Shadowing Practice: English at the Airport | Easy English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Everyday English Academy,
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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Everyday English Academy,
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where we make English simple and enjoyable.
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I'm Sarah.
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And I'm Mike.
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Hello to all of our wonderful listeners wherever you are in the world right now.
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So, Mike, I heard you're going on a trip soon?
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Yes, I'm going to Spain next month.
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I'm so excited.
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Oh, that's amazing!
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So you must be a pretty good traveller, right? Of course.
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I'm a great traveller.
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I know exactly what to do at the airport, on the plane, everything.
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Oh, really?
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Okay, let me test you then.
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Test me?
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Okay, sure, go ahead.
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What's a boarding pass?
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Easy.
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It's the thing you need to get on the plane,
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like a ticket with your seat number.
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Okay, good.
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What about… what does aisle seat mean?
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Aisle seat.
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That's… it's the seat next to the… Next to the… Window?
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Wrong!
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Wait, no, I knew that!
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Sure you did.
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Mr. Great Traveler doesn't know what an aisle seat is.
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Okay, okay.
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Maybe I need a little help.
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And that is exactly why we're here today.
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Because traveling can be stressful,
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especially if you don't know the right English words.
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That's true.
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Even if your English is good,
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airports have their own language.
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They really do!
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So today, we're going to walk you through the whole travel experience,
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from packing your bag at home to arriving in a new country.
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And we'll teach you the most important words and phrases you need – real,
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practical English that you can use on your next trip.
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So, listeners, have you ever been confused at an airport?
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Maybe you didn't understand something? and you just smiled and said yes?
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Oh no, don't look at me like that.
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I'm not saying anything.
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But if that's happened to you,
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tell us in the comments.
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We want to hear your airport stories.
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Yes, and stay with us because we'll teach you one phrase later that can save you in almost any airport situation.
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But more about that later.
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Okay, let's start at the very beginning,
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before you even leave your house.
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The first step is packing.
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Oh, packing.
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I am terrible at packing.
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Really?
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Why?
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Because I always pack too much.
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I bring clothes for every possible situation.
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Rain, I have a jacket.
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Beach, I have shorts.
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Fancy dinner, I have a nice shirt.
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My suitcase is always full.
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That's called overpacking, when you pack more things than you actually need.
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Yes, I overpack every time. Do you?
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No, I'm actually the opposite.
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I pack very little, and then I arrive and think,
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why didn't I bring a warmer jacket? So you underpack.
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Exactly.
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But, okay, what do you need before a trip?
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The most important thing.
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Your passport.
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Without your passport, you're not going anywhere.
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Yes.
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A passport is the small book with your photo and personal information.
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You need it to travel to another country.
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And please, please check your passport before your trip.
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Make sure it's not expired.
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Expired means it's too old and not valid anymore.
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If your passport is expired, you can't fly.
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And that is a very bad day.
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The worst day.
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Okay, so you have your passport.
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What else?
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Your boarding pass.
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And this is what I asked you about before.
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Yes, yes.
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A boarding pass is the document that lets you get on the plane.
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It has your name, your flight number,
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your seat number, and your gate number.
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See?
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You do know it.
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And today, most people have a digital boarding pass on their phone,
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but some people still print it on paper.
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I always have both, phone and paper, just in case.
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Smart.
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Okay, you also need your luggage.
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Your luggage is all of your bags together.
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Your big suitcase, your small bag, everything.
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And here's an important word, carry-on.
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Yes.
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A carry-on is the small bag you take with you on the plane.
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It goes in the compartment above your seat or under the seat in front of you.
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So you don't check it in.
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You carry it on the plane yourself.
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That's why it's called a carry-on.
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And your big suitcase?
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That one you check in.
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You give it to the airline at the airport and they put it under the plane.
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Which brings us to the airport.
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You arrive and the first thing you need to do is check-in.
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Right.
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To check in means to register for your flight.
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You show your passport, you give them your big suitcase,
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and they give you your boarding pass.
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You can do this at the check-in counter.
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That's the desk where airline staff help you.
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Or you can use a self-service machine.
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And this is where they ask you the famous question… Window seat or aisle seat?
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So now do you know the difference?
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Yes.
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A window seat is next to the window.
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You can look outside and see the clouds.
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And an aisle seat is next to the aisle,
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the walkway in the middle of the plane where people walk.
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The aisle.
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A-I-S-L-E.
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It looks weird, but you say it like aisle.
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The S is silent.
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Good point.
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The pronunciation is tricky.
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And listeners, which do you prefer, window or aisle?
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Tell us in the comments.
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I'm team window, by the way.
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And I'm team aisle.
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I like to stretch my legs.
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Okay, so you checked in,
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you have your boarding pass, now security.
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Security is the part most people find stressful.
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It can be, but it's not so bad if you know what to expect.
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At security, you need to put your bags on a machine,
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like a big scanner.
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They check what's inside.
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And you usually need to take out your laptop,
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your liquids, and sometimes take off your belt and shoes.
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Liquids are things like water,
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shampoo, perfume, anything that is a liquid.
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And they have to be in small bottles,
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usually 100 milliliters or less.
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After security, you need to find your gate.
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And a gate is not a door to your house.
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No. At the airport, a gate is the area where you wait for your flight and then board the plane.
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To board means to get on the plane.
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So when they say, now boarding at gate 15,
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it means go to gate 15 and get on the plane.
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Your gate number is on your boarding pass,
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and there are screens everywhere in the airport that show the gate information.
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And sometimes your gate changes,
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so always check the screens.
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Yes, that happened to me once.
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I was sitting at gate 12,
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relaxed, drinking coffee, and my flight moved to gate 35,
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on the other side of the airport.
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Oh no!
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Did you make it?
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I did, but I was running with my coffee.
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Not fun.
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Now, sometimes you look at the screen and you see a word that nobody wants to see.
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Delayed.
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Delayed.
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When your flight is delayed, it means it's late.
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It's not leaving at the planned time.
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You might hear, we're sorry,
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your flight has been delayed by two hours.
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And then you just wait. And wait. And wait.
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It's not great, but it happens.
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And here's another word, layover.
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Oh, that's a good one.
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A layover is when your journey has a stop in the middle.
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So for example, you fly from Tokyo to London,
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but you stop in Dubai for three hours.
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Those three hours in Dubai, that's your layover.
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You wait at the airport and then take your next flight.
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Some people love long layovers because they can explore the airport,
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eat, shop… And some people hate them because you're stuck in an airport.
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True.
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OK, let's get on the plane.
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You find your seat, sit down, and then what?
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Well, the flight attendants will help you.
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Flight attendants are the people who work on the plane.
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They help passengers, serve food and drinks, and explain safety information.
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And there are some useful phrases for the plane.
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If you need something, you can say,
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Excuse me, could I have some water, please?
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Simple and polite.
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Or if you need to get past someone,
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Excuse me, can I get through?
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That means you want to pass them in the aisle.
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And if you don't understand something,
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here's that phrase I promised,
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the one that can save you anywhere.
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Oh yes, what is it?
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Sorry, could you say that again, please?
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That's it?
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Yes, it's simple, polite, and it works everywhere.
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At the check-in counter, at security,
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on the plane, at immigration.
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If you don't understand, just say,
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Sorry, could you say that again, please?
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You know what?
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You're right.
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That is the most useful phrase for any traveler.
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Nobody will be angry.
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People want to help.
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You just need to ask.
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Okay, so the plane lands.
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You arrived.
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Now what?
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First, you go through immigration.
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Immigration is the control area where officers check your passport and ask why you're visiting.
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They might ask, what is the purpose of your visit?
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And you can say, I'm here on vacation or I'm here for business.
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Keep it simple and honest.
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Don't be nervous.
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It's usually very quick.
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And sometimes they ask, how long are you staying?
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You just say five days or two weeks.
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Easy.
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After immigration, you go to baggage claim.
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That's the area where you pick up your big suitcase from the moving belt.
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The moving belt.
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That long thing that goes around and around with everyone's bags on it.
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And you stand there watching bags go by thinking, is that mine?
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No. Is that mine?
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No. And then you see yours and you feel so happy!
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After baggage claim, you might go through customs.
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Customs is where they check if you're bringing anything into the country that isn't allowed.
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Usually, if you have nothing special to declare,
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you just walk through the green channel.
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Easy.
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And then, you're out!
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You're in a new country!
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Congratulations!
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The adventure begins.
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Now you just need to figure out how to get to your hotel,
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taxi, bus, or train.
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But that's a story for another episode.
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Maybe.
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Okay, let's do a quick review.
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We learned so many useful words today.
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We did.
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Boarding pass, your ticket to get on the plane.
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Check-in to register for your flight.
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carry-on, your small bag for the plane,
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gate, where you wait and board,
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delayed, when your flight is late,
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layover, a stop between flights,
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baggage claim, where you pick up your suitcase,
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window seat and aisle seat,
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seats by the window or by the walkway,
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immigration and customs, the controls when you enter a country,
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and the best phrase, Sorry,
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could you say that again, please?
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Use it everywhere.
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It's your travel superpower.
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Alright, everyone, we want to hear from you.
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What's your best or funniest travel story?
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Write it in the comments in English.
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Even one or two sentences is great practice.
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Like, I missed my flight once because I was at the wrong gate.
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like that.
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And if you enjoyed this episode,
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please subscribe to Everyday English Academy and give us a like.
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It really helps us.
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Share this with someone who is planning a trip soon.
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This episode could really help them.
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Thank you so much for spending time with us today.
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Now you're ready to travel with confidence.
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Keep practicing, keep learning, and remember,
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Traveling is the best way to practice your English in real life.
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Stay safe, stay adventurous, and we'll see you in the next episode!
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Bye everyone!
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Goodbye!
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And don't forget your passport!
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Perfect ending.
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Bye!

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing your English speaking skills can be particularly beneficial when preparing for travel. The context of airports, as discussed in the "English at the Airport" video, provides a rich environment for learning essential vocabulary and phrases that are commonly used in real-life situations. By watching this video, you not only learn the specific words necessary for navigating through an airport but also how to communicate effectively with staff and fellow travelers. Engaging in dialogues like the one between Sarah and Mike helps you to become more comfortable speaking in English, allowing for a smoother travel experience.

The Benefits of Contextual Learning

When you learn English with YouTube, you also get to hear natural conversations, intonation, and pronunciation. This immersive method emphasizes practical language usage, enabling you to grasp meanings and applications better. Moreover, practicing shadowing techniques—repeating after the speakers—can significantly enhance your fluency and confidence. Consider using a shadowing app or exploring shadow speak exercises to replicate the dynamic exchanges in the video.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

1. What’s a boarding pass? – This question format is perfect for everyday conversations. It incorporates the use of “What is” inquiries, helping learners understand how to ask for information effectively.

2. Aisle seat vs. window seat: Sarah and Mike’s playful exchange highlights comparative structures. This distinction is a practical example of vocabulary related to seating arrangements, crucial in travel contexts.

3. I know exactly what to do: This phrase utilizes the present tense to signify confidence and knowledge. It’s beneficial for learners to know how to express assurance in their skills or experiences.

4. Maybe I need a little help: This humble request opens the door for interaction and indicates a willingness to learn. It’s a crucial phrase for any traveler unsure about their surroundings.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When absorbing new vocabulary, pronunciation can be tricky. For instance, the words "aisle" and "boarding" might pose challenges due to their silent letters and stress patterns. It's essential to practice these words repeatedly. Moreover, accents might differ, especially in a multicultural environment like an airport, leading to possible misunderstandings. Focus on the nuances of intonation highlighted in the video, as they play a significant role in effective communication. By shadowing the dialogue, you’ll train your ear to catch these subtleties, enhancing your comprehension and spoken fluency.

In conclusion, the journey of learning English in contexts like travel can be both exciting and daunting. By utilizing resources like this video and practicing with relevant exercises, learners can develop a more confident approach to speaking English, effortlessly merging travel with language skills.

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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