Shadowing Practice: Toronto Sun Interview — Mackenzie Foy — 2018 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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The film is based off the book by E.T.A.
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Hoffman and it also draws inspiration from the ballet, but there are a couple of Christian turns in the film that are new.
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Clara is, she has the same strength and fearlessness as she does in the book and in the ballet, but in this version her mother has just passed away,
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so she's dealing with that grief and that pain and trying to be strong for her family, but also just feeling like she's broken and lost inside.
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And then she finds herself in this world that her mother created that has, you know, has darkness in it and is being threatened.
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And she finds that she is the princess and that she must protect this world.
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And she goes on this journey of, you know, epic action adventure, but also of finding herself.
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It was so much fun filming with everyone.
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They were so nice and happy and it was just a wonderful energy on set.
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And yeah, I really enjoyed talking to them and going into our characters and just having fun.
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And they built these sets that were incredibly practical and the costumes and the hair and makeup.
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So it was really just, we came to work every day and we kind of just played in this fantasy world.
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So you got the Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers, Land of Sweets, and a Mysterious Fourth Realm.
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What's your favorite one?
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Ooh, this is always changing, but right now I really like the Land of Snowflakes, just because it's so beautiful.
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It's got these really pretty wintry blues and silvers, and it's very sparkly and happy, and I really like it.
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So what was it like for you to see these realms realized on the big screen, you know, in all their CGI glory?
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Yeah, well, a lot of what you see in the film is actually there, So especially in the fourth realm, those sets were real.
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They really built those forests.
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They really built, you know, the broken down sets and the creepiness.
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Yeah, so it was really amazing being on those sets
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and just wandering around and discovering the world just as much as Clara.
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Nutcracker in the Four Realms is going to kick off Christmas.
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It's going to kick off the holiday season for us.
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What's your favorite Christmas memory or what's your favorite tradition about the holidays?
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My favorite tradition, I love decorating with my family we all wait until we're
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all together to like fully you know go all out
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and decorate which i really really love doing
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and also baking cookies on christmas eve and um yeah
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and also just like on days
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when we're all together we just sit on the couch with the dog
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and the cat and a big blanket and hot chocolate
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and we just watch christmas movies all day and that's that's so much fun

Let’s Dive Into a Real-Life Interview Scenario

Imagine you’re watching a friendly chat with an actor discussing their new film—just like the video where Mackenzie Foy talks about *Nutcracker in the Four Realms*. This is the perfect real-world situation to practice your English: natural, conversational, and full of everyday phrases. You’ll hear how people share stories, describe feelings, and talk about traditions—skills you can use in your own conversations!

Useful Chunks & Collocations to Memorize

  • "draws inspiration from": Great for talking about creative ideas (e.g., "The song draws inspiration from old folk music").
  • "dealing with grief and pain": A heartfelt way to describe emotional struggles (e.g., "She’s been dealing with grief and pain since her move").
  • "kick off the holiday season": Perfect for talking about starting celebrations (e.g., "The parade will kick off the holiday season").
  • "go all out": To describe doing something with enthusiasm (e.g., "We go all out for birthdays with cake and games").
  • "wandering around and discovering": A natural pair for exploring (e.g., "We spent the day wandering around and discovering new cafes").

Your Shadowing Challenge: Try It Now!

Ready to practice shadow speech? Here’s your task: Pick a 30-second part of the video (like the part where she talks about Christmas traditions). Play a short line, pause, and repeat it *immediately*—matching the tone, speed, and stress. This is called shadowing, and it’s one of the best ways to improve your fluency. If you’re new to shadow speak, don’t worry—start slow! Focus on copying the rhythm first, then the words. For extra practice, use a shadowing site or app to record yourself and compare. Remember, shadowspeaks and shadowspeak are all about mimicking real speech to sound more natural. You’ve got this—every repetition brings you closer to speaking English with confidence!

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 →