Shadowing Practice: The piano man Chapter 6 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Chapter 6 The Song
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In the morning, Ludmilla talked in Russian on her mobile phone for more than an hour, crying all the time.
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What's this all about?
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Dr. Sansom asked Avril.
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I don't know, said Avril.
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I think she's talking to her father in St. Petersburg.
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We need to know her story before we can help her.
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When is the interpreter coming?
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At eleven o'clock.
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When she had a moment, Avril went to see the piano man and to sit with him for a time.
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He was nearly always in the patient sitting room.
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He sat at the piano, sometimes playing, sometimes just sitting.
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When Avril talked to him, he listened but did not speak.
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His hands moved gently over the piano keys.
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He answered her with music.
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Other patients went in and out of the sitting room, but Doris was always there, in her usual chair there.
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Beautiful music, she said to Avril.
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Beautiful music.
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Yes, it is, said Avril.
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Does he talk to you, Doris?
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He's a nice boy, Doris said.
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Beautiful music.
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Very nice, Avril said.
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But does he say anything?
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Do you know his name?
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Yes, Doris said happily.
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He's the piano man.
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He plays music.
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Beautiful music.
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Avril went away, back to her other patients.
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In Ludmilla's room, it was quiet.
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Ludmilla lay on her bed and stared out of the window at the sky.
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Avril brought her a hot mug of tea.
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Would you like some tea?
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She said in her warm Irish voice.
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Thirsty work, all that talking.
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Ludmilla sat up and took the tea.
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Thank you.
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Did you talk to your father in St. Petersburg?
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Avril asked.
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Behind her, the door of the room was open, and sounds from the hospital came in.
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Suddenly, Ludmilla turned her head, and some of the hot tea went over the bed.
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Hey, be careful, said Avril.
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But Ludmilla did not hear her.
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She sat very still.
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What's that?
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She whispered.
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What's what?
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Avril asked. That, that music.
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Ludmilla said.
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Where's it coming from?
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It's a patient.
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He's playing the piano in the sitting room, Avril said.
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I think he's- Shh.
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Listen, Ludmilla whispered.
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She put her hand on Avril's arm.
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Listen.
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A second later, she was out of the bed and running.
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She ran out of her room, past the other rooms, and along to the patient sitting room at the end.
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Avril ran after her.
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Wait, she called.
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At the sitting room door, Ludmilla stopped.
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She saw the piano man at the piano, and her face turned white.
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She stood and stared.
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The piano man heard something and turned round.
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He stopped playing and stared at the girl by the door.
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For a long, long minute, nobody moved, nobody spoke.
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Every sound in the hospital stopped.
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Then, very slowly, the piano man turned back to the piano and began to play.
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He played a slow, beautiful piece of music.
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For a second or two, Ludmilla did not move or speak.
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Then she put her head back, closed her eyes, and began to sing.
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The song was very sad and very beautiful.
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Avril did not understand the words because they were in Russian, but tears came into her eyes.
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The piano man played and Ludmilla sang.
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Then, at the end of the song, she walked across the room to him.
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The piano man stood up and watched her.
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She came and stood in front of him, and very slowly, very gently, she held out her hand to him.
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Mikael?
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She whispered.
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Lita, Lita, Lita, said the piano man.
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Oh, Lita.
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Then he put his arms around her and held her for a long time.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Exploring "The Piano Man: Chapter 6" – A Window into Real-Life Dialogue
The video unfolds a heartfelt scene in a hospital, where characters like Avril, Ludmilla, and the silent piano man interact. This dialogue mirrors everyday communication—filled with questions, observations, and emotional moments—making it ideal for English speaking practice. The natural flow of conversation, from casual check-ins ("Would you like some tea?") to urgent whispers ("What's that?"), provides a rich context for learning how to express thoughts and react in real time.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "What's this all about?" – A common way to ask for clarification in informal settings.
- "Thirsty work, all that talking" – A friendly, conversational comment to empathize with someone who’s been speaking a lot.
- "Be careful" – A simple, essential phrase to warn or protect others.
- "She whispered" – Demonstrates how to describe soft, quiet speech, useful for storytelling.
- "He answered her with music" – Shows creative ways to express non-verbal responses, expanding descriptive vocabulary.
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video
The shadowing technique works well here due to the dialogue’s moderate pace and emotional depth. Follow these steps to boost English pronunciation and fluency:
- Listen first: Watch the video once to grasp the story and tone. Notice how characters’ voices rise (e.g., Ludmilla’s urgency) or soften (e.g., Avril’s warmth).
- Repeat immediately: Pause after short lines (2-3 seconds) and mimic the speaker’s rhythm, intonation, and volume. Focus on phrases like "Thank you" and "What's that?" to match natural delivery—key for IELTS speaking practice.
- Focus on connected speech: Phrases like "I think she's talking" or "He sat at the piano" have linked sounds. Shadowing helps you master these subtle connections, making your speech sound more native.
- Record and compare: Record yourself shadowing, then listen to the original. Note differences in stress (e.g., "Beautiful music" emphasizes "beautiful") and adjust your pronunciation accordingly.
- Practice daily: Use this video as a shadowing site for 10-15 minutes a day. Over time, you’ll notice improved fluency and confidence in reacting to conversational cues.
This scene’s mix of dialogue and emotion makes it a powerful tool for learners. By engaging with it through shadowing, you’ll not only improve your speaking but also learn to convey meaning through tone—an essential skill for real-world communication.
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.