Shadowing Practice: Ch. 3 An apple ball - Reddy's funny stories - reading for kids - Learn English Speaking with Video

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3. An apple ball.
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It is autumn.
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It is September.
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It is Pinkie's birthday today.
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She is eight months.
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She has got two presents, Blackie's present and my present.
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Blackie's present is a small red ball, and my present is a box of chocolates.
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Mrs. Poor visits us in the morning.
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She gives Pinkie a big birthday cake and goes home because she has got a baby son there.
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Pinkie makes tea for us.
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We drink tea and eat chocolates together.
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Then we play with a small red ball.
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We play and play.
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Pinky catches the ball with her teeth.
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Oh no!
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There is a hole in the ball.
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We can't play with it now.
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Pinky is very sad.
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She cries.
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I have not got any presents now, she said.
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There are no chocolates and there is not a ball.
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Please don't cry, I say.
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We can go and play in the garden.
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There are a lot of apples on the grass.
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We can play with the apples.
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We go to the garden and we play with the apples.
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When there is a hole in the apple, we eat it up and play with another apple.
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Pinky is happy now.
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She likes apples.
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They are red.
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You can play with them and you can eat them.

Speaking Goals for This Fun Story Clip

This sweet story about Pinkie’s birthday is perfect for building everyday fluency—a key milestone for beginners or anyone prepping for exams like IELTS speaking practice. It focuses on simple past tense, describing actions, and expressing emotions, which are essential for natural conversations. Whether you’re using a shadowing app or practicing the shadowing technique, this dialogue helps you get comfortable with real-life sentence flow, not just memorized phrases.

Phrase Bank: Reusable Expressions to Sound Natural

  • “She has got two presents” – A common way to talk about possessions (great for IELTS speaking practice!).
  • “We drink tea and eat chocolates together” – Simple, conversational structure for describing shared activities.
  • “Please don’t cry” – A gentle way to comfort someone, useful in daily interactions.
  • “We can play with the apples” – Using “can” to suggest solutions, a must-have for problem-solving dialogues.
  • “When there is a hole in the apple, we eat it up” – Linking actions with “when” to show cause and effect.

Fix Your Weak Spots: Pronunciation & Rhythm Tips

The video’s slow, clear pace makes it ideal for shadowing—repeat after the speaker to nail word stress (e.g., “BIRTH-day” vs. “birth-DAY”) and intonation (rising tone when Pinkie cries, falling when she’s happy). Many learners struggle with short, common words like “it” or “is” blending into sentences; practicing with this story helps you connect them smoothly, just like native speakers. For extra practice, try using a shadowing app to record yourself and compare—this is how shadowspeak masters refine their skills. Even if you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice, these small rhythm fixes can make your speech sound more natural and confident.

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.