Shadowing Practice: What Animals Think Humans Are? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Every animal on Earth looks at us differently.
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Some think we're family, some think we're terrible hunters, and one animal might actually think we're completely insane.
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Let's find out.
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Number six, dogs.
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Humans have spent around 30,000 years turning wolves into our best friends.
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But here's something scientists only recently started to understand.
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Your dog probably doesn't think you're another dog.
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Instead, it seems to know you're something entirely different.
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Researchers have shown that dogs recognize human faces.
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Understand our pointing gestures learn hundreds of words, and even read our emotions.
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In one experiment, dogs were shown pictures of happy and angry human faces.
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Surprisingly, they reacted differently to each one, meaning they aren't just looking at your face, they're actually paying attention to your mood,
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which explains why your dog somehow knows you're sad.
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Five minutes before you do.
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But here's my favorite part.
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When dogs reunite with their owners after being separated, their brains release huge amounts of oxytocin,
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the exact same hormone that helps parents bond with their children, and when you look back into your dog's eyes, your brain releases it too.
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It's basically a biological friendship loop.
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Scientists believe dogs see humans as trusted social partners, providers, protectors, and members of their family.
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Although, based on how often mine watches me struggle to open a bag of chips, I'm pretty sure he also thinks I'm hopeless.
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Number five, cats.
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Cats have lived with humans for nearly 10,000 years.
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Somehow, they still act like we're the ones living in their house.
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Unlike dogs, cats were never heavily bred to obey humans.
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They mostly domesticated themselves.
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Thousands of years ago, wild cats discovered that villages were full of mice.
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Humans noticed the cats were helping.
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Neither side complained.
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And that's basically how the partnership started.
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Today, scientists think cats recognize that humans are different from other cats.
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They don't mistake us for giant felines, but they often treat us using behaviors normally reserved for trusted cats.
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For example, that slow blink your cat gives you, among cats, that's a peaceful signal.
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Almost like saying, I trust you.
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Then there's rubbing against your legs.
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Many people think that's affection, and it is, but it's also a way of mixing scents.
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Cats have scent glands on their cheeks, forehead, and tail.
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So every time they rub against you, they're basically saying, this giant hairless creature belongs with me.
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Then there's the gifts.
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The dead mouse on your doorstep.
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Congratulations!
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Your cat probably wasn't trying to insult you.
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Some experts believe mother cats bring prey back to teach their kittens how to hunt.
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Whether domestic cats view humans the same way is still debated.
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But one thing is certain.
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Your cat definitely noticed you haven't caught a single mouse all year.
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Honestly, somebody had to help.
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Number four, dolphins.
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If you lived in the ocean, you'd probably think humans were terrible dolphins.
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And honestly, you'd be right.
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Dolphins are some of the smartest animals on Earth.
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They recognize themselves in mirrors, call each other by unique signature whistles, and even cooperate to solve complex problems.
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But here's something interesting.
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Unlike sharks, dolphins rarely treat humans as prey.
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Instead, they often seem curious.
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Around the world, wild dolphins have been observed swimming alongside divers, inspecting boats, even bringing unusual objects like seaweed or shells toward people.
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Scientists believe dolphins investigate anything new in their environment.
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Humans just happen to be one of the strangest things they've ever seen.
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There are also dozens of well-documented reports of dolphins helping people.
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Some have guided lost swimmers toward shore.
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Others have formed protective circles around humans when sharks were nearby.
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Scientists still debate why.
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Were they protecting us, protecting themselves, or were they simply responding to another animal in distress?
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The honest answer is, nobody knows.
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But dolphins are incredibly social.
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Helping injured members of their own pod is common, so extending that behavior toward humans isn't impossible.
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One thing is certain, if dolphins really are judging us, they're probably wondering why we need boats just to stay above water.
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Number three, octopus.
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Imagine meeting an alien, only to discover it already lives on Earth.
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Meet the octopus.
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Unlike almost every intelligent animal we've talked about, octopuses didn't evolve in families.
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They don't hunt in packs, they don't raise large social groups.
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Most spend their lives completely alone.
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Yet, somehow, they became one of the smartest animals in the ocean.
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Scientists have watched octopuses unscrew jars, escape locked aquariums, solve puzzles, and even memorize routines inside laboratories.
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One famous octopus learned exactly when the night shift started.
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Every evening, it would quietly climb out of its tank, sneak across the floor, help itself to fish from another aquarium, then crawl back home before anyone noticed.
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Honestly, if it had eight hands, wait.
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Never mind.
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But what do octopuses actually think humans are.
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Researchers believe they're incredibly curious about us.
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Divers often report octopuses slowly reaching out with one arm, touching cameras, masks, or even people's hands.
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Not to attack, just to investigate.
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Their arms are packed with thousands of chemical and touch receptors, so every little tap is basically the octopus asking, what exactly are you?
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Some even seem to recognize individual divers who visit regularly, while others have been known to completely ignore certain people, and spray water at others.
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Scientists have actually documented octopuses squirting water at humans they apparently didn't like.
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Imagine being judged by an animal with nine brains.
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Technically, one central brain and eight arms that can solve problems almost by themselves.
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That's less like meeting a fish and more like meeting an underwater genius.
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Number two, chimpanzees.
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Out of every animal on earth, there's one that's looked at humans and probably thought, you're almost one of us.
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Chimpanzees share around 98 to 99% of their DNA with humans.
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That makes them our closest living relatives, alongside bonobos.
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And sometimes, the similarities are almost unsettling.
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Chimpanzees laugh when they play, comfort each other after fights, use tools, work together, and even wage territory battles against rival groups.
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Sound familiar?
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Wild chimpanzees have noticed something fascinating.
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Chimpanzees clearly understand that humans are animals very strange ones.
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In forests where people hunt chimpanzees, the apes become incredibly cautious.
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They stay silent, hide high in the trees, and avoid people whenever possible.
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But in protected sanctuaries, where humans consistently bring food, provide medical care, or help injured chimps, their behavior changes completely.
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Some individuals confidently approach familiar caretakers.
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Others reach out for reassurance during stressful situations.
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Young chimpanzees are especially curious.
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Watching humans, copying movements, even trying to imitate certain behaviors, researchers believe chimpanzees recognize individual humans,
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remember past interactions, and adjust their behavior based on trust.
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They don't see every person the same way.
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They remember, which is impressive, Because I still forget where I left my phone.
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At least twice a day.
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Chimpanzees probably don't think we're giant apes.
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They seem to understand we're a completely different species.
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One that's incredibly clever, sometimes dangerous.
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Number one, orcas.
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Imagine being the most powerful predator on Earth, and still choosing not to attack humans.
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Meet the orca.
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Orcas have hunted almost everything the ocean has to offer.
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Seals, sharks, penguins, whales, even great white sharks.
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Scientists have watched entire pods flip sharks upside down, specifically to eat one organ, the liver.
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Talk about ordering only the appetizer.
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Despite being perfectly capable of hunting humans, there has never been a confirmed case of a wild orca intentionally killing a human.
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That's astonishing, especially considering how often people share the ocean with them.
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So, what do they think we are?
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Researchers believe orcas are extremely curious.
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Wild pods have been filmed approaching kayaks, surfboards, sailboats and even divers.
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Sometimes they quietly swim alongside people, rolling onto their sides, looking directly at them with one eye, almost as if they're trying to figure us out.
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Some scientists think this behavior is simply investigation.
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Others believe they're gathering information about unfamiliar animals.
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The truth is, we don't know exactly what's going through an orca's mind.
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But we do know something remarkable.
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Orcas recognize individuals within their own pods, teach hunting techniques across generations, and have distinct cultures that vary from one population to another.
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That means different groups of orcas can behave differently, almost like different human communities.
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Thanks for watching The Curious Kid.
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I'll see you in the next video.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 132 sentences and 1392 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:30. The speaker talks at a natural 164 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| scientist noun | /ˈsaɪəntəst/ | One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research… |
| dolphin noun | /ˈdɑlf.ɪn/ | A carnivorous cetacean, typically with a beak-like snout, famed for their intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans. |
| curious adjective | /ˈkjʊɹ.i.əs/ | Tending to ask questions, or to want to explore or investigate; inquisitive; (with a negative connotation) nosy, prying. |
| incredibly adverb | /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/ | In an incredible manner; not to be believed. |
| researcher noun | /ˈɹiˌsɝ.t͡ʃɚ/ | One who researches. |
| alongside | /əˌlɔŋˈsaɪd/ | Side by side with. |
| solve verb | /sɒlv/ | To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out. |
| mouse noun | /maʊs/ | Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail. |
| differently adverb | /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/ | In a different way. |
| pod noun | /ˈpɑd/ | A seed case for legumes (e.g. peas, beans, peppers); a seedpod. |
| investigate verb | /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/ | To inquire into or study in order to ascertain facts or information. |
| swim verb | /swɪm/ | To move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in water by natural means. |
| quietly adverb | /ˈkwaɪ.ɪt.li/ | Producing little or no noise. |
| prey noun | /pɹeɪ/ | That which is or may be seized by animals to be devoured. |
| scent noun | /sɛnt/ | A distinctive smell. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| work together verb | To be coworkers with someone; to share a workspace with someone. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 36 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, they're, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: partnership /ˈpɑɹtnɚʃɪp/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/, shell /ʃɛl/
- Long words — get the stress right: incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/, investigate /ɪnˈvɛs.tə.ɡeɪt/, aquarium /əˈkwɛɹ.i.jəm/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like scientist, dolphin, curious.
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 | have spent · have shown · have lived |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were shown · being separated · is still debated |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the smartest · the strangest · the most powerful |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | were helping · wasn't trying |
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.