Shadowing Practice: Short Term 12 story scene - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

A2
You okay?
⏸ Paused
47 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
You okay?
2
I'll see you tomorrow.
3
You want to hear a story I've been working on?
4
Of course.
5
Oh, it's a kid's story,
6
so there aren't any big words.
7
Okay.
8
Once upon a time, somewhere miles and miles beneath the surface of the ocean,
9
there lived a young octopus named Nina.
10
Nina spent most of her time alone,
11
making strange creations out of rocks and shells.
12
She was very happy.
13
But then on Monday, the shark showed up.
14
What's your name, said the shark.
15
Nina, she replied.
16
Do you want to be my friend, he asked.
17
Okay, what do I have to do, said Nina.
18
Not much, said the shark.
19
Just let me eat one of your arms.
20
Nina had never had a friend before,
21
so she wondered if this is what you had to do to get one.
22
She looked down at her eight arms and decided it wouldn't be so bad to give up one.
23
So she donated an arm to her wonderful new friend.
24
Every day that week, Nina and the shark would play together.
25
They explored caves, built castles of sand,
26
and swam really, really fast.
27
And every night, the shark would be hungry,
28
and Nina would give him another one of her arms to eat.
29
On Sunday, after playing all day,
30
the shark told Nina that he was very hungry.
31
I don't understand, she said.
32
I've already given you six of my arms,
33
and now you want one more.
34
The shark looked at her with a friendly smile and said,
35
I don't want one.
36
This time I want them all.
37
But why, Nina asked.
38
And the shark replied, because that's what friends are for.
39
When the shark finished his meal,
40
he felt very sad and lonely.
41
He missed having someone to explore caves,
42
build castles, and swim really, really fast with.
43
He missed Nina very much.
44
so you swam away to find another friend
45
Jaden did your dad ever hurt you?
46
Does he still hurt you?
47
Thank you.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Context & Background

The dialogue in the video "Short Term 12 story scene" presents an engaging interaction between two characters. It explores themes of friendship, sacrifice, and loneliness through a fictional narrative featuring an octopus named Nina and a shark. This scene serves as a great opportunity for English learners to focus on conversational English, as the dialogue is straightforward and contains a storyline that is easy to follow. The simplicity of the dialogue makes it suitable for practicing speaking skills through methods like shadowspeak, where learners can mimic the rhythm and intonation of native speakers.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Do you want to hear a story I've been working on?" - A friendly way to initiate conversation.
  • "What do I have to do?" - A phrase expressing curiosity or willingness to participate.
  • "It wouldn't be so bad to give up one." - A phrase reflecting thoughtful consideration.
  • "Why do you want more?" - A direct question that can be used in many contexts.
  • "I miss having someone to explore with." - A way to express feelings of companionship.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve your speaking skills using this dialogue, follow these steps using a shadowing app or any shadowing site:

  1. Listen Carefully: Begin by listening to the audio of the dialogue multiple times. Pay attention to pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.
  2. Break it Down: Split the conversation into smaller sections. Focus on one sentence at a time, repeating it after the speaker.
  3. Mimic the Tone: When you shadow, try to capture the emotions conveyed in the voices. Notice the differences when characters are happy, sad, or curious.
  4. Practice Aloud: Say the lines aloud, matching the pace of the speaker. This practice helps in developing fluency and comfort with the language.
  5. Record Yourself: Use your device to record your shadowing. Listening to yourself can reveal areas of improvement, such as pronunciation and clarity.

Using the shadowspeaks technique in your study routine with dialogues like this can significantly enhance your communication skills. Remember, the goal is to make the language second nature through repeated practice.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee