Shadowing Practice: Tom Holland - Billy Elliot (28/03/2009) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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60 sentences
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Now, as you've been hearing, anyone can start living a healthier lifestyle no matter what your age.
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And to prove that, five lucky schoolboys were set the challenge of their young lives to learn to dance.
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That's right.
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So, we've got some pretty nervous schoolboys about to dance in public for the very first time.
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And what's more, it's with the star of hit West End musical, Billy Elliot.
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Eight weeks ago at Thames Christian College in South London, I surprised five boys with the news that they'd been selected to take part in our dancing challenge.
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I'm here today to come and tell you that you're all in!
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Congratulations!
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The training began and it wasn't long before the hard work started to pay off.
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Dance is an excellent exercise for keeping fit and I've really noticed an improvement in her fitness.
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It's been really tiring, really exciting, really fun now I feel less nervous by the same time I want to get right I can see
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that some of them might struggle
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but I think in six weeks we'll get there to help
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the boys understand just how much work needs to be done
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Lizzie takes them backstage at Billy Elliot to meet the star
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of the show Tom how you feeling about
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going on TV long period of time like a few weeks
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you just get a lot fitter from all the dance training
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so you'll be a lot fitter by the end of this
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training thing what advice have you got try your best the
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more you the harder you work the more you get out of it
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and about your day back in the dance studio Tom joins
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the boys for their first rehearsal together hi guys thanks tom coming to rehearsals today has really boosted our confidence
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because he's going to teach us all these new moves telling us how things are done
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and as the day of the performance draws nearer the strain is starting to show
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when i first auditioned i had no idea how hard it was going to be
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but you know you know it's completely hard work it's been challenging in places he's taught me things
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so it's been good to dance with him we need more practice sure we've covered the routine
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but there's still mistakes here and there and my mom's telling me go home
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and practice so you do not forget i don't need forgetting on national television
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so now performing in public for the very first time with
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their version of angry dance from the musical billy elliott please
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would you welcome our school boys from thames christian college along with Tom, straight from the West End.
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APPLAUSE Guys,
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this is over here!
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Oh, guys!
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Five, six, seven, eight!
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One, two!
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Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on,
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come on, come on, come on,
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come on, come on, come on,
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come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
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Thank you.
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Boys, that to me looked pretty tough to learn.
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How tough is it for boys to learn a dance like that?
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Well, you start dancing from scratch is pretty hard, but, I mean, you can just dance in your living room and it'll be pretty cool.
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With a hairbrush.
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I'm there with you, Tom.
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I'm feeling that already.
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Lovely.
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And, Matthew, what about you?
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What's the reaction like being with the boys at school?
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Well, they're all jealous, you know.
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Really?
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I mean, who wouldn't want to be jealous of what we're doing right now?
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It's been a really amazing experience well boys we are really really really proud of you
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and all that you have achieved it's just incredible
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and knowing how much you want to keep dancing well we've
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arranged a little bit of a surprise for you each of
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you are going to receive a year's scholarship to a dance and drama club so what do you think of that

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What You'll Practice in This Lesson

This lesson uses a lively video about young boys learning to dance with actor Tom Holland to help you improve your English speaking and listening skills. You'll practice understanding conversational English, including casual dialogue, instructions, and expressions of excitement or nervousness. The video's mix of interviews, training scenes, and a performance makes it perfect for honing your ability to follow real-life interactions—ideal for using the shadowing technique to mimic pronunciation, rhythm, and tone.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Boosted confidence: To increase self-assurance (e.g., "Tom coming to rehearsals boosted our confidence").
  • Strain is starting to show: Signs of stress or hard work become visible (e.g., "As the performance drew near, the strain showed").
  • From scratch: Starting with no prior experience (e.g., "Learning to dance from scratch is tough").
  • Pay off: To produce good results (e.g., "Their hard work started to pay off").
  • Get right: To do something correctly (e.g., "I want to get the routine right").

Practice Tips for Shadowing

The video features a mix of fast, energetic speech (like the dance instructions) and slower, conversational moments (like Tom's advice). Here's how to use the shadowing technique effectively:

  • Start with short clips: Focus on 5-10 second segments of the boys talking about their training. Pause, repeat, and mimic their tone—notice how they stress words like "tiring" or "fun" to show emotion.
  • Mimic the rhythm of instructions: When the dance coach counts "Five, six, seven, eight!" or urges "Come on, come on!", copy the quick pace and urgency. This helps with natural fluency in fast speech.
  • Shadow Tom's casual advice: His line "Try your best—the harder you work, the more you get out of it" is a great example of relaxed, natural English. Focus on his smooth pronunciation and pauses.

For more practice, use a shadowing site to loop tricky sections. This video is a fantastic tool for learning English with videos because it combines real emotions, everyday language, and dynamic interactions—perfect for mastering shadow speak and improving your overall English skills.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowI've really noticed · It's been · has really boosted
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itwere set · been selected · be done
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing formstart living · start dancing · keep dancing
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionwe'll get · you'll be · it'll be

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →