Shadowing Practice: The best job in the world - The Storytellers - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B1
Best Job in the World But what is it? said Ellie.
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Best Job in the World But what is it? said Ellie.
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What does it do?
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She put the headset on again.
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I can't see anything.
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I haven't turned it on yet, laughed her father.
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Wait!
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Ellie's father was an inventor.
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He worked for a big company and was always making new gadgets.
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Sometimes he brought them home so Ellie could try them.
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Can you see anything now?
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Yes, said Ellie.
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A screen with words.
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A list.
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Exactly, said her father, sounding pleased.
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It is a life list.
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This is a life list viewer.
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The list shows different jobs, see?
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Doctor, teacher, builder.
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So you choose one, like doctor,
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then you can see what it is like to be a doctor for a day.
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Cool, said Ellie.
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How does it work?
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Easy, said her father.
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A doctor wore a head camera for 24 hours.
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It filmed everything they did,
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so you can see and hear it too.
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It's fun and it will help people to choose jobs.
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I like that idea, said Ellie.
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I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
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This will really help, said her father.
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OK, it works like this.
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Ellie learnt how to choose and change jobs.
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Then she went to her bedroom and lay on the bed.
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She put on the headset.
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It was enormous, like a crash helmet.
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She went down the list.
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Who did she want to be?
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Actress?
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Dentist?
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Taxi driver?
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No, no, no. Airline pilot?
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Factory worker?
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Nurse?
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No, no, no. model, firefighter, firefighter.
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That sounded exciting.
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She would ride in a fast fire engine,
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wear a helmet and boots and thick,
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thick clothes, hold a hose,
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shoot water at a burning building,
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climb a ladder, save someone.
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She would be a hero.
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She moved her eyes and chose firefighter.
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The movie began.
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It was quite dark, but Ellie saw a big garage with equipment.
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She turned her head.
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A fire engine right there.
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She started to walk forward.
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What?
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She wasn't walking.
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She was still lying on her bed.
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It was the firefighter who was walking forward.
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Of course.
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The camera was on top of his head.
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This is weird, giggled Ellie.
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It's like being inside his body.
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The firefighter walked past the fire engine and went into a room.
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It was full of equipment.
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The firefighter sat down and picked up something made of metal.
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Ellie didn't know what it was.
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Then he took up a rag and a tin of polish and began to clean the metal object.
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Ellie watched.
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Time went by.
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Ten minutes, twenty minutes.
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The firefighter finished polishing the metal object,
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then picked up another one and began to polish that.
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More time went by.
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The firefighter started whistling.
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He was happy.
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But Ellie was bored.
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Where is the fire?
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She said.
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The excitement!
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The race through the streets on a fire engine!
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She blinked her eyes to get rid of the movie.
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The life list screen came back on.
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Footballer, painter, baker.. no. TV presenter, archaeologist, trawler worker.
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Trawler worker!
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Now that sounded exciting.
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Going out to sea every day.
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Yes!
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Ellie liked boats.
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She chose Trawler Worker.
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The movie began.
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Instantly she was on a trawler.
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A huge fishing boat with an enormous crane at one end to haul in the fishing net.
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She was not alone.
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Other people were there, wrapped up in waterproof coats, hats and boots.
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It looked very cold.
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She could hear the wind roaring and racing.
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The sky was dark and stormy.
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Everyone was busy doing things.
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Ellie turned her head.
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The sea was deep blue, almost black.
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The waves were rolling fast and high.
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It was just a movie but she could almost feel the wind biting hard and cold.
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She turned her gaze back.
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The trawler worker was walking forward but the boat was moving on her feet.
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Ellie started to feel sick.
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The rolling never stopped.
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The trawler worker began to work.
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She was fixing some piece of machinery.
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But soon it began to rain.
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Hard, grey rain that blew everywhere.
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The trawler worker pulled the hood up.
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Part of the screen was cut off, but she kept working.
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Go inside, said Ellie.
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It's raining.
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But the trawler worker stayed where she was.
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The rain grew harder.
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Ellie heard it drumming on the deck.
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The waves grew bigger and the boat was rocking from side to side.
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Just stop, she said.
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But she didn't.
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Ellie began to feel sicker and sicker.
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She stopped the movie.
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That was not nice, she said.
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I'm not going to be a trawler worker.
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She looked at the life list again.
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Architects, jewellers...
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Ah!
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Now this looks interesting.
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The new movie began.
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Ellie saw a room in a house.
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It looked warm and cosy.
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A real fire was burning in the fireplace.
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A cat was asleep on the sofa.
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The room was full of books on the floor and on bookshelves.
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There was a desk with a computer.
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lots of sheets of paper with writing on,
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a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of biscuits.
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The person bit into a biscuit then began to type.
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Ellie saw the words come up on the computer screen.
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Once there was a land where every wish came true.
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Ellie pulled up the bed blanket and snuggled down.
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This is the best job in the world, she said happily.
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I am going to be an author.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will engage in English speaking practice centered around an exciting and imaginative narrative. The story revolves around Ellie, who explores various professions through a unique device created by her father. You will practice important vocabulary related to jobs, learn how to express enthusiasm and curiosity, and enhance your speaking skills through the shadowing technique. This engaging narrative will help you improve your English pronunciation and boost your confidence in discussing career aspirations.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Life list - A list of different jobs or experiences.
  • Inventor - A person who creates new gadgets or ideas.
  • Headset - A device worn on the head to experience virtual reality.
  • Firefighter - A professional who fights fires to save lives and property.
  • Hold a hose - To grasp a tool used to spray water at fires.
  • Experience - To go through or live through something.
  • Exciting - Something that causes great enthusiasm or eagerness.
  • Choose - To select from a variety of options.

Practice Tips

As you explore the transcript in this session, consider using the shadowing technique. This involves listening to the video's narration and mimicking the speaker's tone, pace, and pronunciation. Here are some specific tips to enhance your shadow speech practice:

  • Listen closely: Pay attention to the speed of the narration. Ellie’s story flows at a moderate pace, making it conducive for practice.
  • Break it down: Focus on one sentence at a time. Repeat it several times to grasp the rhythm and intonation.
  • You might use a shadowing app: These tools can help you record your voice and compare it with the original to identify areas for improvement.
  • Practice aloud: Speaking the words out loud will help you reinforce your learning and improve your English pronunciation.
  • Focus on emotional expression: Since the narrative is about exciting jobs, try to infuse your speech with enthusiasm as you shadow the sentences.

By incorporating these tips into your practice, you will refine your speaking abilities, gain greater fluency, and boost your confidence in discussing career options in English.

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.

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