Shadowing Practice: Friends | Rachel runs away (1) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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again.
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Rachel?
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Rachel?
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Rachel?
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Rachel?
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Rachel?
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Rachel?
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Rachel?
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Oh God, Monica, hi!
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Thank God!
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I just went to your building and you weren't there
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and then this guy with a big hammer said that you might be here and you are, you are.
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Can I get you some coffee? Did Cass.
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Okay, everybody, this is Rachel and another Lincoln High survivor.
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This is everybody.
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This is Chandler and Phoebe and Joey.
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And you remember my brother Ross?
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Sure!
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Hey!
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Hi!
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Thank you.
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So you want to tell us now or are we waiting for four wet bridesmaids?
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Oh, God.
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Well...
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It started about a half hour before the wedding.
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I was in this room where we were keeping all the presents.
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And I was looking at this gravy boat.
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This really...
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gorgeous Le Mans Gravy Bolt, when all of a sudden, sweet and low, I realized...
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I realized that I was more turned on by this gravy bowl than by Barry.
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And then I got really freaked out!
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And that's when it hit me.
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How much Barry looks like Mr. Potato Head?
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You know, I mean, I always know he looked familiar, but...
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Anyway...
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I just had to get out of there
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and I started wondering why am I doing this and who am I doing this for?
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So anyway, I just didn't know where to go, and I know that you and I have kind of drifted apart, but...
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You're the only person I knew who lived here in the city.
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who wasn't invited to the wedding.
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Oh, I was kind of hoping that wouldn't be an issue.
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Daddy, I just...
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I can't marry him.
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I'm sorry.
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I just don't love him.
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Well, it matters to me.
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Look, Daddy, it's my life.
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Well, maybe I'll just stay here with Monica.
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Well, I guess we've established she's staying here with Monica.
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Well, maybe that's my decision.
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Well, maybe I don't need your money.
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Wait, wait, I said maybe!
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Okay, look, this is probably for the best, you know?
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Independence.
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taking control of your life.
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And hey, You need anything.
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You can always come to Joey.
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Me and Chandler live right across the hall.
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And he's away a lot.
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Joey, stop hitting on her.
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It's her wedding day.
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What?
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Like there's a rule or something?
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Rachel, gravy, Joey, Monica, wedding. This video has 63 sentences and 386 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:53. The speaker talks at a steady 134 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 15 of its 63 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 |
|---|---|---|
| establish verb | /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/ | To make stable or firm; to confirm. |
| marry verb | /ˈmæɹi/ | To enter into the conjugal or connubial state; to take a husband or a wife. |
| sudden adjective | /ˈsʌd.ən/ | Occurring quickly with little or no warning or expectation; instantly. |
| gorgeous adjective | /ˈɡoɹd͡ʒəs/ | Sumptuously dressed. |
| invite verb | /ɪnˈvaɪt/ | To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something. |
| hammer noun | /ˈhæmɚ/ | A tool with a heavy head and a handle used for pounding. |
| survivor noun | /sɚˈvaɪvɚ/ | One who survives, especially one who survives a traumatic experience. |
| drift noun | /dɹɪft/ | Anything driven at random. |
| gravy noun | /ˈɡɹeɪvi/ | A dark savoury sauce prepared from stock and usually meat juices; brown gravy. |
| bridesmaid noun | /ˈbɹaɪdzˌmeɪd/ | A woman who attends a bride during her wedding ceremony, as part of the main wedding party. |
| sniff verb | /snɪf/ | To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something. |
| laugh verb | /læf/ | To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and… |
| bowl noun | /boʊl/ | As much as is held by a bowl. |
| familiar adjective | /fəˈmɪl.jəɹ/ | Known to one, or generally known; commonplace. |
| independence noun | /ˌɪn.dɪˈpɛn.dəns/ | The quality or state of being independent; lack of dependence; the state of not being reliant on, or controlled by, others. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| drift apart verb | To lose contact, to lose one's friendship or closeness. |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | were keeping · was looking |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | started wondering · stop hitting |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, can't, didn't. 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 establish, marry, sudden.
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.