Shadowing Practice: Kalogeras Sisters BLIND INGREDIENT COOKING! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Kalogeras Sisters BLIND INGREDIENT COOKING!”. This video has 984 sentences and 6316 words to shadow. The speech runs for 37:33. The speaker talks at a natural 168 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 150 of its 984 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| chop verb | /t͡ʃɑp/ | To cut into pieces with short, vigorous cutting motions. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| chef noun | /ʃɛf/ | The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household. |
| ingredient noun | /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/ | One of the substances present in a mixture, especially food. |
| carrot noun | /ˈkæɹət/ | A vegetable with a nutritious, juicy, sweet root that is often orange in colour, Daucus carota, family Apiaceae, especially the subspecies sativus. |
| sausage noun | /ˈsɔsɪd͡ʒ/ | A food made of ground meat (or meat substitute) and seasoning, packed in a section of the animal's intestine, or in a similarly cylindrical shaped synthetic… |
| chip noun | /t͡ʃɪp/ | A small piece broken from a larger piece of solid material. |
| timer noun | /ˈtaɪmɚ/ | A device used to measure amounts of time. |
| killer noun | /ˈkɪlɚ/ | One who or that which kills. |
| serial adjective | /ˈsɪɹ.i.əl/ | Having to do with or arranged in a series. |
| gross adjective | /ɡɹoʊs/ | remarkably great, big, vast in an often unpleasant way; (of behaviour) Highly or conspicuously offensive. |
| dish noun | /dɪʃ/ | A vessel such as a plate for holding or serving food, often flat with a depressed region in the middle. |
| soup noun | /sup/ | Any of various dishes commonly made by combining liquids, such as water or stock, with other ingredients, such as meat and vegetables, that contribute the food… |
| clap verb | /klæp/ | To strike the palms of the hands together, creating a sharp sound. |
| yummy adjective | /ˈjʌm.i/ | Delicious. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hands off | Refrain from touching; refrain from initiating any physical contact. |
| turn around verb | To physically rotate (usually around a vertical axis) for a half turn (180 degrees), a whole turn (360 degrees), or an indefinite amount. |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. |
| cut up verb | To cut upward. |
| search up verb | To obtain something, especially information, about (something) from a source (especially electronic sources). |
| add up to verb | To have a particular effect in combination. |
| chip up verb | To cause something to have chips, cracks or dents. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Did I get you guys?
- Did I trick you guys?
- It's like, why do you want all the bread?
- Wait, we're allowed to add ingredients?
- I don't even know what?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have requested · have you ever had · haven't even separated |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be opened · are just chopped · be done |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who doesn |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should i try · should we do · should we title |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 296 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: throat /ˈθɹoʊt/, broth /bɹɔθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: chef /ʃɛf/, dish /dɪʃ/, mushroom /ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/, presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, crush /kɹʌʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/, phenomenal /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like chop, meal, chef.
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.
























