Shadowing Practice: The Ugly Duckling Fairy Tales and Bedtime Stories for Kids in English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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On a little farm lived a cute duck family.
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105 sentences
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On a little farm lived a cute duck family.
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Mummy duck was sitting on her eggs waiting for her new ducklings to hatch.
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There were exactly seven eggs that were waiting to hatch.
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One sunny morning the The eggs began to hatch.
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Soon after, with great joy, the six little ducklings began to hatch.
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The ducklings were trying to adapt to the new world.
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They were quacking and walking around Mother Duck.
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However, the largest egg of them all was still trying to hatch, and Mother Duck began to worry.
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She thought that there might be something wrong.
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she decided to wait a little while longer.
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And at last, the seventh and the largest egg hatched.
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With great confusion, the poor ducklings began to look around.
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Little did he know his mother and siblings were a bit more confused than he was.
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Because this duck, in particular, did not look like his siblings.
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He was built much more broader and had grey and white feathers.
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The other ducklings began to laugh at him.
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What an ugly duckling you are.
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You look nothing like us.
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I don't get it.
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How come you look nothing like your siblings?
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We are ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly.
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Some time later, the ducklings all grew older.
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But the ugly duckling was much bigger than the others, even the colour of his feathers.
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You grew up so fast.
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How did you turn out to be so different?
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Time was passing by and the ugly duckling was growing up to be a different and sad duck.
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None of his siblings wanted to play with him.
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We won't play with you because you're ugly.
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All the other animals on the farm were making fun of him.
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Ugly duckling, ugly duckling.
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Na na na na na, ugly duckling, ugly duckling.
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Mother duck, on the other hand, was doing her best in protecting him.
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My poor duckling, why are you so different than the others?
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As the days passed, the poor ugly duckling was feeling horrible.
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All night long he would silently cry and think to himself that no one would ever want him.
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Why am I so ugly?
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Why couldn't I tell her to be like my siblings?
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One day, some hunters approached the lake near where they lived.
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The hunters began to hunt the ducks they had seen.
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Whilst Mother Duck was looking for food for the ducklings, she was caught by the hunters.
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The poor duckling, not knowing what had been happening, he waited till morning for his mother to return.
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Poor duckling didn't know what to do.
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First he went next to the dog and the dog told him to go.
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Go away, no one should see me talking to an ugly duck like you.
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A while later he went next to the chicken, but the chicken also made fun of him.
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Even I'm better looking than you.
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Ugly Duckling was very sad.
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No one wants me here.
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If my mother isn't coming back, there's absolutely no reason for me to stay on this pub.
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That morning, the ugly duckling left the farm.
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He swam to the other side of the lake.
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He asked the same question to all the animals he bumped into along the way.
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Do you know any ducks that look like me?
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Do you know any ducks that look like me?
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Do you know any ducks that look like me?
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He received the same answer from all of them.
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They had never seen such ugly duck before.
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Poor duckling began his journey and reached another lake once he was there.
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He asked the same question to the geese.
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You mustn't stay here like this.
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There are hunters around.
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Quickly get away from here.
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Go on, now go.
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The ugly duckling began to move along.
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Soon after another lake appeared, this time he was all alone.
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There was no one to be seen.
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Well then, if nobody wants me, I will hide here forever.
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Even though he was all alone, he was very happy.
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One day, he saw a horde of white long-necked birds migrating to the south.
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He looked at them with admiration.
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How beautiful they are.
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I wish I could be like them.
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Winter had come and snow had begun to fall.
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The ugly duckling fell in love with the sight of his first ever snow.
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Playing around, he was covered in white snow.
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Due to the heavy snow, the ugly duckling was finding it hard to find food.
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So off he went walking around trying to find food.
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He was cold and tired.
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Meanwhile, he came across a farmer.
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The farmer felt sorry for him and gave his jacket.
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You poor thing, how cold you are.
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I will take you home and look after you until you grow.
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The farmer did as he said and took good care of him.
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When spring had arrived, the ugly duckling had grown.
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So that he would have free space to move around, the farmer decided to leave him in a life.
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All alone once again.
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After some time had passed, the ugly duckling looked at his reflection in the water.
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But he was amazed at what he saw.
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At first, he couldn't recognise himself.
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He thought there was someone else behind him.
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So he flipped his wings and noticed that his reflection was doing the same thing.
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He stretched out his neck and his reflection continued to copy his movements.
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Right then he knew that this amazing bird was no one other than himself.
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Oh, how much I've changed!
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I look like the birds in the sky!
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I must return back home and show myself at once!
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And off he went.
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While he was swimming in the lake, he came across a wedge of swans.
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Because he was one of them now, they took him along.
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A good duckling was traveling in joy with the swans.
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A boy at the lake shore yelled out to his friends when he saw the swans.
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Hey look at the young one, all the way back must be the most beautiful swan I've seen.
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Yes, from the beginning, he indeed was a swan.
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He was just an unfortunate egg which got mixed up in between the ducks.
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But now he was with his real family and ahead of him was a happy lion.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will engage with the charming tale of "The Ugly Duckling," enhancing their English language proficiency through storytelling. This engaging narrative not only captivates the hearts of children but also serves as an excellent tool for learners to practice their speaking skills. As you listen to the story, you will focus on understanding the plot, characters, and moral of the story. This exercise will help you improve your English pronunciation and fluency by repeating phrases and sentences, making it a great opportunity to learn English with YouTube.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Hatch: to break open from an egg.
  • Quack: the sound made by ducks.
  • Confusion: a lack of understanding or clarity.
  • Siblings: brothers or sisters.
  • Different: not the same as others.
  • Ugly: unpleasant to look at; not beautiful.
  • Protecting: keeping someone safe from harm.
  • Hunters: people who catch or kill animals.

Practice Tips

To effectively practice your English speaking skills, consider shadowing the narration from the video. Shadow speech requires you to listen closely and repeat what you hear immediately after the speaker. This technique is especially effective with engaging content like fairy tales, as it provides a clear and rhythmic speaking style. To start, listen to a short segment of the story, then pause and repeat it out loud. Pay attention to the intonation and emotions conveyed by the narrator.

The story of "The Ugly Duckling" features a slow, steady pace, which aids in understanding. Take your time to mimic the pronunciation of key phrases like "My poor duckling" and "No one wants me here" during your shadowing practice. This will not only improve your English pronunciation but also help you internalize vocabulary. Remember to incorporate pauses where the narrator takes a breath; this mimics natural speech patterns. Regular practice of shadowspeak will undoubtedly enhance your fluency and confidence in spoken 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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