Shadowing Practice: 16 Year Old Emma Kok sings Dancing On The Stars – André Rieu, Maastricht 2024 (official video) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Ladies and gentlemen, when she stood on  stage here last year for the first time, she was 15 years old. A little girl with a  terrible disease and a golden voice. With this golden voice, she touched all the  hearts of the people here on the square.
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Everybody was in tears. Before the first  rehearsal, I asked her, do you want to go on tour with us around the world? Yes, of course,  she said. And now we are touring the world.
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She sang in Berlin, in London, in Paris, in  Vienna, in Mexico, everywhere she touched the hearts of the people. And tonight she's  here. Give her an enormous applause: Emma Kok!
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The song that I'm going to sing is about  my dream and the person who helped me make my dream come true. André asked me who the  person is. Well, of course, it's you, André.
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But not only André, of course, his  amazing orchestra. And Tjeerd Oosterhuis, the composer of this beautiful  song. And he's here tonight.
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And all of you, the audience.
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All of you have made my dream come  true. Because of you, I can feel free.
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Right now, I feel free. When I finish singing  my song, I will go backstage and I will be the girl who has a paralyzed stomach. But right now,  I want to be the girl who is Dancing On The Stars.

About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "16 Year Old Emma Kok sings Dancing On The Stars – André Rieu, Maastricht 2024 (official video)" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

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.