Shadowing Practice: British Accent Shadowing | Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde | British Pronunciation B2–C1 | Read by Ashley Howard - Learn English Speaking with Video

Les maken...
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Let's do some British accent shadowing.
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If you're new here, I'm Ashley Howard, a UK voice coach, and I help people with loads of things including accent.
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And today we're shadowing an extract from The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson,
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a dark and atmospheric classic of British literature.
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The CEFR level is between B2 to C1, and the first part of the video is Listen and Repeat,
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and in the second, see if you can speak along with me at the same time, and there's a free PDF with vocabulary notes you can download using the link in the description.
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Ready?
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Let's do it!
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Mr Utterson, the lawyer, was a man of a rugged countenance,
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that was never lighted by a smile.
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cold, scanty, and embarrassed in discourse,
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backward in sentiment, lean, long,
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dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable.
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At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste,
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something eminently human, beaconed from his eye,
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something indeed which never found its way into his talk,
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but which spoke not only in these silent symbols of the after-dinner face,
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but more often and loudly in the acts of his life.
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He was austere with himself, drank gin when he was alone,
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to mortify a taste for vintages.
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And though he enjoyed the theatre,
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had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years.
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But he had an approved tolerance for others, sometimes wondering,
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almost with envy at the
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high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds,
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and in any extremity, inclined to help rather than to reprove.
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I inclined to Cain's hearsay,
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he used to say quaintly.
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I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.
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In this character, it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance,
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and the last good influence,
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in the lives of down-going men, And to such as these,
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so long as they came about his chambers,
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he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour.
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Just to say that if you are enjoying this, after the video, check out my 12-week pronunciation Roadmap course.
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Details are in the description below.
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Let's get back to it.
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No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Rutterson,
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for he was undemonstrative at the best, and
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And even his friendship seemed to
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be founded in a similar catholicity of good nature.
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It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle,
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ready-made from the hands of opportunity.
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And that was the lawyer's way.
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His friends were those of his own blood, or those whom he had known the longest.
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His affections, like ivy, were the growth of time,
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they implied no aptness in the object.
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Hence, no doubt the bond that united him to Mr. Richard Enfield,
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his distant kinsman, the well-known man about town.
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It was a nut to crack for many.
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What these two could see in each other.
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Or what subject they could find in common.
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It was reported by those who
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encountered them in their Sunday walks that they said nothing,
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looked singularly dull,
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and would hail with obvious relief the appearance of a friend.
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For all that, the two men put the greatest store by these excursions,
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counted them the chief jewel of each week,
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and not only set aside occasions of pleasure,
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but even resisted the calls of business,
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that they might enjoy them uninterrupted.
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Now try speaking with me at the same time.
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After that, check out my three British accent training books, which are linked in the description below.
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Ready?
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Let's go!
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Mr Utterson, the lawyer, was a man of rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile.
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Cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse, backward in sentiment, lean, long,
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dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable.
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At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste, something eminently human beaconed from his eye,
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something indeed which never found its way into his talk, but which spoke not only in these silent symbols of after-dinner face,
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but more often and loudly in the acts of his life.
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He was austere with himself, drank gin when he was alone to mortify a taste for vintages, and though he enjoyed the theatre,
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had not crossed the door of one for twenty years.
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But he had an approved tolerance for others, sometimes wondering, almost with envy,
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the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds, and in any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove.
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I incline to Cain's hearsay, he used to say quaintly, I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.
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In this character it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance
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and last good influence in the lives of down-going men, and to such as these, so long as they came about his chamber,
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he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour.
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No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Utterson, for he was undemonstrative at the best,
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and even his friendship seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good nature.
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It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle, ready-made from the hands of opportunity, and that was the lawyer's way.
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His friends were those of his own blood, all those whom he had known the longest.
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His affections, like ivy, were the growth of time.
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They implied no aptness in the object.
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Hence no doubt the bond that united him to Mr. Richard Enfield, his distant kinsman, well-known man about town.
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It was a nut to crack for many what these two could see in each other, or what subject they could find in common.
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It was reported by those who encountered them in their Sunday walks that they said nothing,
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looked singularly dull, and would hail with obvious relief the appearance of a friend.
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For all that, the two men put the greatest store by these excursions, counted them the chief jewel of each week,
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and not only set aside occasions of pleasure but even resisted the calls of business that they might enjoy them uninterrupted.
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Thanks for staying to the end.
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Like, subscribe and turn on notifications.
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Check out my course and books.
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And if you'd like to support the channel and help me make more videos, you can join as a channel member using the link below.
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See you next time.
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Thank you.

Why This Video Is a Goldmine for Language Learning

If you’re looking to level up your speaking practice, this British accent shadowing video is pure magic. It blends classic literature with real-world pronunciation practice, making it perfect for B2–C1 learners. The dialogue from Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is rich in natural phrasing and atmospheric tone, giving you a chance to mimic not just sounds, but feeling—a key part of sounding fluent. Plus, the voice coach’s clear delivery makes it easy to follow, so you won’t waste time guessing how words should be said.

Breaking Down the Magic: 3 Phrases That Sound *Exactly* Like a Native

Let’s dive into why this material works. Take “a rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile”—the pause after “countenance” and the soft “t” in “lighted” are classic British intonation. It’s not just about pronunciation; it’s about rhythm. Then there’s “I let my brother go to the devil in his own way”—the casual stress on “own” makes it sound natural, not forced. Finally, “his affections, like ivy, were the growth of time” uses a metaphor that flows smoothly, teaching you how to link words (try saying “like ivy were” without pausing—native speakers do this!). These phrases aren’t just lines; they’re lessons in how to speak with ease.

Your 5-Minute Shadowing Routine for Quick Wins

Ready to practice? Use the shadowing technique with this video and see progress fast. Here’s how: Step 1: Listen once to get the vibe—notice the pauses and where the speaker stresses words. Step 2: Hit repeat, and speak immediately after the speaker (wait 1–2 seconds max). Focus on matching the tone, not just the words. Step 3: Record yourself. Compare it to the video—do your pauses match? Is your stress on the right words? Step 4: Try speaking alongside the speaker (the second part of the video!). This trains your brain to think and speak at native speed. Do this daily, and you’ll notice your pronunciation and fluency improve in weeks.

Whether you’re working on pronunciation practice or just want to sound more natural, this video is your secret weapon. Grab the free PDF, follow the routine, and let the shadowing technique turn you into a confident speaker. You’ve got this!

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.