Shadowing Practice: English Phrases for Ordering Food - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hey guys! It's Ariannita la Gringa and welcome back to my YouTube channel.
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In today's video I'm going to teach all of you a list of phrases on how to order food in the United States, let's go.
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You can use these phrases anywhere especially at Chipotle and you're probably wondering why I'm recording this video at Chipotle.
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Well, last time I ate at Chipotle I saw someone having trouble ordering food and I'm sure there are many others who also find it difficult or just might not feel comfortable when they order food, so I'm making this video to help you order food easily next time you come here or go to a different place.
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First of all, what is Chipotle?
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Chipotle is a fast food chain restaurant that sells Tex-Mex food or Mexican-inspired food.
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If you're not familiar with Tex-Mex food it's actually a combination of two words, Tex from Texas and Mex from Mexico.
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Chipotle sells Tex-Mex style food it's a blend of Mexican and American flavors often using a lot of cheese and bold spices.
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Now what are some ways to order food here at Chipotle?
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There are two ways, you can walk inside in order in person by going through the line or you can order ahead on the mobile app and then pick up your food right over there.
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In this video I'm not going to order through the App, instead, I'm going to focus on ordering inside and going through the line.
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And if you noticed you will see the workers making food in front of you.
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Not every restaurant does this, but Chipotle does this, so you can see all of their choices.
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Speaking about choices, let's see what's on the menu.
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When you go to a restaurant the first thing you look at is the menu, but because this is a fast food chain restaurant you won't have a physical menu or a physical copy with you, so you'll actually have to look up above the counter and check out the menu.
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That's the only menu they have.
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There are only four things on the menu which makes it pretty easy to pick out something and this helps me out a ton because I'm a pretty indecisive person.
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They have burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads.
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But before ordering let me show you how to get ready to order at the counter, because once you're there they are going to ask you what type of base you want, what kind of protein you want, and all of the toppings.
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This place gets pretty busy so it's good to know what you want.
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For example, let's say I choose a bowl.
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Now I have to pick my base, so do I want white rice, brown rice, or salad?
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And then I have to choose between pinto beans and black beans.
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Then you get to pick the protein which can be steak, chicken, carnitas, barbacoa, and sofritas which is the vegetarian option.
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Once you have the base and protein then you get to pick out the toppings which is my favorite part.
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You can choose between pico de gallo, corn, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and lettuce.
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Also just so you know some toppings cost extra.
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This means you have to pay more money if you want to add on some more toppings.
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For example, a chicken bowl is $8.50, if you want to add queso that'll cost $1.60 and guac is $2.70.
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Also, if you get an extra scoop of protein it'll be around $2, so the total price won't be $8.50.
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If you add on all of these extra toppings this bowl can be $14 or $15.
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But don't worry this process is pretty simple, you walk down the line and you tell the worker what you want.
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It's like building your meal as you go.
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Once you understand the ingredients and how to ask for food ordering food over there is pretty simple.
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So let's go over some useful phrases that will help you order food.
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Instead of listing things like rice, chicken, beans, and corn we want to use complete sentences.
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For example, you can say I'll do or I would like.
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Hi, I'll do a bowl.
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Let me do. Let me do white rice.
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I'll have. I'll have chicken please.
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Can I have...?
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Can I have corn?
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I want and then I want salsa.
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I'll take. I'll take pico de gallo.
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Let's say you added cheese but you didn't get enough, if you want to add some more cheese you can say can I have some extra cheese or can I have a little bit more cheese?
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Can I have a little bit more cheese?
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But if you don't want a lot of a certain topping, for example, rice, they usually put a lot of rice then you can say I want a little bit of rice or I'd like a little rice.
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I'd like a little rice.
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Now if you want to skip something or you don't want to add that ingredient on top of your bowl like for example beans because they might make you you can say no beans please or I don't want any beans.
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No beans, please.
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And I don't want the pico de gallo.
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Now if you want to combine all of the ingredients you can say can you mix everything please or can you mix everything together, please?
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And I usually say this when I order a burrito because I like everything mixed together.
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Can you mix everything together, please?
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Now that you guys know the different types of phrases we use when we order food and the different types of toppings they have here at Chipotle, I think it's time to put our English skills to the test and hop in line and order food.
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Hey, what can I get for you? -Can I get a bowl, please?
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Any rice, beans, or protein. -Yes, can I do a little bit of rice?
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Which types? -White rice.
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Any beans? -No beans, please.
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Protein? -I'll do chicken, please.
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Are you getting any queso, fajita veggies today? -Yea, is queso extra?
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Yes. -Um I'll do a scoop of queso.
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And then I'll do mild.
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Can I get corn, please?
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Can I do sour cream on the side? -Yup Thank you.
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And then I'll get cheese and then lettuce and then that's it.
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Thank you. -You're welcome.
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Any chips or drinks for you?
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Yeah, I'll do chips and then just a water cu,p please.
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Thank you! Are you paying with cash or card? -Card Here at Chipotle, you can redeem points on the app so I'm going to redeem some chips.
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And now I'm going to pay. -Your total is $9.38.
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$9.38. Thank you for visiting Chipotle. -Thank you.
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So I just paid for my food and the nice thing about coming here is that their water is free.
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This is the water cup so I'm going to grab some water, but if I wanted to drink something else like pop or soda like Coke, Sprite, or even juice that'll cost extra.
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I'd get a larger cup instead of the water cup.
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Over here I'm going to set my tray down.
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You can find utensils like forks.
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This is a fork.
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Knives. This is a knife, and spoons.
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This is a spoon.
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These are utensils.
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And then after filling up my water cup, I need to put a lid on top.
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This is the lid.
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And of course, how am I going to drink this?
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Well I need a straw.
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This is a straw.
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And then I will grab some napkins, these are napkins which will help clean my hands and wipe my mouth after I finish eating.
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And here at Chipotle you can grab some hot sauce and put it on top of your food.
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Okay everybody now you guys know how to order food at Chipotle and remember you can practice these phrases here at Chipotle or at any other fast food chain especially when you order in person.
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And remember if you have trouble understanding someone then you can ask if they can repeat themselves.
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If you guys liked this video give me a like and subscribe and I'll see you guys next week.
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Bon Appetit!
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Why This Video Is Perfect for Practicing Food Ordering
This video is a goldmine for learners because it blends real-world context with practical phrases, making it ideal for shadowing technique practice. The host speaks clearly, at a natural pace, and uses everyday language—no overly formal terms—so you can mimic her tone and rhythm to sound more fluent. Plus, she breaks down the ordering process step by step, which helps you understand not just what to say, but when to say it. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this clip makes "shadowspeak" easy by linking phrases to specific actions, like choosing a base or asking for extra toppings.
Natural Phrases That Work in Real Restaurants
Let’s look at 3 key phrases from the video that sound authentic:
- "I’ll do a bowl." This is casual and direct, perfect for fast-food settings. Using "I’ll do" instead of "I want" feels less demanding and more natural in American English.
- "Can I have some extra cheese?" The word "some" softens the request, making it polite without being stiff. Native speakers often use "can I have" for simple asks, so this phrase fits right in.
- "No beans, please." Short and clear, this is how you politely skip a topping. Adding "please" keeps it friendly, even when you’re declining something.
These phrases work because they’re concise and match the flow of a busy restaurant—no need for long sentences when the line is moving!
A Simple Shadowing Routine to Master Food Ordering
Use the shadowing technique with this video to build confidence: 1. Watch the section where the host orders a bowl, pausing after each phrase. 2. Repeat the phrase out loud, mimicking her intonation and speed—this is "shadow speech" in action. 3. Record yourself, then compare it to the video. Notice if you’re rushing or speaking too slowly. 4. Practice the entire ordering sequence (base, protein, toppings) in one go, pretending you’re at the counter. 5. Do this daily for 5 minutes, and you’ll soon feel comfortable using these phrases in real life.
Learning English with YouTube videos like this turns passive watching into active practice, and shadowing helps you internalize natural speech patterns. Before you know it, ordering food will feel as easy as saying "I’ll take guacamole, please!"
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you noticed you will see · if you want to add queso that'll cost |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | menu which makes · protein which can · toppings which is |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might not feel · might make |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will see · won't have · that'll cost |
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.