Shadowing Practice: Birdy's Grudge - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Hello, you're listening to Jana, and I'm back with one of our popular birdie stories.
2
It's a hoot of a story, and I hope you'll enjoy it.
3
One dark evening back in February, Jake heard hooting sounds from the back garden.
4
He pulled on his wellies and coat, took a torch from the cupboard and hurried out into the rain to investigate.
5
Jake followed the hoots towards an old apple tree.
6
There the beam of his torch found two enormous yellow eyes looking straight at him.
7
He ran back to the house.
8
Mum, Dad, come and see.
9
I think I found an owl.
10
It's in the garden.
11
Jake couldn't wait to tell his best friend Birdie about his discovery
12
But Birdie didn't appear that night He must have been busy elsewhere The next morning, Mum yawned as she made breakfast Oh,
13
I wish that owl would keep quiet She complained
14
He was twit -to -ooing half the night I haven't slept a wink After supper,
15
Dad found an owl video on YouTube The family watched it together.
16
They learned that the female tawny owl makes a cry like...
17
And the male answers her with a...
18
I heard both those sounds, said Mum.
19
I think we have a pair of owls.
20
I expect there'll be a whole family in the spring.
21
Now Jake was even more excited.
22
He was sure that Birdie would be too.
23
After all, Birdie was a bird, so he would be interested in the latest bird gossip, wouldn't he?
24
That night, Birdie paid a visit.
25
The ancient crow was at Jake's window.
26
Come in, Birdie.
27
I've got big news.
28
We have owls.
29
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, said Birdie.
30
Sorry, it's good news, isn't it?
31
Birdie shook his black head Owls are the worst type of news They're never up to any good in my experience Oh?
32
said Jake astonished In school, they teach us that owls are wise
33
Crrrr! said Birdie shaking his head And Jake realised that he might have offended his feathered friend No, not as wise as crows,
34
of course, Birdie I just mean, you know, they're not stupid Owls,
35
said Birdie Are cunning, but cunning is not the same thing as wise Unfortunately,
36
some people can't tell the difference I knew an owl once who even managed to trick the goddess Athena
37
Jake could tell that one of Birdie's stories was coming on, so he sat back against his pillow.
38
It happened long, long ago.
39
And I don't mean long ago like when your dad was a little kid.
40
I mean properly long ago, like back in ancient times when even I was handsome
41
and full of youth back then the goddess Athena thought very highly of me I was her favourite bird
42
and I lived in her temple on the Acropolis the great
43
hill above Athens as a mark of her favour she made little silver coins with my handsome face stamped upon them Now,
44
the king of Athens was called Seacrops.
45
Seacrops had three daughters, and Athena gave them a special box to guard.
46
Whatever you do, don't open it, she told them.
47
Naturally, that made them desperate to know what was inside.
48
One day they lifted the lid and took a peek.
49
I saw the whole thing from a nearby tree, so I flew straight to Athena and told her.
50
You might think she would have thanked me, but no!
51
She flew into a terrible rage and told me off good and proper.
52
Don't be such a spy on a telltale tit, she said.
53
I don't want to hear nasty stories about my favourite human beings.
54
Keep your beak out of other people's business.
55
Sorry, my lady, I said.
56
I didn't realise you were so touchy today.
57
and don't you talk back to a goddess she cried leave my acropolis
58
and don't show your gossipy face around here ever again
59
so she kicked me out just because i told her the truth i thought it was very strange.
60
Then I discovered that an owl had been paying her visits,
61
bringing her presents and flattery.
62
To it too, you're by far the wisest and most beautiful goddess in the world,
63
he used to say.
64
He knew that flattery will get you everywhere with a Greek goddess.
65
Soon after, she appointed the owl her most favoured bird and put his puffy face on all her coins.
66
All the crow coins disappeared.
67
Ever since then, everyone has believed that owls are wise.
68
We crows are far smarter, but do we get any appreciation?
69
Not a bit of it.
70
I'd chase those owls away if I were you.
71
Mark my words, they're cunning birds, and you never know what trick they're up to.
72
Jake could see there was no use arguing with Birdie.
73
He obviously held an ancient grudge against owls.
74
The rain does not continue forever, not even in England.
75
Spring brought daffodils and little owlets in the apple tree.
76
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.
77
By May, the baby owls were becoming increasingly noisy.
78
They called for food until four in the morning.
79
Now Mum hated owls almost as much as Birdie did.
80
One morning she went out into the garden to water her plants.
81
Oh, yuck!
82
That's disgusting!
83
Mum shrieked as she saw owl droppings and bird pellets scattered over her lawn.
84
The pellets that the owls coughed up contained things like mouse bones and rat skulls.
85
That evening when Jake told Birdie the story,
86
he said See, I told you owls were bad news Their habits are disgusting Oh,
87
Mum agrees with you, said Jake But Dad still likes them He thinks they bring good luck Silly man,
88
called Birdie In early summer, Dad found an owlet hopping along the garden wall, sounding distressed.
89
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.
90
As he bent over, a rush of air brushed the back of his neck.
91
Something tugged at his head.
92
Suddenly, his head felt strangely cool.
93
He looked up and saw an owl flying off with his gardening hat.
94
Hey, I was only trying to rescue your young one, shouted Dad.
95
The second parent joined the attack.
96
Jake, seeing this, immediately grabbed his tennis racket, rushed outside and shouted, Hey, get off my dad!
97
As he went to help his dad, a loud cawing came from the roof of the house.
98
Three black crows, led by Birdie, shot down in an arrowhead formation.
99
Within seconds, the garden was full of beating wings and shaking leaves.
100
It was beak to beak and claw to claw.
101
Black and brown feathers fluttered down onto the lawn.
102
The battle of the birds was noisy and fierce, but it lasted barely more than a minute.
103
The crows withdrew to the rooftop, while the owls returned to guard the apple tree.
104
Meanwhile, the helpless Owlet dug its claws into the bark, flapped his wings and clambered back onto a branch.
105
When Jake returned to his room, Birdie landed briefly on his sill.
106
His feathers were still ruffled and a tail feather was sticking out at a strange angle.
107
He squawked.
108
That showed them.
109
If those owls try any more of that nonsense, we'll be back again.
110
He didn't wait for Jake's response and flew off.
111
That very same evening, there was another big fight.
112
The crows attacked the owls as they came out to hunt for mice.
113
The same thing happened night after night.
114
Birdie, said Jake when he landed on his windowsill.
115
Isn't it time to call off this war?
116
Mum says all the bird noise is giving her nightmares.
117
And Dad says it's wrong to hold grudges for so long.
118
I will accept nothing less than unconditional surrender, declared Birdie.
119
At dusk the next day, Jake went to talk to the owls.
120
He stood at the foot of the apple tree and called out, Do -wit -do -woo!
121
And an owl replied, What can we do to stop all this noise and all this fighting?
122
asked Jake Oh, we just want to live in peace and bring up our family,
123
replied the owl Could you agree to keep the noise down and not steal my dad's hat again?
124
Oh, the hat was a misunderstanding Oh, we were protecting our young,
125
and we can try not to hoot so loud, but we can't, promise.
126
That's okay then, said Jake.
127
But what can I tell Birdie?
128
He's got an ancient grudge against you.
129
Oh, we know, replied the owl.
130
You can give him this.
131
The owl flew out and dropped something at Jake's feet.
132
Whatever it was, glinted in the moonlight.
133
Jake picked it up and felt it between his fingers.
134
It was a coin, old and worn.
135
When he shone his torch, he saw that a bird was engraved there.
136
Not an owl, but a crow.
137
Thank you, I think he'll like this, said Jake.
138
He ran back into the house and hoped that Birdie would turn up that evening
139
He hadn't been visiting so much since the start of the war Fortunately, Birdie did come tapping at the window
140
Jake showed him the coin That is an ancient Greek opal with the face of a crow on it Very,
141
very rare
142
Where did you get
143
that? asked birdie the owl gave it to me he replied
144
he asked me to give it to you as a peace offering
145
peace what's that i don't know the meaning of peace exclaimed birdie oh go on birdie
146
you're really old
147
but you're not very grown up sometimes are you you can't
148
hold a grudge forever Why don't you take the coin and call off the war?
149
Whatever happened long ago, the Owls just want to live in peace and bring up their family.
150
Birdie hopped from one leg to the other.
151
I thought you were my friend.
152
He squawked.
153
I am your friend, Birdie.
154
That's why I'm telling you the truth.
155
Even though you don't like it Isn't that what you did for Athena?
156
Birdie let out a squawk Go on, take the coin Said Jake holding it out Nah,
157
you keep it safe But I'll tell you what
158
If the owls stop hooting at all hours I'll call off my birds
159
And we'll let bygones be bygones Said Birdie And Peace returned to the garden Sort of An occasional
160
Let the family know that the owls were still there.
161
And of course, the crows who perched on the roof liked to make their presence known.
162
Every now and then.
163
And that was Birdie's Grudge, read by me, Jana, for Story Nori,
164
inspired by a true event when an owl was keeping me awake at night.
165
Do it, do it, do it.
📺 Same Channel
B13
The Monkey King (Journey to the West)
British AccentKidsTeensDaily Conversation
B14
Journey to the West: The Monk Rescues the Monkey
British AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A23
Birdy's Treasure Hunt
British AccentKidsTeensDaily Conversation
A22
New Year in the Jungle
British AccentKidsTeensDaily Conversation
A2Snow White
British AccentKidsTeensDaily Conversation
✨ Recommend Video
A21
51 sentences
The Owl House Season 1 Episode 4 6/6 The Intruder
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A21
14 sentences
4.13 Loud Birds
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A21
119 sentences
Watch Julia Donaldson star in a staged adaptation of The Gruffalo
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A21
799 sentences
Should We Tell Our Old Neighbor the Truth? I Easy English Listening for Beginners (A1–A2)
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A1119
8 sentences
Show and tell 1 ~ Unit 3 Story I'm A Bird
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A21
82 sentences
The Happy Prince - Bedtime Story (BedtimeStory.TV)
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A22
40 sentences
Migration 2023 Part 1
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A213
26 sentences
047 Bird and Kip 47 Bird Flies South
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A21
20 sentences
One story a day level 2 book 3 Story 10 Butterflies and bird song
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A21
29 sentences
The Bear and the Bees | Gentle Read Along 📖 Aesop's Fables Moral Story (English)
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Birdy's Grudge”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: owl, birdie, Jake, crow, bird. This video has 165 sentences and 1823 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:33. The speaker talks at a steady 117 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 77% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| owl noun | /aʊ(ə)l/ | Any of various birds of prey of the order Strigiformes, families Strigidae and Tytonidae, that are primarily nocturnal and have forward-looking, binocular… |
| crow noun | /kɹoʊ/ | A bird, usually black, of the genus Corvus, having a strong conical beak, with projecting bristles; it has a harsh, croaking call. |
| coin noun | /ˈkoɪ̯n/ | A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle. |
| goddess noun | /ˈɡɑdəs/ | A female deity. |
| feather noun | /ˈfɛðə/ | A branching, hair-like structure that grows on the bodies of birds, used for flight, swimming, protection and display. |
| claw noun | /klɔ/ | A curved, pointed, horny projection on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird. |
| shake verb | /ˈʃeɪk/ | To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly. |
| torch noun | /ˈtɔːtʃ/ | A stick of wood or plant fibres twisted together, with one end soaked in a flammable substance such as resin or tallow and set on fire, which is held in the… |
| rush verb | /ɹʌʃ/ | To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully. |
| trick noun | /ˈtɹɪk/ | Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle. |
| hop noun | /hɒp/ | A plant of species Humulus lupulus, native to northern Europe, female flowers of which are used to flavour many types of beer during brewing. |
| mouse noun | /maʊs/ | Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail. |
| realise verb | Non-Oxford British standard spelling of realize. | |
| disgusting adjective | /dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/ | Causing disgust; repulsive; distasteful. |
| handsome adjective | /ˈhæn.səm/ | Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive, particularly |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| call off verb | To recall; to cancel or call a halt to. |
| bring up verb | To mention. |
| call out verb | To specify, especially in detail. |
| fly off verb | To flee rapidly; to run away. |
| fly out verb | To travel by airplane to a destination. |
| get off verb | To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it. |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| let out verb | To release. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- 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?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was called · were still ruffled · was engraved |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't slept · has believed |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was coming · were becoming · was only trying |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the latest · the worst · the wisest |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 43 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, they're, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: feather /ˈfɛðə/, thick /θɪk/, withdraw /wɪðˈdɹɔ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shake /ˈʃeɪk/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, shout /ʃaʊt/, brush /bɹʌʃ/, shine /ʃaɪn/
- Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, investigate /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/, appreciation /əˌpɹiː.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/, occasional /əˈkeɪʒ(ə)nəl/, acropolis /əˈkɹɒpəlɪs/
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 owl, crow, coin.
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.