Shadowing Practice: Tom Holland - interview "Billy Elliot" (2010) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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it's the heartwarming tale of a young boy who follows his dream billy elliott secretly goes to ballet lessons
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and goes on to become a star the musical telling his
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story has been wowing crowds since its west end debut more than three years ago
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billy elliott has smashed box office records An estimated two and a half million people have seen the show, and it's still a sellout.
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Several young boys share the role of Billy, and two of the newest recruits came in to see us.
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Tom and Tana, welcome to 5 News.
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Tom, you've done four performances so far.
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You're both playing Billy Elliot.
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You've done four performances so far.
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You're about to start.
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Tom, how's it going?
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Oh, yeah, it's going fantastic, yeah.
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I'm loving it.
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Have you always wanted to do something like this?
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Well, I just, it was my dad's birthday two years ago, so me and my mum decided to take my dad to come and see the show, and I was a bit of a fan of dancing, and then I said, oh,
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mum, why don't I audition for this, because it looks quite cool.
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Yeah.
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And then I ended up auditioning, and then two years later I got the role.
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Tana, I mean, you're American, aren't you?
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So how did you get the job?
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Well, I was actually auditioning for the New York,
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the New York musical, but instead, after about...
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four auditions they asked me if I wanted to come over here
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and I said yes
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and you all live in this big Billy Elliot house explain how this like all of us live together
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so like because some of us come from Manchester America Newcastle
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so we've all got a live in one big house yeah
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but you have a lot of fun yeah
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so it's what has it work in terms of the schoolwork
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and the and the acting and the practice and all
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that kind of stuff tana well um we have school in the morning at the house it starts at nine
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and then we finish about 12 15 have our lunch till 1 15
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and then we travel to wherever we have our rehearsals
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and we do our rehearsals from two o 'clock till um probably about eight at night
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so it's a full schedule
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and i'm just wondering i mean billy ellick comes in the northeast
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so you've got to do a northeast you've got to do an accent haven't you um how's it going Um, it's going well, yeah.
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Can you two give us a bit of a demo on what you're like when you're doing the accent?
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Sure.
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I can't really explain it.
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I haven't got the words.
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It's a feeling that you can't control.
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I suppose it's like forgetting, losing who you are.
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And at the same time, something makes you whole.
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Very good.
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Thank you so much.
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That was really good.
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Now, you've signed up for how long, the pair of you?
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Well, we have a contract for six months, and then if we get too tall of our voice breaks, we get kind of kicked out.
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So our contract gets renewed if we're not too tall and our voice doesn't break.
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Listen, all the best for the show, and thank you so much for coming in.
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Thank you.
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Good to meet you.
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They're great.

Real-Life Conversation: Young Actors Discussing Their Roles

The video captures a lively interview with two young actors, Tom and Tana, who play Billy Elliot in the hit musical. Their conversation covers audition stories, daily routines, and mastering a regional accent—mirroring real-world English interactions where people share experiences, explain processes, and showcase skills. This dialogue is perfect for practicing natural speech patterns, as it includes casual phrasing, follow-up questions, and authentic reactions.

Useful Chunks & Collocations to Memorize

  • "ended up auditioning": A common way to describe an unplanned outcome, e.g., "I tried a dance class and ended up loving it."
  • "full schedule": Describes a busy day, as in "Between work and study, I have a full schedule."
  • "get kicked out": Informal for being removed from a role or group, e.g., "If I miss too many rehearsals, I might get kicked out."
  • "smash box office records": A vivid collocation for a successful show, useful in discussing entertainment or business.
  • "give us a bit of a demo": A friendly request to show a skill, great for casual conversations.

Your Shadowing Challenge: Master the Accent & Rhythm

Shadowing—repeating speech immediately after a speaker—is a proven way to improve English pronunciation and fluency. For this task, focus on the actors' Northeast English accent demo. Use a shadowing app or site to play the clip, pause, and repeat their lines: "I can't really explain it. I haven't got the words. It's a feeling that you can't control." Pay attention to the rounded vowels (e.g., "can't" sounding like "cahn't") and the rhythm of short, connected phrases. Practice 3-5 times, recording yourself to compare. This shadowspeak exercise will help you mimic natural intonation and build confidence in speaking with regional flair.

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.