Shadowing Practice: Your Life as King Baldwin IV - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Level 1.
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The Numb Arm.
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You are 9 years old.
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The other boys in the courtyard are wrestling.
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You're winning.
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You always win.
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But something is wrong.
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Your tutor is watching from the balcony.
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He's not watching the fight.
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He's watching your arm.
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The other boys are scratching you.
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Digging their nails into your right forearm.
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You don't flinch.
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You don't feel it.
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You've never felt it.
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Your tutor calls you inside.
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He grabs your arm and presses a lit candle close to your skin.
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Nothing.
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No pain, no reaction.
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His face goes white.
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He knows what this means.
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You don't.
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Not yet.
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You're a prince of Jerusalem.
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Your father is king of the holiest city on earth.
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You live in a stone palace surrounded by enemies on every side.
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You were born for the throne.
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But something is growing inside your body.
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Something that will eat you alive.
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Level 2.
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The Final Verdict.
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You are 11.
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A physician examines you in a dark room.
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He unwraps the linen from your arm.
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The skin is pale.
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Patches of it are completely numb.
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He presses a needle into your flesh.
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You feel nothing.
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He steps back.
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He doesn't need to say the word.
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Leprosy.
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In this century, it's a final verdict.
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There is no cure, no treatment.
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Your body will slowly destroy itself.
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Your skin will crack and blister.
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Your fingers will curl inward like claws face will collapse.
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Eventually, your eyes will go dark.
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And then, your story ends.
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Most lepers are cast out of society.
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They live in colonies outside the walls.
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They ring bells to warn people their coming.
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But you are not most lepers.
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You are the heir to Jerusalem.
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The kingdom needs a king.
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And right now, you're all they've got.
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Level 3.
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The Boy King.
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You are 13.
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Your father is gone.
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Dysentery took him on a campaign in in the north.
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The crown passes to you.
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A child with a disease that's already eating his body from the inside.
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The barons kneel before you in the great hall.
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Some of them mean it.
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Most of them are already calculating.
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A sick boy on the throne means opportunity.
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Your mother is pushed aside.
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Your tutor becomes your closest advisor.
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He's the only one who sees you as a king and not a shadow on borrowed time.
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The kingdom you inherit is a thin strip of land pressed between the Mediterranean Sea and a sea of enemies.
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Egypt to the south, Syria to the east.
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And somewhere out there, the most dangerous man alive is unifying the entire Muslim world under one banner.
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His name is Saladin.
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He wants Jerusalem back.
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And you, a 13-year-old leper, are the only thing standing in his way.
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Level 4.
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The Miracle.
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You are 16.
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Saladin crosses the border with 26,000 men.
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Your scouts ride in hard with the news.
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The largest army you've ever faced is heading straight for the Holy City.
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You have 375 knights, a few thousand infantry.
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The math doesn't work.
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Your advisors urge caution.
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Fall back behind the walls.
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Wait for reinforcements.
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You refuse.
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You ride out.
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Your arm is already weakening.
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You can barely grip the reins.
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A servant straps the shield to your arm because your fingers can't hold it.
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You find Saladin's army near a hill called Moncusard.
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They don't expect you.
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They think you're hiding behind walls.
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You order the charge.
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375 knights slam into 26,000 soldiers.
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The impact is devastating.
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You're in the middle of it.
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A teenage boy on a war horse, his body failing, his sword arm going numb.
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Saladin's army shatters.
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They scatter into the desert.
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Thousands gone.
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Saladin himself barely escapes on the back of a racing camel.
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You ride back to Jerusalem, a hero.
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The entire kingdom erupts.
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A leper boy just defeated the greatest general in the known world.
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For one single night, you forget the clock is ticking.
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Level 5 – The Rotting Throne You are 18.
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The disease is accelerating.
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Your right hand is nearly useless.
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You press it flat against the throne's armrest, just to feel something… nothing.
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The skin on your arms is cracking open in deep sores.
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Bandages cover most of your body now.
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You can still ride, but someone has to lift you onto the horse.
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The court sees it.
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The vultures are circling.
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Your mother whispers in corners you can't reach.
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She schemes behind your back.
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Your sister's new husband, a French knight with more ambition than skill, is positioning himself for the crown.
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The barons split into factions.
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Some support you.
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Some back the French knight.
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Some just want whoever wins to owe them a favor.
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You sit on the throne wrapped in linen, watching your kingdom tear itself apart from the inside.
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Four months ago you drove Saladin into the desert.
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Tonight your own court is the battlefield.
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Saladin is still out there.
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He hasn't forgotten Montgassard.
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He's rebuilding.
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He's recruiting.
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He's patient.
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He doesn't need an army right now.
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He has something better.
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Time.
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And you're running out of it.
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Level 6.
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The Iron Will.
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You are 20.
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Your legs are giving out.
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Someone carries you into the throne room every morning.
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A silver mask sits where the bandages used to be.
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You chose it yourself.
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If the court wants to stare, they'll stare at something cold.
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But your mind is razor sharp, sharper than anyone sitting in the room.
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You strip your sister's husband of his claim, his authority, his future.
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The man nearly started a war through sheer stupidity.
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He raided a merchant caravan during a truce with Saladin, broke the peace like it meant nothing.
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You humiliate him publicly.
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The barons protest.
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You don't care.
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You cannot walk.
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But you can still rule.
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You summon the one Baron you trust, a lord from the Northern Territories.
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Not ambitious, not hungry for glory, just solid, steady, experienced.
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You appoint him regent.
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The court despises it.
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They want the French knight.
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You want the kingdom to survive.
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Those are two very different things.
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Level 7.
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The Last Ride.
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You are 21.
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Saladin invades again.
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A massive army lays siege to a fortress near the Sea of Galilee.
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The regent gathers the army, but won't attack.
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He's cautious.
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Too cautious.
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The fortress is crumbling.
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Defenders are dying on the walls.
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You hear the reports, and something inside you snaps.
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You haven't walked in months.
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Your eyes are going, but you order your servants to carry you to the front lines on a litter.
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The army watches as you arrive.
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Silence first.
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Then something else.
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They've seen kings ride into battle before.
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They've never seen one carried.
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You can't hold a sword, you can't grip the reins of a horse, but you can give orders, and the men follow them.
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Your presence alone rallies the entire force.
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They march.
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Saladin sees the banners of Jerusalem approaching and withdraws.
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He won't fight you.
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Not again.
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Not after Montgesard.
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A blind, crippled leper king on a stretcher just made the most powerful warlord in the Middle East turn around
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and walk away.
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This is the last time you will ever see a battlefield.
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Level 8.
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The Blind King.
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You are 22.
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Your eyes have failed.
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The light is gone.
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You rule Jerusalem in total darkness.
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Servants describe every room.
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Advisors read you the letters aloud.
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You dictate your responses from abed.
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You will not leave it again.
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Your body is unrecognizable.
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The disease has consumed your face, your hands, your feet.
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Every joint is swollen.
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Every breath is agony.
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But you are still making decisions.
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You name your sister's infant son as your heir, not her husband, never her husband.
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You know the French knight will destroy everything you've bled to protect.
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You force the barons to swear their loyalty to the boy.
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Some of them lie straight to your face.
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You can't see their expressions, but you know.
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You've always known who's loyal, and who's just waiting for you to stop breathing.
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Level 9.
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The Sandcastle.
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You are 23.
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The child is crowned co-king beside you.
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A boy barely old enough to hold a wooden sword, now shares the throne of Jerusalem.
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It's desperate.
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It's absurd.
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It's the only move left on the board.
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Your regent governs in the child's name.
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The French knight is sidelined. For now.
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You've built a wall of oaths and laws around the succession.
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It's fragile.
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Paper thin.
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Nothing holds forever in this kingdom.
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You know that better than anyone alive.
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Your kingdom is a sandcastle.
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The tide is Saladin.
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But you've bought time.
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That's all you've ever done.
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Buy time. With blood. With pain.
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With a body that should have given out.
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years ago.
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Level 10.
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The Price.
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You are 24, spring in Jerusalem.
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You can't feel the warmth on your skin.
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You can't see the sunlight pouring through your window.
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You can barely hear the prayers echoing from the great church below the palace walls.
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Your body has finally consumed itself.
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11 years on the throne, you fought Saladin and won.
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You held a crumbling kingdom together through nothing but will.
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You ruled through blindness, through agony, through betrayal.
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When stronger men would have surrendered in their sleep, the servants change your bandages one final time, the room goes quiet.
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You are 24 years old, and you have lived more lifetimes than men twice your age.
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The crown is lifted from your head.
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Two years after your death, the French knight you spent your entire reign trying to stop will lose Jerusalem to Saladin at the Horns of Hattin.
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Everything you fought for will fall, but not today.
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Today, the pain finally stops.
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You paid the price, and now you are history.
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About This Lesson
Ready to learn English with videos while exploring a gripping story? This lesson uses a vivid narrative about King Baldwin IV to help you practice speaking, listening, and pronunciation. You’ll follow a young prince’s journey, picking up natural phrasing and emotional tone—perfect for building fluency. Whether you’re new to shadowing or refining your skills, this video’s clear, storytelling pace makes it easy to dive in and see quick progress.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Numb: Lacking feeling (e.g., "My arm is numb").
- Flinch: To move suddenly from pain or fear (e.g., "She didn’t flinch when the doctor pressed").
- Final verdict: A definite decision or diagnosis (e.g., "The test gave a final verdict").
- Cast out: To be forced to leave a group (e.g., "Lepers were cast out of cities").
- Collapse: To fall inward or break down (e.g., "His health began to collapse").
Practice Tips for Shadowing
Shadowing—repeating lines right after the speaker—is a powerful way to improve English pronunciation and flow. Here’s how to make the most of this video: - Start slow: Pause after each sentence and mimic the tutor’s concerned tone or the prince’s confusion. Notice how words like "numb" and "verdict" are stressed. - Focus on rhythm: The story’s dramatic pace means pauses matter. Copy the pauses after "He knows what this means" to sound natural. - Use a shadowing app (or just your phone!) to record yourself. Compare it to the video—you’ll catch small tweaks that make a big difference. - Shadow speak daily for 5 minutes. This short, consistent practice will help you internalize the language and build confidence fast.
You’re not just learning English—you’re stepping into a story. Let the narrative guide your voice, and watch your skills grow with every line!
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 | You've never felt · you've ever faced · hasn't forgotten |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were born · is pushed · is crowned |
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.