Shadowing Practice: English Conversation Lesson 44: Dry Cleaning Emergency - Learn English Speaking with Video
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33 sentences
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1
I have an emergency.
2
I spilled coffee on my dress and I need it dry cleaned as soon as possible.
3
When do you need it?
4
Tonight.
5
That's very short notice.
6
We have a lot of customers this week.
7
It is my wedding anniversary and I would really like to wear this dress.
8
Wow!
9
That is a big stain.
10
I am desperate.
11
I will pay extra.
12
You have been a good customer for many years.
13
I will do it for no extra charge.
14
Thank you so much.
15
I will tell all of my friends about this place.
16
Thank you, too.
17
It will be ready by 4 p .m.
18
I have an emergency.
19
I spilled coffee on my dress, and I need it dry cleaned as soon as possible.
20
When do you need it?
21
Tonight.
22
That's very short notice.
23
We have a lot of customers this week.
24
It is my wedding anniversary, and I would really like to wear this dress.
25
Wow, that is a big stain.
26
I am desperate.
27
I will pay extra.
28
You have been a good customer for many years.
29
I will do it for no extra charge.
30
Thank you so much.
31
I will tell all of my friends about this place.
32
Thank you, too.
33
It will be ready by 4 p .m.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “English Conversation Lesson 44: Dry Cleaning Emergency”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: customer, dress, extra. This video has 33 sentences and 212 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:27. The speaker talks at a steady 146 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
13 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| desperate adjective | /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹɪt/ | In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire. |
| spill verb | /spɪl/ | To drop something so that it spreads out or makes a mess; to accidentally pour. |
| stain noun | /steɪn/ | A discolored spot or area caused by spillage or other contact with certain fluids or substances. |
| 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. |
| anniversary noun | /ˌænɪˈvɜːs(ə)ɹi/ | A day that is an exact number of years (to the day) since a given significant event occurred. Often preceded by an ordinal number indicating the number of… |
| extra adjective | /ˈɛkstɹə/ | Beyond what is due, usual, expected, or necessary; extraneous; additional; supernumerary. |
| dress verb | /dɹɛs/ | To put clothes (or, formerly, armour) on (oneself or someone, a doll, a mannequin, etc.); to clothe. |
| clean adjective | /kliːn/ | Free of dirt, filth, or impurities (extraneous matter); not dirty, filthy, or soiled. |
| wear verb | /wɛ(ə)ɹ/ | To carry or have equipped on or about one's body, as an item of clothing, equipment, decoration, perfume, etc. |
| notice verb | /ˈnoʊ.tɪs/ | To become aware of; to observe. |
| coffee noun | /ˈkɑfi/ | A beverage made by infusing the beans of the coffee plant in hot water. |
| wedding noun | /ˈwɛdɪŋ/ | A marriage ceremony; a ritual officially celebrating the beginning of a marriage. |
| emergency noun | /ɪˈmɝ.d͡ʒən.si/ | A situation which poses an immediate risk and which requires urgent attention. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have been |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will pay · will do · will tell |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: anniversary /ˌænɪˈvɜːs(ə)ɹi/, emergency /ɪˈmɝ.d͡ʒən.si/
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 desperate, spill, stain.
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.