Shadowing Practice: Hansel and Gretel | Fairy Tales for Kids - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Once upon a time there lived a brother and sister named Hansel and Gretel.
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Their mother had passed away when they were babies.
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They lived with their dad in a hut in the forest.
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Their dad was trained to earn their living by working as a woodcutter
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and was looking after the kids at the same time.
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A couple of years passed and struggling to juggle work and two kids at the same time, their dad decided to get married again.
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The woodcutter's wife was from a wealthy family and she hated the fact
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that they were poor and she had to live in a small ruined hut deep into the forest.
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Plus she did not like her step children at all.
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On a cold winter night, as they were getting ready for bed, Hansel and Gretel heard their stepmother talking to their dad.
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How are you going to get through this winter?
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We don't have enough food.
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If you do not get rid of these kids, we will all starve to death.
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Their dad opposed furiously.
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No need to argue.
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I made up my mind.
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Tomorrow we'll take them to the woods and leave them there.
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Hearing all that, Gretel started to cry.
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Her brother Hansel comforted her.
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Please don't worry Gretel, somehow we'll find our way back home.
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Later that night Hansel snuck out and collected as many pebbles as he could in his pockets.
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In the morning they all started to walk towards the forest.
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Their father told them that they were going for a family hike.
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As they were walking, without anyone noticing, Hansel dropped the pebbles to mark the way back.
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In the afternoon, their dad and stepmother lit a fire and told them that they will be back soon.
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They walked off and vanished in the woods.
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Of course, they did not come back.
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When the night fell, the horrible sounds of all the wild animals in the forest started to echo around them.
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Shivering with the horrifying sounds of the wolves, Hansel and Gretel did not leave the fireside until the moonrise.
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Then they started to follow the pebbles shining in the moonlight and walked towards home.
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Well done Hansel, this was very clever of you.
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When the kids came back home, their dad was very happy and surprised at the same time.
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The stepmother also acted as if she was happy, but deep inside her decision was still the same.
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She was very upset that they were back.
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After three days, the stepmother tried to get rid of them again.
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This time at night, she locked Hansel and Gretel's door, and did not allow Hansel to collect pebbles again.
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But Hansel was a clever boy.
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When they were walking to the forest in the morning, this time he dropped the breadcrumbs
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that he had put in his pocket the night before and again made a trail the way back home.
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Around noon their father and stepmother made up an excuse and went off, leaving them all alone in the forest again.
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Realising that they were not coming back, Hansel and Gretel wanted to start walking back home before it got dark.
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But this time, they could not find the trail they left, because all the breadcrumbs were eaten by the birds.
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Gretel started crying.
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For the first time, Hansel also felt hopeless.
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This time the kids were really lost.
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With no food and scared to death, they wandered around the forest for three days.
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On the third day, they saw a bird, wide as snow.
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The bird chirped songs with its beautiful voice for them.
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They forgot their hunger for a moment and started to follow the bird.
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The bird brought them in front of a funny looking house.
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This house had walls of bread, a roof made out of cake and windows of candy and was covered with colourful cream all around.
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Ansel and Gretel could not believe their eyes.
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The house looked incredibly delicious.
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The kids forgot all about how tired they were and started to run to the house.
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Just as they were both going to have a bite from the house, they heard a voice from inside.
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Oh, now who is nippling on my house?
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They looked around and they saw a cute and sweet old lady at the door.
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When they told her all about what had happened to them, she felt very bad for them and so she let them in.
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The inside of the house was very different from the outside.
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It was dark, scary and it didn't feel right.
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But because they were so tired and hungry, the kids did not care much.
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The old lady brought all kinds of food and desserts for them and the kids ate food that they hadn't had before.
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That night, they slept on the softest bed they had ever seen.
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When they woke up in the morning, the old lady wasn't there.
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They started to look around.
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At the end of the corridor, they saw a small door.
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When they opened the door, they found cases full of gold and treasure inside.
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They were very surprised of course.
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Hansel wanted to get in and take a closer look.
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Right at that moment, they heard her voice again.
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What do you think you are doing?
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When they turned around, the kids faced the witch standing right there in front of them.
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Apparently, the old lady was a witch leading the kids to a dungeon with a house covered with cake and candy.
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The kids tried to run away but the door was locked.
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The witch pulled Hansel by the hair and locked him in a cage.
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Then she dragged Gretel to the kitchen.
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Your brother is too skinny.
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Cook some food for him and make him fat.
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When he's in good shape, he'll be a delicious meal for me.
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But don't you dare eat anything.
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All the food is only for him.
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Having no choice, Gretel did what she asked for.
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Fortunately, Hansel was a clever and wise boy.
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He decided to trick the evil-hearted witch.
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Every night when the witch was asleep, he was digging a hole in the ground of the cage.
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The witch was controlling Hansel every morning to see if he gained weight or not.
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But Hansel wasn't eating anything his sister cooked.
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Instead, he was burying them in the hole that he digged.
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In the meantime, the witch was telling Gretel to cook more.
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This went on for days until finally the witch had enough.
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Fat skinny!
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I don't care anymore!
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Today I will make Hansel Pie!
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She turned to Gretel.
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Look in the oven to see if the dough is baked enough.
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Although she was in fear, Gretel was also a wise girl just like her brother.
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She understood that the witch was going to push her in the oven.
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I can't get my head in there and see the doll.
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Whined Gretel.
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The witch pushed her aside and stuck her head inside.
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Gretel gathered all her strength and pushed the old witch into the oven and closed the oven door.
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Ehhhhhhhhh!
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Gretel knew where the witch was hiding the keys.
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She ran straight away and saved Hansel from the cage.
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The flames from the oven covered the whole house.
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Hansel and Gretel ran away from the burning house into the woods, but they did not know where to go.
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A while later they came across a river.
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A giant swan took them one by one to the other side of the river.
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The kids looked around and suddenly they realised where they were.
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They ran home as fast as they could.
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Seeing his kids, father was full of joy.
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With tears of joy, he explained to them how their stepmother had gone back to her parents' house.
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Soon after, they had left them in the forest.
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and how sorry he was for all that he did and no matter how hard he had searched for them, they were nowhere to be found.
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The kids loved their father very much, so they forgave him.
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But another surprise was waiting for their father.
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They both reached their pockets and brought out gold and diamonds they had found in the witch's home.
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Their father could not believe his eyes.
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All the problems that their family had ever had went away and they lived happily ever after.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, learners will delve into the enchanting fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. This story is not only captivating but offers rich opportunities to practice English speaking and improve comprehension skills. As you follow the adventurous journey of Hansel and Gretel, you will enhance your vocabulary and pronunciation while engaging with the narrative's engaging dialogue and contextual scenarios. This is an excellent exercise for anyone looking to learn English with YouTube and sharpen their storytelling abilities, particularly through the method of shadowspeak.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Siblings - Brother and sister, like Hansel and Gretel.
- Woodcutter - A person who cuts wood; their father’s profession.
- Stepmother - A woman who marries one's father after the death of the mother.
- Trail - The path marked by Hansel's pebbles and breadcrumbs.
- Forest - A large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth.
- Horrifying sounds - Noises that evoke fear, such as those made by wild animals.
- Lost - Unable to find one's way; a key theme in the tale.
- Follow - To go after or in the same direction as someone or something.
Practice Tips
To make the most of your English speaking practice while watching the Hansel and Gretel video, adopt a shadowing technique to mirror the speaker's tone and pace. Since the narrative is intended for children, the dialogue is clear and expressive, making it perfect for beginners. Here are some specific tips:
- Pause Often: Take breaks after each sentence to repeat what you've heard. This will help you improve English pronunciation and reinforce learning.
- Focus on Intonation: Pay attention to how emotions are conveyed through tone. Emphasize emotional phrases to sound more natural when speaking.
- Practice with Repetition: Replay sections of the video several times. Repetitive listening can enhance your understanding and fluency in spoken English.
- Engage in Role Play: Act out parts of the story with a partner if possible. This active engagement can boost your confidence in using new vocabulary and phrases.
By integrating the shadowspeak method into your learning routine, you can significantly enrich your engagement with the English language and comfortably navigate through various narratives like Hansel and Gretel.
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.