Shadowing Practice: 056 Bird and Kip 56 Looking for a Tree - Learn English Speaking with Video

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19 sentences
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1
Bird and Kip, episode 56, Looking for a Tree.
2
Bird and Kip walked around the park.
3
They were looking for a new tree.
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I need a strong branch for my nest said bird I Need a good hole for my acorns said Kip
5
There's a maple tree said bird it looks very strong The two friends went up the maple tree tree.
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These branches are strong, said Bird.
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I can build a nest here.
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Kip rubbed his chin.
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I don't see any holes, he said.
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I can't live in this tree.
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Kip pointed to an old tree.
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Let's try that tree, said Kip.
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It has lots of holes.
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The two friends went to the old tree.
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Kip climbed into a hole.
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This tree is perfect, said Kip.
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Bird scratched her head.
18
These branches are too thin, she said.
19
I can't live in this tree.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This A1 speaking lesson is built on the video “056 Bird and Kip 56 Looking for a Tree”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: tree, Kip, bird, hole, strong. This video has 19 sentences and 143 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:51. The speaker talks slowly, about 78 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound.

Key vocabulary in this video

13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
nest noun/nɛst/A structure built by a bird as a place to incubate eggs and rear young.
maple noun/ˈmeɪpl̩/Any member of any species of genus Acer, characterized by (usually) palmate, five-lobed leaves and winged seeds, and often grown for syrup or wood
thin adjective/ˈθɪn/Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
climb verb/ˈklaɪ̯m/To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending).
scratch verb/skɹæt͡ʃ/To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
chin noun/ˈt͡ʃɪn/The bottom of a face, (specifically) the typically jutting jawline below the mouth.
rub verb/ɹʌb/To move (one object) while maintaining contact with another object over some area, with pressure and friction.
acorn noun/ˈeɪ.kɔɹn/The fruit of the oak, being an oval nut growing in a woody cup or cupule.
bird noun/ˈbɜːd/An animal of the clade (traditionally class) Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually capable of…
hole noun/hoʊl/A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit; a dent; a depression; a fissure.
branch noun/bɹænt͡ʃ/The woody part of a tree arising from the trunk and usually dividing.
tree noun/tɹiː/A perennial woody plant taller and larger than a shrub with a wooden trunk and, at some distance from the ground, having leaves and branches.
episode noun/ˈɛp.ə.soʊd/A discrete but connected event, situation, or period within a broader sequence, narrative, or life course.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordMeaning
go up verbTo move upwards.
walk around verbTo walk with no planned destination; to meander.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the pastwere looking

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like nest, maple, thin.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →