Pratique du Shadowing: Why Do Animals Have Tails? - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo

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Hey, Squeaks!
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Look what we have here!
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We just got an awesome question from one of our viewers.
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They want to know, why do animals have tails?
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That's such a great question!
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Lots of animals have tails!
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Yes, including rats, Squeaks!
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But humans don't!
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Personally, I'm pretty glad we don't have tails.
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Can you imagine trying to sit in class at school with the tail getting in the way all
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But the real reason other animals have tails is that they need them and we don't.
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I bet you could even guess what some animals use their tails for.
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When you think of an animal with a tail, what's the first one that comes to mind?
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A dog!
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That's a great one, Squeaks!
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Maybe you have a dog in your family, or you know someone who does, and I bet you've seen that dog wag their tail a lot.
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When dogs wag their tails, that's often because they're happy or excited.
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Since they can't talk using words, their tails do the talking for them.
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And if you see a dog with their tail lowered between their legs, that might mean they're scared.
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So that's one reason some animals have tails, to help show what they're feeling.
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Can you think of any other animals that have tails?
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Maybe one you'd see on a farm?
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Yeah, horses have tails, too!
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Sometimes horses use their tails to communicate like dogs do, but their tails are also useful for something else, flicking away at all those pesky flies buzzing around them.
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Some other animals, like cows, do the same thing.
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That's true, Squeaks!
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There's another very important example that we haven't talked about yet.
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Rats.
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Rats mainly use their tails for a different reason, to help them balance.
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You know how sometimes if you're walking along the edge of a curb
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and you start to feel like you might lose your balance, you can throw your arms out to the side like this and keep yourself from falling over?
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Well, rats and lots of other animals use their tails in the same way.
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If they're climbing something really high or narrow, where they might fall, they can stretch out their tail to help keep their balance, just like you stretch out your arms.
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Cats use their tails for balance, too, which is really important for them because they jump very high.
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Some animals, like monkeys, can actually use their tails almost like an extra hand.
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A monkey's tail helps them balance, but they can also use it to hang on to the tree branches and swing.
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I know, it would be so much fun!
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It'd be like having a swing set wherever you go.
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So whether they're using their tails to communicate, flick away bugs, or balance, tails are really important for lots of animals.
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And there are plenty of other ways animals use their tails that we haven't even talked about.
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But humans don't have a tail at all, because we don't need one for any of those reasons.
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We have other ways to show what we're thinking or feeling, like by talking, or even just using our faces to smile or frown.
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If bugs bother us, we can swat them away with our hands!
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And since we walk on two legs, we don't need a tail to help us balance.
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We can use our arms for that, like when you're walking on the edge of a curb.
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So even though tails are really helpful for lots of other animals, For us humans, they would mostly just get in the way.
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Thanks for asking such a good question!
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Do you have more questions about animals, or the human body, or anything else?
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Ask a grown-up to help you leave a comment down below, or send us an email to kids at scishow.com.
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Thanks, and we'll see you next time here at the Fort!

Who Will Benefit from This Video?

This video is perfect for intermediate English learners aiming to boost conversational skills and expand vocabulary. Its casual, question-driven dialogue mirrors real-life discussions, making it ideal for IELTS speaking practice or everyday communication. The topic—animal tails—is relatable, so learners focus on language rather than complex concepts, making it great for shadow speech exercises to build fluency.

Words & Idioms to Add to Your Toolkit

The video is packed with practical phrases. "Flicking away" (swatting quickly) and "pesky flies" (annoying insects) are common in daily talk. "Getting in the way" (causing a problem) is a versatile idiom—use it to say something is inconvenient. "Throw your arms out" (extend arms suddenly) describes a physical action clearly, useful for storytelling. These phrases are easy to "steal" and use in your own sentences.

Mastering the Accent with Shadow Speak

To nail the speaker’s friendly, conversational tone, try shadow speak: pause the video, repeat lines aloud, and mimic the rhythm. Notice how "squeaks" is spoken with a playful, high pitch—this shows emotion. The phrase "can you imagine trying to sit" uses rising intonation to invite engagement; copy that to sound natural. For words like "balance," stress the first syllable (BAL-ance) to match the speaker’s clarity. Practice daily, and you’ll improve English pronunciation while building confidence in casual speech.

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.