Shadowing Practice: The Crocodile Paradox 😮 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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12 sentences
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1
The crocodile crept up behind them and grabbed the little boy, dragging him toward the water.
2
His mother chased after them, begging the crocodile to give him back.
3
Instead, the croc offered her a deal.
4
He told her to predict what he would do with her son.
5
If she guessed correctly, he would give the boy back.
6
But if she was wrong, he would eat him.
7
So the mother thought carefully, then told the crocodile that he was going to eat her son.
8
Now the crocodile was trapped.
9
You see, if he ate the boy, then the mother had guessed correctly, meaning he had to give him back.
10
But if he gave the boy back, then her prediction was wrong.
11
So he had to eat him.
12
Meaning no matter what he chose, the opposite choice became the correct one.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “The Crocodile Paradox 😮”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: crocodile, boy, eat, mother. This video has 12 sentences and 139 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:48. The speaker talks at a natural 173 words per minute, close to everyday conversation.
Key vocabulary in this video
12 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| correctly adverb | /kəˈɹɛk(t).li/ | In a correct manner. |
| carefully adverb | /ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/ | With care; attentively, circumspectly. |
| chase verb | /t͡ʃeɪs/ | To follow at speed. |
| trap noun | /tɹæp/ | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body. |
| drag verb | /dɹæɡ/ | To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty. |
| predict verb | /pɹɪˈdɪkt/ | To make a prediction: to forecast, foretell, or estimate a future event on the basis of knowledge and reasoning; to prophesy a future event on the basis of… |
| prediction noun | /pɹɪˈdɪkʃən/ | A statement of what will happen in the future. |
| creep verb | /kɹiːp/ | To move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground. |
| crocodile noun | /ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/ | Any of the predatory amphibious reptiles of the family Crocodylidae; (loosely) a crocodilian, any species of the order Crocodilia, which also includes the… |
| croc noun | /kɹɑk/ | A type of EVA foam slip-on clog-style shoe with an open heel, thick sole, rounded toe, retractable heel strap, and ventilation holes on the top and sides. |
| opposite adjective | /ˈɑ.pə.sɪt/ | Located directly across from something else, or from each other. |
| grab verb | /ˈɡɹæb/ | To grip suddenly; to seize; to clutch. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If she guessed correctly, he would give · if she was wrong, he would eat |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was trapped |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | had to give · had to eat |
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like correctly, carefully, chase.
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.