Shadowing Practice: Ryan Gosling Gets Embarrassed by a Dish Towel | Rotten Tomatoes - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
Same Channel
Recommend Video
B2Ryan Gosling hitting on Emma Stone
B1Vhen vill you vear vigs?
B2The worst movie I've ever seen **50 SHADES OF GREY**
B1Mark Ruffalo being....Mark Ruffalo
B2Ratatouille (2007) - Best Scenes
B2Aaron Paul Discovers Bryan Cranston Living in Breaking Bad RV // Omaze
B2Best Funny Comedic Danny McBride Movie Scenes
B2Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Dwayne's Breakdown
B2Aubrey Plaza's Opening Monologue at the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards
B2Henry Cavill, Henry Golding, Hero Fiennes Tiffin & Alex Pettyfer Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
B2Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo & Director Yorgos Lanthimos Break Down 'Poor Things' Scenes | Vanity Fair
B2Green Book VS Oscar Bait - Let Me Explain
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Ryan Gosling Gets Embarrassed by a Dish Towel”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: dish, glasses, towel. This video has 60 sentences and 370 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:08. The speaker talks at a natural 173 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 15 of its 60 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 |
|---|---|---|
| dish noun | /dɪʃ/ | A vessel such as a plate for holding or serving food, often flat with a depressed region in the middle. |
| towel noun | /ˈtaʊ̯əl/ | A cloth used for wiping, especially one used for drying anything wet, such as a person after a bath. |
| dust noun | /dʌst/ | Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, fiber… |
| mirror noun | /ˈmiɹɚ/ | A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it. |
| punch noun | /pʌnt͡ʃ/ | A hit or strike with one's fist. |
| calendar noun | /ˈkæl.ən.də/ | Any system by which time is divided into days, weeks, months, and years. |
| wipe verb | /waɪp/ | To move an object over, maintaining contact, with the intention of removing some substance from the surface. (Compare rub.) |
| float verb | /fləʊt/ | To be supported by a fluid of greater density (than the object). |
| stare verb | /stɛɚ/ | To look fixedly (at something). |
| apparition noun | /ˌæp.ɚˈɪʃ.n̩/ | An act of becoming visible; appearance; visibility. |
| optometrist noun | /ɑpˈtɑmətɹɪst/ | A person trained and skilled in examining and testing the eyes for defects, in order to prescribe corrective lenses or treatment. |
| burn verb | /bɝn/ | To cause to be consumed by fire. |
| grab verb | /ˈɡɹæb/ | To grip suddenly; to seize; to clutch. |
| fake adjective | /feɪ̯k/ | Not real; false, fraudulent. |
| smile verb | /ˈsmaɪl/ | To have (a smile) on one's face. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| move away verb | To go away from a place, especially when permanently changing one's residence. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Are you grabbing at dust?
- You know what's even weirder?
- Would you wash dishes with your own face?
- Why is it glasses me?
- You want it, don't you?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | Are you grabbing · I'm doing · is getting |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna show · they're going to start |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 16 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, can't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: dish /dɪʃ/, apparition /ˌæp.ɚˈɪʃ.n̩/
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 dish, towel, dust.
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.