Shadowing Practice: Usborne First Reading - Level 04 - The Reluctant Dragon - Learn English Speaking with Video
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88 sentences
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The Reluctant Dragon One evening,
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long ago, a shepherd reigned home, terrified.
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I saw something terrible!
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He cried to his wife and son.
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It's as big as four horses!
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It has long sharp claws,
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a long pointy tail, and shiny blue scales all over its body.
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His son looked up from his book.
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That sounds like a dragon, he said.
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A dragon, yelled the wife.
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A dragon.
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said the shepherd.
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That does not sound good.
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The boy wasn't scared.
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The next day, he set off up the hill to find the dragon.
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Bye, don't worry.
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He might be friendly, thought the boy.
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The dragon was friendly, and he was thrilled to see the boy.
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It's beautiful here, but it does get lonely.
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The boy smiled.
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He sat down and asked the dragon all kinds of questions.
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The dragon told stories of long, long ago.
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There were dangerous dragons everywhere.
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And brave knights fought them to rescue Princess.
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The boy came back every day to hear the stories.
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But then the villagers found out about the dragon.
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They were terrified.
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The boy ran straight to the dragon.
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The villagers want to get rid of you, he painted.
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But I wouldn't hurt a fly.
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That afternoon, the boy heard even worse news.
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He's here!
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Send George the Dragon Killer!
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Who's there?
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He's going to fight the dragon!
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The boy rushed back to the dragon.
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St. George the Dragon Killer wants to fight you,
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gasped the boy And he has the longest spear I've ever seen But I don't like fighting
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I'll just hide in my cave until he goes away Hey, said the dragon.
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You can't, cried the boy.
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Everyone wants a fight.
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The dragon yarned.
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I'm sure you'll think of something, he said.
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The boy walked slowly back down to the village.
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He eats ten ships for breakfast A crowd of
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villagers was telling George about the dangerous dragon He burned down five horses It's not true,
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said the boy The dragon wouldn't hurt a fly But everyone wants a fight, said George.
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What can I do?
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Follow me, said the boy.
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And he took George to meet the dragon.
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What a perfect place for a fight, said George.
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No fighting,
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said the dragon firmly not even a pretend fight asked the boy maybe said the dragon
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the boy turned to george do you promise not to hurt him Well,
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it has to look real, said George Will there be a feast afterwards,
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asked the dragon There well,
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and you can come, promised George The next morning,
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lots of villagers arrived to watch the fight.
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The boy waited nervously by the dragon's cave.
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They cheered and waved when St. George rode into view.
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But where was the dragon?
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Then a roar anchored around the hills.
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Flames filled the air.
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Everyone gasped as the dragon appeared.
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His scales sparkled and he breathed out fire.
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Charge!
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cried George He galloped hard His spear held height The
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dragon bounced up All they shot past each other Missed! yelled the crowd George
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and the dragon turned around and charged again This time,
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there was no way they could miss.
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Clatter!
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Ban!
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Oof!
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The dragon slumped to the ground.
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George towered over him.
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Cut off his head!
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I think the dragon has learned his lesson.
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George declared, Let's invite him to our feast.
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And he led the villagers, the boy, and the dragon back down the hill.
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The boy was happy because his plan worked.
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The villagers were happy because they'd seen a fight.
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George was happy because he'd won.
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The dragon was happiest of all.
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He had lots of new friends and a very full tummy.
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Joyly night it's been, he murmured and began to snore.
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How will I get him home? said the boy I'll help,
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said George He gave the dragon a prude And they set off up the hill arm in arm The scent,
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the dragon and the boy Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Usborne First Reading - Level 04 - The Reluctant Dragon”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: dragon, boy, george, fight, villagers. This video has 88 sentences and 659 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:10. The speaker talks slowly, about 72 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dragon noun | /ˈdɹæɡən/ | In European mythologies, a gigantic beast, typically reptilian with leathery bat-like wings, lion-like claws, scaly skin and a lizard-like body, often a… |
| cave noun | /keɪv/ | A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside. |
| feast noun | /ˈfiːst/ | A holiday, festival, especially a religious one |
| shepherd noun | /ˈʃɛpəɹd/ | A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing flock. |
| yell verb | /jɛl/ | To shout; holler; make a loud sound with the voice, especially to express intense emotions such as anger or excitement. |
| spear noun | /spɪə̯(ɹ)/ | A long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion. |
| rescue verb | /ˈɹɛs.kjuː/ | To save from any violence, danger or evil. |
| rush verb | /ɹʌʃ/ | To hurry; to perform a task with great haste, often not properly or without thinking carefully. |
| sharp adjective | /ʃɑɹp/ | Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| afterwards adverb | /ˈæf.tɚ.wɚdz/ | At a later or succeeding time; after that; |
| arrive verb | /əˈɹaɪv/ | To reach; to get to a certain place. |
| tail noun | /ˈteɪ̯l/ | An object or part of an object resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails; a strand of material hanging from something. |
| brave adjective | /bɹeɪv/ | Strong in the face of fear; courageous. |
| pretend verb | /pɹəˈtɛnd/ | To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| back down verb | To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously had, or has planned to have. | |
| burn down verb | To cause (a structure) to burn to nothing. | |
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| cut off verb | /ˌkʌt ˈɔf/ [ˌkɐɾ ˈɔf] | To remove by cutting. |
| go away verb | To depart or leave a place. | |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. | |
| turn around verb | To physically rotate (usually around a vertical axis) for a half turn (180 degrees), a whole turn (360 degrees), or an indefinite amount. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You can't, cried the boy.
- I'm sure you'll think of something, he said.
- What can I do?
- How will I get him home?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've ever seen · has learned · it's been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was thrilled · were terrified |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll just hide · you'll think · Will there |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'll, wouldn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, thrill /θɹɪl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shepherd /ˈʃɛpəɹd/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, sharp /ʃɑɹp/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like dragon, cave, feast.
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.