Shadowing Practice: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister | A Story of Humility, Friendship, Sharing and True Happiness - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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My Bedtime Stories A long way out in the deep blue sea,
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My Bedtime Stories A long way out in the deep blue sea,
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there lived a fish.
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Not just an ordinary fish,
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but the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean.
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His scales were every shade of blue and green and purple with sparkling silver scales among them.
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The other fish were amazed at his beauty.
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They called him Rainbow Fish.
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Come on Rainbow Fish, they would call.
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Come and play with us!
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But the Rainbow Fish would just glide past,
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proud and silent, letting his scales shimmer.
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The Rainbow Fish was the most beautiful fish in the sea,
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but he never played with the other fish.
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I'm too beautiful to play with them, he thought.
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One day, a little blue fish followed after him.
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Rainbow Fish, wait for me!
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Please give me one of your shiny scales.
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They are so wonderful and you have so many!
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What?
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You want me to give you one of my special skills?
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Who do you think you are? cried the rainbow fish.
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I will never give you any of my special skills.
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Get away from me!
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Shocked, the little blue fish swam away.
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He was so sad and he told all his friends what had happened.
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From then on, no one would ask the rainbow fish to play anymore.
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They would turn away whenever he swam by and they stopped admiring how beautiful his scales are.
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The Rainbow Fish noticed that he was being avoided and he felt that he's no longer admired by the others.
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What good were the dazzling,
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shimmering scales with no one to admire them?
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Now he's the loneliest fish in the entire ocean.
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One day he poured out his troubles to the starfish.
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I really am beautiful.
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Why doesn't anybody like me?
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I'm sorry Rainbow Fish, but I can't answer that for you, said the starfish.
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But beyond the coral reef is the deep cave.
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There you will find the wise octopus.
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Maybe she can tell you.
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The Rainbow Fish then went to go find the deep cave.
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The Rainbow Fish finally found the deep cave and it was very dark inside and he couldn't see anything.
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Then suddenly two eyes caught him in their glare and the octopus emerged from the darkness.
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I have been waiting for you,
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said the octopus with a deep voice.
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The waves have told me your story.
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You are unhappy because no one would want to play with you.
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You feel that the others have wronged you,
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but it is you who has been wrong.
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This is my advice.
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Give a glittering scale to each of the other fish.
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You will no longer be the most beautiful fish in the sea,
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but you will discover how to be happy.
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I can't, the rainbow fish said.
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But the octopus had already disappeared into a dark cloud of ink.
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Give away my scales?
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My beautiful shining scales?
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Never!
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How could I ever be happy without them?
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Suddenly, he felt the light touch of a fin.
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The little bluefish was back.
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Rainbowfish, please, don't be angry.
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I just want one little scale.
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The rainbowfish wavered.
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Only one very very small shimmery scale, he thought.
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Well, maybe I would've missed just one.
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Carefully, the Rainbow Fish pulled out the smallest scale and gave it to the little fish.
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Thank you!
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Thank you, Rainbow Fish!
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Thank you very much!
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The little blue fish bubbled playfully as he tucked the shiny scale in among his blue ones.
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A rather peculiar feeling came over the Rainbow Fish.
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For a long time, he watched the Little Bluefish swim back and forth with his new scale glittering in the water.
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The Little Bluefish whizzed through the ocean with his scale flashing.
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So, it didn't take long before the Rainbow Fish was surrounded by the other fish.
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Everyone wanted a glittering scale.
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Me too, Rainbow Fish!
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Can I have one too? said the other fish.
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The Rainbow Fish shared his scales left and right,
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and the more he gave away,
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the more delighted he became.
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When the water around him filled with glimmering scales,
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he at last felt at home among the other fish.
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In the end, the Rainbow Fish had only one shining scale left.
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His most prized possessions had been given away,
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yet he was very happy.
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Come on Rainbow Fish, come and play with us!
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Here I come, said the Rainbow Fish.
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And happy as a splash,
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he swam off to join his friends.
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What are the lessons that we could learn from this story?
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First, be humble.
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The Rainbow Fish didn't want to play with the other fish because he thought that he's too beautiful to mingle with them.
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Never look down on anybody.
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Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
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You may be successful and beautiful,
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but that doesn't put you above everybody else.
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Remember, we all have our unique gifts, talents, strengths, and weaknesses.
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Be humble enough to know that you are far from perfect,
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but confident enough to know that you can do anything you set your mind to.
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Second, sharing.
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Sharing comes in many forms.
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It could be us sharing our time,
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efforts, or whatever we have with other people.
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We can help others even in our own simplest way.
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3 Genuine Happiness Just like the rainbow fish,
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you could be the most beautiful and the most successful,
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yet still be the loneliest.
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As cliché as it may sound,
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but happiness really lies within us.
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Sure, we will be happy when we have all the best material things in the world,
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but that happiness is temporary.
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Aim for that long-lasting and genuine happiness.
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Remember, happiness is an inside job.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will engage with the enchanting story of "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister. This exercise will focus on enhancing your English speaking abilities through shadowing techniques. By mimicking the narrator's tone and pace, you will improve your pronunciation and fluency. The themes of humility, friendship, and sharing are woven throughout the story, providing not just language practice but also valuable life lessons. This unique approach to English learning will help you connect emotionally with the material while simultaneously honing your language skills.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Rainbow Fish - The protagonist known for his dazzling beauty.
  • Scales - The protective outer covering of fish, symbolizing beauty in the story.
  • Play - Engaging in fun activities with others, an essential part of friendship.
  • Humility - The quality of being humble, recognizing one's limitations and sharing with others.
  • Lonely - A feeling of sadness due to lack of companionship or friendship.
  • Advice - Guidance or recommendations offered to someone seeking help.
  • Friendship - A close relationship with someone based on mutual affection.
  • Sharing - The act of distributing or giving a part of what one has to others.

Practice Tips

To make the most of your English speaking practice with "The Rainbow Fish," consider using the shadowspeak technique. Begin by listening to the narration at a slow pace. Try to imitate the flow and the intonation of the speaker. This story is deeply expressive, with a gentle tone that adds emotional weight to the words. As you listen, pause the audio every few sentences and repeat what you've heard, focusing on improving your English pronunciation.

Due to the story's rhythmic and lyrical quality, it can be beneficial to practice in shorter segments, allowing for better retention of phrases. Utilize a shadowing app to record your voice; this will enable you to compare your pronunciation with the original narration. Pay close attention to the emotions conveyed in the words. By using the shadowspeaks technique, you'll not only enhance your speaking abilities but also gain insights into the importance of themes like sharing and friendship.

By consistently practicing with this enjoyable story, you'll find yourself gaining confidence and fluency in English while learning to appreciate the deeper messages it holds.

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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