes down, and Zap gets out.
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He smiles at the visitors.
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Oh, he's wonderful, says a young girl.
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She gives Sap a flower.
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He gives her a big smile and says, thank you.
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Sally is hot and thirsty in her costume.
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She wants to talk too, but Mr Parry is watching.
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Chapter 3.
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Zap's New Song Mr Parry takes the singer to the Zappacopter.
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Zap cuts the rope.
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Thank you, Zap.
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Now, please, can you sing for us?
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says Mr. Parry.
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OK, but the people must help me, he says.
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He begins to sing.
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Everybody knows the song and sings it with him.
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Thank you, says Zap.
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You're all wonderful singers.
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Now, look at this.
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He takes a CD out of his pocket.
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This is my new song, he says.
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Please sing it for us, say the TV men. But Zap smiles.
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No, no, you must come to my big concert next Saturday.
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He puts the CD in his pocket again.
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Now, let's go on the Zappacopter, says Zap.
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He sees a teacher with some children.
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Would they like to come too? he asks her.
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Of course, says the teacher.
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They help the children into the helicopters.
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Zap smiles and smiles.
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The photographers take lots of pictures.
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Photo Phil arrives too.
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He is one of the Happy Hills characters.
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He takes a photo of the children and sprays them with water.
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Everybody laughs.
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Zap is having a wonderful day.
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He speaks to the TV people.
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The photographers take photos of him with all the characters.
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Zap meets Charlie Clown.
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Charlie gives him a flower, and the flower sprays him with water.
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Everybody laughs.
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Sally meets Zap too, and she is very excited.
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But she cannot talk to him because she is wearing her cat costume, and Mr Parry is watching.
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Chapter 4 Where's Zap's CD?
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Come on, it's eleven o'clock, says William.
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Let's go to the canteen for our break.
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We've got ten minutes.
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They sit down in the canteen and take off their heads.
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Sally is thirsty.
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Her face is hot and red.
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William is hot and thirsty too.
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They have a long drink of cold water.
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That's good, William says.
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Then he looks at his watch.
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Ten past eleven, he says.
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Come on, Sally, back to work.
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They finish their drinks and put their heads on again.
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Suddenly, a lot of people come into the canteen.
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What's the matter? says William.
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Zap's CD! says Mr Parry.
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He can't find it!
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Everybody is unhappy.
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But Zap is angry too.
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That CD's important, Parry, he says.
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You must find it.
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I'm doing my best, Zap, says Mr Parry.
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Don't hit me, please.
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I'm doing my best.
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A lot of things happen very quickly.
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The visitors want to go home.
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But suddenly Mr Parry closes all the doors.
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Nobody can leave, he says.
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I'm sorry, but Zap's CD's very important, and we must find it.
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Mr Parry makes a telephone call.
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Very soon four police arrive in a big white police car.
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They ask a lot of questions.
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The police look everywhere for the CD.
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They read Mr Parry's list of visitors.
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They count the visitors carefully and look in all their pockets and bags.
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There is a lot of noise.
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People are angry and tired.
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They want to go home now.
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And Zap is speaking very quietly into a little black telephone.
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Photo Phil goes to him and says, Smile, please.
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Go away, says Zap angrily.
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Now the police want to talk to the workers.
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One stays with the visitors, and three police speak to the workers in the canteen.
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Zap comes with the police.
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You must find that CD, says Zap.
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We're doing our best, Zap, say the police.
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Chapter 5 The Fifteenth Character Sally waits quietly with the other workers.
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She looks at Mr. Parry's Jobs for Today list and counts the names.
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There are 29 names on the list today.
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15 people are helpers.
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They wear green trousers and yellow shirts and help the visitors.
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14 people are characters and wear costumes.
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Wait a minute, thinks Sally.
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There are fourteen characters on the list, but there are fifteen characters here.
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She reads the list again, very, very carefully.
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Edward Elephant.
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Yes, he's here.
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Connie Cat.
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That's me.
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Cowboy Joe That's William Photo Phil Yes,
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he's here Big Apple Yes Sir Laugh-a-lot And Lady Love-a-little
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Wait a minute!
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Charlie Clown isn't on the list But Charlie's here In this room Excuse me,
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Mr Parry, says Sally.
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There are fourteen characters on your list, but there are fifteen in the room now.
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Charlie Clown isn't on the list, but he's here.
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Mr Parry reads the list and counts the characters.
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You're right, Sally, he says.
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Take off your heads, Mr Parry says to the characters.
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They take off their heads.
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Charlie Clown is a woman.
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Why are you wearing that costume?
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Asks Mr Parry.
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The woman begins to run away, but William stops her.
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The police take off her costume and find a big pocket.
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In it they find Zap's CD.
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The singer smiles again.
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It is Saturday night.
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Sally and William are in London because they are going to Zap's concert.
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There are lots of excited people and TV photographers outside the hall.
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Everybody wants to hear Zap's new song. Where are your tickets?
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says the man at the door to Sally.
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We haven't got any tickets, says Sally.
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The man begins to look angry.
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Sally smiles and takes something out of her pocket. Is this invitation OK?
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It's from Zap.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.

Context & Background

The video features a reading from the book "The Fifteenth Character" by Rosemary Border. It introduces us to Sally Brown, a student working at Happy Hills, an amusement park filled with exciting activities. The transcript highlights her daily routine and interactions while wearing her character costume, Connie Cat. The story captures her challenges and connections with fellow workers, making it a relatable scenario for English learners. This narrative provides a rich context for practicing conversational English, as it presents common situations and dialogues one might encounter in a workplace setting.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "What job am I doing today?" - A useful question to ask about tasks or roles.
  • "Can I help you?" - A polite way to offer assistance, also useful when interacting with visitors.
  • "Everybody likes to take photos!" - A phrase that conveys enthusiasm and can be used in social contexts.
  • "When's your break?" - A common inquiry among colleagues, showcasing concern for each other's well-being.
  • "Are you very hot in your costume?" - An informal yet friendly question to spark conversation.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve English pronunciation and speaking skills by using this video, follow these steps:

  1. Listen attentively: Play the video and focus on the pronunciation of key phrases. Note the intonation and rhythm used by the speaker.
  2. Pause and repeat: Use a shadowing app to pause sections. Repeat what you hear immediately after the speaker, mimicking their tone and pace. This technique, known as shadow speech, helps reinforce pronunciation.
  3. Use the shadowspeak technique: When shadowing, focus on specific sounds that challenge you. Pay attention to the way words connect and how syllables blend in conversation.
  4. Practice in segments: Break down the transcript into smaller parts. This allows you to grasp difficult sections before moving on to longer sentences.
  5. Record yourself: Create recordings of your shadowing practice. Compare them to the original to identify areas for improvement in your pronunciation and fluency.

By incorporating these methods into your study routine, you can enhance your conversational abilities and confidence in English. Regular practice will not only promote better pronunciation but also empower you to engage in everyday conversations more fluently.

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.