Shadowing Practice: The Princess and the Frog (2009) - First scene - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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53 sentences
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The The
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evening star is shining bright So make a wish and hold on tight
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There's magic in the air tonight And anything can happen Just at that moment,
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the ugly little frog looked up with his sad round eyes and pleaded,
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oh please, dear princess, only a kiss from you can break this terrible spell
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that was inflicted on me by a wicked witch.
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Here comes my baby boy.
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And the beautiful princess was so moved by his desperate plea that she stooped down,
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picked up the slippery creature, leaned forward, raised him to her lips,
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and kissed that little frog.
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Then the frog was transformed into a handsome prince.
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They were married and lived happily ever after.
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The end.
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Yay!
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Raise it again!
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Raise it again!
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Sorry, Charlotte.
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It's time for us to be heading home.
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Say goodnight, Tiana.
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There is no way in this whole wild world I would ever, ever, ever, I mean never, kiss a frog.
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Yuck!
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Is that so?
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Well, is it pretty starving, Tiana?
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Come on!
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Kissing!
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No!
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Kissing!
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Kissing!
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Kissing!
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Kissing!
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Well, I would do it.
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I would kiss a frog.
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I would kiss a hundred frogs if I could marry a prince and be a princess.
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You girls, stop tormenting that poor little kitty.
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Poor little thing.
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Evening, Eudora.
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Daddy, daddy, look at my new dress.
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Isn't it pretty?
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Oh, look at you.
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Why, I'd expect nothing less from the finest seamstress in New Orleans.
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Ooh, I want that dress.
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Ah, now, sugarcone.
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I want that one.
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Adora, you suppose you could whip something up like that?
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Anything for my best customer.
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Yay!
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Come along, Tiana.
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Your daddy should be home from work by now.
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All right, now, princess, you're getting that dress, but that's it.
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No more than Mr. Pushover.
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Now, who wants a puppy?
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I do, I do!
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She's so cute!

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Why This "Princess and the Frog" Clip Is Perfect for Speaking Practice

If you’re looking to boost your English speaking skills—whether for IELTS speaking practice or everyday fluency—this first scene from *The Princess and the Frog* is a goldmine. It blends playful dialogue, emotional expression, and natural conversational flow, making it ideal for shadow speech (repeating lines aloud to mimic tone and rhythm). The mix of storytelling, childlike banter, and adult interactions exposes you to varied sentence structures and intonations, helping you sound more natural in real-life conversations.

Breaking Down the Dialogue: What Makes It Sound "Real"

Let’s look at a few lines that showcase natural English:

  • "There is no way in this whole wild world I would ever, ever, ever, I mean never, kiss a frog." The repetition of "ever" and the casual "I mean never" add emphasis and authenticity—people rarely speak in perfectly structured sentences. This line teaches you how to convey strong feelings through rhythm.
  • "Well, is it pretty starving, Tiana? Come on!" The colloquial "pretty starving" (instead of "very hungry") and the urging "Come on!" reflect how friends tease each other. It’s a great example of informal speech that’s common in daily interactions.
  • "Why, I'd expect nothing less from the finest seamstress in New Orleans." The exclamation "Why" and the compliment "finest seamstress" show politeness and warmth. This line helps you practice formal yet friendly tone, useful for IELTS or professional settings.

A Simple Shadowing Routine to Try Today

To make the most of this video, try a shadow speak exercise: 1. Watch the clip once to understand the story. 2. Play a 5-second segment, pause, and repeat it aloud, focusing on matching the speaker’s pitch, speed, and stress. 3. Record yourself and compare it to the original—notice where your intonation differs. 4. Do this for 10 minutes daily, and soon you’ll find your speech flows more naturally. For extra practice, use a shadowing app to slow down tricky parts. This routine works because it trains your mouth and brain to mimic native patterns, a key step in sounding fluent.

Learning English with YouTube doesn’t get more engaging than this—grab your device, hit play, and start shadowing your way to better speaking skills!

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.