Shadowing Practice: #01 Real Japanese for Restaurants (Part1) | Shadowing & Role Play Practice - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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“I'm not sure how to order naturally in Japanese restaurants.” “The staff speak too fast…” “…or way too formally.” This lesson is for people like you.
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“I'm not sure how to order naturally in Japanese restaurants.” “The staff speak too fast…” “…or way too formally.” This lesson is for people like you.
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From entering the restaurant to ordering food, we’ll practice how to speak naturally with the staff.
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Hi everyone!
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I’m Kana, your Japanese tutor.
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In this lesson, I’ll introduce useful phrases for customers, and common expressions used by restaurant staff.
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It’s perfect for people living in Japan or traveling here.
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This lesson has 3 steps.
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Step 1: Listen to a sample conversation.
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Step 2: Review the phrases together.
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Step 3: Practice with shadowing and role play.
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Ready? Okay, let’s start with step 1.
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How much can you understand in this dialogue?
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Let’s listen.
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Welcome! When the staff greets you with “Irasshaimase,” just like when you nod, slightly bow your head.
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You don’t need to bow deeply.
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Just like this.
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How many in your party?
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Two people.
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“Mei” is a polite way to count people: one, two, three.
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It’s formal Japanese.
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Staff make it even more polite by saying “-mei sama.” Adding “sama.” But when you say it yourself, don’t add “sama.” Just say, “2(ni) mei.” “3(san) mei.” Two people.
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Two people, got it.
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“Oseki go-annai shimasu.” Here, “seki” means table.
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And “annai suru” means the staff will guide you to your table.
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When the staff says “goannai shimasu”, you just follow the staff.
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I'll take you to your table.
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Okay. Please take any seat you like.
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Okay. “Osuki na oseki e doozo.” This is another common phrase.
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It means, “Please sit anywhere you like.” Any free table is fine.
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Another phrase you’ll hear is… “Aite iru oseki e doozo.” This means “empty” "There is no one" So, “Any empty table is okay.” That’s what it means.
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Please take any seat you like.
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Okay. Here’s the menu.
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Thank you. I’ll bring you some water in a moment.
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Ah, thank you.
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“Ohiya” is a polite way to say cold water.
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Staff often use this word with customers.
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As a customer, you can say “mizu” or “ohiya.” Both are fine.
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In restaurants in Japan, this water is usually free.
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The staff will bring it to your table.
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Or they might say, “Water is self-service.” In that case, go to the water station yourself, fill a glass, and bring it back to your table.
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I’ll bring you some water in a moment.
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Ah, thank you.
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Here is your water.
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Ah, thank you.
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Please call me when you’re ready to order.
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Okay. "Gochuumon okimarini narimashitara oyobikudasai" (Please call me when you are ready to order.) Here’s another common phrase.
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“When you’re ready to order, please call me.” It means: “Say ‘sumimasen’ to call me.” Please call me when you’re ready to order.
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Okay. Excuse me!
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Yes? Can I order?
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Yes, I’ll take your order.
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“O-ukagai shimasu” is a polite way to say “I’ll ask.” When you’re ready to order, just say “Sumimasen,” and the staff will come.
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Then you can say, “Chuumon ii desu ka?” meaning “Can I order?” It's nice and polite.
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Excuse me, can I order?
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If the staff asks, “Gochuumon okimari desu ka?” You can just say, “Yes, please.” That means, "Have you decided?" Excuse me?
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Yes? Can I order?
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Yes, I'll take your order.
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One miso ramen and...
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also one shoyu ramen.
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Also, one order of gyoza, please.
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one order of gyoza, please.
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When ordering, say the food or drink name, plus the number: “one,” “two,” “three.” And finish with “onegaishimasu” to be polite.
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If the name is too hard to say, just point at the menu.
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This one, please.
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Also, one order of gyoza, please.
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Okay. Would you like something to drink?
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“Ikaga deshou ka.” This is the same as “Ikaga desu ka?” or “Dou desu ka?”(How about~?) It’s more polite, so staff often use it.
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Here it means, “Would you like/need something to drink?” “Would you like something to drink?” Okay, then one draft beer, please.
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Certainly. “Okay, then one draft beer, please.” The staff asked about drinks, so "What am I gonna drink?" you think a little.
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In Japanese, we often say “Jaa” while you are thinking.
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If you don’t want a drink, you can say, “ya, omizude daijyoobu desu(No, just water is fine.)” Or, “omizu de ii desu.” Or, “ya, daijyoobudesu(I’m okay.)” That works too.
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Okay. Would you like something to drink?
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“Okay, then one draft beer, please.” Certainly.
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Will that be all for your order?
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Yes, that’s all.
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“Gochoomon wa ijyoo de yoroshii desuka?" (Is that all?) That’s what it means.
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You can just say, “Hai ijyoode”(Yes, that's all.) Will that be all for your order?
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Yes, that's all.
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Okay. Let me confirm your order.
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One shoyu ramen.
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One miso ramen.
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One order of gyoza.
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And one draft beer for your drink.
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Is everything correct?
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Yes, that’s right.
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“Ijou de omachigai nai deshoo ka?” means "There's no mistake?" “Is this order correct?” If it’s right, just say “hai”(Yes) or “Hai, daijyoobudesu”(Yes, there's no problem.) Both are okay.
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Is everything correct?
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Yes, that’s right.
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Okay. Thank you.
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Let's review key phrases that you can use when you order.
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Excuse me, can I order?
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One order of gyoza, please.
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This one, please.
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That's all.
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How was it?
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How was it?
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We practiced everything from entering a restaurant to placing an order.
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Do you think you can go to restaurants with a little bit of more confidence?
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Check the description for more practice.
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Have a nice day!

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Context & Background

This lesson focuses on natural communication in Japanese restaurants, designed for those struggling to navigate the language barrier while dining in Japan. The speaker, Kana, serves as a guide, introducing common phrases used by restaurant staff and patrons. The dialogue showcases the nuances of formal and informal greetings, as well as essential interactions when ordering food, making it a practical resource for both residents and travelers. This approach is especially useful for English learners interested in honing their speaking skills using the shadowing technique, which can be complemented with various shadowing apps.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Irasshaimase - Welcome! This phrase is commonly used by restaurant staff to greet customers.
  • Ni mei - This means "two people" and illustrates how to count politely in a Japanese context.
  • Oseki go-annai shimasu - "I will guide you to your table." A phrase you might hear when being seated.
  • Ohiya or Mizu - Both mean "water," with "Ohiya" being the more polite term used by staff.
  • Gochuumon okimarini narimashitara oyobikudasai - "Please call me when you are ready to order." This is how to signal for service.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively tackle the speaking challenges presented in this video and improve your English alongside your Japanese skills, consider following these steps:

  1. Listen Actively: Play the video and pay attention to the dialogue. Try to understand the context without translation. This exercise is akin to IELTS speaking practice, where comprehension matters.
  2. Repeat and Shadow: Use the shadowing technique by listening to phrases and immediately repeating them. This will help you develop your pronunciation and rhythm, much like using a shadow speech technique.
  3. Role Play: Partner with a friend or use a shadowing app to simulate being in a restaurant. Practice the phrases you've learned in context, enhancing your ability to communicate naturally.
  4. Record Yourself: As you practice, record your voice. Listening to your recordings will allow you to identify areas for improvement in your delivery and fluency.
  5. Review: Regularly revisit the phrases and scenarios to reinforce your memory and build confidence in using them conversationally.

By integrating these techniques into your practice, you're not only learning to order food in a restaurant context but also sharpening your English speaking skills through effective methods such as shadowing.

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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