Shadowing Practice: SEtalk: Why Children Ask Why - Learn English Speaking with Video
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37 sentences
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1
How many questions did you ask yesterday?
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I mean real questions, because you wanted to know something.
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If you're four years old, the answer is probably hundreds!
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I teach young children, so I hear them all day long.
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Six years ago, a little boy called Leo was in my class.
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One morning, he looked outside, and he had a question.
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Why is the sky blue?
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I explained it simply, but he just asked, why?
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I answered again, and he asked why again!
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After the fifth why, I said, because it just is!
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He stopped asking, and I felt terrible.
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So how many questions do children really ask?
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In 2007, a psychologist studied recordings of young children with their parents.
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They asked about seventy-six questions an hour!
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A study in 2009 went further, and it found something interesting.
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When children got a real answer, they usually seemed satisfied.
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When they didn't, they asked again or made up their own answer.
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So children who keep asking why aren't trying to annoy us.
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They really want to understand how the world works.
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So what happens to all those questions when we grow up?
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A researcher called Susan Engel visited classrooms, and she counted every question.
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Some classes asked just two to five questions in two hours.
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In some classes, not one question was asked, and nobody noticed.
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Maybe kids learn that answers matter more than questions.
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If nobody rewards questions, we simply stop asking them.
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After Leo, I changed one small thing, and it worked.
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Now, when I don't know the answer to a question,
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I say, great question, let's find out together!
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We've looked up spiders, volcanoes, and why cats purr.
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And last month, Leo came back to visit me!
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He's twelve now, and he wants to be a scientist!
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He still asks why, but now he finds the answers himself.
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So here's my challenge for you.
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When a child asks you why, don't stop them.
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Ask them, what do you think?
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And this week, ask one why question of your own.
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Thank you, and keep asking why!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “SEtalk: Why Children Ask Why”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: answer, asking, Leo. This video has 37 sentences and 345 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:33. The speaker talks at a steady 135 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 6 of its 37 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| twelve noun | /twɛlv/ | A group of twelve items. |
| reward noun | /ɹɪˈwɔɹd/ | Something of value given in return for an act. |
| spider noun | /ˈspaɪ̯dɚ/ | Any of various eight-legged, predatory arthropods, of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs to catch prey. |
| scientist noun | /ˈsaɪəntəst/ | One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research… |
| classroom noun | /ˈklɑːsɹʊm/ | A room, often in a school, where classes take place. |
| satisfy verb | /ˈsætɪsfaɪ/ | To be enough (for) |
| researcher noun | /ˈɹiˌsɝ.t͡ʃɚ/ | One who researches. |
| psychologist noun | /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/ | An expert in the field of psychology. |
| volcano noun | /vɑlˈkeɪ.noʊ/ | A vent or fissure on the surface of a planet (usually in a mountainous form) with a magma chamber attached to the mantle of a planet or moon, periodically… |
| annoy verb | /əˈnoɪ̯/ | To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds. |
| purr verb | /pɝ/ | To make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented or in certain other conditions. |
| teach verb | /ˈtiːt͡ʃ/ | To pass on knowledge to. |
| recording noun | /ɹɪˈkɔː(ɹ)dɪŋ/ | The act of storing sound, video, etc., in a permanent medium. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. | |
| look up verb | /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ | To have better prospects. |
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How many questions did you ask yesterday?
- I explained it simply, but he just asked, why?
- I say, great question, let's find out together!
- We've looked up spiders, volcanoes, and why cats purr.
- Ask them, what do you think?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, aren't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 twelve, reward, spider.
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.