Shadowing Practice: Starter 200w_Flying Home_British Pronunciation - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Flying Home by Stephen Rabley
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Felix is a blue and yellow bird from Brazil.
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He lives with the Baxter family in New York.
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His home is a big cage.
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It's on the 40th floor of a tall building.
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Felix likes the Baxters and the Baxters like him.
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They give him food.
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They talk to him and show him to all their friends. But Felix isn't happy.
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He wants to go home to Brazil.
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Every night Felix looks up at the sky.
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He can see the whole city.
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It's big and exciting.
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It's home for the Baxters.
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but not for Felix.
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He remembers the big yellow moon in Brazil, Then he remembers his last day in the jungle, the two men with white hats,
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the big box the long plane journey The shop, beautiful birds in New York.
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Felix closes his eyes.
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Now he can't see the city and the snow.
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He can see other things.
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He can see the life he loves.
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Thank you.
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I want to be with my family again.
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He thinks.
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I want to fly home to the jungle.
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It's warm there, and the trees are always green.
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He puts his head under one wing.
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"One day," he says, "one day." Quack!
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Quack!
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One day comes two weeks later.
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Mr. Baxter opens Felix's cage to give him some food.
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Then he hears the telephone.
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Can you answer that, George?
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Asks mrs. Baxter.
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I'm in the bath.
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I Okay.
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says Mr. Baxter.
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He goes to the phone, but forgets to shut Felix's cage.
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Felix can see an open window.
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This is it.
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He thinks.
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He flies out of his cage and out of the window.
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The air under his wings is very cold.
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Behind him he hears...
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Hey!
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Felix!
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But he doesn't go back.
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He looks down at the streets and buildings.
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and flies through the city.
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A girl in a cafe with her mother sees him.
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Look! she says.
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Her mother doesn't hear.
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She's reading her newspaper.
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After an hour, Felix stops.
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He stands on the head of the Statue of Liberty. Where are you from?
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asks a small grey and white bird beside him.
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I'm from Brazil.
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Answers Felix.
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And where are you going?
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asks the bird.
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Felix flies up into the cold blue sky again.
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I'm going home.
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He says.
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Goodbye!
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Squawk!
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Felix flies south.
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Soon he can't see New York.
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All he can see is the Atlantic Ocean.
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In the evening the sun starts to go down.
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Then the sky is red yellow and blue.
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It's very beautiful.
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Felix is hungry?
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But he's happy, too.
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for the first time in two years.
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He's free.
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He wants to fly all night.
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Two hours later, it starts to rain.
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Now the sky's black.
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Soon, Felix can't see the moon or the stars.
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"Where am I?" he thinks.
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He remembers his warm cage.
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Am I doing the right thing?
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Bwaaa!
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He looks down at the cold sea.
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Then he sees something.
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Is it a star in the black water?
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No. It can't be a star.
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He looks again.
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It's a ship!
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Felix flies down to the ship.
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There are hundreds of fish on it.
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He eats twenty in five minutes Then he sleeps.
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In the morning, a man on the ship sees him.
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Oh no!
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Thanks, Felix.
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But it's all right.
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The man only wants to take a photograph of him.
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Felix flies into the sky again.
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Good he thinks.
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It's not raining now.
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And I'm not hungry.
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Two days later, Felix flies across Peru.
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He looks down and sees the Inca city of Machu Picchu.
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Those old stone buildings look interesting.
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He thinks.
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I know.
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I can stop there tonight.
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Felix starts to fly down to the buildings.
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Then he sees a big bird with beautiful black and white feathers.
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It's sitting on a stone.
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- Whoa.
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Hello?
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You're not from Peru, are you?
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says the bird.
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Felix tells his story.
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Two years in a cage in New York!
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says the bird.
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Yes answers Felix.
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But now I'm going home.
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Can you tell me how to get there?
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- Ooh.
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I've a friend...
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H in Rio says the bird.
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He knows the jungle.
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Go there and ask him.
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- Whoa.
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Felix flies from Peru to Rio.
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There he sees a lot of people in the street.
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He can hear music and see some birds in a tree.
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"Is one of them Acca?" "Acca!
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Acca !" he says.
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"Yes, that's me !" answers one of the birds.
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Felix can't see him.
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Then a boy sees Felix.
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"Look at the bird !" he says to his father.
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"Can I have him? Can I?
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Please?" or his father.
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He's looking at all the birds in the trees.
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"Aka!
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Aka !" says Felix.
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Then, there's a warm hand on his neck.
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He fights with his wings and his feet.
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"Help!
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Help!
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Squawk!
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Squawk !" Acca helps him.
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"Aiii !" says the man.
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The two birds fly into the sky.
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"Thank you," says Felix.
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Then he tells Acca his story.
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Thank you.
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"Felix and Aka fly from Rio to the jungle.
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In the evening, Felix says, "Yes." "I remember that village.
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My home's very near here.
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It's only..." Then he stops.
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In front of them there are a lot of men and machines.
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"Oh no!
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They're making a new road !" says Akka.
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"But where's my home?" asks Felix.
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And where's my family?
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The two birds fly over the new road.
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Then they stop in a tree near the village.
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Felix is tired and sad.
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"I'm sorry," says Akka.
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Then Felix sees a small blue and yellow feather in the air.
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He looks up.
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There above the trees are four birds.
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Thank you.
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It's them, Akka.
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He says.
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It's my family.
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Then he flies into the sky.
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The birds see him.
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Felix, is it yours?
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They ask.
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Yes!
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He answers Felix.
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I'm home!
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Squawk, quawk, quawk!
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Squawk, quawk, quawk!
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Ha, ha, ha!
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About This Lesson

Practice your English pronunciation and speaking skills with this heartwarming story from the video "Flying Home." You’ll follow Felix, a bird from Brazil living in New York, as he dreams of returning to his jungle home. This lesson is perfect for improving English pronunciation through natural, conversational dialogue—you’ll hear clear British pronunciation, practice rhythm, and learn to express emotions like longing and hope. It’s also a great chance to try shadow speak, a technique where you repeat phrases right after the speaker to build fluency.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Jungle: A dense forest, like the one Felix misses. Example: "He wants to fly home to the jungle."
  • Longing: A strong feeling of wanting something. Felix feels longing for his family.
  • Open window: A chance to escape. "Felix sees an open window and flies out."
  • Warm: Opposite of cold, describing Felix’s home. "It’s warm there, with green trees."
  • Shadow speak: Repeat after the video to mimic pronunciation. Try it with "One day, one day."

Practice Tips for Shadowing

The video’s pace is slow and clear, making it ideal for shadowing. Here’s how to make the most of it: First, listen to the entire story once to get the mood—notice how the speaker softens their voice when Felix thinks about Brazil. Then, pause after short phrases (like "He lives with the Baxter family in New York") and repeat them, focusing on matching the British accent’s rhythm. For tricky words like "jungle" or "pronunciation," slow down and emphasize the "j" and "sh" sounds. Remember, shadow speak isn’t about perfection—it’s about building confidence and muscle memory. Do this daily, and you’ll soon notice your English speaking practice getting smoother. Keep going—you’re doing great!

Ready to start? Press play, follow along, and let Felix’s journey help you improve English pronunciation and speaking skills. You’ve got this!

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 →