Shadowing Practice: Conan Makes NYC Pizza | CONAN on TBS - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hey, I'm in the West Village.
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I'm standing outside Joe's Pizza.
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Many people regard this as the best New York pizza around.
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Unless, of course, you're a fan of Ray's Pizza, or famous Ray's, or original Ray's,
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or infamous Ray's Pizza, or Ray Ray's Pizza.
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Other than that, it's gotta be Joe's.
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So I'm gonna go inside and find out what's their secret, see if I can't take it back to Los Angeles.
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By the way, it's good to know that the bicycle I left here three years ago, is still doing well.
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Thank you, New York.
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Let's head inside.
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Okay, we're inside Joe's Pizza and you are?
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Sal.
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Sal, and you are?
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Joe.
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Joe, you are the grandfather.
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I'm the grandfather.
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So you know the secret of good pizza.
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Let me show you what my problem is.
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Can I tell you my problem?
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Yeah, what do you do?
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I have a few problems.
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First of all, there's a rash, but we won't talk about that.
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It's all up my back.
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I live in Los Angeles now.
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Used to live here in New York, loved the pizza.
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I'd go to Los Angeles, no pizza.
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No pizza anywhere.
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No pizza.
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I'm gonna show you some Los Angeles pizza right now.
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This has squash, blossoms, eggs, hazelnuts, and crab.
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This is what, you can get this down in Santa Monica.
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That's disgusting.
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Disgusting, look at that.
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People love this.
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You know what this pizza costs in LA?
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This is a $600 pizza.
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This is clam.
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What?
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Give it a chance.
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This is clam and bacon.
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Mmm.
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Look at all the oil in the back of this thing.
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See that oil right there?
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What the hell is that, man?
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This is all vegetable and soy.
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Not even real cheese, soy.
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And this, you know how much this pizza goes for in LA?
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This is a $15 ,000 pizza.
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Yeah, and you're supposed to hang it on your wall.
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You're not supposed to eat it.
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Now let's look at a real pizza.
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Let's look at one of your slices.
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Look at that, nice and floppy, but not too floppy.
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This is just the right amount of flop.
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And here's another thing, this texture back here.
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And everyone sees something different when they look at the back of a slice.
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Do you know what I mean?
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I mean, everyone sees a different shape.
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I see my father yelling at me, telling me I'm not good enough.
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Why can't they do this in Los Angeles?
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They can't do it.
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They can't do it.
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They're all on coke.
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They're all coked up in LA.
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Everyone's on coke.
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They've all got giant breasts.
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Even the men have had giant breasts.
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That's why they can't make the pizza.
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They can't even see it.
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Hold on, hold on, hold on.
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I got it, I got it, I got it.
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There it is.
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Watch this one, watch this move.
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Give me some room here.
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Okay, then what do we do?
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You killed it.
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I didn't kill it, what are you talking about?
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This can't be fixed.
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I don't think so.
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That's the truth.
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I'm taking this home with me.
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I need you.
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I'm gonna take this with me and prove to you that this is a good pizza.
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Put on this.
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Yeah, you take it with a good pizza.
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Okay, I call this the manta ray.
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Now look at this.
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This is a big tub of cheese.
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No much left.
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This is mozzarella.
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This is mozzarella.
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Mozzarella.
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But you call it mozzarella.
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Mozzarella.
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Mozzarella.
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Mozzarella.
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Mozzarella.
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Am I doing it right?
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Mozzarella.
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Mozzarella.
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Mozzarella.
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Say it with me.
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Mozzarella.
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Am I doing it right?
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Mozzarella.
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Mozzarella.
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I almost got it.
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Mozzarella.
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I guess you're supposed to fall asleep a little bit at the end.
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Mozzarella.
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And just grip on your face, right?
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You sit up.
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Like a what?
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Like a what?
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You sit in the camera.
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You can say it.
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Like a boob.
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Like a movie.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Like a movie? Be gentle.
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Be gentle with a cheese.
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That's it, like gentle.
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Oh, they like it when you're gentle.
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Oh, who would the cheese like this?
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That might be my problem.
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I've been just grabbing on real hard.
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The pizza's on me, everybody.
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Are you gonna figure out how to cut this right now?
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And you're all welcome to any free pizza here anytime you want.
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I haven't cleared this with Joe.
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Is that big enough for you?
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You want more?
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You look upset.
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That's a good value.
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You can this will last you a week.
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Yeah, you take that you go right to Roosevelt Hospital You have your heart checked.
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Who's next who can I help?
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Oh look at this.
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Oh now we're talking Beautiful voice man high -pitched.
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I like that.
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Well, I wasn't high -pitched.
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That was me going low Yes.
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As a young boy in Killarney,
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so many years ago, me mum would sing a lullaby in food so sweet and low,
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so sweet and low.
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Ooh, ha, ooh, ah.
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Ooh, ah, ooh, ah, ooh, ah, ooh, ah, it's an Irish, ah, ah, ah.

Speaking Goals for This Clip: Casual Storytelling & Humorous Tone

This video is perfect for practicing casual conversational English—think how you’d chat with a friend over coffee. You’ll learn to weave humor into stories, use exaggeration (like “$15,000 pizza!”) for effect, and transition smoothly between topics. It’s a great way to boost your fluency in real-life interactions, where tone and timing matter as much as words. Plus, it’s ideal for shadowing practice—mimicking the rhythm and emphasis of natural speech.

Phrase Bank: Reusable Expressions for Everyday Chats

  • “Many people regard this as…” – A handy way to share common opinions.
  • “Other than that, it's gotta be…” – Softens a statement and adds personality.
  • “Let me show you what my problem is…” – Draws listeners into your story.
  • “Give it a chance” – Playfully defends an idea (even a silly one!).
  • “What the hell is that, man?” – Casual, humorous shock (use with friends!).

These phrases work in everything from talking about food to sharing travel stories. Practice them with a shadowing app to nail the natural flow.

Fix Your Weak Spots: Rhythm & Emphasis in Casual Speech

The dialogue’s strength is its conversational rhythm—short pauses, stressed words (like “disgusting” or “$600”), and playful intonation. Many learners struggle with making English sound “natural,” but this clip breaks it down. Notice how Conan stresses certain words for humor (“no pizza anywhere”) and uses pauses to build anticipation. Use a shadowing site to repeat lines, focusing on matching his tone. You’ll quickly learn how to make your speech sound less “scripted” and more like a real person. Remember, practice makes progress—even 5 minutes a day with learn English with videos like this will boost your confidence!

Ready to try? Hit play, pause, and repeat. With tools like shadowspeaks techniques, you’ll be nailing casual English in no time. Happy 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 — 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.