Shadowing Practice: Tell Me a Story, Grandpa - Learn English Speaking with Video

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44 sentences
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1
Read.
2
Tell me a story, Grandpa.
3
Tell me a story, Grandpa.
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Okay, says Grandpa.
5
I'll tell you a story about my grandfather, Carlo.
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In 1910, Carlo was ten years old.
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He and his family lived in Italy.
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They were very poor, so they came to the United States for a better life.
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This was the first time that Carlo traveled to a place far away.
10
Really?
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I'm ten too, says Henry.
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And mom, dad, and I visit a different country every summer.
13
Yes, Henry.
14
Things are different now, says Grandpa.
15
How did they travel here, asks Henry.
16
They traveled by ship, says Grandpa.
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It wasn't an easy trip, because the ship was crowded and dirty.
18
There wasn't much food, and many people got sick.
19
Carlo was sick, too.
20
They arrived at Ellis Island in New York after ten days.
21
Wow, that's slow, says Henry.
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Now it only takes about nine hours in an airplane.
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I know, says Grandpa.
24
It's very different today.
25
What happened at Ellis Island? asks Henry.
26
Doctors checked everyone, and Carlo was very scared, says Grandpa.
27
Why was he scared, Grandpa?
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Doctors help people, says Henry.
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Yes, but people who weren't healthy couldn't enter
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New York, says Grandpa.
31
The clerks ask them many questions.
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What questions, Grandpa?
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asks Henry. Where are you from?
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Are you healthy or are you sick?
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says Grandpa.
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Luckily, Carlo was feeling better so they let him in.
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And that's why we live here today and not in Italy.
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That was a cool story, Grandpa, says Henry.
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I have an idea.
40
Let's take a trip to Italy.
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That's a good idea, Henry, says Grandpa.
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Let's go next summer.
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Awesome, Grandpa.
44
But let's take an airplane, not a ship.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “Tell Me a Story, Grandpa”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Grandpa, Henry, Carlo, Italy, sick. This video has 44 sentences and 284 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:34. The speaker talks at a steady 111 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

WordPronunciationMeaning
scare verb/skɛɚ/To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
airplane noun/ˈɛɹˌpleɪ̯n/A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings: a fixed-wing aircraft with at least one engine or electric motor.
arrive verb/əˈɹaɪv/To reach; to get to a certain place.
grandfather noun/ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌfɑðɚ/A father of someone's parent.
clerk noun/klɝk/One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker.
luckily adverb/ˈlʌk.ɪ.li/In a lucky manner; by good fortune; fortunately.
dirty adjective/ˈdɝti/Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime.
travel verb/ˈtɹævəl/To be on a journey, often for pleasure or business and with luggage; to go from one place to another.
ship noun/ˈʃɪp/A water-borne vessel generally larger than a boat.
sick adjective/ˈsɪk/In poor health; ill.
doctor noun/ˈdɑktɚ/A physician; a member of the medical profession; one who is trained and licensed to heal the sick or injured. The final examination and qualification may award…
trip noun/tɹɪp/A journey; an excursion or jaunt.
healthy adjective/ˈhɛl.θi/Enjoying good health; free from disease or disorder.
awesome adjective/ˈɔːsəm/Causing awe or terror; inspiring wonder or excitement.
nine noun/naɪn/The digit or figure 9.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as wasn't, couldn't, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

  • The “th” sounds: grandfather /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌfɑðɚ/, healthy /ˈhɛl.θi/

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like scare, airplane, arrive.

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 →