Shadowing Practice: How I Teach Actors in Hollywood to Speak with an American Accent - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
In this video, I will show you how I teach actors in Hollywood to speak with an American accent, and I believe this video will help you as well.
2
I work in Los Angeles, and a lot of my students are actors working in Hollywood.
3
They are foreign-born, and they're working on TV series or in films, and they need to have an American accent for the roles that they're playing.
4
Sometimes I work on location at the place where they're actually filming
5
and I help them on the same day that they're shooting
6
But sometimes the actors come to my office
7
And then we work in detail and we work on specific scripts
8
that they're planning to film in the future In this video, you will see me working with an actress.
9
Her name is Yasmin Almasri And she has an Arabic accent with also some French influence
10
She is well known for a role that she played in the TV series called Quantico.
11
She played a good twin and a bad twin.
12
She played both of those roles and she did an amazing job.
13
But in the video that you will watch here, she was in a different TV series.
14
She was in Law and Order and we were analyzing the script after they already filmed.
15
She wanted to find out what her mistakes were and we talked about the importance of word stress.
16
So listen to the way I'm teaching her about which words she needed to stress to sound more American.
17
We had already worked hard on that script before the filming, but those are the remaining little mistakes that she was still making.
18
And before you watch this video, I just want to emphasize the importance of stressing the correct word in the sentence.
19
When you stress a certain word in a sentence, you can change the feeling, you can change the emotion, and even the meaning of what you're trying to say.
20
I want to know what are the things I could have done better.
21
But the main problem that you were having is stressing the wrong part of the sentence.
22
For example, when you said, I had to play ball, you said I had to play ball instead of I had to play ball.
23
Yeah.
24
So stress the ball.
25
Or for example, there was one you said, I got on the plane.
26
And that sounds maybe overly emotional.
27
I got on the plane.
28
Just, I got on the plane.
29
I got on the plane.
30
There you go.
31
I got on the plane.
32
Either keep got in plane.
33
I got on the plane.
34
Right.
35
Or stress playing a little bit more.
36
But you kind of went up, I got on the plane.
37
I got on the plane.
38
Right.
39
That's a completely different intention.
40
It makes me sound like I'm trying to say something else.
41
Yeah.
42
And then the other one was when you said, I tried to call you.
43
You said, I tried to call you.
44
That sounds very intense.
45
You see, I think this kind of goes with what I just said
46
when I said the two critics
47
that I had for me was I would have loved to play that woman in a more rational way than emotional.
48
and what you're saying now kind of explains to me or confirms my doubts because I tried to call you.
49
Yes, so emotional.
50
And I tried to call you.
51
That's right.
52
So the thing to do is to not stress
53
that first key word as much as you're doing I think
54
that was the main thing that I noticed about that particular episode
55
and your speech in general when we practice
56
and how do you think I'm gonna get control of
57
that I would say
58
when you get a script analyze the lines first before you
59
do anything else analyze the lines ask yourself where should I
60
put the stress just think about it before you just automatically do it
61
because if you just automatically do it you might bring the cultural different the history of another woman
62
that has nothing to do with the character right yeah right
63
so yeah um don't be so passionate in every single line
64
but I don't do it on purpose that's the thing yes the accent for example the other line
65
that you had in
66
that script was it was they ordered another drink you tell
67
me what mean they ordered another drink they ordered another drink one the second one was
68
that we're just having a good time we ordered another drink the first one was they were getting drunk
69
and then they ordered another drink so the meaning completely changed
70
and if you're acting and
71
if you stress the wrong word yeah they might people might I changed the story you changed the story yeah
72
so pay attention to that yeah that's I would say number one thing for you look Look at the lines, analyze them, analyze what is the true meaning,
73
and then assume that for you it may not be in the beginning of the word.
74
Sometimes it is, but I would say usually it's not.
75
What I'm doing is something that is happening as a consequence and not as a choice.
76
I want to be aware.
77
I want to stand out because it's a choice that I made
78
and because I had a method a method I worked on
79
when you have that foundation
80
when you know all the rules then you can make a
81
choice I know the goal is first to learn the basics to know
82
which words we stress and why we stress them
83
and how we stress them yeah
84
and then to sound as natural as possible as neutral as possible once you know
85
which words are stressed then you can say okay maybe I'm
86
gonna say it this way then you the actor part comes in.
87
Then I'm going to say it with this kind of enthusiasm
88
or this kind of stress because this character would speak like that.
89
Then once you get really good, then you can play around with it and make it your own.
90
I would say that's great.
91
A lot to work on.
92
When you know the rules, then you can become creative with the language, but you have to have the foundation.
93
I really like this quote by Picasso.
94
He says, you need to master the rules like a pro so that you can break them like an artist.
95
As you can see from when we analyzed that script, when she stressed a certain word, there was a different meaning.
96
So it's really important that you know the rules of which words you're supposed to stress.
97
In my course, Rhythm and Melody of English that you could buy at accurateenglish.com, you learn 15 different rules of word stress.
98
And when you learn those rules, you will have the confidence to express exactly what you mean.
99
And people will understand your intention, but also your accent will sound more clear.
Context & Background
In the realm of acting, particularly in Hollywood, mastering the American accent is crucial for foreign-born actors. In this engaging video, the instructor, who has extensive experience working with actors in Los Angeles, focuses on teaching the nuances of American speech. The featured actress, Yasmin Almasri, known for her roles in popular TV series, demonstrates the challenges many face when trying to sound more authentically American. Their work together emphasizes the importance of word stress in conveying emotions and meanings effectively.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- I had to play ball. - Note the emphasis on the word "ball" to convey the central action.
- I got on the plane. - The stress should be more neutral, avoiding overly emotional tones.
- I tried to call you. - This phrase demonstrates the need for clarity in tone and intention.
- Can you help me with this? - Simplifies the request while keeping a friendly tone.
- What time does the meeting start? - Proper stress on "meeting" helps highlight the main topic.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To enhance your English speaking using the shadowing technique, follow these steps based on the insights from the video:
- Listen Actively: Start by watching the video and paying attention to how the instructor emphasizes certain words. Observe the differences in emotional tone and delivery.
- Identify Key Phrases: Focus on the top phrases shared, paying close attention to the stressed words. Write them down and practice saying them aloud.
- Practice Shadow Speech: Use the shadowspeaks method; repeat what you hear immediately after the speaker, mimicking the stress and intonation.
- Record Yourself: This step allows you to analyze your pronunciation and stress placement. Compare it with the original to see where you might improve.
- Refine your Skills: Regularly incorporate IELTS speaking practice into your routine by using new phrases in different contexts, enhancing both vocabulary and pronunciation.
By consistently using the shadow speak method, you'll not only build confidence but also articulate more naturally, whether you're performing on stage or engaging in everyday conversations.
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.