Shadowing Practice: 1 Getting a Pet - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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One Story a Day for Early Readers.
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Book Two.
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Story One.
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Getting a Pet.
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Yan loves animals.
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He wants a pet.
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There is only one problem.
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His family lives in a very small apartment.
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He begs his parents to let him have a puppy.
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But his father says, a puppy is small, but puppies grow into big dogs.
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We have no space for a dog.
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So, Yan asks for a kitten.
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His mom looks at her son.
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She wants him to have a pet, but the apartment is so small.
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We cannot get a kitten either, she says.
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Kittens become cats, and cats are big.
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Yan is sad, but he understands.
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Then, one day, he comes home from school and sees something on his table.
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It's a bowl filled with water.
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Inside is a pretty little goldfish.
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It is swimming around and around.
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Yan laughs with joy.
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Now Yan has a pet.
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He calls his goldfish Goldie.
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Goldie is his very best friend.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "1 Getting a Pet" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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 →