Shadowing Practice: Friends: Ross Has Problems With The New Neighbor (Season 5 Clip) | TBS - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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- Hey. - Hey.
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72 sentences
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- Hey. - Hey.
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I brought you some housewarming gifts.
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- Oh-h. - Yes, salt.
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So your life always has flavor.
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Bread, so you never go hungry.
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Oh-h. And a scented candle for the bathroom.
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Because, well, you know.
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Well, thanks, thanks, and thanks, I guess.
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Yeah. - Hi. - Hi.
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Welcome to the building I'm, uh, Steve Cera President of the Tenants' Committee.
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Oh, hi, Ross Geller. And this is my friend Phoebe.
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- Oh, hi, Phoebe. - Mr. President.
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I, uh, came to talk to you about Howard.
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- Howard? - Yeah, he's the handyman.
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He's gonna be retiring next week and everyone who lives here is kicking in a hundred bucks as a kind of a thank you for all the hard work type of thing.
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Oh, that's nice.
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Yeah, so you wanna give me a check or..
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Oh. Oh, uh-- Oh, look, you don't have to give it to me right now.
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I mean, you can slip it under my door.
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No, no, it's not that. It's just that, I..
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I, I just moved in.
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Well, the guy's worked here for 25 years.
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Yes, but I've lived here for 25 minutes.
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Oh.. Okay, I get it.
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Oh, wait, look. Look, I'm sorry.
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It's just I-I've never even met Howard.
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I-I, I mean, I don't know Howard.
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Howard's the handyman.
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Yes, but to me, he's just man.
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Okay. Fine. Whatever.
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Welcome to the building.
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[sighing] Can you believe that guy?
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Yeah, I really like his glasses.
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So then President Steve told everyone I was a cheapskate and now the whole building hates me.
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You know, a little kid spit on my knee.
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You know what I am gonna do? I'm gonna throw a party.
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That's right. For everyone in the building.
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And I'm gonna sit them all down and explain to them that I am not a bad guy.
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I am not a cheap guy.
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I'm just a guy who-who stands up for what he believes in.
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A man with principles.
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- Sounds like a fun party. - Hm-m.
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Look, Ross, if you want your neighbors to like you why don't you just pay the 100 bucks?
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Party's gonna cost you way more than that.
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That doesn't matter!
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It's my principles. We're talking about my principles!
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Okay, I thought it was about your neighbors liking you.
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Oh, they'll like me once they come to my awesome par-tay.
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Okay, I gotta run. I gotta go get some nametags.
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And that crazy party animal will be your brother-in-law.
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♪ Right about now the funk soul brother ♪ ♪ Check it out now the funk soul brother ♪ ♪ Right about now the funk soul brother ♪ [music continues] ♪ Right about now the funk soul brother ♪ ♪ Check it out.. ♪♪ [distant chanting] 'Howard! Howard! Howard!' 'Howard! Howard! Howard!' Howard! Howard! Howard!
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Howard! Howard! Howard!
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Howard! Howard! Howard!
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- Phoebe. - Oh, hi, Ross!
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What are you doing here?
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Oh, I thought this was your party and it turns out, it's a party for Howard.
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He's the sweetest little man.
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See ya, Phoebe. Oh, and hey, thanks for chipping in.
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Oh, sure. You chipped in?
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Yeah, $100.
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Phoebe, I can't believe you gave him money.
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I thought you agreed it was totally unreasonable that they asked me for that money.
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Yeah, but they didn't ask me.
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You know, this way I'm just, you know, the exotic generous stranger. That's always fun to be.
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Yeah, but you're making me look bad.
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No, I'm not! No, if anything, I'm making you look better.
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They'll see you talking to me and that's a...I'm a hit.
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- Hey, Pheebs! - Hey.
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Oh, hey, Ross.
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Um, say, I-I was thinking maybe you two could switch apartments 'cause Phoebe is more our kind of people.
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Something to think about.
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Yeah, okay, my bad.

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Context & Background

This clip from the popular television show "Friends" features Ross Geller, a character known for his quirky personality and struggles with social interactions. In this scene, Ross is dealing with a new neighbor and an unexpected request for financial contribution towards a handyman's retirement gift. The humorous exchange highlights themes of social norms, personal principles, and the challenges of fitting into a new community, making it relatable for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider. This dialogue provides an excellent backdrop for English language learners looking to improve their conversational skills in everyday situations.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Welcome to the building." – A friendly way to greet someone and make them feel at home.
  • "You can slip it under my door." – A casual expression indicating a relaxed approach to requests.
  • "I’m just a guy who stands up for what he believes in." – A phrase that conveys resilience and the importance of personal principles.
  • "Can you believe that guy?" – An informal way to express disbelief or frustration about someone's actions.
  • "Sounds like a fun party." – A supportive comment that shows enthusiasm for social gatherings.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

If you're aiming to improve your English speaking skills with this clip, the shadowing technique can be incredibly helpful. Here’s how to effectively tackle the dialogue from this video:

  1. Watch the video once without interruption. – Familiarize yourself with the context and the characters. Listen for emotion and intonation.
  2. Rewind and play the first few lines. – Focus on the dialogue between Ross and the new neighbor. Pay attention to pronunciation and rhythm.
  3. Practice shadowing. – Start speaking along with the video, mimicking the characters. Use a shadowing app or a dedicated shadowing site to help with line-by-line repetition.
  4. Break it down. – Focus on one phrase at a time. For instance, practice the expression “Welcome to the building” until you feel comfortable before moving forward.
  5. Record yourself. – Compare your pronunciation to the original audio. This feedback is crucial to identify areas for improvement.

Using platforms that specialize in the shadowing technique can make this practice more efficient. By learning English with YouTube and employing these methods, you can enhance your conversational skills, making you feel more confident in social interactions just like Ross experienced.

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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