Shadowing Practice: AT THE RESTAURANT. BOOKING A TABLE BY PHONE. PHONE CONVERSATION - Learn English Speaking with Video
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A2Useful Restaurant English Phrases and Vocabulary
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “AT THE RESTAURANT. BOOKING A TABLE BY PHONE. PHONE CONVERSATION”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: table, smoking, Sunday. This video has 33 sentences and 218 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:20. The speaker talks at a natural 163 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. 11 of its 33 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
12 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| reservation noun | /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/ | The act of reserving, withholding or keeping back. |
| menu noun | /ˈmɛn.juː/ | The details of the food to be served at a banquet; a bill of fare. |
| cuisine noun | /kwɪˈziːn/ | A characteristic manner or style of preparing food, often associated with a place of origin. |
| dine verb | /daɪn/ | To eat; to eat dinner or supper. |
| smoke verb | /sməʊk/ | To inhale and exhale the smoke from a burning cigarette or cigar, burning material in a pipe, etc. |
| restaurant noun | /ˈɹɛst(ə)ˌɹɑnt/ | An eating establishment in which diners are served food, usually by waiters at their tables but sometimes (as in a fast food restaurant) at a counter. |
| kitchen noun | /ˈkɪt͡ʃ(ə)n/ | A room or area for preparing food. |
| selection noun | /səˈlɛkʃən/ | The process or act of selecting. |
| repeat verb | /ɹɪˈpiːt/ | To do or say again (and again). |
| hello | /hɛˈloʊ/ | A greeting (salutation) said when meeting someone or acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence. |
| window noun | /ˈwɪndoʊ/ | An opening, usually covered by one or more panes of clear glass, to allow light and air from outside to enter a building or vehicle. |
| taste noun | /teɪst/ | One of the sensations produced by the tongue in response to certain chemicals; the quality of giving this sensation. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Sorry I can't hear you very well.
- Will you have any free tables?
- Would you like smoking or non -smoking?
- Can I get your name, sir?
- I don't think that would be a problem, wouldn't it?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, don't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, selection /səˈlɛkʃən/
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 reservation, menu, cuisine.
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.