Shadowing Practice: Easy English Conversation For Beginners | Ordering Coffee at a Real Coffee Shop (A2 English) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Les maken...
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Alex, you will not believe what happened to me last week.
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I had the most embarrassing moment at a coffee shop.
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Oh no, what happened?
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Don't tell me you spilled coffee on someone important.
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Worse.
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So much worse.
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I walked in, feeling super confident, you know, ready to practice my English.
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I go to the counter, I smile, and I say, Hello, can I have one late, please?
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Wait, one late?
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Yes, latte.
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The barista, the person who makes the coffee, just stared at me.
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A long, silent stare.
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He was so, so confused.
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Oh, I can just picture it.
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His face must have been priceless.
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What did he say?
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He just blinked a few times and said, very slowly, late for what?
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I wanted the ground to just open up and swallow me.
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My face was so red, Alex, so red.
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That's amazing.
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So what did you do?
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Did you just run away?
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I couldn't speak.
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I just pointed at the menu board, at the beautiful picture of a latte, and whispered, That coffee.
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He finally understood and said, Oh, a latte.
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I learned the difference between late and latte the hard way.
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Wow.
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Well, Mia, that is the perfect story for today.
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Because ordering coffee in English can be so tricky.
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Right?
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It feels simple, but there are so many little words and questions.
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So, hello everyone and welcome to Smart English Hub.
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That's right.
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I'm Alex.
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And I'm Mia.
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And today we are going to help you order coffee like a pro.
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No more late coffee for you.
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Exactly.
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We will walk you through everything, step by step, from walking in the door to getting your delicious drink.
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And we'll make it super easy and slow.
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Ready, Alex?
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I am so ready.
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Let's go to the coffee shop.
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Okay, so picture this.
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You open the door, you walk into the coffee shop, you smell the coffee, it smells so good.
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Mm-hmm.
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The best smell.
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You walk to the counter, the barista will smile and greet you.
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They will say something first.
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Right.
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They will usually say something like, Hi, how are you?
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Or, Hello, what can I get for you today?
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It's a very friendly, very common greeting.
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And in that moment, your heart might go boom, boom, boom.
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You feel a little nervous.
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Oh yeah, that's a totally normal feeling, even for native speakers sometimes.
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Just take a slow breath.
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Exactly.
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A simple hi or hello is a perfect answer.
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You can smile back.
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Then you can say, can I have a… and the name of your drink.
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Okay, so let's talk about the drinks.
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This is the important part.
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Let's start with your famous one, Mia, the latte.
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Yes, let's say it slowly.
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La-tay.
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It's spelled L-A-T-T-E.
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A latte is coffee with a lot of hot, steamy milk.
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It's very smooth and not too strong.
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Perfect for beginners.
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And what about a cappuccino?
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That sounds complicated.
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It does, but it's easy.
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Ca-pu-chi-no.
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A cappuccino has coffee, milk, and a lot of foam.
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You know, the fluffy bubbles on top.
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It's a little stronger than a latte.
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Ah, the foam.
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I like the foam.
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And if you just want simple black coffee with no milk?
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You can ask for an Americano.
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A-mer-i-ca-no.
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It's a shot of espresso and hot water.
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Strong and simple.
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Great.
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So, after you choose your drink, the barista will ask you about the size.
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This is another question to be ready for.
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Yes, they will say, what size?
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The normal options are small, medium, or large.
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So, you can say, a small latte, please, or can I have a large cappuccino?
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Exactly.
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It's that simple.
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Drink name, then size, or size, then drink name.
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Both are okay.
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A large latte, or a latte large.
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OK, another question you might hear, especially in the summer, is hot or iced?
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Ooh, this is a good one.
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Hot is the normal coffee we just talked about.
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Iced means they add ice.
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It's cold coffee.
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Right.
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So, if you order a latte, the barista might ask, would you like that hot or iced?
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You can just answer hot please or iced please.
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I actually made a mistake with this once.
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Another story?
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Let's hear it.
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It was a really, really hot day, and I was nervous and just said latte please.
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The barista asked hot or iced, and for some reason my brain just said hot.
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I walked outside with my steaming hot coffee into the hot sun.
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Oh, no. That's the worst.
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So it's good to think about your answer before you order, hot or iced.
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Okay.
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You have your drink, but maybe you are also hungry.
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Many coffee shops have food.
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Yes.
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They will often ask, Anything else for you?
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Or, would you like anything to eat with that?
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And you might see things like muffins, croissants, or cookies.
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You can just say, yes, can I also have a muffin?
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Mmm, a chocolate muffin.
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Let's practice that word, muff-in.
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Or a croissant.
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This is a French word, so the spelling is tricky, but we say it like croissant.
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But don't worry, if you say it slowly, they will understand.
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Okay, you have your order.
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A large iced latte and a chocolate muffin.
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Now you need to pay.
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Right.
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The barista will tell you the total price.
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They'll say something like, okay, that'll be $7.50, which means $7.50.
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Then they might ask, how would you like to pay?
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You can pay with cash, which is paper money and coins, or you can pay with a card.
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You can just say, by card please, or with cash.
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Then you give them the card or the cash.
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It's a very simple and quick interaction.
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Now, sometimes you need to ask a question in the coffee shop.
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This is a great chance to practice your English.
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Yes.
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A very common question is about the toilet.
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You can ask, Excuse me, where is the restroom?
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Restroom is a polite word for toilet.
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Right.
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Restroom. Or bathroom.
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Both are fine.
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Another great question is about Wi-Fi.
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Many people work in coffee shops.
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Mm-hmm.
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You can ask, do you have Wi-Fi?
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If they say yes, you can then ask, what is the password?
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Starting your question with, excuse me, is always very polite and a good way to get someone's attention.
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Okay, this next one is super important.
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It confuses so many people.
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After you pay, the barista will ask, for here or to go?
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Yes, this question can really surprise you if you're not ready.
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What does it mean?
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It's simple.
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For here means you will stay and drink your coffee in the coffee shop.
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They will give you a real cup, a ceramic mug.
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And to go?
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To go means you will take your coffee and leave.
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You will go out of the coffee shop.
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They will give you a paper cup with a lid.
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Sometimes they also say, take away, instead of to go.
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It means the same thing.
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So if you want to stay, you say, for here, please.
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And if you want to leave, you say, to go, please.
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See?
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Easy when you know what it means.
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Now what if you want to change your drink a little bit?
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This is called customization.
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Right.
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Maybe you don't like sugar.
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You can say, Can I have a latte, no sugar, please?
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Or maybe you like a lot of milk.
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You could say, With extra milk.
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These days, many people drink different kinds of milk, not just cow's milk.
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You might want oat milk or almond milk.
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Mm-hmm.
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That's a great point.
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So you can say, Can I have a latte with oat milk, please?
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The barista will know exactly what to do.
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Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.
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A simple with or no works perfectly.
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With extra foam.
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No chocolate powder.
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This brings us to a really important skill.
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What happens if you don't understand the barista?
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This is my biggest fear.
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Sometimes they speak so fast.
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It's okay.
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It is 100% okay to say you don't understand.
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The most important phrase you can learn is, Sorry, can you repeat that, please?
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Yes.
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Let's say that again slowly.
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Can you repeat that, please?
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It is polite and very clear.
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You can also ask them to speak slower.
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You can say, Sorry, can you speak a little slower, please?
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Baristas are usually very friendly and patient.
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They will be happy to help you.
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It's much better to ask than to get a hot coffee on a hot day.
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Ha ha ha, exactly.
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Never be afraid to ask.
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It shows you are trying and people respect that.
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Okay, I think we should do a full role play, a practice conversation.
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Are you ready?
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Let's do it.
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I will be the friendly barista.
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You can be the customer.
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Okay, I'm walking into the coffee shop.
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I feel a little nervous, but I remember what we learned.
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Hi there.
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What can I get for you today?
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Hello.
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Can I have a latte, please?
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Sure thing.
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What size would you like?
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We have small, medium, and large.
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Um, a medium, please.
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You got it.
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A medium latte.
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And would you like that hot or iced?
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Hot, please.
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And can I have it with oat milk?
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Absolutely.
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So that's one medium hot latte with oat milk.
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Anything else for you?
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Maybe a nice croissant?
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Oh, yes, that sounds good.
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One croissant, please.
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Great choice.
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OK, your total is $8.25.
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OK, by card, please.
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Perfect.
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And is that for here or to go?
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For here, please.
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All right.
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Can I get a name for the order?
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MIA.
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Thanks, Mia.
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We'll have that right out for you over at the counter.
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Thank you so much.
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Wow, that felt really good.
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Not scary at all.
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You did great.
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And that's a perfect example of a normal, friendly coffee shop conversation.
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So let's give a few friendly tips.
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One thing that helps me is to decide what I want before I get to the counter.
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I look at the menu from far away.
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That is a fantastic tip.
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It helps you feel more prepared and less nervous.
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Another tip, it's okay to just point.
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If you forget the name of the food, you can say, can I have one of those, please, and point to the cookie.
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It's totally fine.
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Yes!
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Communication is more than just words, and my biggest tip is to just smile.
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A friendly smile makes everything easier and more comfortable for everyone.
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Okay, that was a lot of information.
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Let's do a very slow, very simple recap of the most important phrases.
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Good idea.
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Let's start with ordering.
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The magic phrase is, can I have a please?
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Can I have a large latte, please?
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Next, the question about where you will drink it.
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For here or to go?
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For here, please, or to go, please.
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And if you don't understand, what do you say?
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Sorry, can you repeat that, please?
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Those three phrases will help you in almost any coffee shop situation.
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So now we want to ask you, our amazing listeners, a question.
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What do you order at a coffee shop?
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Yeah, what is your favorite drink?
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Is it a latte, an Americano, or something else?
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Let us know in the comments.
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We would love to hear from you.
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Practice writing your order in English.
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For example, I like a small iced Americano with no sugar.
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That's a great way to practice what you learned today.
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Well, I feel so much more confident about ordering coffee now, and hopefully I will never order a late again.
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I think you're safe now.
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That's all the time we have for today on Smart English Hub.
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We hope this episode was helpful.
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Remember, every time you practice, you get better.
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Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
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Mistakes are how we learn.
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Couldn't agree more.
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Join us next time for another episode.
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Until then, keep practicing.
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Bye, everyone.
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Bye.
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Thank you.

Master English Conversation: Ordering Coffee Like a Pro

Learning English with YouTube is a practical way to build real-world speaking skills, and this video—featuring a relatable coffee shop mishap—perfectly illustrates why. The dialogue between Alex and Mia highlights a common challenge: mixing up similar-sounding words (like "late" and "latte") can lead to confusion, but it also serves as a fun starting point for improving pronunciation and confidence. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to order coffee smoothly, this video offers actionable insights into daily communication.

Top 5 Phrases for Coffee Shop & Daily Communication

The conversation is packed with essential phrases for real-life interactions. Here are the standouts:

  • "Can I have one latte, please?" – A polite way to order, crucial for any food or drink setting.
  • "What happened?" – A simple question to keep a conversation flowing, useful in casual chats.
  • "I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me." – An expressive idiom for feeling embarrassed, great for adding color to your speech.
  • "They will say something first." – A key observation about social cues, helping you anticipate interactions.
  • "Order coffee like a pro" – A motivating goal that ties the lesson to practical success.

Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video

Shadowing (or "shadowspeak") is a powerful technique to improve pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how to use it with this video:

  • Watch once for context: First, focus on the story—Mia’s embarrassment and Alex’s guidance. This helps you connect with the content, making it easier to remember phrases.
  • Identify tricky sounds: The "late" vs. "latte" mix-up shows how vowel sounds matter. Pause the video, repeat "latte" slowly, and note the long "a" sound. This trains your ear to distinguish similar words, a must for IELTS speaking practice.
  • Shadow line by line: Play a short clip (2-3 seconds), pause, and repeat it immediately. Mimic the tone and rhythm—Mia’s hesitation and Alex’s calm delivery. This builds muscle memory for natural speech patterns.
  • Practice with a partner: Role-play the barista-customer dialogue. This turns shadowing into active speaking practice, helping you apply phrases in real time.
  • Review daily: Spend 5 minutes daily re-shadowing the key scenes. Consistency reinforces what you’ve learned, making "ordering coffee like a pro" a habit, not a goal.

By breaking down the video into manageable steps, you’ll turn a simple coffee shop story into a tool for confident English speaking. Remember, even mistakes—like Mia’s "late" blunder—are opportunities to learn. So grab your headphones, hit play, and start shadowing your way to better English today.

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →