Shadowing Practice: British Accent Shadowing | The Railway Children by E. Nesbit | RP Pronunciation Practice (B2–C1) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hello and welcome to British Accent Shadowing.
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Hello and welcome to British Accent Shadowing.
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I'm Ashley Howard, a UK voice coach and accent specialist.
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Today we're working with an extract from The Railway Children by E.
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Nesbitt, a much-loved classic that's ideal for developing pronunciation,
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connected speech and natural intonation and rhythm in RP.
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This passage sits around B2 to C1 level,
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making it perfect for upper-intermediate and advanced learners who want to build fluency with clear narrative English.
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I'll read the text once,
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at a natural RP pace,
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then we'll go line by line so you can shadow and repeat after me,
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building confidence as you speak.
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You can also download the free PDF of today's text with vocabulary notes using the link below.
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Let's begin.
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They were not railway children to begin with.
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I don't suppose they had ever thought about railways except as a means of getting to Maskeline and Cook's,
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the pantomime, zoological gardens and Madame Tussauds.
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They were just ordinary suburban children,
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and they lived with their mother and father in an ordinary red-brick fronted villa with coloured glass in the front door,
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a tiled passage that was called a hall,
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a bathroom with hot and cold water,
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electric bells, French windows and a good deal of white paint,
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and every modern convenience, as the house agents say.
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There were three of them.
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Roberta was the eldest.
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Of course, mothers never have favourites,
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but if mother had had a favourite,
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it might have been Roberta.
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Next came Peter, who wished to be an engineer when he grew up,
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and the youngest was Phyllis, who meant extremely well.
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Mother did not spend all her time paying dull calls to dull ladies
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and sitting dully at home for dull ladies to pay calls to her.
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She was almost always there,
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ready to play with the children and ready to read to them and help them to do their home lessons.
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Besides this, she used to write stories for them while they were at school and read them aloud after tea,
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and she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays
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and for other great occasions such as the christening of the new kittens
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or the refurnishing of the Doll's house or the time when they were getting over the mumps.
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These three lucky children always had everything they needed – pretty clothes,
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good fires, a lovely nursery with heaps of toys and a mother goose wallpaper.
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They had a kind and merry nursemaid and a dog who was called James who was their very own.
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They also had a father who was just perfect,
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never cross, never unjust, and always ready for a game.
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At least, if at any time he was not ready,
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he always had an excellent reason for it,
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and explained the reason to the children so interestingly and funnily that they felt sure he couldn't help himself.
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You will think that they ought to have been very happy,
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and And so they were.
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But they did not know how happy till the pretty life in the red villa was over and done with,
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and they had to live a very different life indeed.
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Now copy after me.
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Before we continue, check out my British accent training books.
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Twelve hours of audio, accessible on your phone,
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thousands of practice words and sentences,
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and over 300 pages covering every vowel and consonant and aspect of intonation.
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The links in the description and in the pinned comment.
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They were not railway children to begin with.
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I don't suppose they had ever thought about railways,
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except as a means of getting to Maskeline and Cooks,
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The Pantomime, Zoological Gardens and Madame Tussauds.
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They were just ordinary suburban children
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and they lived with their father and mother in an ordinary red-brick fronted villa
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with coloured glass in the front door,
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a tiled passage that was called a hall,
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a bathroom with hot and cold water,
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electric bells, French windows, and a good deal of white paint,
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and every modern convenience, as the house agents say.
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There were three of them.
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Roberta was the eldest.
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Of course, mothers never have favourites.
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But if their mother had had a favourite,
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it might have been Roberta.
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Next came Peter, who wished to be an engineer when he grew up.
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The youngest was Phyllis, who meant extremely well.
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Mother did not spend all her time in paying dull calls to dull ladies
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and sitting dully at home,
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waiting for dull ladies to pay calls to her.
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She was almost always there,
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ready to play with the children and read to them and help them
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to do their home lessons.
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Besides this, She used to write stories for them while they were at school
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and read them aloud after tea.
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And she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays
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and for other great occasions such as the christening of the new kittens
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or the refurnishing of the Doll's House or the time when they were getting over the mumps.
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These three lucky children always had everything they needed.
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Pretty clothes, good fires, a lovely nursery with heaps of toys,
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and a mother goose wallpaper.
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They had a kind and merry nursemaid,
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and a dog who was called James,
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and who was their very own.
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They also had a father who was just perfect,
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never cross, never unjust, and always ready for a game.
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At least, if at any time he was not ready,
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he always had an excellent reason for it,
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and explained the reason to the children so interestingly and funnily
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that they felt sure he couldn't help himself.
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You will think that they ought to have been very happy.
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And so they were.
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But they did not know how happy
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till the pretty life in the red villa was over and done with.
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And they had to live a very different life indeed.
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Now speak with me at the same time.
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By the way, you'll find a link to my British English pronunciation course in the description below.
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They were not railway children to begin with.
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I don't suppose they had ever thought about railways,
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except as a means of getting to Maskeline and Cook's,
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the pantomime, zoological gardens and Madame Tussauds.
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They were just ordinary suburban children,
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and they lived with their mother and father in an ordinary red-brick fronted villa with coloured glass in the front door,
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a tiled passage that was called a hall,
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a bathroom with hot and cold water,
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electric bells, French windows, and a good deal of white paint,
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and every modern convenience, as the house agents say.
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There were three of them.
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Roberta was the eldest.
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Of course, mothers never have favourites,
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but if mother had had a favourite,
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it might have been Roberta.
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Next came Peter, who wished to be an engineer when he grew up,
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and the youngest was Phyllis, who meant extremely well.
121
Mother did not spend all her time paying dull calls to dull ladies
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and sitting dully at home for dull ladies to pay calls to her.
123
She was almost always there,
124
ready to play with the children and ready to read to them and help them to do their home lessons.
125
Besides this, she used to write stories for them while they were at school,
126
and read them aloud after tea,
127
and she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays,
128
and for other great occasions,
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such as the christening of the new kittens,
130
or the refurnishing of the Doll's House,
131
or the time when they were getting over the mumps.
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These three lucky children always had everything they needed pretty clothes,
133
good fires, a lovely nursery with heaps of toys,
134
and a mother goose wallpaper.
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They had a kind and merry nursemaid,
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and a dog who was called James,
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who was their very own.
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They also had a father who was just perfect,
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never cross, never unjust, and always ready for a game.
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At least, if at any time he was not ready,
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he always had an excellent reason for it,
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and explained the reason to the children so interestingly and funnily that they felt sure he couldn't help himself.
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You will think that they ought to have been very happy,
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and so they were,
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but they did not know how happy till the pretty life in the red villa was over and done with,
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and they had to live a very different life indeed.
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Great work today!
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Shadowing a passage like the railway children is a very effective way to strengthen RP,
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connected speech and a natural sense of flow in British English.
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If this session helped you,
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please subscribe – it really supports the channel and helps more learners discover these lessons.
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And if you'd like more episodes more often,
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you can now join as a channel member using the link in the description – your support genuinely makes a difference.
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Thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next British accent shadowing session.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will engage in a shadowing technique using an extract from the beloved classic, The Railway Children by E. Nesbit. This passage is ideal for upper-intermediate to advanced learners (B2 to C1 level) who are eager to improve their English pronunciation and fluency. As you follow along, you'll practice not just the words but also the rhythm and intonation of British English, particularly Received Pronunciation (RP). By replicating the narrator's voice, you will enhance your narrative speaking skills, making this an excellent resource for IELTS speaking practice. Immerse yourself in the text and experience the joy of speaking English authentically.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Suburban - relating to a residential area on the outskirts of a city.
- Villa - a large and comfortable dwelling.
- Electric bells - a signaling device used in homes.
- Modern convenience - amenities that make life easier and more comfortable, often found in contemporary homes.
- Nursemaid - a person employed to care for and look after young children.
- Perfect - flawless, without any faults.
- Doll's house - a miniature toy house used for children's play.
- Christening - a ceremony marking the naming of a child or the dedication of an item.
Practice Tips
To effectively improve your English pronunciation using this shadowing technique, it's essential to pay attention to the pace and tone of the narrator. Start by listening to the reading at a natural RP speed without attempting to repeat. Once you're familiar, proceed to shadow each line after the narrator. Here are some effective practice tips:
- Slow it down: As you practice, feel free to rewind the video if a sentence is challenging. This allows you to focus on intonation and articulation.
- Break it down: Work in small sections, repeating a few lines until you feel comfortable before moving on.
- Record Yourself: To monitor your progress, record your attempts and listen back to assess areas for improvement in pronunciation.
- Vary Emotion: Try to capture the emotions conveyed in the text; this will help with natural speech patterns and make your speaking more engaging.
- Regular Practice: You don't need to practice for hours—short, consistent sessions are more effective for improving your pronunciation and fluency.
By incorporating these tips into your practice, you will enhance your ability to shadow effectively and boost your overall English speaking skills. Embark on this journey to improve English pronunciation and enjoy the process of learning!
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.
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