Shadowing Practice: British Accent Shadowing | Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde | British Pronunciation B2–C1 | Read by Ashley Howard - Learn English Speaking with Video
Ders oluşturuluyor...
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Let's do some British accent shadowing.
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If you're new here, I'm Ashley Howard, a UK voice coach, and I help people with loads of things including accent.
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And today we're shadowing an extract from The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson,
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a dark and atmospheric classic of British literature.
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The CEFR level is between B2 to C1, and the first part of the video is Listen and Repeat,
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and in the second, see if you can speak along with me at the same time, and there's a free PDF with vocabulary notes you can download using the link in the description.
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Ready?
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Let's do it!
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Mr Utterson, the lawyer, was a man of a rugged countenance,
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that was never lighted by a smile.
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cold, scanty, and embarrassed in discourse,
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backward in sentiment, lean, long,
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dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable.
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At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste,
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something eminently human, beaconed from his eye,
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something indeed which never found its way into his talk,
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but which spoke not only in these silent symbols of the after-dinner face,
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but more often and loudly in the acts of his life.
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He was austere with himself, drank gin when he was alone,
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to mortify a taste for vintages.
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And though he enjoyed the theatre,
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had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years.
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But he had an approved tolerance for others, sometimes wondering,
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almost with envy at the
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high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds,
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and in any extremity, inclined to help rather than to reprove.
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I inclined to Cain's hearsay,
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he used to say quaintly.
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I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.
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In this character, it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance,
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and the last good influence,
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in the lives of down-going men, And to such as these,
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so long as they came about his chambers,
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he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour.
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Just to say that if you are enjoying this, after the video, check out my 12-week pronunciation Roadmap course.
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Details are in the description below.
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Let's get back to it.
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No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Rutterson,
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for he was undemonstrative at the best, and
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And even his friendship seemed to
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be founded in a similar catholicity of good nature.
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It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle,
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ready-made from the hands of opportunity.
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And that was the lawyer's way.
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His friends were those of his own blood, or those whom he had known the longest.
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His affections, like ivy, were the growth of time,
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they implied no aptness in the object.
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Hence, no doubt the bond that united him to Mr. Richard Enfield,
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his distant kinsman, the well-known man about town.
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It was a nut to crack for many.
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What these two could see in each other.
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Or what subject they could find in common.
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It was reported by those who
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encountered them in their Sunday walks that they said nothing,
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looked singularly dull,
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and would hail with obvious relief the appearance of a friend.
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For all that, the two men put the greatest store by these excursions,
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counted them the chief jewel of each week,
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and not only set aside occasions of pleasure,
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but even resisted the calls of business,
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that they might enjoy them uninterrupted.
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Now try speaking with me at the same time.
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After that, check out my three British accent training books, which are linked in the description below.
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Ready?
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Let's go!
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Mr Utterson, the lawyer, was a man of rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile.
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Cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse, backward in sentiment, lean, long,
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dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable.
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At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste, something eminently human beaconed from his eye,
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something indeed which never found its way into his talk, but which spoke not only in these silent symbols of after-dinner face,
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but more often and loudly in the acts of his life.
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He was austere with himself, drank gin when he was alone to mortify a taste for vintages, and though he enjoyed the theatre,
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had not crossed the door of one for twenty years.
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But he had an approved tolerance for others, sometimes wondering, almost with envy,
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the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds, and in any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove.
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I incline to Cain's hearsay, he used to say quaintly, I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.
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In this character it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance
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and last good influence in the lives of down-going men, and to such as these, so long as they came about his chamber,
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he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour.
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No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Utterson, for he was undemonstrative at the best,
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and even his friendship seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good nature.
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It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle, ready-made from the hands of opportunity, and that was the lawyer's way.
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His friends were those of his own blood, all those whom he had known the longest.
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His affections, like ivy, were the growth of time.
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They implied no aptness in the object.
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Hence no doubt the bond that united him to Mr. Richard Enfield, his distant kinsman, well-known man about town.
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It was a nut to crack for many what these two could see in each other, or what subject they could find in common.
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It was reported by those who encountered them in their Sunday walks that they said nothing,
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looked singularly dull, and would hail with obvious relief the appearance of a friend.
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For all that, the two men put the greatest store by these excursions, counted them the chief jewel of each week,
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and not only set aside occasions of pleasure but even resisted the calls of business that they might enjoy them uninterrupted.
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Thanks for staying to the end.
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Like, subscribe and turn on notifications.
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Check out my course and books.
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And if you'd like to support the channel and help me make more videos, you can join as a channel member using the link below.
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See you next time.
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Thank you.
Why Practice Speaking with This Video?
Looking to boost your language learning with engaging, real-world practice? This video is a goldmine for speaking and pronunciation practice. Using the shadowing technique—where you mimic the speaker’s tone, rhythm, and accent—you’ll dive into a classic British literary text, making learning both effective and immersive. The B2–C1 level content challenges you just enough, while the atmospheric dialogue from Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde keeps it interesting. Shadowing here helps you master natural intonation, connect speech sounds, and build confidence in your British accent—skills that stick because you’re learning in context, not just memorizing.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The video is packed with useful structures to elevate your speaking. Let’s break down a few:
- "something eminently human, beaconed from his eye": This poetic phrasing uses a past participle ("beaconed") to create vivid imagery. Notice how "something + adjective + participle" adds depth to descriptions—try it in your own sentences, like "something warm, glowing in her smile."
- "he was undemonstrative at the best": The phrase "at the best" softens a statement, implying even in ideal circumstances, the trait holds. It’s a subtle way to qualify opinions, e.g., "The café is busy at the best of times."
- "his affections, like ivy, were the growth of time": Similes like this ("like ivy") make abstract ideas concrete. Practice comparing traits to objects—"her patience, like a river, never ran dry."
Common Pronunciation Traps
British pronunciation has tricky spots—let’s tackle a few from the video:
- "austere": Pronounce it "aw-STEER," not "aus-TEER." The "au" sound is short, like in "caught," and the stress is on the second syllable.
- "mortify": Say "MOR-ti-fy," with the stress on the first syllable. Avoid overemphasizing the "ti"—it’s quick, like "tuh."
- "catholicity": This means "broadness," and it’s pronounced "ka-THOL-i-si-tee." The "th" is soft, and the stress falls on the second syllable.
Gölgeleme Tekniği Nedir?
Gölgeleme, başlangıçta profesyonel tercüman eğitimi için geliştirilen ve çok dilli Dr. Alexander Arguelles tarafından popüler hale getirilen, bilim destekli bir dil öğrenme tekniğidir. Yöntem basit ama güçlüdür: ana dili İngilizce olan bir sesi dinler ve hemen yüksek sesle tekrar edersiniz — konuşmacıyı 1-2 saniye gecikmeyle takip eden bir gölge gibi. Pasif dinleme veya dilbilgisi alıştırmalarının aksine, gölgeleme beyninizi ve ağız kaslarınızı gerçek konuşma kalıplarını eşzamanlı olarak işlemeye ve yeniden üretmeye zorlar. Araştırmalar, telaffuz doğruluğu, tonlama, ritim, bağlı konuşma, dinleme anlama ve konuşma akıcılığını önemli ölçüde geliştirdiğini göstermektedir — bu da onu IELTS Konuşma hazırlığı ve gerçek dünya İngilizce iletişimi için en etkili yöntemlerden biri yapar.