Shadowing Practice: Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman Interview - Learn English Speaking with Video
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1
This is going to shock people, isn't it, who think that they know they're Sherlock Holmes.
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You are very, very different.
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Thank you.
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you don't smoke for a star I don't smoke no but I think you know he is an obsessive he is
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exceptionally brilliant and charming
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and I think there's a vast amount for fans of the
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original kind of novel to enjoy the references from the two brilliant writers, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat who originated the idea of modernizing him,
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have littered all three in fact episodes with detail which is directly transposed from the book.
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So, and the basic premise to set up the relationship, the house, some of the other characters,
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Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Hudson. Who else? Who else? Who else?
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The Strahd.
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Yeah.
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So lots of them.
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We're going to have to see a very short clip of it so people get some idea of what we're talking about.
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It's a skull.
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Friend of mine.
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When I say friend.
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What do you think then, Dr. Watson?
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There's another bedroom upstairs if you've been needing two bedrooms.
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Of course we'll be needing to.
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oh don't worry there's all sorts around here mrs turner next door's got larry quips.
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Bye.
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Thank you.
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Sherlock, the mess you've made.
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Well as you can see it's quite funny and there is this running gag about two men sharing a house together.
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Yeah.
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Of course would not have occurred to Edwardians.
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Um, but has to be dealt with that.
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I suppose, yeah, I mean to be honest it never occurred to me until we were sort of in the making of it
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and people were referring to the fact that there's this, you know, people have written books about whether Holmes and Watson are gay and what their relationship is.
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So we sort of allude to that.
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Uh, And it's quite dark, I mean, it's got some good dark aspects to it.
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You are clearly, you've come back from the Afghanistan, as the original Watson had come back from the second Afghan war.
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Yes.
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But you've got post -traumatic stress syndrome, which certainly they didn't have in the 1880s.
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They'd know that wasn't invented then.
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And in the same way that the original books were all done, you know, were all written, so to speak, by Watson, it was all his diary entries and his version of the events of the cases. So,
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now my Watson has been advised by his therapist to write a blog in order to get his post -traumatic Yeah, yeah.
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-Stress us all out.
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So, um, so I write up the cases and
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so that's the way that we sort of are able to refer to them in the future.
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And when you're, um, doing your Sherlock Holmes, Benedict, I mean, presumably you'd read a fair amount of Arthur Conan Doyle to prepare for it.
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Yes, I did.
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And I did read some during as well and I think
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that was the safer thing to do rather than looking back to the brilliant Brett or Rathbone, um, or more recent Downey Jr. versions because,
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because what we are doing is obviously bringing it into the 21st century and whilst those are superlative
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portrayals of him and his Victorian guys, I needed to find something original as well as
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the source material
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and there's an awful lot of description about his his physical movement his his poise it
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and and and this rather sort of abstracted ethereal
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otherworldly quality to him which Cullen Doyle colours beautifully in the book
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so it's a great template for an actor to use to go back to every now and again.
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They're great stories to read.
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They are great stories but he's a slightly scary man as well isn't he?
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You say he's charming but there's something about him which is...
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puts your feeling on the sociopathic.
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He's slightly...
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There is something very dangerous in his obsession and he takes both Watson
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and him into a very dangerous realm of London where everything opens up into a war zone.
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It is a battle and that is part of the attraction they have to each other.
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I offer Watson a way back into life which is a little bit more interesting than his...
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Yeah.
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No military.
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I was very interested in your role in this morning
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because a lot of people still think of you really through the office, which is your great breakthrough.
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uh.. uh.. role
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and this is a very very this is this is a much graver darker kind of role i just wanted yeah
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which must be attractive yeah it is i mean i think you know every actor that we speak to or hear of, wants to play sort of dark occasionally or play villains or whatever,
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and even though Watson's obviously not a villain, he's, yeah, he's got a serious side to him.
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And I'm, you know, I mean, to be honest, I've been playing that sort of thing on and off anyway.
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It's just that this has kind of got thank God it's got a spotlight being shown on it.
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I gather it was it was an absolute nightmare to make however.
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It was a nightmare, it was cold.
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It was a lot of fun to make, but hard work and very cold.
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You got pneumonia didn't you?
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Yeah I did, I did.
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That proves, you know, it's a secondary infection, so it proves I was having too much time with the flu to really take care.
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And it just sort of snowballed from there, but it didn't stop us and we genuinely did have a very, very good time making it.
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There's a lot of Welsh crew and it was great fun to make it.
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There's a lot of buzz in the papers already about this.
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I get the sense it's going to be a great success, but which It's three relatively long episodes.
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Do you think there's going to be more?
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I hope so.
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I hope so.
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I really hope so.
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As you said, there are so many stories.
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This is the question of Jane Hunt and Ben Stevenson and the other grown -ups upstairs, but I really do hope so, and I hope audiences take to it this evening, and we'll see from there, really.
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Context & Background
The interview featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman delves into their dynamic portrayals of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in the critically acclaimed modern adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories. The dialogue showcases the characters' complex relationship through humor, psychological depth, and a modern lens, giving English learners a rich source of conversational practice. Understanding the context in which these characters exist allows learners to appreciate the nuances of the dialogue, enhancing their English speaking practice.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "What do you think, Dr. Watson?" - A prompt to invite opinions.
- "I think there's a vast amount for fans to enjoy." - Expressing belief or conviction.
- "It's quite funny..." - Sharing personal reactions to humor.
- "I was advised to write a blog..." - Discussing personal recommendations.
- "This is going to shock people..." - Introducing unexpected news or ideas.
These phrases, extracted from the transcript, can serve as useful tools for learners to navigate daily conversations. Engaging with these expressions will not only improve English pronunciation but also enhance overall communication skills.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To tackle the complexity of the interview's dialogue, follow these steps for effective shadow speaking:
- Listen Actively: Begin by watching the interview without subtitles. Pay close attention to the tone, pace, and emotions conveyed by Cumberbatch and Freeman.
- Transcribe Key Segments: Write down parts of the conversation that resonate with you, especially any phrases you find challenging. This practice is crucial for shadowing, as it reinforces understanding.
- Utilize a Shadowing App: Use a shadowing app or audio tools to repeat after the speakers. Focus on mimicking their intonation and rhythm to enhance your speaking ability.
- Practice with a Partner: If possible, practice the dialogue with a friend or language partner. This will provide a real-time feedback loop to help you refine your pronunciation and comfort level.
- Record and Review: Record yourself while imitating the speakers. Compare your audio with the original to identify areas for improvement and ensure you’re on the right track.
By implementing this shadow speaking technique, learners can significantly improve English pronunciation and fluency. Engaging with media such as this interview not only provides context but also makes learning enjoyable and effective.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | you've been needing · I've been playing |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have littered · you've made · have written |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be dealt · wasn't invented · has been advised |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | detail which is · him which is · life which is |
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.