Shadowing Practice: The Emperor's New Clothes - UK English accent (TheFableCottage.com) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
A2
The Emperor's New Clothes Once upon a time there was an emperor.
115 sentences
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The Emperor's New Clothes Once upon a time there was an emperor.
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He had a big round belly bushy eyebrows and a very long moustache.
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But he was very vain.
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All he thought about was himself.
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“I am so wonderful!” he would say.
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Look at my wonderful eyebrows!
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Look at my excellent moustache!
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I look marvellous!
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The emperor loved to wear fancy clothes He had four-hundred fancy shirts three-hundred pairs of fancy pants and one-thousand pairs of fancy socks.
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The emperor also loved to say fancy words, like...
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"Empirical" "Cantankerous" "Discombobulate" He didn’t know what the fancy words meant but he liked to say them anyway.
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He liked to sound INTELLIGENT.
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“I am so INTELLIGENT!” he said.
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I am a GENIUS!
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One day, a man arrived at the palace.
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He said that he was a tailor.
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He said he could make the fanciest clothes in the land.
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But really, this man was a dishonest man.
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He earned his money by fooling rich people.
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The tailor brought the emperor ten suitcases. Your most majestic and INTELLIGENT majesty...
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he said Everybody knows that you are the most INTELLIGENT man in the world.
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And I have created some amazing new clothes.
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These clothes are only for INTELLIGENT people.
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In fact, stupid people cannot even see these clothes...
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The emperor clapped his hands.
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Amazing! With these clothes I can know who is smart and who is stupid!
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I will never be bothered by idiots again!
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Let me try these clothes!
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The tailor undressed the emperor until he stood only in his underpants.
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He unpacked his tape measure.
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He measured the emperor’s arms legs shoulders and all around his big round belly The tailor reached inside one of the suitcases.
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No...no... this one is too big.
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No… this one is too small.
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Ahh! This one is perfect!
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He pretended to lift a shirt out of the suitcase.
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“What do you think?” said the tailor.
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The emperor gasped.
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He could not see anything!
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“Isn’t it wonderful?” said the tailor.
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And remember… Only intelligent people will be able to see it!
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The tailor reached into his suitcase again.
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Look at these pants! Aren’t they beautiful?
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And they are completely invisible to idiots!
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And look at this jacket!
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See the colours?
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A complete nincompoop will see absolutely nothing!
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“Oh, oh, yes… very nice!” stammered the emperor.
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But he was confused.
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Why couldn’t he see the clothes?
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“Surely it’s not possible that I am an idiot?!” he thought.
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A complete moron would not know fancy words like...
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"Vestibule" "Crepuscular" "Flibbertigibbet" But the emperor said nothing.
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The tailor pretended to dress the emperor in the invisible shirt, pants, jacket, and shoes.
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The emperor stood in front of the mirror.
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He wanted to see the clothes but all he saw was his big, round belly and his underpants "I’m not sure that it’s really my style…" said the emperor But let me get a second opinion.
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The emperor called three of his most INTELLIGENT friends into the room.
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Friends! What do you think of these new clothes?
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Only INTELLIGENT people can see these clothes.
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Stupid people see nothing at all!
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Of course, his friends didn’t see anything either.
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But they did not want to look stupid.
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“Oh, yes! That is a great shirt!” said the first friend.
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“Yes! The pants are the perfect color,” said the second friend.
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"Cool shoes!" said the third friend.
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The emperor was excited.
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I will wear these new clothes in the parade tomorrow!
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The emperor gave the tailor a lot of money.
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The tailor left the palace with ten suitcases full of gold.
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When he was safely in his carriage, he laughed long and hard.
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"What a doofus!" That night, the Emperor did not sleep.
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He stayed up late, reading the biggest, heaviest books in his library.
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I just need a few more fancy words...
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THEN I’ll be able to see my clothes!
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he thought.
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In the morning, two servants came to the Emperor's room to dress him for the parade.
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Of course, they couldn’t see any clothes either.
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But they said nothing.
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They did not want to look stupid.
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They pretended to dress the emperor in invisible pants, invisible shirt invisible jacket and an invisible hat.
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The emperor looked at himself in the mirror.
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He stared and he squinted.
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He turned his head left and right.
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And … wait!
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... There it was!
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Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a slight shimmering fabric.
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A checkered pattern.
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A tiny bit of colour.
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He could see the clothes!
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In reality, there were no clothes.
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But we often see what we want to see.
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The emperor was happy that he could finally see the clothes.
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“Let’s join the parade!” he shouted.
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Everybody from the town was at the parade.
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All the intelligent people were there: All the scientists.
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All the writers.
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All the teachers.
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And all the children.
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The emperor stood in his open carriage and waved to the crowd.
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But as the emperor’s carriage drove down the street, the crowd fell silent.
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The music stopped.
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Everybody stared at the emperor.
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“These clothes must be AMAZING...” thought the emperor.
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But then, from the back of the crowd, a small child yelled: “Mummy, I can see his underpants!” Everybody gasped.
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Then there were a few giggles.
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And then everyone on the street laughed — — and laughed — — and laughed even harder.
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They clapped and shouted: UN-DER-PANTS! UN-DER-PANTS!
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The emperor heard the crowd laugh.
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He knew he had been fooled.
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He wasn’t wearing special clothes.
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He was wearing NOTHING!
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— only his underpants.
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He jumped out of the carriage and ran all the way back to the palace.
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Behind him, he heard: “UN-DER-PANTS! UN-DER-PANTS!” He ran to his bedroom and slammed the door.
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Later, when his friends found him, he was lying on his bed.
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He was wearing all his REAL clothes: all his fancy shirts all his fancy pants and all one-thousand pairs of fancy socks.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
This engaging rendition of The Emperor's New Clothes provides an excellent opportunity to improve English pronunciation and fluency. As learners listen to the UK English accent in the video, they are exposed to natural rhythm, intonation, and stress patterns commonly used in everyday speech. Practicing speaking with this video allows learners to develop their shadow speech skills, where they can replicate the pronunciation and flow of the speaker. Additionally, the story's humor and moral lesson create a memorable context that can enhance retention and understanding of new vocabulary.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
In this transcript, several key grammatical structures and expressions can greatly benefit English learners:
- Descriptive phrases: The use of vivid descriptors like "big round belly" and "bushy eyebrows" enhances imagery. English learners can practice creating their own descriptive sentences to build vocabulary.
- Direct speech: The dialogue throughout the story provides a practical demonstration of how to express thoughts and feelings directly. For instance, phrases such as “I am so wonderful!” and “Isn’t it wonderful?” offer insight into expressing enthusiasm and questioning effectively.
- Conditional sentences: Expressions like “If you are intelligent…” imply outcomes based on conditions, providing a real-life application of conditional grammar structures.
- Exaggeration for effect: The use of hyperbolic statements such as “I am a GENIUS!” illustrates how exaggeration can convey emotion, a useful technique in storytelling and everyday communication.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While listening to the video, learners may encounter specific pronunciation challenges:
- Vowel sounds: Words like "intelligent" and "wonderful" contain vowel sounds that can be tricky for learners. Focus on the distinct sounds in these words to improve English pronunciation.
- Consonant clusters: The phrase “big round belly” includes several consonant sounds in close succession. Practicing such clusters can help learners sound more fluent and natural.
- Intonation patterns: Pay attention to the rising and falling intonation, especially in questions and exclamations. Mastering these patterns is crucial for effective communication in English, enhancing the ability to engage more deeply with native speakers.
By shadowing the speaker in this video, learners can refine their pronunciation and intonation, allowing for clearer communication and greater confidence in speaking 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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