Luyện nói tiếng Anh bằng Shadowing qua video: British Accent Shadowing | Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne | Accent and Intonation Practice (C2)

Hello and welcome to British Accent Shadowing.

I'm Ashley Howard, a UK voice coach, and among many things, I help people with pronunciation, intonation and accent.

Today, we're working with an extract from Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern, one of the most playful,

eccentric and inventive novels in English literature.

This passage is around C2 level, so it's a real challenge.

The language is witty, digressive, highly stylised and full of long, twisting sentences.

That makes it excellent material for practising standard southern British English,

especially rhythm, timing, emphasis, irony and expressive reading aloud.

I'll read the passage once, at a natural pace, then we'll go through it line by line, so you can shadow and repeat after me,

building clarity, fluency and confidence as you speak.

You can also download the free PDF of today's passage, with vocabulary notes, using the link in the description below.

Let's begin.

I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it,

had minded what they were about when they begot me.

had they duly considered how much depended upon what they were then doing?

that not only the production of a rational being was concerned in it, but that possibly the happy formation and temperature of his body,

perhaps, his genius and the very cast of his mind.

And for aught they knew, to the contrary, even the fortunes of his whole house might take their turn from the humours

and dispositions which were then uppermost.

Had they duly weighed and considered all this,

and proceeded accordingly, I am verily persuaded I should have made a quite different figure in the world from

that in which the reader is likely to see me.

Believe me, good folks, this is not so inconsiderable a thing as many of you may think it.

You have all, I dare say, heard of the animal spirits, as how they are transfused from father to son,

etc., etc., and a great deal to that purpose.

Well, you may take my word that nine parts in ten of a man's sense or his nonsense,

his successes and his miscarriages in this world,

depend upon their motions and activity and the different tracks and trains you put them into, so that when they are once set a -going,

whether right or wrong, 'tis not a halfpenny matter.

Away they go, cluttering like hay -go -mad, Using the same steps over and over again,

they presently make a road of it, as plain and as smooth as a garden walk which, when they are once used to,

the devil himself sometimes shall not be able to drive them off it.

"Pray, my dear," quoth my mother, Have you not forgot to wind up the clock?

Good.

"God !" cried my father, making an exclamation, but taking care to moderate his voice at the same time.

Did ever a woman since the creation of the world interrupt a man with such a silly question?

Pray...

What was your father saying?

Nothing.

Now copy after me.

If you're serious about developing a clear, contemporary standard British accent, take a look at my 12 -week Pronunciation Roadmap course.

It's a step -by -step programme with expert guidance, practical training and simple routines to help you improve your pronunciation,

intonation and overall accent.

You'll find the link in the description below.

I wish...

either my father or my mother,

or indeed both of them, Thank you.

as they were in duty...

both equally bound to it Thank you. Had minded...

What they were about Thank you.

when they begot me, Thank you.

Thank you.

had they duly considered, How much depended?

upon what they were then doing. That not only...

the production of a rational being, was concerned in it.

but that possibly The happy formation and temperature.

of his body Perhaps his genius?

and the very caste of his mind.

and For aught they knew,

To the contrary, Even the fortunes... of his whole house. might take their turn.

from the humors Thank you.

and dispositions, which were then uppermost. Had they duly weighed?

and considered all this, and proceeded accordingly Thank you.

I am verily persuaded, I should have made a quite different figure. in the world.

Thank you.

From that, in which the reader is likely to see me.

Believe me.

Good folks.

Thank you.

This is not...

so inconsiderable a thing As many of you may think it,

You have all...

I dare say.

heard of the animal spirits, as how they are transfused,

from father to son, etc etc. Thank you.

and a great deal to that purpose, Thank you.

Well, "You may take my word." that nine parts in ten of a man's sense

or his nonsense, His successes and miscarriages In this world,

depend upon their motions and activity and the different tracks And trains?

you put them into... So that...

when they are once set a -going,

whether right or wrong, Thank you.

'Tis not.

A half -penny matter!

Away they go cluttering.

like "Hey, go mad !" and by treading, Amen.

The same steps.

over and over again they presently Make a road of it.

Thank you.

as plain Thank you.

and as smooth, as a garden walk. Which...

when they are once used to, the devil himself Sometimes. shall not be able.

Thank you.

to drive them off it.

Pray, my dear, Quoth my mother, Thank you. Have you not forgot?

To wind up the clock?

Thank you.

Good.

- Coup.

100

cried my father.

101

making an exclamation But taking care Thank you. to moderate his voice.

102

At the same time, Did ever a woman... Since the creation... of the world.

103

Interrupt a man with such a silly question?

104

Pray.

105

What was your father saying?

106

Nothing.

107

Now speak with me at the same time.

108

Before we continue, take a look at my British accent training books.

109

Across the series you'll get 12 hours of audio, accessible on your phone, thousands of practice words and sentences,

110

and more than 300 pages covering every vowel and consonant as well as aspects of intonation.

111

The link is in the description and in the pinned comment.

112

I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it,

113

had minded what they were about when they begot me.

114

had they duly considered how much depended upon what they were then doing?

115

that not only the production of a rational being was concerned in it, but that possibly the happy formation and temperature of his body,

116

perhaps, his genius and the very cast of his mind.

117

And for aught they knew, to the contrary, even the fortunes of his whole house might take their turn from the humours

118

and dispositions which were then uppermost.

119

Had they duly weighed and considered all this,

120

and proceeded accordingly, I am verily persuaded I should have made a quite different figure in the world from

121

that in which the reader is likely to see me.

122

Believe me, good folks, this is not so inconsiderable a thing as many of you may think it.

123

You have all, I dare say, heard of the animal spirits, as how they are transfused from father to son,

124

etc., etc., and a great deal to that purpose.

125

Well, you may take my word that nine parts in ten of a man's sense or his nonsense,

126

his successes and his miscarriages in this world, depend upon their motions and activity,

127

and the different tracks and trains you put them into, so that when they are once set a -going,

128

whether right or wrong, 'tis not a halfpenny matter.

129

Away they go, cluttering like hay -go -mad, and by treading the same steps over and over again,

130

they presently make a road of it, as plain and as smooth as a garden walk which, when they are once used to,

131

the devil himself sometimes shall not be able to drive them off it.

132

"Pray, my dear," quoth my mother, Have you not forgot to wind up the clock?

133

Good.

134

"Grrrrrr !" cried my father, making an exclamation, but taking care to moderate his voice at the same time.

135

Did ever a woman since the creation of the world interrupt a man with such a silly question?

136

Pray...

137

What was your father saying?

138

Nothing.

139

Well done!

140

That was a demanding passage to shadow.

141

With a text like Tristram Shandy, the challenge is not only pronunciation, but also wit, pace, rhythm and attitude.

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Stern's sentences move quickly from one thought to another, so shadowing this kind of writing helps you practice flexibility,

143

connected speech and expressive control in British English.

144

If this session helped you, please subscribe.

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It supports the channel and helps more learners discover these British accent shadowing lessons.

146

And if you'd like more episodes more often, you can also join as a channel member using the link in the description.

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Your support helps me keep creating these resources.

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See you in the next British accent shadowing session.

Phương Pháp Shadowing Là Gì?

Shadowing là kỹ thuật học ngôn ngữ có cơ sở khoa học, ban đầu được phát triển cho chương trình đào tạo phiên dịch viên chuyên nghiệp và được phổ biến rộng rãi bởi nhà đa ngôn ngữ học Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Nguyên lý cốt lõi đơn giản nhưng cực kỳ hiệu quả: bạn nghe tiếng Anh của người bản xứ và lặp lại to ngay lập tức — như một "cái bóng" (shadow) đuổi theo người nói với độ trễ chỉ 1–2 giây. Khác với luyện ngữ pháp hay học từ vựng bị động, Shadowing buộc não bộ và cơ miệng phải đồng thời xử lý và tái tạo ngôn ngữ thực tế. Các nghiên cứu khoa học xác nhận phương pháp này cải thiện đáng kể phát âm, ngữ điệu, nhịp điệu, nối âm, kỹ năng nghe và độ lưu loát khi nói — đặc biệt hiệu quả cho người luyện IELTS Speaking và muốn giao tiếp tiếng Anh tự nhiên như người bản ngữ.

Luyện nói tiếng Anh bằng Shadowing qua video: British Accent Shadowing | Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne | Accent and Intonation Practice (C2)

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Phương Pháp Shadowing Là Gì?