Shadowing Practice: Benedict Cumberbatch talks 'Sherlock' - Learn English Speaking with Video
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What attracted you to the role of Sherlock?
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Primarily the script.
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I feel that he's been incarnated before superlatively both in black and white and colour by Brett and Rathbone, for my money anyway.
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And I loved what Danny Jr and the team did with the new sort of Warner Brothers franchise.
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I think it's very smart to make him an action man in Victorian guise.
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But the idea of modernizing him and knowing
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that two men who were completely obsessed with the original source material were in charge of
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that made me feel quite secure about the idea of um, it being worthwhile.
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He's a very attractive character to play because he gets to speak his mind.
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He has an extraordinary ability and it's just a lot of fun
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and in the hands of those two scriptwriters you get a lot of
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just beautifully drawn out scenarios character studies both of him and Watson and their burgeoning relationship.
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Do you think he's a likeable character?
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Oh yeah, very much so.
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I mean I think however much you may not want to share a flat with him
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or be in a conversation with him or ask him a question like that because he'd just be merciless and rude.
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He is very enjoyable as an audience to you know revel in his sort of superiority and his Straight talking.
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I think it's we kind of live in a world where that's our fantasy, other life, it's the French phrase, "sprit discalia" and you think, "that's what I should have said." And he always has,
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not just Bon Moes, he is slightly sort of sociopathic and autistic in his approach to people.
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And I think sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally, he can be incredibly vastly rude and miss the mark as well, with people who are trying to help him and actually would be good to be on side with.
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Going back to the original question, yeah, I think he's-- He's fierce,
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he's adventurous, he's funny and he's often right and he's a good person to be in company.
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I do think he's likeable.
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What's the relationship between Holmes and Watson like?
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It's brilliant.
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I mean, it's you know, it's an interesting thing to re -examine it in the 21st century
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because two bachelors of a certain age living together questions get asked, or even answered, by some people with supposition, but it's, um, - I think it's a good thing.
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It's a beautiful thing, you know, it's a very real thing.
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I think Holmes is quite an extraordinary character.
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And I think Watson is too, but he comes from a world that we recognize.
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He's a returning, traumatized doctor, soldiering doctor from Afghanistan.
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You know, so he's very real.
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He's sort of the audience figure, the everyman, even though he's seen extraordinary things which have traumatized him
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and also is in need of danger and action and hence is drawn like a moth to the flame to Sherlock.
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And I think.. what they discover through each other is that they absolutely fit, they need each other.
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It's the idea that he's the grounding anchor to this rather ethereal, otherworldly slightly um...
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Well, yeah, bombastic character.
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He brings him to earth and also helps him pragmatically.
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- The first time we have been talking about the Not by doing the dishes.
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Although he probably does.
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I think Holmes doesn't go anywhere near the dishes.
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Well I know he doesn't in ours.
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So yeah he's probably the one who fills the food with fridge and does all the sort of slightly more domestic chores.
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Although Mrs Hudson does the, breaks the back on that one I think you know.
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She does the...
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major amount of work there.
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So Did you get to do many action scenes?
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Yeah quite a few got blown up got run over got
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leaping off rooftops running through museums sliding across the floors firing guns sign cross falls being fired out by guns.
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Yeah, I know for a lot.
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I know for a lot.
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I love it.
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Really, really love it.
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Jumping off a balcony at one point, I think, as well.
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Down two stories.
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Great fun.
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Really good fun.
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What's the relationship like between Sherlock and the police?
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Thank you.
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tempestuous, uneven, but are very needed.
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He's someone who can operate outside the bureaucracy of the blue or red tape, whatever you want to call it.
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Lestrade needs him he hates to admit it but he has enough humility to
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put his pride aside unlike some of the others on the team.
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I think what the police hate about him is he comes onto a crime scene and gets a story very quickly.
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And they're like, no, that's rubbish.
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Where's the proof?
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And he's lumped together what he can visually or orally detect within the room, within the space of the scene, just as a human being,
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and collated it into a cohesive narrative whereby there's a protagonist, there's the criminal, and the possible motivation.
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Sometimes they're red herring, sometimes they're dead ends, but I think the police find it incredibly helpful but incredibly frustrating as well.
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to the original Sherlock novel.
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Yeah, very much so because it means that they are being true to their word, they weren't going to back out of being the loyal,
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you know, Conan Doyle worshipping fans that they originally were who set about making a modern adaptation.
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So yeah, it was very important to do that.
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There was, you know, everything from a deduction that was based originally around a watch in the sign of four, which has now become about a mobile phone,
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to details of their background and family and history as well that have all updated and not in a cheapening way either, that's what's thrilling about it.
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They've been, and the more for it as well, I mean I think you know as we go on we want to use more of the original stories
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and then maybe escape slightly from the form of the books.
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but what's not to enjoy about those stories.
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I mean that's the source material and they're just brilliant, brilliant books.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Practicing speaking with the video featuring Benedict Cumberbatch discussing his role in Sherlock offers English learners a unique opportunity to engage with authentic dialogue. The video provides an intimate look into the character's psyche, enabling learners to explore rich vocabulary and varied expressions in a relatable context. By using the shadowing technique, you can improve your pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm by mimicking Cumberbatch’s delivery and phrasing. This practice not only enhances your speaking skills but also allows you to understand the subtleties of conversations between characters like Sherlock and Watson, fostering a deeper comprehension of the English language.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
In the transcript, several key structures can enrich your understanding of English grammar and conversational styles:
- Conditionals: “I think however much you may not want to share a flat with him…” This showcases the use of conditionals, which are essential for expressing hypothetical situations.
- Complex Sentences: “It's a beautiful thing, you know, it's a very real thing.” Here, Cumberbatch uses complex sentences to elaborate on his point, demonstrating how to connect ideas seamlessly.
- Present Perfect Tense: “You know, so he's very real. He's sort of the audience figure…” This construction indicates the relevance of past experiences in the present, a crucial aspect of English fluency.
- Descriptive Language: Cumberbatch uses vivid adjectives, like “extraordinary” and “bombastic,” to paint a picture of the characters, which is important for expressing nuances in speech.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While practicing with this video, you may encounter some pronunciation challenges:
- “Extraordinary”: This word can be tricky due to its length and syllable stress. Focus on hitting the stress on the second syllable: ex-TRA-or-di-nary.
- “Merciless”: Watch out for the transition between syllables. Practice saying it slowly: MER-ci-less, emphasizing the "mer" sound.
- “Superiority”: This word contains a combination of sounds that can be difficult for non-native speakers. Break it down into parts: su-per-IOR-ity.
- “Action”: Notice how Cumberbatch emphasizes the initial syllable, which enhances clarity; practice saying it with a strong emphasis on the "ac" sound.
By incorporating the shadow speak method, which involves repeating phrases in real-time, you can effectively improve your fluency and confidence in speaking. Use a shadowing app or simply mimic the dialogue from this video as a valuable exercise in enhancing your English speaking skills.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | men who were · people who are · things which have |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | been incarnated · is drawn · being fired |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have traumatized · has now become · They've been |
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.