Shadowing Practice: Why Do We Get Goosebumps? - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Squeaks and I were just out for a walk, and it sure is cold outside today!
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I’m still pretty chilly — I think it’s going to take a few minutes for my body to warm back up.
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Good observation, Squeaks!
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I have goosebumps all over my arms.
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Goosebumps are tiny bumps that can form all over your skin, mostly on your arms and legs.
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It’s a normal thing that happens sometimes when you’re cold, or when you’re having a strong feeling like if you’re scared.
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If you look closely at your arms and legs, you might see tiny hairs growing.
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Each of these hairs is surrounded by tiny muscles, and when you get goosebumps, these muscles pull together, or contract.
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When this happens, the muscles and skin around the hairs pull closer to your body, so the hairs stand up higher and you get those little bumps at the same time!
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Good guess!
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But you don’t get goosebumps from geese.
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We call them goosebumps because they look a little bit like a goose’s skin underneath the feathers.
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It’s kind of a silly name.
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Geese don’t even really get goosebumps — they might extend their feathers, but it’s not exactly the same.
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Some other kinds of animals do get goosebumps, though!
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Especially animals with fur.
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One of the most common reasons people and other animals get goosebumps is the temperature, or how warm or cold it is — like what just happened to me.
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When it’s very cold out, your body tries to stay warm.
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Think about what you do to keep warm in the cold: you might fold your arms, or curl up on your couch.
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When you do those things, you’re pulling your body as close together as possible to keep your heat close, and to kind of wrap yourself up so there’s something between you and the cold air outside.
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Goosebumps can help do both.
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The muscles around your hairs contract, pulling closer to your body to keep your heat close.
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At the same time, it pushes your hairs out to try to make a thicker layer between you and the cold — almost like a layer of fur!
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But since we humans don’t have fur, it doesn’t help as much as it would for an animal that does have fur.
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So next time, I should probably just wear a warmer jacket.
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There are other reasons that an animal might want to have a big, fluffy layer of fur, though.
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When animals are surprised or see something scary, like predators that might want to eat them, sometimes they’ll try to scare the predator off.
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If you’ve ever seen a cat suddenly puff up their fur when they’re surprised, that’s why!
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They’re trying to look so big and scary that nothing will want to mess with them.
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I wouldn’t want to mess with a scared cat either.
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People can get goosebumps when we’re scared, too.
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Our bodies are trying to made us look big and scary, just like that goose, even though we don’t have fur.
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Just imagine if I had a thick, furry coat all puffed up.
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I’d look really big, and I could probably scare off whatever was scaring me.
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What do you think, Squeaks?
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Squeaks? Haha, you surprised me, Squeaks!
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Now I have goosebumps all over again.
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Have you ever gotten goosebumps?
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What other ways could you use to keep yourself warm, or to make yourself look big and scary?
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Ask a grown-up help you to leave a comment below, or send us an email at [email protected].
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We’ll see you next time, here at the fort.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 41 sentences and 599 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:50. The speaker talks fast, about 211 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 82% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| scare verb | /skɛɚ/ | To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way. |
| muscle noun | /ˈmʌs.əl/ | A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement. |
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| layer noun | /ˈleɪ̯ɚ/ | A single thickness of some material covering a surface. |
| goose noun | /ɡus/ | Any of various grazing waterfowl of the family Anatidae, which have feathers and webbed feet and are capable of flying, swimming, and walking on land, and… |
| thick adjective | /θɪk/ | Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension. |
| bump noun | /bʌmp/ | A light blow or jolting collision. |
| predator noun | /ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/ | Any animal or other organism that hunts and kills other nonplant organisms (their prey), primarily for food. |
| feather noun | /ˈfɛðə/ | A branching, hair-like structure that grows on the bodies of birds, used for flight, swimming, protection and display. |
| puff noun | /pʌf/ | A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth. |
| fort noun | /fɔɹt/ | A fortified defensive structure stationed with troops. |
| silly adjective | /ˈsɪl.i/ | Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance. |
| coat noun | /ˈkoʊ̯t/ | An outer garment covering the upper torso and arms. |
| extend verb | /ɛkˈstɛnd/ | To increase in extent. |
| jacket noun | /ˈd͡ʒæk.ɪt/ | A piece of clothing worn on the upper body outside a shirt or blouse, often waist length to thigh length. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| close together adjective | Near each other in time or space. |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. |
| pull together verb | To unite for a common objective. |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might see · might extend · might fold |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | you're having · you're pulling · They're trying |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | they'll try · will want · We'll see |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 18 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thick /θɪk/, feather /ˈfɛðə/, underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/
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 scare, muscle, scary.
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.