Shadowing Practice: Changing a Flight by Phone: The Booking Reference - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
32 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Good morning, you're through to customer bookings. How can I help?
2
Hi, I need to change the date of my flight.
3
Of course! Could I have your booking reference, please?
4
Sure, it's K7XQ2M. I booked it last month.
5
Thank you. K7SQ2M... let me just check.
6
Hmm, I'm sorry, I can't find that booking.
7
Oh no. Really? I've got the email right here.
8
Wait — did you say S? It's X, not S!
9
Oh, I'm so sorry! These lines aren't always clear.
10
Let me spell it properly. K for kilo, 7.
11
X for X-ray, Q for Quebec.
12
Then 2, and M for Mike.
13
K7XQ2M. Lovely, yes, I've found it now!
14
So you're on BA 2419 on the 15th?
15
Hmm, no... I think it's BA 2490.
16
It ends in 90, not 19.
17
Ah, I see it now. Yes, BA 2490.
18
Great. Can I move it from the 15th to the 18th?
19
Let me see... Yes, there's a seat on the 18th.
20
There's a change fee of £45, I'm afraid.
21
£45? Ugh, that's more than I expected.
22
I understand. It's the standard fee for this ticket.
23
Okay, fine. What time does the new flight leave?
24
There's one flight that day. It departs at 6:40 am.
25
6:40 in the morning? Is there anything later?
26
Sorry, it's the only one with free seats.
27
Well... an early night, then. Let's book it.
28
Done! Your new flight leaves at 6:40 am on the 18th.
29
Your booking reference stays the same: K7XQ2M.
30
K for kilo, X for X-ray. I won't forget!
31
Ha! Have a lovely trip, and set an alarm!
32
Ha, thanks! I'll set two, actually.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
📺 Same Channel
A21,249
Taking the Bus to the City Centre
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A2126
What's in Your School Bag?
American AccentBritish AccentKidsTeensDaily Conversation
A2454
A Rainy Night at the Corner Shop
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21,121
My First Month Living Abroad
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A175
Can You Swim? What Can You Do?
American AccentBritish AccentKidsDaily Conversation
A2177
What's Your Phone Number? Meeting a New Classmate
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
A2575
Finding Things at the Supermarket
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B173
Calling In Sick: I Can't Come to Work Today
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1187
Buying Train Tickets at the Station: Single or Return?
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A2226
Buying a Phone Charger
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B2392
Weekly Team Meeting: Project Status Update
American AccentBusiness EnglishWorking Adults
B199
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Food, Shopping and the Weather
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A198
At the Aquarium: One, Two, Many
American AccentKidsDaily Conversation
A254
Where Are My Keys? A Busy Morning
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
C1283
IELTS Speaking Part 2: A Place That Changed My Perspective
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B299
IELTS Listening Part 3: A Survey on Student Sleep
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity Students
A2117
How Much Is This Bag?
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1140
First Day at a New Job
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1221
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Hometown, Studies and Free Time
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
A118
Lunch Break: What Do You Want to Eat?
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
✨ Recommend Video
B148
30 sentences
Booking an Airport Taxi: Thirteen or Thirty?
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B164
27 sentences
Booking a Hotel Room by Phone: Reading Out Your Number
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B13
4 sentences
Keep a hostel reservation after a moved flight delays check-in
Travel EnglishWorking Adults
B22,805
12 sentences
B2 Shadowing Practice Missing A Connection At The Airport
Travel EnglishWorking Adults
B13
46 sentences
Flight reservation mock call practice #bpo #callcenter #mockinterview #callcentertraining
Business EnglishTravel EnglishWorking Adults
B11
36 sentences
Listening - 7.6 - 7.7
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A216
96 sentences
English at the Airport | Easy English Conversation for Beginners
British AccentTravel EnglishWorking Adults
A219 sentences
At the railway station - Ship or Sheep Unit 15
Travel EnglishWorking Adults
B11
62 sentences
Arriving Late and Missing Your Flight English Conversation for Travel Problems B1 Part 1 #english
Travel EnglishWorking Adults
A23
89 sentences
English Conversation 23 - EngSub - VietSub
Travel EnglishWorking Adults
B11
80 sentences
Real British English Conversation: At the Doctor’s 🇬🇧 | British English
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
264 sentences
Hotel English - Using Travel English at Hotels
British AccentTravel EnglishTeensHigh School Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Changing a Flight by Phone: The Booking Reference”. This video has 32 sentences and 265 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:22. The speaker talks at a steady 112 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 75% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 10 of its 32 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| spell noun | /spɛl/ | Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers. |
| alarm noun | /əˈlɑɹm/ | A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy. |
| leaf noun | /lif/ | The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants. |
| booking noun | /ˈbʊkɪŋ/ | The act or process of writing something down in a book or books, e.g. in accounting. |
| depart verb | /dɪˈpɑɹt/ | To leave. |
| kilogram noun | /ˈkɪləɡɹæm/ | In the International System of Units, the base unit of mass; conceived of as the mass of one litre of water, but now defined by taking the fixed numerical… |
| email noun | /ˈiˌmeɪl/ | A system for sending messages and datas by means of a computer network, primarily the Internet, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and the Internet… |
| properly adverb | /ˈpɹɑpɚli/ | In a proper manner, appropriately, suitably; correctly, justifiably |
| customer noun | /ˈkʌs.tə.mə/ | A person or company who purchases or receives a product or service from a business or merchant or intends to do so. |
| ticket noun | /ˈtɪk.ɪt/ | A pass entitling the holder to admission to a show, concert, sporting event, etc. |
| flight noun | /ˈflaɪ̯t/ | The act of flying; the ability to fly. |
| seat noun | /siːt/ | Something to be sat upon. |
| lovely adjective | /ˈlʌv.li/ | Delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace. |
| reference noun | /ˈɹɛf.(ə.)ɹəns/ | A measurement one can compare (some other measurement) to. |
| trip noun | /tɹɪp/ | A journey; an excursion or jaunt. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Good morning, you're through to customer bookings.
- How can I help?
- Could I have your booking reference, please?
- Hmm, I'm sorry, I can't find that booking.
- I've got the email right here.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like spell, alarm, leaf.
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.