Shadowing Practice: Birdy's Grudge - Learn English Speaking with Video
Les maken...
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Hello, you're listening to Jana, and I'm back with one of our popular birdie stories.
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It's a hoot of a story, and I hope you'll enjoy it.
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One dark evening back in February, Jake heard hooting sounds from the back garden.
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He pulled on his wellies and coat, took a torch from the cupboard and hurried out into the rain to investigate.
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Jake followed the hoots towards an old apple tree.
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There the beam of his torch found two enormous yellow eyes looking straight at him.
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He ran back to the house.
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Mum, Dad, come and see.
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I think I found an owl.
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It's in the garden.
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Jake couldn't wait to tell his best friend Birdie about his discovery
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But Birdie didn't appear that night He must have been busy elsewhere The next morning, Mum yawned as she made breakfast Oh,
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I wish that owl would keep quiet She complained
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He was twit -to -ooing half the night I haven't slept a wink After supper,
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Dad found an owl video on YouTube The family watched it together.
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They learned that the female tawny owl makes a cry like...
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And the male answers her with a...
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I heard both those sounds, said Mum.
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I think we have a pair of owls.
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I expect there'll be a whole family in the spring.
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Now Jake was even more excited.
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He was sure that Birdie would be too.
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After all, Birdie was a bird, so he would be interested in the latest bird gossip, wouldn't he?
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That night, Birdie paid a visit.
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The ancient crow was at Jake's window.
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Come in, Birdie.
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I've got big news.
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We have owls.
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Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, said Birdie.
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Sorry, it's good news, isn't it?
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Birdie shook his black head Owls are the worst type of news They're never up to any good in my experience Oh?
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said Jake astonished In school, they teach us that owls are wise
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Crrrr! said Birdie shaking his head And Jake realised that he might have offended his feathered friend No, not as wise as crows,
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of course, Birdie I just mean, you know, they're not stupid Owls,
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said Birdie Are cunning, but cunning is not the same thing as wise Unfortunately,
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some people can't tell the difference I knew an owl once who even managed to trick the goddess Athena
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Jake could tell that one of Birdie's stories was coming on, so he sat back against his pillow.
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It happened long, long ago.
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And I don't mean long ago like when your dad was a little kid.
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I mean properly long ago, like back in ancient times when even I was handsome
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and full of youth back then the goddess Athena thought very highly of me I was her favourite bird
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and I lived in her temple on the Acropolis the great
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hill above Athens as a mark of her favour she made little silver coins with my handsome face stamped upon them Now,
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the king of Athens was called Seacrops.
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Seacrops had three daughters, and Athena gave them a special box to guard.
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Whatever you do, don't open it, she told them.
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Naturally, that made them desperate to know what was inside.
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One day they lifted the lid and took a peek.
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I saw the whole thing from a nearby tree, so I flew straight to Athena and told her.
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You might think she would have thanked me, but no!
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She flew into a terrible rage and told me off good and proper.
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Don't be such a spy on a telltale tit, she said.
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I don't want to hear nasty stories about my favourite human beings.
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Keep your beak out of other people's business.
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Sorry, my lady, I said.
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I didn't realise you were so touchy today.
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and don't you talk back to a goddess she cried leave my acropolis
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and don't show your gossipy face around here ever again
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so she kicked me out just because i told her the truth i thought it was very strange.
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Then I discovered that an owl had been paying her visits,
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bringing her presents and flattery.
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To it too, you're by far the wisest and most beautiful goddess in the world,
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he used to say.
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He knew that flattery will get you everywhere with a Greek goddess.
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Soon after, she appointed the owl her most favoured bird and put his puffy face on all her coins.
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All the crow coins disappeared.
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Ever since then, everyone has believed that owls are wise.
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We crows are far smarter, but do we get any appreciation?
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Not a bit of it.
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I'd chase those owls away if I were you.
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Mark my words, they're cunning birds, and you never know what trick they're up to.
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Jake could see there was no use arguing with Birdie.
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He obviously held an ancient grudge against owls.
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The rain does not continue forever, not even in England.
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Spring brought daffodils and little owlets in the apple tree.
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Jake couldn't see the baby owls, but once or twice at dusk, he saw a parent owl bringing their baby supper in its claws.
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By May, the baby owls were becoming increasingly noisy.
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They called for food until four in the morning.
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Now Mum hated owls almost as much as Birdie did.
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One morning she went out into the garden to water her plants.
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Oh, yuck!
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That's disgusting!
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Mum shrieked as she saw owl droppings and bird pellets scattered over her lawn.
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The pellets that the owls coughed up contained things like mouse bones and rat skulls.
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That evening when Jake told Birdie the story,
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he said See, I told you owls were bad news Their habits are disgusting Oh,
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Mum agrees with you, said Jake But Dad still likes them He thinks they bring good luck Silly man,
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called Birdie In early summer, Dad found an owlet hopping along the garden wall, sounding distressed.
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Dad thought it must have fallen out of the apple tree, so he put on his thick gardening gloves and tried to pick it up.
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As he bent over, a rush of air brushed the back of his neck.
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Something tugged at his head.
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Suddenly, his head felt strangely cool.
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He looked up and saw an owl flying off with his gardening hat.
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Hey, I was only trying to rescue your young one, shouted Dad.
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The second parent joined the attack.
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Jake, seeing this, immediately grabbed his tennis racket, rushed outside and shouted, Hey, get off my dad!
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As he went to help his dad, a loud cawing came from the roof of the house.
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Three black crows, led by Birdie, shot down in an arrowhead formation.
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Within seconds, the garden was full of beating wings and shaking leaves.
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It was beak to beak and claw to claw.
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Black and brown feathers fluttered down onto the lawn.
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The battle of the birds was noisy and fierce, but it lasted barely more than a minute.
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The crows withdrew to the rooftop, while the owls returned to guard the apple tree.
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Meanwhile, the helpless Owlet dug its claws into the bark, flapped his wings and clambered back onto a branch.
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When Jake returned to his room, Birdie landed briefly on his sill.
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His feathers were still ruffled and a tail feather was sticking out at a strange angle.
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He squawked.
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That showed them.
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If those owls try any more of that nonsense, we'll be back again.
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He didn't wait for Jake's response and flew off.
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That very same evening, there was another big fight.
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The crows attacked the owls as they came out to hunt for mice.
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The same thing happened night after night.
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Birdie, said Jake when he landed on his windowsill.
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Isn't it time to call off this war?
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Mum says all the bird noise is giving her nightmares.
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And Dad says it's wrong to hold grudges for so long.
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I will accept nothing less than unconditional surrender, declared Birdie.
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At dusk the next day, Jake went to talk to the owls.
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He stood at the foot of the apple tree and called out, Do -wit -do -woo!
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And an owl replied, What can we do to stop all this noise and all this fighting?
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asked Jake Oh, we just want to live in peace and bring up our family,
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replied the owl Could you agree to keep the noise down and not steal my dad's hat again?
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Oh, the hat was a misunderstanding Oh, we were protecting our young,
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and we can try not to hoot so loud, but we can't, promise.
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That's okay then, said Jake.
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But what can I tell Birdie?
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He's got an ancient grudge against you.
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Oh, we know, replied the owl.
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You can give him this.
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The owl flew out and dropped something at Jake's feet.
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Whatever it was, glinted in the moonlight.
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Jake picked it up and felt it between his fingers.
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It was a coin, old and worn.
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When he shone his torch, he saw that a bird was engraved there.
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Not an owl, but a crow.
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Thank you, I think he'll like this, said Jake.
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He ran back into the house and hoped that Birdie would turn up that evening
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He hadn't been visiting so much since the start of the war Fortunately, Birdie did come tapping at the window
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Jake showed him the coin That is an ancient Greek opal with the face of a crow on it Very,
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very rare
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Where did you get
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that? asked birdie the owl gave it to me he replied
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he asked me to give it to you as a peace offering
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peace what's that i don't know the meaning of peace exclaimed birdie oh go on birdie
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you're really old
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but you're not very grown up sometimes are you you can't
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hold a grudge forever Why don't you take the coin and call off the war?
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Whatever happened long ago, the Owls just want to live in peace and bring up their family.
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Birdie hopped from one leg to the other.
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I thought you were my friend.
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He squawked.
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I am your friend, Birdie.
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That's why I'm telling you the truth.
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Even though you don't like it Isn't that what you did for Athena?
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Birdie let out a squawk Go on, take the coin Said Jake holding it out Nah,
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you keep it safe But I'll tell you what
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If the owls stop hooting at all hours I'll call off my birds
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And we'll let bygones be bygones Said Birdie And Peace returned to the garden Sort of An occasional
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Let the family know that the owls were still there.
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And of course, the crows who perched on the roof liked to make their presence known.
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Every now and then.
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And that was Birdie's Grudge, read by me, Jana, for Story Nori,
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inspired by a true event when an owl was keeping me awake at night.
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Do it, do it, do it.
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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les
Deze spreekles op niveau A2 is gebaseerd op de video “Birdy's Grudge”. Deze woorden komen het vaakst terug: owl, birdie, Jake, crow, bird. Deze video bevat 165 zinnen en 1823 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 15:33. De spreker praat in een gelijkmatig tempo van ongeveer 117 woorden per minuut, prettig om te shadowen. 77% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.
Belangrijke woorden in deze video
15 woorden uit de video die het leren waard zijn, met uitspraak en betekenis:
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| owl zelfstandig naamwoord | /aʊ(ə)l/ | uil |
| crow zelfstandig naamwoord | /kɹoʊ/ | kraai |
| coin zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈkoɪ̯n/ | munt, muntstuk |
| goddess zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈɡɑdəs/ | godin |
| feather zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈfɛðə/ | veer, veder |
| claw zelfstandig naamwoord | /klɔ/ | klauw |
| shake werkwoord | /ˈʃeɪk/ | schudden |
| torch zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈtɔːtʃ/ | toorts, fakkel |
| rush werkwoord | /ɹʌʃ/ | afraffelen |
| hop zelfstandig naamwoord | /hɒp/ | hop |
| mouse zelfstandig naamwoord | /maʊs/ | muis |
| disgusting bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/ | walgelijk, afschuwelijk |
| handsome bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /ˈhæn.səm/ | knap |
| shout werkwoord | /ʃaʊt/ | schreeuwen |
| lawn zelfstandig naamwoord | /lɔːn/ | gazon, grasperk |
Phrasal verbs die je zult horen
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| bring up werkwoord | opvoeden | |
| get off werkwoord | van ... afgaan | |
| grow up werkwoord | opgroeien | |
| look up werkwoord | /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ | opkijken |
Zinnen om te herhalen
Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:
- Sorry, it's good news, isn't it?
- Whatever you do, don't open it, she told them.
- Keep your beak out of other people's business.
- I didn't realise you were so touchy today.
- We crows are far smarter, but do we get any appreciation?
Grammatica in deze video
De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:
| Structuur | In de video |
|---|---|
| Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet | was called · were still ruffled · was engraved |
| Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt | haven't slept · has believed |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — iets dat op een moment in het verleden bezig was | was coming · were becoming · was only trying |
| Overtreffende trap the -est / the most … — het hoogste of laagste van een groep | the latest · the worst · the wisest |
Uitspraak om op te letten
De spreker gebruikt 43 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals don't, they're, you're. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.
- De “th”-klanken: feather /ˈfɛðə/, thick /θɪk/, withdraw /wɪðˈdɹɔ/
- De klanken “sh” en “zh”: shake /ˈʃeɪk/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, shout /ʃaʊt/, brush /bɹʌʃ/, shine /ʃaɪn/
- Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, investigate /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/, appreciation /əˌpɹiː.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/, occasional /əˈkeɪʒ(ə)nəl/, acropolis /əˈkɹɒpəlɪs/
Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:
- Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: bend /bɛnd/, rage /ɹeɪd͡ʒ/, glove /ɡlʌv/, offend /əˈfɛnd/, favoured /ˈfeɪ.vɚd/
- /æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: handsome /ˈhæn.səm/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, angle /ˈæŋ.ɡəl/, habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/, nasty /ˈnæs.ti/
- /g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: goddess /ˈɡɑdəs/, disgusting /dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/, finger /ˈfɪŋɡɚ/, argue /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/, angle /ˈæŋ.ɡəl/
Zo oefen je met deze video
- Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
- Spreek zin voor zin na op normale snelheid en herhaal elke zin tot je ritme gelijk is aan dat van de spreker.
- Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als owl, crow, coin.
Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?
Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.