Shadowing Practice: Unit 8 lesson 5 the Ant and the Grasshopper, SB p.62 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Loading...
1
The Ant and the Grasshopper It was a summer day.
2
The grasshopper was sitting in the sun, playing his violin.
3
An ant walked by with an enormous piece of corn on his back.
4
That corn looks heavy, said the grasshopper.
5
Come and play with me.
6
The ant was tired and hot.
7
He pointed at a pile of corn.
8
I can't.
9
This is my food for the winter, he said.
10
There isn't any food then, so I must prepare now.
11
The grasshopper laughed.
12
Don't worry about winter, he said.
13
It's summer now and there's lots of food.
14
Soon the weather became very cold and there was deep snow and ice.
15
The grasshopper looked for food, but he couldn't find any.
16
I'm hungry, said the grasshopper to the ant.
17
Please, can I share your food?
18
The ant had lots of food, and he was kind.
19
Yes, you can, said the ant, and he gave the grasshopper some corn.
20
But next year you mustn't be lazy, and you must prepare for winter.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Unit 8 lesson 5 the Ant and the Grasshopper, SB p.62" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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.