Shadowing Practice: Usborne First Reading - Level 04 - The Emperor and the Nightingale - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

A2
The Emperor and the Nightingale The Emperor of China was a very proud man.
⏸ Paused
122 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
The Emperor and the Nightingale The Emperor of China was a very proud man.
2
He always wanted the best of everything.
3
His palace was made of fine white bricks.
4
The roof was solid gold.
5
The garden was full of bright flowers with silver bells.
6
They tinkled in the wind.
7
Music to my ears.
8
The garden was very big.
9
It was so big that even the emperor never saw it all.
10
Oof!
11
He never saw the little brown nightingale who lived in the trees.
12
But other people saw the nightingale.
13
The gardener saw her every day.
14
He liked to listen to her singing.
15
Her songs always made him smile.
16
Cheer up!
17
Cheer up!
18
One day, the emperor was reading a book about his wonderful palace.
19
The book said, the garden is full of bells that tinkle sweetly.
20
The emperor smiled, but the next page made him frown.
21
It went on, but the nightingale's song sounds sweeter than the bells.
22
What's a nightingale?
23
Why haven't I heard this nightingale?
24
snapped the emperor Bring it to sing in the palace now!
25
The palace servants never went into the garden They didn't know anything about the nightingale
26
But they didn't dare to tell the emperor What's a nightingale?
27
Where can we find it?
28
They searched high and low.
29
They looked under flowers and behind bushes.
30
Spiders can't see.
31
In the end, they had to ask the gardener.
32
I can show you the nightingale, he said.
33
Follow me.
34
They walked and walked.
35
Suddenly, they heard a croak.
36
The nightingale! cried the servant.
37
What music!
38
The gardener smiled.
39
No, that's a frog in the pond.
40
He replied.
41
A little later, they heard a loud moo.
42
The nightingale! shouted the servant.
43
What a voice!
44
No, that's a cow in the field.
45
The gardener told them he was trying not to laugh.
46
In the end, they came to a tree.
47
Just then, the nightingale began to sing.
48
Cheer up!
49
Cheer up!
50
Such sweet music!
51
When she finished, the servants collapsed.
52
Little bird, the emperor wants you to sing in his palace, they said.
53
My songs sound best out here.
54
among the trees, said the bird, but I'll come.
55
As she flew back to the palace with them,
56
the emperor was surprised to see such a little browned bird.
57
She's not very pretty, But when she sang,
58
he was entranted by her voice.
59
Cheer up, cheer up.
60
The emperor liked her voice so much.
61
He ordered her to stay and sing to him every day.
62
The Emperor gave the Nightingale a silver cage,
63
but she missed living outside, among the trees.
64
Soon, the little brown bird was famous.
65
Even the emperor of Japan came to hear her sing.
66
Cheer up, cheer up.
67
What a sweet voice.
68
One day, a big box arrived at the palace.
69
To the emperor of China.
70
Here's an even better nightingale from the Emperor of Japan.
71
Inside, there was another nightingale.
72
This one had sparkling golden feathers.
73
Its eyes were made of rubies.
74
What a beautiful bird!
75
When you turned a key, it sang like the little brown bird.
76
Well, sort of.
77
Tra la la!
78
Although the tune was always exactly the same.
79
Tra la la!
80
The emperor was very happy.
81
He was so happy, he forgot all about the little brown bird.
82
She flew away and nobody noticed.
83
The emperor played the golden nightingale every morning.
84
Cha la la. And every evening.
85
Cha la la.
86
Until one day, instead of singing, it went and kerplunk!
87
Something had broken inside.
88
No one knew how to fix it.
89
Now the emperor longed for the little brown bird But no one could find her,
90
not even the gardener Then the emperor became sick He lay in bed,
91
staring sadly at his broken bird.
92
His room was full of silence and shadows.
93
The doctors said he was close to death.
94
Suddenly, the sound of birdsong filled the air.
95
It was the real nightingale.
96
Cheer up, cheer up.
97
She had found out the emperor was sick.
98
So she had come back to sing for him.
99
She sang so sweetly that the shadows seemed to fade.
100
The emperor smiled and he began to get better.
101
Cheer up!
102
Cheer up!
103
Whistling Soon the emperor would swell again.
104
I am sure the nightingale cured me, he thought.
105
Please stay, he begged the little bird.
106
You can have a golden cage and all the servants you want.
107
I'll throw away the golden bird.
108
I prefer to live outside among the trees,
109
the nightingale replied, and she flew away.
110
The emperor was very sad.
111
He asked the gardener to plant a tree under his window.
112
It will remind me of the nightingale, he said.
113
The gardener watered the tree every day.
114
It grew and grew.
115
One day, the emperor heard something flutter past his window.
116
He looked out.
117
Cheer up!
118
Cheer up!
119
To his surprise, he saw two nightingales.
120
They were building a nest in the tree.
121
And when they sang, everyone in the palace smiled to hear them.
122
The emperor most of awe.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with the story of The Emperor and the Nightingale offers a rich opportunity for English learners to practice their speaking skills. This enchanting tale, filled with vivid imagery and emotional depth, encourages learners to explore various speaking contexts. By using the shadowing technique, you can enhance your pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. As you mimic the speaker's delivery, you not only improve your fluency but also develop a better understanding of storytelling dynamics. Such practice is especially beneficial if you're preparing for IELTS speaking exams where expressive storytelling can make a significant impact on your performance.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

This video presents several key grammatical structures and expressions that can enrich your English vocabulary:

  • Descriptive Language: Phrases like "fine white bricks" and "solid gold" demonstrate how adjectives can paint a vivid picture, which is crucial for effective storytelling.
  • Direct Speech: The use of quotations, like “What’s a nightingale? Why haven’t I heard this nightingale?” mimics natural conversation and illustrates how to express curiosity and surprise.
  • Imperatives: Commands such as “Bring it to sing in the palace now!” highlight how to give instructions assertively, essential for effective communication in everyday situations.
  • Comparative Structures: The phrase “the nightingale's song sounds sweeter than the bells” introduces learners to comparative forms, which are vital for making comparisons in English.

Incorporating these structures into your own speaking practice can enhance your expressiveness and coherence.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice with this video, pay close attention to certain words that might pose pronunciation challenges:

  • Nightingale: This word can trip up many learners due to its length and syllable stress. Focus on breaking it down: night-ing-gale.
  • Tinkle: The 't' sound at the beginning is crucial for clarity. Ensure that it’s pronounced crisply to convey the gentle sound of bells effectively.
  • Cheer up: This expression contains a connected speech feature. Practice saying it smoothly to blend the words naturally, emphasizing the upbeat tone it carries.

Regularly practicing these terms using the shadowspeak method will help improve not only your pronunciation but also your confidence in speaking English. Whether you're aiming to learn English with YouTube or enhance your overall speaking prowess, these exercises are invaluable.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee