Shadowing Practice: 'Private I. Guana' read by Esai Morales - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hi.
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Welcome to BookPal Storyline Online.
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My name is Isai Morales and I'll be reading Private Iguana, The Case of the Missing Chameleon by Nina Layden.
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Cute story.
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I was sitting at my desk when I got the call.
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Private Iguana here,
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I said yes I can find missing lizards a chameleon well okay why don't you come over to my office
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and bring a photo as I hung up I wondered
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if I should have said okay chameleons are hard to find
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but she sounded upset
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and I guess I'm a sucker for a lizard in distress
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you can call me liz she said as she made herself comfortable in my office
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here is a recent snapshot of leon he didn't come home
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for dinner last week i had made his favorite cricket stew
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i haven't seen him since he was acting a little strange
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changing colors every minute he's always been the stay -at -home type
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and well frankly boring i'm afraid he could be in trouble i puffed myself up
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and said uh don't you worry liz if i can't find leon no one can
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by the way i asked what color was he
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when you last saw him quickly i made a pile of
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posters of leon the missing chameleon not knowing what color he was i figured i'd color each poster differently
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Too bad Leon didn't have a scar or a tattoo.
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Then I set out to hang them up wherever I could.
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I stopped first to check in with Officer Croker, the bullfrog chief of police.
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Officer Croker, who had a habit of jumping to conclusions, said, A missing chameleon?
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Well, that's a waste of time.
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Probably pretending to be a rock.
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I said, thanks for your help, officer.
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Maybe I'll go talk to some boulders.
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So I hit the dirt to see what I could dig up.
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I plastered the forest with posters.
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I went over fields, under rocks, and up trees.
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I talked to turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and a couple of skinks.
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It was getting dark.
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My feet were tired, my tongue was tied, and I had no clues, no tails, no trails, no Leon.
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Maybe this chameleon had really disappeared for good.
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But maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place.
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I decided to head home and start again in the morning.
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On the way, I saw a firefly -like glow in the distance by the swamp.
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I had forgotten all about the lizard lounge.
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It was kind of a slimy place where only the most cold -blooded reptiles hung out.
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My head was telling me not to go there, but my stomach said, boy,
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I sure could go for some of those greasy fried grasshoppers and a tall, cold drink.
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So I put my stomach in charge and followed it.
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The lizard lounge was buzzing with activity.
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I scoped out the place, making sure not to ruffle any feathers or step on any tails.
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I made my way to the back and sat at a table where I could keep an eye on things.
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The menu was my first order of business.
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I noticed that the special this week was cricket stew.
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Hmm, it's probably just a coincidence, I thought to myself.
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A sweet salamander sashayed over to my table.
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I'm Sally, your waitress, she said.
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What's a nice amphibian like you doing in a place like this?
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I asked her.
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When I didn't get an answer, I ordered my food.
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I noticed a sign on the stage that said, This Week Camille and the Gila Girls.
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I said, Hey Sally, who's this Camille?
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Sally smiled.
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I don't know who Camille is.
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She just appeared out of the blue a few days ago.
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But boy can she sing.
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She fits right in with our house band, the Gila Girls.
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You really should stay for the show.
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I had nothing better to do and the fried grasshoppers were pretty tasty, so I decided to stay.
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Soon the place got dark.
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Everyone stopped what they were doing.
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All eyes were on the stage.
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The Gila Girls took their places.
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Then a spotlight came on.
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The curtain rustled and out slithered the most unusual chameleon I had ever seen.
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Something about her was familiar.
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It was like I'd seen her face somewhere before.
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I tried to remember, but then she started to sing, and my mind went blank.
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I was hypnotized.
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When the show was over, Camille bowed and disappeared behind the curtain.
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I clapped and whistled as loud as I could.
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There was no doubt I had just seen a star.
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I had to get an autograph.
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Maybe it was instinct.
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Maybe I was crazy, but here I was, sneaking around backstage at the lizard lounge, looking for her dressing room door.
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I was so nervous I was shaking.
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I knocked on her door and when a voice said, yes, come in, I nearly shed my skin.
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I couldn't believe I was alone with an amazing singer.
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I stammered, Camille, I wanted to get your autograph.
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Could you sign this?
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And I pulled out the first thing I could find from my pocket and handed it to her.
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Camille looked shocked.
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She said, how did you know?
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What did I know, I wondered.
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I was totally confused.
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Then I put two and two together.
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I knew there was something familiar about Camille.
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By mistake, I had handed her a photo of Leon to sign.
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Then I realized that Camille was Leon.
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The missing Camille Leon.
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I had hit the jackpot.
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You know, Liz is looking for you,
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I said she's very upset she misses you Leon took off his wig inside I miss her too
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but I was worried Liz thought I was too boring I
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thought she might leave me for someone more exciting I wanted to show her
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that I had talent that I could be somebody special, maybe even a star.
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When I heard that the Gila girls needed a new singer, I jumped at the chance to polish my act.
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Naturally, I blended right in.
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And so I closed the case of the missing Camille Leon.
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Last I heard, Leon was the singing sensation of the swamp.
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Liz watches the show and then returns to the kitchen where she's the new head chef.
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Her cricket stew is getting rave reviews.
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It seems that the Lizard Lounge is actually becoming a respectable place.
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As for me, who knows what the next case will bring.
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A frog that jumped bail, a turtle running a shell game, a poison snake.
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Just remember, if you've got a problem, give me a call.
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The name is Private Iguana.
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The I stands for I'll Be Waiting. That was great.
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Thanks for joining us.
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About This Lesson
Practice your English speaking and pronunciation with the charming story of "Private I. Guana" from the video. You’ll explore conversational tone, storytelling flow, and subtle wordplay while using the shadowing technique to mimic Esai Morales’ engaging delivery. This lesson helps you improve English pronunciation by focusing on natural pauses, emphasis, and character voices—perfect for english speaking practice that feels like a fun adventure.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Sucker for a lizard in distress: Someone who can’t resist helping someone (or something) in trouble. Example: "I’m a sucker for a good mystery, so I had to watch the whole show."
- Jumping to conclusions: Making quick assumptions without evidence. Example: "Don’t jump to conclusions—maybe he just forgot his phone."
- Hit the dirt: Start searching or working hard. Example: "We hit the dirt early to find the lost keys."
- Appeared out of the blue: Arrived suddenly, with no warning. Example: "My old friend appeared out of the blue at the café."
- Put two and two together: Figure something out by connecting clues. Example: "I saw her coat and put two and two together—she was the one who visited."
Practice Tips
Use the shadowing technique (or "shadowspeak") to match the video’s pace—Esai Morales speaks clearly but with conversational warmth, so focus on copying his rhythm. Pause after short lines and repeat them, paying attention to how he stresses words like "boring" or "star" to show emotion. For tricky phrases like "slimy place" or "greasy fried grasshoppers," slow down and practice the "s" and "g" sounds to avoid slurring. Try shadow speech with the dialogue between Private I. Guana and Sally the salamander—notice how the questions rise in tone, and statements fall. This will help you sound more natural in everyday conversations. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be mimicking the story’s charm with confidence!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was sitting · was acting · was getting |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should have · should stay |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most cold · the most unusual |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | is looking · is getting · is actually becoming |
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.