Shadowing Practice: Slow English Reading: Rainbow Fish for Beginners (A1–A2) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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143 sentences
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Hello?
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And welcome back to my slow English podcast.
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We will be reading.
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The Rainbow Fish.
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Thanks.
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- Yeah.
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A long way out.
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in the deep Blue sea.
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There lived a fish.
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Not just...
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any ordinary fish but "the most beautiful fish in the entire
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Ocean.
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you His scales?
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were every shade of blue, And green.
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and purple Okay.
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with sparkling silver scales.
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among them.
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The other fish were amazed.
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at his beauty.
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They called him The Rainbow Fish.
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Thank you.
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"Come on, Rainbow Fish." they would call Come and play with us. But...
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The Rainbow Fish?
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would just Glide past.
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proud and silent.
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letting his scales shimmer.
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Okay.
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One day, A little blue fish.
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followed after him.
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So Rainbow fish.
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He called.
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Wait for me.
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Please give me.
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one of your shiny Scales.
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They are so wonderful.
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and you have So many.
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Thank you.
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- Yes.
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You want me to give you one of my special skills Who do you think you are?
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cried.
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The Rainbow Fish, Thank you.
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Get away from me.
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shocked.
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The Little Blue Fish "swam away." He was so upset.
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He told all his friends What had happened?
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Thank you.
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From then on, So, No one would have anything anything to do with Rainbow fish.
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They turned away when he swam by.
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I What good were the dazzling Shimmering Scales.
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with no one to admire them.
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No?
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He was The loneliest fish.
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in the entire ocean.
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Thank you.
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One day, He poured out all of his troubles. to the starfish.
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I really am beautiful.
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Why doesn't anybody like me?
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I can't answer that for you.
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said the starfish. But...
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If you go, Beyond the coral reef,
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to a deep cave you will find the wise octopus. So, Maybe she.
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can help you.
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Thank you.
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The Rainbow Fish?
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Found the cave.
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Okay.
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It was very dark.
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inside.
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and He couldn't see anything.
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Then, Suddenly, Two eyes.
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caught him.
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in their glare.
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and the octopus emerged from the darkness.
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I have been waiting for you.
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said the octopus with a deep voice.
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The waves have told me Your story.
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This is my advice.
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Give a glittering scale to each of the other fish.
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You will no longer B.
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the most beautiful fish.
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in the sea, but You will discover how to be Happy.
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I can't.
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The rainbow fish started to say, But.. the octopus had already disappeared.
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into a dark cloud of ink.
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Give away my scales.
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my beautiful shining scales, Thank you.
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Never.
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'How could I ever be happy?' without them.
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Suddenly, He felt...
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the light touch of A fin.
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The Little Blue Fish was back.
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Yeah.
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Rainbow fish.
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Please don't be angry.
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i just want One little scale.
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The rainbow fish wavered.
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Only one very, very small, shimmery scale.
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he thought.
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Thank you.
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Well...
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Maybe I wouldn't miss Just watch.
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One.
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Thank you.
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carefully.
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the rainbow fish, Pull it out.
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the smallest scale, and gave it to the little fish.
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Thank you.
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Thank you very much.
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the little blue fish, bubbled playfully.
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as he tucked the shiny scale in among his blue ones.
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a rather Peculiar.
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feeling, came over the rainbow fish.
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For a long time.
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He watched.
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The Little Blue Fish Swim.
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Back and forth.
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with his new scale, glittering in the water.
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The Little Blue Fish whizzed through the ocean.
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with His scale, flashing So, It didn't take long.
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before the rainbow fish was surrounded by the other Fish.
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Yeah.
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Everyone wanted A glittering scale.
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The Rainbow Fish?
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shared his skills and left and right And the more he gave away, Thank you the more delighted He became
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when the water around him filled with glimmering scales.
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He at last felt at home.
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among the other Fish.
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Finally, The rainbow fish had only One...
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Shining scale left.
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his most prized possessions had been given the way.
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Yet He was very happy.
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Come on, Rainbow Fish.
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They called.
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Come.
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and play with us.
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Okay.
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Here I come.
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said the Rainbow Fish.
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and happy as a splash he swam off to join his Friends.
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What do you think?
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The moral of this story. was.
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Comments down below.
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I would love to hear Your thoughts.

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Context & Background

In this engaging episode of the slow English podcast, the story is centered around "The Rainbow Fish," a fable about beauty, pride, and the importance of sharing. The speaker reads the narrative with careful enunciation, which is ideal for beginners at the A1–A2 level. This approach not only helps listeners grasp the storyline but also enhances their English listening and speaking skills. As you follow along, you’ll encounter vocabulary that can be used in daily conversations, making this an excellent tool to learn English with YouTube.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Come and play with us.” - A friendly invitation that can be used in various social contexts.
  • “Who do you think you are?” - An expression of surprise or indignation, useful for everyday interactions.
  • “Please give me one of your shiny scales.” - A polite request that demonstrates the concept of asking for something.
  • “He was so upset.” - A simple way to express feelings, essential for emotional conversations.
  • “What good were the dazzling shimmering scales?” - An inquiry that can provoke thoughtful discussions about value and worth.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Shadowing is an effective technique that can significantly improve your English speaking skills. Here’s how to effectively shadow the content from this video:

  1. Listen attentively: Start by listening to the entire episode without pausing. Focus on understanding the context and emotions conveyed through the speaker’s tone.
  2. Break it down: Replay the video in segments. For instance, start with just the first paragraph. Repeat each sentence aloud, mimicking the intonation and rhythm of the speaker.
  3. Practice pronunciation: Pay attention to difficult words or phrases. Use a dictionary if needed and practice them until you feel comfortable.
  4. Combine shadow speech and shadow speak: After familiarizing yourself with phrases, try to speak along with the video. This dual approach will enhance your speaking fluency significantly.
  5. Reflect on the content: Once you complete shadowing, think about the themes in the story. Consider recording your thoughts; this can be a great practice for your IELTS speaking practice, where expressing ideas clearly is crucial.

Utilizing this shadowing site and the resources provided in the Rainbow Fish video can help you make substantial progress in your English learning journey. Remember, consistent practice is key to success!

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itwas surrounded · had been given
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a groupthe most beautiful · The loneliest · the smallest
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionwill be · will find · will no

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →