Shadowing Practice: Leighton Meester & Robbie Amell Holiday Cookie Decorating Challenge - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
This is so embarrassing.
2
Is this gonna be on the internet?
3
Oh no. Hi, I'm Leighton Meester.
4
And I'm Robbie Amell, and today, Leighton is gonna beat me at this epic cookie decorating battle.
5
Wait, she's gonna beat you, what?
6
Yes, she's gonna win.
7
I just have a feeling I'm going to get absolutely smoked.
8
He's probably on the right track.
9
I think I may have been right that I'm gonna get smoked.
10
Oh no, wait, I didn't know.
11
I was taking my time.
12
Oh .
13
I got sprinkles from last Christmas.
14
Oh.
15
Look at that.
16
Gotta be careful, my gumdrop might fall off.
17
What is that doing?
18
It's just floating in the middle of the land?
19
Yeah.
20
It's a gumdrop bird.
21
Mine might be better.
22
Symmetrical.
23
Didn't even feel in your tree.
24
You really feel like, no, but it's like more artistic, I think.
25
And then you got a lot of icing.
26
Interesting, not really evenly distributed.
27
Yeah, that's what people want, less icing.
28
I'm increasingly less proud of it as we go.
29
Oh boy.
30
Okay, now I'm kind of like understanding baking competitions, that they really do go to the last minute.
31
Oh, that just went from kind of fun to really scary looking.
32
Oh God.
33
No!
34
No!
35
No. One minute?
36
Yours is awesome!
37
Look at this terrifying thing.
38
Oh no!
39
Oh no!
40
No, it is a good- That really is good.
41
This is psychotic.
42
He looks sad.
43
Yours is like a zombie- He does not look happy to be here.
44
Dead Frankenstein.
45
That's a better hat.
46
This is- It's a sad one.
47
We both lose this round.
48
Aw.
49
Poor Santa.
50
I think it's two-nothing, Layton.
51
I don't know.
52
I do think that one's a lot better.
53
I think your Santa's better, but it is really scary.
54
I think he wins.
55
I would buy that cookie in the store, though.
56
Yes!
57
Yes!
58
I won the first, you won the second.
59
Alright, 1-1.
60
It's 1-1.
61
There you go.
62
Excuse me, keep your sprinkles yourself, please.
63
Oh no!
64
Oh!
65
Didn't work This is pretty bad.
66
We're all consistently what we are, you know what I mean?
67
Mine is detailed and artistic and using what we have and yours is sort of like Using everything we have.
68
More icing.
69
More icing.
70
More icing.
71
Two to one you.
72
Okay, I'll take it.
73
I agree even though this is It's questionable what this is.
74
Okay, what the hell am I gonna do?
75
Wait, why am I doing this?
76
This is so dumb.
77
Wait, what?
78
I didn't mean to do that.
79
I think I'm done.
80
This is so embarrassing.
81
Is this going to be on the internet?
82
Oh no. Ooh, a thick H.
83
I didn't mean to.
84
Oh boy.
85
Okay, are we good?
86
Or, wait, there you go.
87
Okay.
88
It's a bloody street.
89
Wait, what'd you do?
90
Oh!
91
Much like Santa, he is sad.
92
He's just a sad dog now.
93
I only know how to make sad cookies.
94
They taste great, but they're really depressing.
95
I think yours wins.
96
Because I made Santa Claus in a car.
97
Because I think it would be better if you could drive.
98
Alright, 2-2.
99
Anyway, I win.
100
Let's just admit.
101
I won. And...
102
Go to sleep.
103
Probably the middle of the night.
104
This is what you watch after all of the bake shows show how great everyone is at this.
105
To be like, oh yeah.
106
And I do watch those baking shows going, It's probably not that easy.
107
Why can't they just get their sh together and do it?
108
Leighton destroyed me, but please check out our movie Xmas.
109
Streaming now.
110
Is it streaming now?
111
You bet.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 111 sentences and 606 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:09. The speaker talks at a steady 146 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cookie noun | /ˈkʊki/ | A small, flat, baked good which is either crisp or soft but firm. |
| bake verb | /beɪk/ | To cook (something) in an oven (for someone). |
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| artistic adjective | /ɑɹˈtɪs.tɪk/ | Having or revealing creative skill. |
| thick adjective | /θɪk/ | Relatively great in extent from one surface to the opposite in its smallest solid dimension. |
| increasingly adverb | Increasing in amount or intensity. | |
| epic noun | /ˈɛp.ɪk/ | An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a deity, demigod (heroic epic), other legend or traditional hero. |
| consistently adverb | /kənˈsɪstəntli/ | In a consistent manner. |
| float verb | /fləʊt/ | To be supported by a fluid of greater density (than the object). |
| zombie noun | /ˈzɑmbi/ | A person, usually undead, animated by unnatural forces (such as magic), with no soul or will of his or her own, typically being slow, obedient, and harmless… |
| depressing adjective | /dɪˈpɹɛsɪŋ/ | Causing depression or sadness. |
| distribute verb | /dɪˈstɹɪbjuːt/ | To divide into portions and dispense. |
| questionable adjective | /ˈkwɛst͡ʃənəbl̩/ | Problematic; open to doubt or challenge. |
| evenly adverb | /ˈiːvənli/ | So as to form a flat surface. |
| embarrass verb | /ɪmˈbæɹəs/ | To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
| fall off verb | To become detached or to drop from. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may have · might fall · might be |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna be · gonna beat · gonna win |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 25 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: consistently /kənˈsɪstəntli/, symmetrical /səˈmɛtrək(ə)l/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like cookie, bake, scary.
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.