Shadowing Practice: Rapunzel - UK English accent (TheFableCottage.com) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Rapunzel Once upon a time,
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Rapunzel Once upon a time,
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there was a girl named Rapunzel.
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Rapunzel lived in a tall tower in the middle of a forest.
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The tower had no ladder,
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no stairs, and definitely no elevator.
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There was no way to get up or down.
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So why did Rapunzel live in a tower?
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Well, it all started with a witch.
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As you know, witches can be very jealous.
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They especially hate people stealing herbs from their gardens.
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Unfortunately, Rapunzel's mother didn't know this about witches.
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Many years ago, when she was pregnant with Rapunzel,
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she snuck over the fence and stole some parsley from the witch next door.
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The witch saw her stealing parsley.
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She was furious.
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She gave Rapunzel's mother two choices.
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Option one, the witch would curse her unborn baby girl.
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The girl would always be unlucky.
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She would meet the wrong people and say the wrong things,
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and wear the wrong clothes for every occasion.
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She would never live happily ever after.
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Option 2.
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On the girl's tenth birthday,
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she would go to live with the witch.
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She would be the witch's apprentice.
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The witch promised that, eventually,
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the girl would live happily ever after.
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Rapunzel's mother was heartbroken.
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She chose option 2.
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And on the evening of Rapunzel's tenth birthday,
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the witch came to take her away.
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She put Rapunzel in the tall tower in the woods.
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After that, every day was the same for Rapunzel.
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She cleaned her room at the top of the tower.
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She braided her long, long hair.
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And every day at lunchtime,
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the witch came to the tower.
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She stood under the window and shouted,
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Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.
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Rapunzel threw her braid out of the window.
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The witch climbed up Rapunzel's hair like a rope and crawled in through the window.
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The witch taught Rapunzel how to make medicines with herbs,
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and Rapunzel loved the witch.
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She was Rapunzel's only friend.
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One night, Rapunzel was reading a book beside the window,
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when she heard someone below.
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Rapunzel!
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Rapunzel!
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Let down your hair!
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That's strange, she thought.
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The witch never comes this late.
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She threw her braid out of the window and the person climbed up, up, up.
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But when this person reached the top,
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Rapunzel saw that it wasn't the witch.
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It was a man.
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Rapunzel quickly grabbed her book and smacked the man in the head.
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Get out, get out, you're not the witch.
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The strange man fell to the floor.
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Oh, ow, stop hurting me, he begged.
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Who are you?
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What do you want?
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Why did you climb my hair?" demanded Rapunzel.
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I'm Justin.
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My name is Justin, he whimpered.
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I came here to…save you?
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As you can imagine, Rapunzel was not very impressed.
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Tell me, Justin, she growled.
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Does it…look…like I need to be saved?
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Justin sighed.
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I'm sorry.
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I thought this was my chance to be a hero.
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What do you mean?" asked Rapunzel.
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My chance to be a hero!
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Every man needs to be a hero at least once in his life.
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It's the only way to live happily ever after!
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Rapunzel put down her book.
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I don't need a hero, she said kindly.
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Go away.
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Be a hero somewhere else.
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It's late.
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I want to go to bed.
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Rapunzel threw her braid out the window.
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Well, can I come back and talk to you tomorrow?
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Justin asked.
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You seem nice.
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Also, I brought a rope for you,
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in case you change your mind one day.
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Fine, fine, said Rapunzel.
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Goodbye, Justin.
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And Justin climbed out the window and down Rapunzel's hair.
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The next day, Rapunzel cleaned her room and braided her hair.
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The witch came at lunchtime.
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She brought Rapunzel a sandwich and showed her how to make medicine to cure headaches.
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But as the witch was leaving,
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she saw Justin's rope lying on the floor.
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Whose rope is this?
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Where did you get it?' "'Do you want to escape?' Rapunzel tried to explain,
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but the witch was too upset.
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"'I love you like a daughter.
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Do you really hate me so much that you want to leave?' "'No,
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there was a man,' said Rapunzel.
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A man! the witch cried.
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Fine.
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Go to him.
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Go!
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Tears poured down the witch's face.
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Go and live happily ever after with this man!
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The witch threw some magic powder at the floor,
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and Rapunzel immediately fell asleep.
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When she woke up, she was not in the tower any more.
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She was lying under a tree in the forest.
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Her hair was cut.
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Rapunzel cried for ten minutes,
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and then she stood up and decided to look for her tower.
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Meanwhile, back at the tower, Justin returned as promised.
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Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!
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He shouted from beneath the window,
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and the hair dropped down in front of his face.
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But as I'm sure you know,
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it wasn't Rapunzel in the tower.
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It was the witch.
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When Justin got to the top of the tower,
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the witch pulled him in through the window.
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So, you are the man who wants to take my Rapunzel, she said.
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I see.
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Well then, go and live happily ever after together.
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The witch blew a handful of powder into his face,
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and with that, Justin was blind.
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After walking all night, Rapunzel found her way home.
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But the tower was gone.
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All that was left was a burnt circle on the ground.
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Oh no! cried Rapunzel, and she fell to the ground sobbing.
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But then she heard a voice coming from behind some trees.
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Hello?
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Is someone there?
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Can you help me?
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I can't see.
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I can't see anything.
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It was Justin.
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When Rapunzel saw Justin's blind eyes,
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she knew what to do.
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Stay right there, she ordered.
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Rapunzel ran into the forest to find some herbs.
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She ground the herbs and made medicine.
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Then she put the medicine on Justin's eyes.
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Then she cried again.
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Please, don't cry, said Justin softly.
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Why are you crying?
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My home has gone.
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My only friend is gone.
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You are blind.
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This is a mess.
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Everything will be okay, Justin said.
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Then he smiled.
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Trust me, I'm a hero.
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For three days, they camped in the forest.
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Rapunzel made medicine for Justin's eyes.
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Justin told her about every time he had tried to be a hero.
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Once he tried to fight a giant.
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But the giant was very kind.
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He invited Justin inside for tea.
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Once he tried to kill a dragon.
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But the dragon had baby dragons in its nest.
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Justin couldn't do it.
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Once he rescued a cat from a tree.
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But the cat immediately climbed back up.
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It's really hard to be a hero, he complained.
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When Rapunzel felt like crying,
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Justin told jokes until she laughed.
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When she couldn't sleep, he listened to all her worries.
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On the fourth day, when Rapunzel woke up, Justin was already awake.
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He was looking at her with his bright blue eyes.
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He could see!
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Thank you, my beautiful friend, he said.
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You fixed my eyes.
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Justin and Rapunzel walked to Justin's village.
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Rapunzel liked it in the village.
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Justin helped her build a new tower,
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and this time the tower had stairs.
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Rapunzel spent her days making medicine for the sick people in the village.
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Did Justin ever become a hero?
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Yes, of course.
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There are many kinds of heroes,
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but the best and bravest heroes are the ones who help their friends through hard times.
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And Justin had helped his friend Rapunzel.
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In the end, Justin and Rapunzel both lived happily ever after.
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Just as the witch had promised.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing speaking with the Rapunzel video is an excellent way to enhance your english speaking practice skills. This captivating story not only draws you into the world of fairy tales but also provides a rich context for conversational English. By shadowing the narrator, you can improve your fluency and pronunciation, ensuring you sound more natural in your speech.

The video’s context emphasizes emotional storytelling, allowing you to learn how to express feelings and create a narrative. For instance, as Rapunzel's mother faces a tough decision, you can practice using tone and intonation that convey suspense and emotion. Utilizing learn english with youtube as a resource helps you engage with authentic content and real-life dialogues, crucial for mastering the language.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The narration includes several key grammatical structures that are useful for learners:

  • Conditional sentences: The witch gives Rapunzel's mother two choices, which highlights the use of conditionals ("If you choose option 1..."). Understanding how to form these sentences is critical when discussing hypothetical situations.
  • Direct and indirect speech: Phrases like "The witch shouted" or "Rapunzel thought" demonstrate how to incorporate dialogue into storytelling, which is valuable for creating engaging narratives.
  • Past tense verbs: The story is mostly told in the past tense ("Rapunzel lived," "The witch saw"), an essential aspect of English that helps learners describe past events effectively.
  • Adverbial phrases: The use of phrases like "every day" and "at lunchtime" adds detail to the narrative, helping learners to understand the importance of time expressions in their speaking.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you engage with the video, be mindful of common pronunciation traps that can impact your clarity:

  • Words ending with -er: The word "tower" may be pronounced with a softer 'r' in UK English, often sounding more like "towah." Practicing this can help with regional accent adaptation.
  • Long vowel sounds: In words like "Rapunzel," the 'a' and 'u' can be pronounced differently depending on the accent. Mimicking the narrator's pronunciation closely during your shadow speak sessions can help improve your accent.
  • Intonation in questions: Notice how the narrator emphasizes “Let down your hair!” This inflection can change meaning and is significant for conversational English.

Overall, this video is not just an entertaining fairy tale; it is a valuable resource for those looking to enhance their English speaking skills. By integrating storytelling, grammatical structures, and attentive pronunciation practice, you can significantly improve your command of the English language while enjoying engaging content.

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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