Shadowing Practice: 🍽️ At the Restaurant Conversation | Easy English Speaking Practice 🗣️ - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hey guys!
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If you just started working at a restaurant in the U.S., especially if you're new here, this video is perfect for you.
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Today, I'll go over simple English conversations you'll use every day at work.
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Let's practice together so you can speak with confidence.
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Making a reservation.
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Hello.
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I'd like to make a reservation for dinner, please. Of course.
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For what date and time, ma'am?
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Saturday at 7 p.m.
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Do you have a table available?
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Let me check.
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Yes, we have a table for two available at 7 p.m.
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Perfect.
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Can you put it under the name Sarah Lee?
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Sure, Miss Lee.
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A table for two this Saturday at 7 p.m under your name.
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Great.
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Thank you so much.
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You're welcome.
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We look forward to seeing you then.
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Arriving at the restaurant.
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Good evening.
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I'd like a table for one, please.
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Good evening.
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Sure.
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Do you prefer sitting by the window or near the center?
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By the window, please.
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It looks nice there.
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Great choice.
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Here is your table.
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Would you like something to drink first?
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Yes.
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I'll have a glass of water, please. Of course.
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Here's the menu as well.
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Please take your time to look through it.
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Thank you.
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I'll check and order soon.
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Perfect.
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I'll be right back with your water.
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Ordering food.
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Excuse me, could I see the menu, please? Of course.
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Here you are.
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Do you already know what you'd like to order?
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Hmm.
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I'm thinking.
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What do you recommend today?
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Our best seller is the grilled salmon with vegetables.
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It's very popular.
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That sounds nice.
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I'll have the grilled salmon, please.
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Great choice.
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Would you like something to drink with that?
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Yes.
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Just a glass of water.
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Thank you.
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Perfect.
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I'll bring your order right away.
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Please enjoy your meal.
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Thank you so much.
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Asking about the menu?
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Excuse me.
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Could you tell me more about this dish? Of course.
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That's our grilled salmon.
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It comes with vegetables and mashed potatoes.
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Sounds nice.
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Is it spicy?
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No, it's not spicy.
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The flavor is light and fresh.
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Okay.
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And what about the chicken pasta?
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The chicken pasta is creamy with a garlic sauce.
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Many customers love it.
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Hmm, that's hard to choose.
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Which one do you recommend?
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If you like something light, go with the salmon.
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If you want something rich, the pasta is perfect.
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Great!
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I'll try the salmon then.
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Thank you.
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My pleasure.
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I'll bring your order right away.
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Serving food.
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Excuse me, is this my order?
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Yes, ma'am.
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Here is your grilled salmon with vegetables.
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It looks delicious.
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Thank you.
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You're welcome.
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Can I get you anything else?
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Maybe some sauce or extra napkins?
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Some lemon on the side would be great, please. Of course.
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I'll bring that right away.
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Perfect.
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Everything smells amazing.
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I'm glad to hear that.
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Please enjoy your meal.
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Thank you so much.
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Complaining about food?
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Excuse me, sir.
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I'm not very happy with my dish.
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I'm so sorry to hear that, ma'am.
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What seems to be the problem?
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The chicken is a bit undercooked, and it doesn't taste fresh.
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I understand.
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Thank you for letting me know.
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Would you like me to take it back to the kitchen?
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Yes, please.
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I'd prefer it well-cooked.
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Absolutely.
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I'll have the chef prepare a fresh dish right away.
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Would you like something to drink while you wait?
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A glass of water would be nice.
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Thank you. Of course.
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I'll bring it right over.
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Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.
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Paying the bill.
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Excuse me, could I get the bill, please? Of course.
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I'll bring it right away.
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Thank you.
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By the way, Hey, do you take credit cards?
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Yes, we accept both credit and debit cards.
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Perfect.
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Here's my card.
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Thank you.
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I'll just run it through the machine.
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Sure.
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Here you go.
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Everything is done.
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Please check the receipt.
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Great.
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Everything looks fine.
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Thank you for your service.
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You're welcome.
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Have a wonderful day.
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Just a few minutes a day.
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You can use this conversation in real life.
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Investing in English today is investing in your income and future opportunities.
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Tell us in the comments which conversation you want to learn next.
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If you found this video helpful, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe so I can stay motivated to share even more new conversations with you.
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Thank you for watching.
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See you in the next video.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “🍽️ At the Restaurant Conversation”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: perfect, salmon, excuse, table, grilled. This video has 141 sentences and 733 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:40. The speaker talks at a natural 157 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. 23 of its 141 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 |
|---|---|---|
| salmon noun | /ˈsæmən/ | One of several species of fish, typically of the Salmoninae subfamily, brownish above with silvery sides and delicate pinkish-orange flesh; they ascend rivers… |
| grill noun | /ɡɹɪl/ | A grating; a grid of wire or a sheet of material with a pattern of holes or slots, usually used to protect something while allowing the passage of air and… |
| menu noun | /ˈmɛn.juː/ | The details of the food to be served at a banquet; a bill of fare. |
| dish noun | /dɪʃ/ | A vessel such as a plate for holding or serving food, often flat with a depressed region in the middle. |
| vegetable noun | /ˈvɛd͡ʒ.tə.bəl/ | A plant raised for some edible part of it, such as the leaves, roots, fruit or flowers, but excluding any plant considered to be a fruit, grain, herb, or spice… |
| pasta noun | /ˈpɑ.stə/ | Dough made from wheat and water and sometimes mixed with egg and formed into various shapes; often sold in dried form and typically boiled for eating. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| invest verb | /ɪnˈvɛst/ | To spend money, time, or energy on something, especially for some benefit or purpose; used with in. |
| reservation noun | /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/ | The act of reserving, withholding or keeping back. |
| spicy adjective | /ˈspaɪsi/ | Of, pertaining to, or containing spice. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| arrive verb | /əˈɹaɪv/ | To reach; to get to a certain place. |
| delicious adjective | /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/ | Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty. |
| chef noun | /ʃɛf/ | The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household. |
| complain verb | /kəmˈpleɪn/ | To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
| look through verb | To take a view of the contents of; search in, either with the eyes or by hand. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Do you have a table available?
- Would you like something to drink first?
- Excuse me, could I see the menu, please?
- Do you already know what you'd like to order?
- What do you recommend today?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll go · I'll have · I'll check |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | I'm thinking · is investing |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 28 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: dish /dɪʃ/, reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, chef /ʃɛf/, mash /mæʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, inconvenience /ɪnkənˈvinjəns/
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 salmon, grill, menu.
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.