Shadowing Practice: Bedtime Stories | Tom Hiddleston reads Supertato | CBeebies - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hello, I'm Tom.
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Tonight's bedtime story is all about a supervillain.
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This guy is really naughty, very cheeky, and bright green.
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But never fear, because where there's trouble, a superhero is sure to follow.
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The story is called Supertato, and it's by Sue Hendre and Paul Linnett.
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Some vegetables are frozen for a very good reason.
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Don't believe me?
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Then keep reading.
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It was nighttime in the supermarket and all was quiet.
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But crash bang, something had escaped from the freezer.
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Something small and round and green.
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Something looking for trouble.
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Big trouble.
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Help, help, cried Carrot.
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I'm stuck to the conveyor belt.
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Grrrr, cried Broccoli.
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Someone's drawn on my face.
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Cried Cucumber. Who was doing this?
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And was there anyone who could help these vegetables in distress?
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Supertato to the rescue.
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He used his super speed.
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He used his super strength.
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He used a flannel and some soapy water.
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I know who's behind this, said Supertato.
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There's a pea on the loose Oh no, not a pea, everyone gasped Yes,
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a pea, but I'm out of the freezer now
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And I'm never going back And the evil pea ran off to commit more terrible crimes
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Time for a dip, little veggies Now that's enough shouted Supertato.
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He leapt towards the pea, but the pea popped out of his hands and vanished into thin air.
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Supertato set out on a super search.
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He crept through the cakes.
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He checked the cheese.
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He snuck up on the beans.
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And then something caught his eye.
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The game's up, yelled Supertato.
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Kapow!
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But the pea bounced out of reach and onto a trolley.
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Supertato was just about to stop him with his super strength
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when the trolley crashed and he was thrown down into the icy depths of the freezer.
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Was this the end of Supertato?
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Not quite.
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But the pea was off his trolley and lying in wait.
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You're finished, Supertato, he shrieked.
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But Supertato summoned up all his strength and ran for it.
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The pea nearly had him at the beans and closed in on him at the cheese.
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He had him cornered at the cakes.
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So much for Supertato, screeched the P.
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You're about to be mashed, Potato.
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Surely this was the end for Supertato.
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Not today, my friend, said Supertato.
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Gotcha, said the P.
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Oh, yes, said Supertato.
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I set my trap and you fell for it.
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Or should that be in it?
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And he grinned a super grin.
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Supertato had saved the day.
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Take him away, he said.
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And pea was marched back to the freezer where he belonged.
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This jelly tastes of pea, said Broccoli.
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And everybody laughed and cheered.
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So remember folks, some vegetables are frozen for a very good reason.
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Maybe you'd better go and check your freezer just in case there's an escapee in your house.
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Wow, that little pea caused a lot of mayhem but luckily Supertato was there to save the day.
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And now it's time for you to go to sleep.
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Perhaps you'll dream of mischievous villains or brave superheroes tonight.
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Good night, little peas.
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Watch more on BBC iPlayer.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Bedtime Stories”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Supertato, pea, freezer, super, trolley. This video has 67 sentences and 519 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:51. The speaker talks slowly, about 107 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 74% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| freezer noun | /ˈfɹizɚ/ | An appliance or room used to store food or other perishable items at temperatures below 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit). |
| vegetable noun | /ˈvɛd͡ʒ.tə.bəl/ | A plant raised for some edible part of it, such as the leaves, roots, fruit or flowers, but excluding any plant considered to be a fruit, grain, herb, or spice… |
| freeze verb | /ˈfɹiːz/ | Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature. |
| bean noun | /ˈbi(ː)n/ | Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods. |
| superhero noun | /ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/ | Any fictional crime-fighting character, often with supernatural powers or equipment, in popular children's and fantasy literature; a fictional hero who does… |
| grin noun | /ɡɹɪn/ | A smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth. |
| rescue verb | /ˈɹɛs.kjuː/ | To save from any violence, danger or evil. |
| thin adjective | /ˈθɪn/ | Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite. |
| belt noun | /ˈbɛlt/ | A band worn around the waist to hold clothing to one's body (usually pants), hold weapons (such as a gun or sword), or serve as a decorative piece of clothing. |
| belong verb | /bɪˈlɒŋ/ | To have its proper place. |
| brave adjective | /bɹeɪv/ | Strong in the face of fear; courageous. |
| commit verb | /kəˈmɪt/ | To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto. |
| trap noun | /tɹæp/ | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body. |
| bang noun | /ˈbæŋ/ | A sudden percussive noise. |
| folk noun | /foʊk/ | People, persons. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| close in on verb | To enclose around; to tighten or shrink; to collapse. |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shout /ʃaʊt/, mash /mæʃ/, shriek /ʃɹiːk/, vanish /ˈvænɪʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: superhero /ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/, supermarket /ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like freezer, vegetable, freeze.
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.