Shadowing Practice: Michael Rosen Performs His Poem Chocolate Cake | Authors Live | BBC Scotland - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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And now we'll finish with something you may have heard of, that when I was a boy, I had a favourite treat.
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And now we'll finish with something you may have heard of, that when I was a boy, I had a favourite treat.
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I had a favourite, favourite treat, and it was when my mum made...
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Chocolate cake.
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Spaghetti bolognese, that's...
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I had a favourite treat and it was when my mum made...
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Spaghetti bolognese.
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No, it was chocolate cake, actually, that's all right, yeah.
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I was just fooling you, that's good.
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So we'll do it properly, we'll do chocolate cake.
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I had a favourite treat and it was when my mum made...
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Chocolate cake.
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I loved chocolate cake.
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My mum, she says to me, listen, Michael, if there's any chocolate cake left over at the end of the day,
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you can take some to school tomorrow to have at playtime or lunchtime.
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And I used to go to school with a little box like that.
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It was right there, and I knew the chocolate cake was inside, so I'm off to school and I go, and I know it's in there, yeah!
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And I think about it, all shiny and sticky.
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I know it's in there!
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Then I'd get to school and it's playtime and I'd put it down, open it up and...
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Yeah!
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And take it out and it's all...
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You just peel it off like that.
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It's all sticky.
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Oh, a bit dribbling.
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Ha, ha, ha, ha!
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Whoa!
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Ah!
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Oh, hang on, somebody's name.
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No, never mind.
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Ah!
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Oh, no, somebody's name.
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Yeah.
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Ah!
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Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.
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Mmmmm!
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At one time, there was some chocolate cake left over in the middle of the night, and I was fast asleep, fast asleep, fast asleep in bed.
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And then suddenly, I woke up and I thought, Chocolate cake!
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Maybe I could get up and go downstairs and have a little look at it.
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I'm not going to eat any.
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No, I'm just going to go downstairs, have a little look.
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So I get out of bed really quiet.
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Shh!
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Doesn't make any noise.
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There's my brother.
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He's asleep on the other side of the bedroom.
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Don't wake him up.
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He's bound to tell on me.
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Really quiet out the room.
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Shh.
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Out the room, down the passage.
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Careful not to tread on the creaky floorboard outside my mum and dad's room because if they hear that, I am in big...
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Big trouble!
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Exactly, so really carefully, really carefully, and then not tread on it.
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Grrr! Did they hear?
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No, it's okay.
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Grrr!
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It's okay.
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On down the passage, into the kitchen, over to the cupboard and...
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Yeah!
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No, shhh!
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I mustn't wake them up, they're upstairs.
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I'm just going to take it out and have a little look at it.
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I'm not going to eat any.
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And now I can see it's all shiny and I can see some little...
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Oh, it's dribbly again.
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I can see some little crumbs on the plate.
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I think I could pick up some of those crumbs and no one would know anything at all about it.
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Yeah, here we go.
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Well, yeah, it's really nice.
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I love that.
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Yeah, it's a hot one.
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Mmmmm!
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And then I notice some little crumbly bits on the side
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of the cake all mixed up with a bit of this sticky icing, So I think if I take a knife, I could just tidy it up a little bit.
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No one would know anything at all about it.
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No, here we go.
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And then I scoop it all together.
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Yeah! And I've...
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Oh, yeah.
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Put the chart in there.
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Yeah, belly, belly, belly.
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What's that?
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Oh, mm-mm.
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Mm-mm.
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Mm-mm.
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Mm-mm.
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Mm-mm.
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And then I think if I've tidied it up over here, maybe I could just even it up a bit over here.
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So I take the knife through the crispy icing on the top, through the squashy icing in the middle, here we go, a whole slice.
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And I've got a whole slice this time and it's gonna go in there.
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I love it.
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And now I can't stop myself.
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I take the knife and I go...
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Oh, no. It's all gone.
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Oh, no, they're bound to notice now.
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A whole chocolate cake doesn't just disappear.
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What am I going to do now?
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I don't know how to make a cake.
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I know!
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I'll wash up the plate and the knife, I'll put them away and they won't know anything at all about it.
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Good thinking.
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Take the plate and the knife.
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Pshh.. onto the drainer.
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And the knife.
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Careful, health and safety.
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And then take the cloth, here we go, with the plate.
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Shoo-shoo-shoo.
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Shoo-shoo.
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Into the cupboard.
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Pfft!
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Pfft!
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And the knife, here we go.
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Careful health and safety in the drawer.
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And then upstairs, here we go, upstairs, along the passage.
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I know where the creaky floorboard is now, so all I've got to do is tread over it, because if I tread on it, and Mum and Dad hear, I am...
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Dead.
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Yeah, that's it.
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Really careful, don't tread on it.
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Do they hear?
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No, it's OK.
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Do they hear?
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No. And then down the passage, into the bedroom, into bed, under the covers.
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Where have I heard that before?
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Under the covers, nice warm feeling, chocolate cake in my belly, goody, goody, goody, and I go to sleep.
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Then when I get up in the morning, I go downstairs and I'm having my breakfast.
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You have your breakfast.
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Here we go.
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Have your breakfast.
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And my mum, she's really busy over here.
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She's really busy over there.
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And then she says, Michael, don't forget your book folder.
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And she hands me my book folder.
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And then I carry on having my breakfast and she's really busy over here, she's really busy over there, and then she says, oh yes, and there's something else nice.
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There's some chocolate cake left over from yesterday for you to take to school today.
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And I went, um, no, it's okay.
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And she says, what's the matter?
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You usually jump at the idea of having chocolate cake.
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And I went, no, it's okay, it's all right.
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And she's looking at me really closely just here.
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And she points at it and she says, what's that?
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And I said, what's what?
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She said, what's that?
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I said, what's what? Where?
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What do you mean? what, what do you mean?
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She said, it's not chocolate cake is it?
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And I went, hmm.
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And then she went over to the cupboard.
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It's gone.
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The chocolate cake's gone.
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You haven't eaten the whole of the rest of the chocolate cake, have you? Have you?
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And I said, I don't know.
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She said, you don't know.
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You don't know.
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You must know.
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Listen, that's the last time you ever have chocolate cake to take to school.
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Do you hear me?
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And I said, yeah.
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I was very good at saying, yeah.
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She said, off you go to school.
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No, before you go to school, go to the bathroom and wash your dirty, sticky face.
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I went in stores.
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I went to the bathroom.
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I looked in the mirror and I saw it just there.
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the chocolate smudge, the chocolate blob, and I looked at it and I thought, maybe next time we have chocolate cake, she'll forget about it.
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Do you think she will?
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How many of you here have got a mum who'll forget about it?
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And how many of you here have got a mum who'll remember and remember and remember our main?
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I can tell you something.
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My mum was brilliant at forgetting.
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That's why I'm a spoiled brat.
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Thank you.
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Hooray!
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Thank you.
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Context & Background
In the charming performance by Michael Rosen, he shares a nostalgic memory of his childhood favorite: chocolate cake. This delightful poem captures the essence of childhood excitement and the joy of simple pleasures. Michael's animated storytelling draws the audience into a world of delicious treats, reminiscent of school days and whimsical midnight adventures, making it an excellent resource for learners looking to practice English through engaging content. By focusing on personal narratives and emotions, this performance not only entertains but also serves as a powerful tool for developing language skills in context.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "I had a favourite treat" - A simple way to express personal preferences when talking about food or activities.
- "You can take some to school tomorrow" - Useful for making plans or sharing information about what to bring.
- "I think about it, all shiny and sticky" - A vivid description method that can be adapted for other objects or experiences.
- "Open it up and take it out" - A common phrase for discussing actions, particularly around food or gifts.
- "I'm just going to have a little look" - A polite way to indicate curiosity without intent to consume or disturb.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively incorporate the shadowing technique into your English learning routine using this video, follow these steps:
- Watch the video once without any subtitles. Focus on Michael's tone and delivery. This will give you a feel for his style and the emotional aspects of the performance.
- Listen carefully to the phrases mentioned above. Pause the video after each line to repeat it aloud. Use shadow speech technique by mimicking the rhythm and intonation that Michael uses.
- Practice in sections. Break down the poem into smaller parts. This will make it easier to manage the flow of language and improve your pronunciation.
- Record yourself while shadowing. Playback your recording and compare it with Michael's performance to identify areas for improvement. This exercise is especially helpful for IELTS speaking practice.
- Engage with the content. After shadowing, write a short reflection on the themes of reminiscence and joy. This will enhance your vocabulary and comprehension skills, making your learning experience richer.
For those keen to learn English with YouTube, this engaging performance is an ideal choice. Use it as a resource to hone your skills in an enjoyable and memorable way!
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.
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