Shadowing Practice: Shadowing English with Tom Hiddleston | British Accent | Listen And Repeat - Learn English Speaking with Video
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89 sentences
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I think my worst experiences are...
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I think my worst experiences are...
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I think my worst experiences are...
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are usually are usually quite solitary ones
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are usually are usually quite solitary ones are usually are usually quite solitary ones
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life of an actor especially at the beginning feels solitary and you're going up for auditions
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feels solitary and you're going up for auditions
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feels solitary and you're going up for auditions
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and going up for different parts and repeatedly are and going up for different parts and repeatedly are
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and going up for different parts and repeatedly are Politely declined, sometimes impolitely declined.
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Politely declined, sometimes impolitely declined.
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Politely declined, sometimes impolitely declined.
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and the door will be closed in your face and the door will be closed in your face
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and the door will be closed in your face and you won't know why
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and you won't know why and you won't know why and that moment is always a puzzling one
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and that moment is always a puzzling one and that moment is always a puzzling one
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because the natural instinct is to take it personally
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Because the natural instinct is to take it personally.
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Because the natural instinct is to take it personally.
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And often the decision isn't personal.
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And often the decision isn't personal.
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And often the decision isn't personal.
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But you feel as though I certainly felt as though I had failed.
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But you feel as though I certainly felt as though I had failed.
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But you feel as though I certainly felt as though I had failed.
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and you can get very despondent.
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And you can get very despondent.
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And you can get very despondent.
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The challenge is to find a way of negotiating that.
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The challenge is to find a way of negotiating that.
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The challenge is to find a way of negotiating that.
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That sense of rejection, that sense of failure.
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that sense of rejection, that sense of failure, that sense of rejection, that sense of failure,
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without it eroding your sense of self and your
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without it eroding your sense of self and your
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without it eroding your sense of self and your
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Your own specific talent and your own curiosity in the work.
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your own specific talent and your own curiosity in the work your own specific talent and your own curiosity in the work
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I think it doesn't matter at what stage you're at I think it doesn't matter at what stage you're at.
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I think it doesn't matter at what stage you're at.
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In your creative life or in your career.
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In your creative life or in your career.
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in your creative life or in your career.
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People will always have an idea of who they think you are.
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People will always have an idea of who they think you are.
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People will always have an idea of who they think you are.
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and often it's inaccurate or not wholly accurate and often it's inaccurate or not wholly accurate
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and often it's inaccurate or not wholly accurate
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And he mustn't let them change your own sense of who you are.
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And he mustn't let them change your own sense of who you are.
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And he mustn't let them change your own sense of who you are.
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You have to plow your own furrow.
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You have to plow your own furrow.
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You have to plow your own furrow. Because only you know. Because only you know. Because only you know.
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And only you know what you had to go through to deliver that performance in that audition or...
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And only you know what you had to go through to deliver that performance in that audition.
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And only you know what you had to go through to deliver that performance in that audition.
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or on that stage or in that short film or film or television series.
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On that stage or in that short film or film or television series.
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on that stage or in that short film or film or television series.
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And protect that with everything you have because pause and protect that with everything you have because
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and protect that with everything you have because all those people who think they know who you are
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All those people who think they know who you are All those people who think they know who you are
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didn't do the work and they don't know.
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Didn't do the work and they don't know.
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so have to have that faith in yourself so have to have that faith in yourself
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so have to have that faith in yourself
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What are your worst experiences?
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I think my worst experiences are usually quite solitary ones.
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The life of an actor, especially at the beginning, feels solitary.
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And you're going up for auditions and going up for different parts and repeatedly are politely declined,
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sometimes impolitely declined, often.
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And the door will be closed in your face and you won't know why.
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And that moment is always a puzzling one because the natural instinct is to take it personally.
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And often the decision isn't personal.
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But you feel as though, I certainly felt as though I had failed and you can get very despondent.
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The challenge is to find a way of negotiating that, that sense of rejection, that sense of failure,
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without it eroding your sense of self and your own specific talent and your own curiosity in the work.
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I think it doesn't matter what stage you're at in your creative life or in your career.
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But people will always have an idea of who they think you are.
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And often it's inaccurate or not wholly accurate.
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And you mustn't let them change your own sense of who you are.
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You have to plow your own furrow. Because only you know.
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And only you know what you had to go through to deliver
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that performance in that audition or on that stage or in
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that short film or film or television series and protect
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that with everything you have
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because all those people who think they know who you are didn't do the work
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and they don't know so have to have that faith in yourself
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Shadowing English with Tom Hiddleston”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: sense, solitary, audition, declined, stage. This video has 89 sentences and 1035 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:43. The speaker talks slowly, about 75 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| decline verb | /dɪˈklaɪn/ | To move downwards, to fall, to drop. |
| audition noun | /ɑˈdɪʃən/ | A performance, by an aspiring performer, to demonstrate suitability or talent. |
| solitary adjective | /ˈsɑlɪˌtɛɹi/ | Living or being by oneself; alone; having no companion present |
| repeatedly adverb | /ɹɪˈpiːtɪdli/ | Done several times or in repetition. |
| negotiate verb | /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/ | To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement. |
| curiosity noun | /ˌkjʊɹ.iˈɑ.sə.ti/ | Inquisitiveness; the tendency to ask and learn about things by asking questions, investigating, or exploring. |
| puzzle noun | /ˈpʌzəl/ | The state of feeling confused or mystified because one cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.; bewilderment, confusion; (countable) often in… |
| rejection noun | /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/ | The act of rejecting. |
| instinct noun | /ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/ | A natural or inherent impulse or behaviour. |
| wholly adverb | /ˈhoʊ.li/ | Completely and entirely; to the fullest extent. |
| inaccurate adjective | /ɪnˈæk.jə.ɹɪt/ | Mistaken or incorrect; not accurate. |
| pause noun | /pɔːz/ | A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation. |
| despondent adjective | /dɪˈspɒndənt/ | In low spirits from loss of hope or courage. |
| erode verb | /ɪˈɹəʊd/ | To wear away by abrasion, corrosion, or chemical reaction. |
| furrow noun | /ˈfʌɹoʊ/ | A trench cut in the soil, as when plowed in order to plant a crop. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go up for verb | Of the fielding side, to appeal for the batsman or batswoman to be out. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | will be closed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who think |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 30 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, doesn't, isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: audition /ɑˈdɪʃən/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, rejection /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: solitary /ˈsɑlɪˌtɛɹi/, repeatedly /ɹɪˈpiːtɪdli/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, curiosity /ˌkjʊɹ.iˈɑ.sə.ti/, inaccurate /ɪnˈæk.jə.ɹɪt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like decline, audition, solitary.
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.