Shadowing Practice: Learn Real English While Baking Cookies ๐ช (Fix These Grammar Mistakes!) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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I'm an English teacher.
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Let's learn some English while I bake cookies.
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So the first thing I need to do is I need to measure out some butter
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and let's use this as an opportunity to practice a really common English mistake.
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So I'm looking at the date here, the best before date.
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A lot of my English students really struggle to say dates.
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So I'm going to teach you in the way that we do in British English.
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So this date says 23 May 2026.
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How would you say that date out loud?
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Would you say 23 May?
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So we have to say the 23rd of May.
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That of is really important.
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The 23rd of May, 2026.
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If you have a day attached to that, then you would say Monday, the 23rd of May, 2026.
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Let's have a little practice.
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I will put a date here.
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You tell me how you would say that date in British English.
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The 3rd of November.
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The 22nd of June.
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Sunday, the 7th of October.
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So I have measured out my butter but it says softened butter so I might put it in the microwave
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in a little bit.
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Okay now we need to measure the sugar so while I'm measuring the sugar, Let me tell you about the word people.
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A lot of my students get confused with this.
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Remember, people is a plural.
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You've got to treat it like a plural.
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Can you see the mistake in this sentence?
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The people are not happy.
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Honestly, I hear my students saying the people is almost every day.
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What about this sentence?
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What's wrong with that?
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People don't, not people doesn't.
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So treat the word people in the same way you would treat the word they.
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They don't, they are, they weren't.
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People don't, people are, people weren't.
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Okay, next thing we need to do is we need to measure out this sugar.
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Goodness, there's a lot of sugar in cookies.
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Okie dokie.
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Now we need to put the butter and the two types of sugar into a bowl and beat it until creamy.
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So put the butter in the bowl and the sugar.
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Now I need to beat this until creamy.
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So while I'm beating it, let's practice the third conditional.
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So many of my students really struggle with this.
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So here's an example of the third conditional.
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If I had known you were coming, I would have made more cookies.
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So remember, the third conditional is thinking about the past and and thinking about a different outcome from the past.
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So something happened, something really happened, and now you are imagining a different version of the past.
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So maybe you failed your test but now you're imagining, oh if I did this differently then this would have been different.
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So it's all about the past.
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So the reality is I only made five cookies.
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That's what really happened.
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I made five cookies but then someone came over but I I didn't know they were coming.
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So now I want to think about a different past and I'm saying, oh, if I had known you were coming,
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I would have made more cookies.
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So the key thing to remember with the third conditional is don't use too many woulds.
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So this is what I hear a lot.
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If I would have known you were coming, I would have made more cookies.
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With the if part, that goes with the past perfect.
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So if I had known, if I had seen, if she hadn't walked,
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if I had danced, then the result of that changed action is with would have or wouldn't have.
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So read some of these sentences with me.
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Are you ready?
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If I had studied harder, I would have passed the test.
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She would have cried if she had watched that movie.
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They would have danced if they had heard that song.
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Okay, this feels creamy.
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This feels like the right consistency.
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Oh, I just want to eat it all.
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The recipe says beat in,
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so mix in two teaspoons of vanilla extract and one large egg.
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So teaspoon, I need two teaspoons of vanilla extract.
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Here we go.
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One, two, lovely.
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And one large egg.
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Time to crack the egg.
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To crack an egg.
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Here we go.
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Okay, now while we're beating this, let's talk about verbs and prepositions.
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This has been coming up a lot in my English lessons recently.
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You know, people saying he accused me to stealing.
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you know, not understanding which preposition goes with which verb.
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So let's go over some common verbs and prepositions just to make sure you know them.
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So I agree with you.
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I agree with you.
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I don't agree with him.
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And make sure you don't say I'm agree.
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A lot of my students say yes, I'm agree.
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I agree.
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I'm going to apply a job.
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Apply for a job.
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I'm going to apply for a new job.
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That belongs me.
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That belongs me.
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What do we say?
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That belongs to me.
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Say these out loud.
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If you're watching this video on your own, say these out loud.
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Now this is a big one.
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Everyone gets this one wrong.
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I don't care that.
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I don't care about that.
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Now that is different to care for.
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Care for means to look after someone.
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So I care for my elderly mother.
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I look after her.
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I help her.
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I care about my elderly mum just means you you have concern for her.
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You you care.
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Okay before we do some more I need to measure out some flour with a sieve.
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Sieve.
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Woohoo.
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Oh, this always gets messy.
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I hate flour.
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Flour is so messy.
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Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.
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I am not a baker.
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I don't bake.
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So I don't know what bicarbonate of soda is.
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I don't know what that means.
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I just follow the recipe and do what it tells me to do, but I don't know what this is.
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I think it's to do with like, I don't know, I think it's something science-y.
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A tiny bit of salt.
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If I can't, so do that, and mix it with a wooden spoon.
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Okay, carrying on.
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Let's do some more verbs and prepositions.
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I can't concentrate my work.
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Concentrate on.
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I can't concentrate on this.
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It's the same with focus on.
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I can't focus on this.
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The meeting consisted.. lots of questions.
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That's a tough one.
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Consist of.
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The meeting consisted of lots of questions.
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Consists of means to contain.
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So the meeting contained, it was made up of lots of questions.
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This is such a big one, so many of my English students get this one wrong.
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It depends on you.
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It depends on you.
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It depends on her.
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It depends on the weather.
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This is the problem with being tall.
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Whenever you are tall and you're trying to bake, I'm leaning over like this.
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Okay, this feels about right.
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Now, this is the most exciting part.
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mini eggs.
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Oh, they are chocolates in the UK.
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Oh, they are delightful.
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They're just little chocolate eggs.
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So I want to make these mini egg cookies.
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So instead of chocolate chips, we're having mini eggs just like this.
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And then maybe they will break apart in the oven and they will melt and go all amazing.
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Ah, whoa.
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While I mix the eggs into the dough, I will tell you about another really common thing that I hear.
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I went to home or she came to home.
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So you don't need the to there.
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So I go home.
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She went home.
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You don't need to say go to home.
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And that's interesting because usually I am telling my students, you need to say go to because so many of my students will say this,
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I went in Rome last week or tomorrow I will go in Turkey.
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So normally when you talk about a journey or you talk about a place that you visited, like a holiday or somewhere you've gone to,
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Most of the time it is go to.
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So I went to Spain.
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I am going to London.
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We only say go in if you are talking about going inside something.
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So inside a building or inside a box.
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Okay now this feels pretty well mixed so now we need to put them,
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well we need to make cookies and then put them in the oven and see what happens.
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Okay we have two baking trays for the cookies and they are lined with greaseproof paper or baking paper.
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Okay so now we make cookies, I suppose.
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Is that right for one cookie?
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I don't know.
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So let's talk a little bit about the present perfect tense.
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This one is very overused.
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I think, I think, I don't know, maybe people learn the present perfect and then think, oh my goodness, I have to use it.
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So remember, we use the present perfect tense.
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So I have been or I have walked to talk about things that started in the past and continue now.
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To talk about things that have recently happened but are still very relevant now, like the results are still occurring now.
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To talk about general experiences in your life.
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And that's mostly it.
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So if you are just talking about something that happened in the past and it's finished, you don't need the present perfect tense.
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So have a look at this sentence.
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I went to work yesterday.
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This is talking about something that happened in the past yesterday.
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It is finished.
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So all we need is the past simple.
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Some of my students would come to a lesson and say, I have been to work yesterday.
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You don't need it.
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Yesterday is finished so just use the past simple.
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Okay I hope these don't just like spread in the oven
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and and get really close to each other
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because then I will just have one big giant cookie which is not what I want.
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And I've already preheated the oven so I'm going to put them in and cross my fingers.
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I really hope they turn out okay.
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Let's see.
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Oh let's put them in the oven.
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They actually worked.
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Look at these.
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Oh my goodness.
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I can't believe they were successful.
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I'm going to try one now.
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I'll try this one because it's breaking apart already.
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So this will be my dinner.
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Thank you so much for watching.
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If you enjoyed it, please press subscribe.
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If you want to learn even more English with this channel, click the join button and you can become a member and you will get lots of amazing benefits.
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Thank you so much for watching and I will see you next time.
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Ta-ta!
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you
Why practice speaking with this video?
This video not only provides an enjoyable way to engage with the English language but also presents a unique opportunity to enhance your speaking skills through a familiar activityโbaking cookies. By immersing yourself in this context, you can improve your fluency and pronunciation while learning essential skills. Utilizing the shadowing technique, you can repeat phrases after the speaker, mimicking their intonation and rhythm, which is vital for effective communication.
Moreover, this format encourages a hands-on approach to learning. As you follow along with the baking process, it naturally prompts you to use English actively. This active involvement can be especially beneficial for those preparing for standardized tests like the IELTS speaking practice. You will not only learn language structures but also gain confidence as you engage in a collaborative and enjoyable task.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
In the transcript, several key structures are highlighted that are valuable for learners:
- Dates in British English: The speaker emphasizes the correct way to articulate dates, such as "the 23rd of May, 2026." This structure is significant as it differs from many other languages. Practicing this will help you accurately communicate temporal information.
- Understanding the plural noun "people": The speaker underscores that "people" is treated as a plural noun, which can often confuse learners. Understanding that we say "people don't" rather than "people doesn't" helps with accuracy in speech.
- The third conditional: A complex but useful structure, as seen in the example, "If I had known you were coming, I would have made more cookies." This conditional form is essential for discussing hypothetical situations in the past, providing depth to your conversational skills.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you follow along with the video, pay attention to certain tricky words that might challenge pronunciation:
- โButterโ: Ensure you pronounce it without slurring the 't' sound; maintaining this clarity is crucial for effective communication.
- โSugarโ: The 'sh' sound can sometimes be difficult for non-native speakers. Focus on perfecting this sound as it appears frequently in conversational English.
- British accents: The speaker uses a British English accent, which might differ from other variations like American English. Engaging with a shadowing app can help you adapt to various accents, enhancing your comprehension and adaptability.
By implementing these strategies and focusing on the structures mentioned, you will significantly improve your ability to communicate in English. Don't hesitate to revisit the video frequently, practicing your shadow speak technique to cement your learning!
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 โ like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1โ2 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 โ making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.