Shadowing Practice: Five Fables About Humility | The Tortoise and the Hare, The North Wind and the Sun & More - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Little Fox One day the tortoise was taking a nice slow walk.
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Little Fox One day the tortoise was taking a nice slow walk.
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He was going around the lake.
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Suddenly, whoosh!
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Wind rushed at him as the hare raced past.
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The tortoise flopped over onto his back.
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Oops!
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The hare laughed loudly.
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Tortoise turned himself back over.
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It's not funny, hare.
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You should be careful of others on the path.
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Well, slowpokes shouldn't be on the path, hare said.
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It's for speedy runners like me.
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Just then, a fox walked by.
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He saw the two animals' angry expressions.
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What's wrong?
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He asked.
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This path is for speedy runners,
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not slow walkers, Hare said.
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The path is for everyone, Tortoise said.
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They glared at each other.
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Let's have a race, Hare finally said.
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The winner can decide who gets to use the path.
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Fine, Tortoise said.
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We'll race.
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I can be the judge, Fox said.
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We'll have the race tomorrow, Hare said.
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We'll race once around the lake.
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I'll be here, Tortoise said.
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The next day, lots of animals gathered to watch the race.
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The hare and the tortoise met at the starting line.
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The hare grinned.
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You'll never beat me.
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I'm fast and you're slow.
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Just give up, Tortoise.
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I want to race, the tortoise said calmly.
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Then we'll see who the winner is.
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The fox came over to start the race.
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On your mark, get set, go!
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The two racers took off.
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The hare instantly shot ahead.
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See you later, tortoise!
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Much later!
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He said, laughing.
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The hare ran fast for a while.
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When he looked back, he couldn't see the tortoise at all.
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I'm way ahead of him, he thought.
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Up ahead, Hare spotted some delicious-looking carrots.
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Yum!
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I'll stop for a snack.
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That slow tortoise will never catch up to me.
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The tortoise kept walking along at the same steady pace.
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Following the path, he kept his eyes straight ahead.
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Tortoise!
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Tortoise!
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Some animals cheered his name.
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You can do it!
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The hare suddenly woke up.
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I fell asleep after my snack!
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He looked back, but the tortoise was nowhere in sight.
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Phew!
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He got up and raced toward the finish line.
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When he got close, he gasped in surprise.
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The tortoise was crossing the finish line!
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Impossible!
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Hare cried.
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Tortoise looked back at Hare and smiled.
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You're very fast, Hare.
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But slow but steady wins the race.
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The north wind and the sun were high in the sky.
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As usual, the north wind was bragging to the sun.
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Watch me blow away these clouds, he said.
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I'm really strong, much stronger than you He blew hard and all the clouds scattered See?
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The north wind said with a grin I'm the strongest one in the sky The sun smiled I'm strong too,
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she said The North Wind laughed loudly.
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You?
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Strong?
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You're always gentle, not strong.
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Just then, the sun spotted a man walking along the road.
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The man was wearing a warm coat.
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Let's have a contest, the sun said.
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The one who makes that man remove his coat is the strongest.
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Sure!
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The north wind said laughing again that will be easy for me I'll just blow
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that coat right off him watch this the north wind blew hard on the road below dust and leaves flew everywhere.
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The man shivered.
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What a chilly wind.
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That's odd.
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The north wind frowned as the man buttoned up his coat.
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The coat is still on him.
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I'll try again.
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The north wind blue again, this time even harder.
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But once more, the coat stayed on the man.
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Phew!
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By now, the north wind was out of breath and very tired.
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Oh well, the sun said gently.
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I guess it's my turn.
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She moved closer to the man.
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What strange weather, the man said, unbuttoning his coat.
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Now it's lovely out.
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The sun beamed even more brightly.
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Ah, it's so warm, the man said.
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It feels wonderful.
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Oh, no!
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The north wind cried as the man removed his coat.
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The sun smiled I guess I won the contest The north wind said,
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taking off Below the man was resting peacefully under a tree The sun kept him warm as he slept
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Poor north wind The son thought.
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Someday he'll realize something.
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It's often better to be gentle than to blow with great strength.
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Once upon a time there lived a beautiful heart.
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The heart was tall, proud, and graceful.
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But his most outstanding feature was his antlers.
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Every day the heart came to drink from the river,
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and every day the heart would admire his reflection in the water.
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Just look, the heart exclaimed.
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Look at these magnificent antlers.
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No one has such beautiful antlers as I, he boasted.
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The heart stood and admired his antlers for a long time.
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No one was allowed to touch his precious antlers.
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Not even little birds taking a little break.
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Shoo, shoo!
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He would swing his legs up.
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He would...
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How dare you sit on my beautiful antlers?
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He scolded.
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The heart looked to make sure his antlers were okay.
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Oh!
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He suddenly cried.
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The heart lifted his leg higher.
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What a shame!
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He moaned.
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These legs are not worthy to hold my great antlers.
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The heart frowned.
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I wish my legs were more beautiful.
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The heart was so distressed that he did not know he was being watched.
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Look at those magnificent antlers!
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The hunter was thinking to himself.
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The hunter slowly took out his arrow.
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He aimed carefully at the heart.
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The arrow flew but missed the heart.
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At that moment, the heart turned and saw the hunter.
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Oh!
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Oh!
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He cried as he quickly ran away.
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The heart nimbly jumped over fallen trees.
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His legs gracefully carried him through the forest.
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The hunter could not keep up with the heart.
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The heart ran as swift as the wind.
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No one, not even the birds,
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were as fast as the heart.
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After some time, he turned around to look for the hunter.
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The hunter was nowhere to be seen.
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The heart laughed with relief and joy.
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But not for long.
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Smash!
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The heart was not watching where he was going.
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His great antlers got stuck in some branches.
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The heart tried to free himself.
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But no matter which way he turned,
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his antlers would not budge.
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Oh, why are you so big and grand?
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He shouted at his antlers.
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Meanwhile, the hunter was able to catch up with the heart.
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The heart looked down at his legs.
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Even though you are not as beautiful as my antlers,
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he said, you carried me fast and far.
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Oh, how we despise what is most useful to us!
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The heart cried with regret.
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Once, a group of frogs lived in a little pond.
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They lived there happily.
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Let's have a jumping contest.
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I bet I can jump the highest.
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You always want to show off.
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Go ahead.
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Show us how high you can jump.
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Frog Al knew how to jump the highest.
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He had learned how to bounce off a seaweed pod.
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This made him jump very high.
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Wow!
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How does he jump so high?
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All the other frogs wanted to jump high,
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but they could not jump higher than Frog Al did.
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Frog Al was very proud.
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See, I am better than everyone else.
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I am the greatest jumper.
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I am sure that there is someone who is better than you.
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Everyone has at least one weakness.
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Yeah, like diving.
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I am sure one of us can dive further than you.
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Oh, yeah?
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Okay, then.
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Let's have a diving contest.
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All the frogs lined up on the edge of a rock to dive.
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Ready, set, dive!
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When the other frogs jumped in,
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Al sank furthest to the bottom.
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See, I told you.
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I am better than everyone else.
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I am the greatest.
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Well, maybe you are, but you should not boast so much.
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Right, Al.
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You boast too much.
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One day, the frogs were enjoying the sun.
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A big ox came to drink at the pond.
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Hey, let's get out of here quickly.
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There's a huge beast coming.
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Yeah, let's hide until he leaves.
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But soon they found that the ox was harmless.
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He is only drinking the water.
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So they all came out to admire him.
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Look how huge the beast is.
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Yeah, it would take hundreds of us to make one of him.
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Huh, he's not so big.
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I can be as big as he is.
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Just watch.
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Frog Owl drew in a deep breath and puffed his belly out.
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Ha ha ha!
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You're very little.
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Far too little.
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Ha ha ha ha!
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Ha ha!
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You are not even bigger than his foot.
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Not bigger?
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I can be as big as he is.
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Just watch.
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Is this big enough?
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You're very little.
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Still too little.
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Too little?
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I can be as big as he is.
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How about this?
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Is this big enough?
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You're very little.
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Far too little.
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Still not big enough.
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What?
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Still not big enough?
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I can be as big as he is.
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Just watch.
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How about this?
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Is this big enough now?
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No, still not nearly big enough.
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Now you had better stop.
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You might burst your belly.
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The ox was watching the frog getting bigger and bigger.
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He thought it was very funny.
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Out of curiosity, he stepped on the strange frog to see what would happen.
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Pop!
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Oh my!
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What a pity!
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His boasting cost him his life, after all!
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Then the frogs hopped sadly away.
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Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful olive tree.
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She was the most beautiful tree in the forest.
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Olive knew that everyone admired her.
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The colorful birds sat on Olive's branches.
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They sang beautiful songs of spring.
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Olive spread her branches and looked at her beautiful leaves.
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A fig tree grew nearby.
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Oh, Fig, just look at how beautiful I am!
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Called out Olive.
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Aren't my leaves so thick and beautiful?
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Oh, yes, they are, answered the fig tree politely.
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Soon it was autumn.
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Fig's leaves started to change colors.
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Olive's leaves stayed green and thick.
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Oh, poor fig!
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Olive whispered loudly to the bird.
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His leaves are changing colors.
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Why are Fig's leaves changing colors? whispered the bird.
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His leaves are getting weak, Olive said quietly.
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As it gets colder, Fig's leaves will start to fall off.
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Soon Fig will have no leaves at all.
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He will be naked and ugly.
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What about you, Olive? asked the little bird.
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Don't worry about me, Olive answered proudly.
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My leaves are the same all year round.
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They are always thick, green, and beautiful.
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Winter arrived a few months later.
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Oh, poor Fig, cried Olive.
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You must be so cold standing there naked.
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I wish I could give you some of my leaves.
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Fig knew that Olive was teasing him.
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Sometimes he wished he had beautiful leaves all year long, too.
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But he was not an olive tree.
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He was a fig tree.
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He stood proudly and ignored olive.
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One day it began to snow.
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The snowflakes fell and landed on olive's leaves.
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They also fell on the ground next to fig.
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The snow fell harder and harder.
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Oh, my branches are so heavy, complained Olive.
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I can't hold up all of this snow.
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Olive's beautiful leaves were covered in snow.
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Suddenly, there was a cracking sound.
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Oh, no, cried Olive.
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Olive's branches broke and fell off one after another.
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Soon, she had no branches left.
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In the spring, the bird returned.
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What happened to Olive?
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The bird asked Fig.
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She learned a lesson, answered Fig.
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Sometimes it's not good to be the same all the time.
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We are all different for a reason.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English listening and speaking skills through the story of "The Tortoise and the Hare," a fable about humility and perseverance. By engaging with this classic tale, you will have the opportunity to not only improve your vocabulary but also refine your pronunciation. The fable features two main characters, the swift hare and the slow tortoise, who race to determine who truly deserves the right to use the shared path. As you follow their story, you will gain insights into key life lessons while practicing your speaking skills through the shadowspeaks method.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Tortoise: A slow-moving reptile known for its protective shell.
- Hare: A fast-running animal similar to a rabbit.
- Race: A competition of speed.
- Path: A route or track for walking or traveling.
- Speedy: Moving or capable of moving quickly.
- Calmly: In a peaceful and undisturbed manner.
- Gathered: Came together or assembled.
- Judge: A person who decides or gives a ruling, often in a competition.
Practice Tips
To effectively use the shadowing technique with this video, begin by listening to short segments of the narrative. Focus on mimicking the intonation and rhythm of the speaker. Here are some specific tips:
- Start Slow: Since the conversation in the fable is simple, begin shadowing at a slower pace if needed. This will make it easier to match the pronunciation as you listen to the characters' dialogue.
- Repeat Key Phrases: Pay attention to phrases such as "It's not funny," and "We'll see who the winner is." Repeating these phrases will help you gain confidence in your speaking abilities.
- Record Yourself: Use your device to record your attempts at shadow speaking. Listening to your recordings will allow you to identify areas where you can improve English pronunciation.
- Engage with the Story: Visualize the scenes as you shadow speak. This will help make the vocabulary stick and make learning enjoyable when you learn English with YouTube.
By incorporating these strategies, you'll not only enhance your listening comprehension but also build a stronger foundation in your spoken English. Happy practicing!
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.
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