Shadowing Practice: Usborne First Reading - Level 04 - The Tin Soldier - Learn English Speaking with Video
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110 sentences
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1
The Tin Soldier Happy birthday, Tom, said Grandpa.
2
Wow, thanks!
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Just what I wanted, Tom cried.
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Tin soldiers!
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Oh dear, this soldier only has one leg, said Grandpa.
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Attention!
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Quick march!
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Tom didn't mind.
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He spent all day playing.
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At bedtime, he packed the soldiers' bag in their box.
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But the one-legged soldier was missing.
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Where's he gone? wondered Tom.
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Don't worry, you can look for him tomorrow, said Grandpa.
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Tom saw the toys, waited until he was asleep.
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All clear.
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Now it was their turn to play.
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Whoopee!
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Ha ha!
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Yippee!
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The soldiers tried to join in, but they were stuck in their box.
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Except for the one-legged soldier.
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He had fallen behind a pile of toys, building blocks.
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But he didn't join in the games.
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He was gazing at the fairy tale palace in the corner.
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It once belonged to Tom's sister.
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A paper ballerina doll stood in the doorway.
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The pretty ballerina was dancing on one leg.
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She'd be a perfect wife for me, said the soldier.
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Suddenly, the grumpy Jack-in-the-box sprung up.
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Keep your eyes to yourself!
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The soldier ignored him.
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He smiled at the ball arena.
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She smiled back.
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The jealous Jack in the Box turned bright red.
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Just wait, he fumed.
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The next morning, Tom found his missing soldier.
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He put him by the window.
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The cruel Jack in the Box saw his chance.
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Ha ha, so long, soldier boy.
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He took a deep breath and blew as hard as he could.
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The tin soldier fell out of the window.
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He landed, whoa, on the street below.
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Ow! cried the soldier.
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He tried to move, but his foot was stuck.
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Two boys ran up.
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Look! shouted one.
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A tin soldier!
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Let's turn him into a sailor, said the other.
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They made a little boat out of an old newspaper.
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They stood the tin soldier in the boat, then they dropped it in the gutter.
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The soldier's boat sailed along the street.
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Ha ha!
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Oh no!
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The tin soldier wished the boat would stop.
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I feel sick.
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But things were about to get worse.
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There was a drain hole in the row ahead.
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The paper bolt shot down the drain.
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Whoa!
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It landed, splashed, in a dirty, smelly sewer.
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Oof, said the soldier as he sailed along the tunnel.
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He turned the bend.
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A fat black rat was in his way.
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Stop!
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Pay me a penny to pass, ordered the rat.
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The soldier had no money.
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He couldn't stop anyway.
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Sorry, stinky.
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Hey, come back.
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The soldier sailed on and on, a mouse from home.
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Will I ever see the ball in the door again?
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He wondered.
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Just then, he noticed daylight up ahead.
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Seconds later, the boat whooshed out of the sewer.
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It landed, whoa, in the river.
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The tin soldier was glad to be out of the sewer.
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Phew!
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But he wasn't happy for long.
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Now his boat was leaking.
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The next moment, he was sinking like a stone.
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Help!
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And things were about to get worse.
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A huge fish swung by.
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Mmm, he looks tasty.
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It swallowed the tin soldier in one gulp.
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a little hard but not bad oh no The soldier sat sadly in the fish's tummy.
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I'll be here forever.
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But his luck was about to change.
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A man caught the fish.
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What a beauty!
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He took it to sell at the market.
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Tom's grandpa bought the fish.
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He carried it home for supper.
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He unwrapped the fish.
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And then, tin soldier fell out.
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Grandpa took the tin soldier to Tom's room.
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Look who I found!
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Welcome home, soldier! shouted Tom.
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All the toys were glad to see the tin soldier, except one.
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Grrrr!
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He went hopping mad, broke his spring. and never worked again.
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The very next day, the tin soldier married the lovely ballerina.
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And they invited all the toys to a noisy party, after Tom was asleep, of course.
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Whoopee!
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Haha!
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Yippee!
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The Sad Fast Tin Soldier was first written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1838.
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The original version had a very sad ending.
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The tin soldier and the paper ballerina melted in the fireplace.
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All that was left of them was a heart-shaped piece of tin and a black screen.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Usborne First Reading - Level 04 - The Tin Soldier”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: soldier, tin, Tom, boat, grandpa. This video has 110 sentences and 710 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:36. The speaker talks slowly, about 74 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| soldier noun | /ˈsoʊld͡ʒɚ/ | A member of a ground-based army, of any rank, but especially an enlisted member. |
| grandpa noun | /ˈɡɹæm.pɑː/ | grandfather. |
| toy noun | /tɔɪ/ | Something to play with, especially as intended for use by a child. |
| sail noun | /seɪl/ | A piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged such that it causes the wind to drive the boat along. The sail may be attached to the boat via a combination… |
| whoa | /woʊ/ | Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down. |
| sewer noun | /ˈsuɚ/ | A pipe or channel, or system of pipes or channels, used to remove human waste and to provide drainage. |
| asleep adjective | /əˈsliːp/ | In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting. |
| drain noun | /dɹiːn/ | A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole (UK) |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| ignore verb | /ɪɡˈnɔː/ | To deliberately not listen or pay attention to. |
| palace noun | /ˈpælɪs/ | Official residence of a head of state or other dignitary, especially in a monarchical or imperial governmental system. |
| hop noun | /hɒp/ | A plant of species Humulus lupulus, native to northern Europe, female flowers of which are used to flavour many types of beer during brewing. |
| belong verb | /bɪˈlɒŋ/ | To have its proper place. |
| swing verb | /ˈswɪŋ/ | To rotate about an off-centre fixed point. |
| arena noun | /əˈɹiːnə/ | An enclosed area, often outdoor, for the presentation of sporting events (sports arena) or other spectacular events; earthen area, often oval, specifically for… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| fall behind verb | To be late (for a regular event) |
| fall out verb | To come out of something by falling. |
| run up verb | To run (towards someone or something); to hasten to a destination. |
| shoot down verb | To cause to fall by shooting. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was missing · was gazing · was dancing |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | Will I ever see · I'll be |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, couldn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shout /ʃaʊt/, splash /splæʃ/, whoosh /ʍʊʃ/
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 soldier, grandpa, toy.
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.