Shadowing Practice: Hosting Friendsgiving for the First Time - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
34 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Okay, so... I may have gotten carried away with the menu.
2
Three kinds of stuffing? Maya, there are only ten of us!
3
Ha, abundance is the whole point of Thanksgiving, Ben.
4
Sure, but so is not having a meltdown by noon.
5
Oh... fine. The soufflé goes.
6
Oh no. Did you see Priya's message? She's gone vegan.
7
Since when? She was devouring brisket in August!
8
Apparently a documentary changed her life. Last week.
9
Ugh, and Sam's gluten-free, which rules out half the sides.
10
Okay, don't panic. We'll make a couple of dishes that suit everyone.
11
Ooh, roasted squash with wild rice! Vegan and gluten-free!
12
Perfect. And I'll thicken the gravy with cornstarch instead of flour.
13
Does that actually work, or is that internet folklore?
14
It works. My aunt's done it for years.
15
Hmm, one oven, and four dishes fighting over it.
16
The turkey stays in until three. That's non-negotiable.
17
Then when does the pie go in?
18
Well... while the turkey's resting, I think.
19
You think? Bold strategy for a first-timer.
20
Happy Friendsgiving! I brought my grandma's famous green Jell-O salad!
21
Oh, wow! Are those marshmallows... suspended in it?
22
It's a Midwestern classic. Trust me, it grows on you.
23
I'm sure it does. We'll give it pride of place.
24
Dana, would you mind setting the table while we finish up?
25
Wait, do you smell something burning?
26
The rolls! Ugh, I completely forgot about the rolls!
27
Okay, deep breath. Nobody comes to Friendsgiving for the bread.
28
Oh... they're charcoal, Ben. Actual charcoal.
29
Good thing there's plenty of Jell-O salad, then!
30
Okay, everyone, grab your sparkling cider. I'd like to say something.
31
Um, this year has been... a lot, for all of us.
32
But you guys turned this apartment into a home.
33
To friends who eat charcoal rolls without complaining!
34
Cheers! And to second helpings of Jell-O salad!
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
A2630
What's in Your School Bag?
American AccentBritish AccentKidsTeensDaily Conversation
A1465
Can You Swim? What Can You Do?
American AccentBritish AccentKidsDaily Conversation
B1305
Calling In Sick: I Can't Come to Work Today
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1146
Discipline Beats Motivation
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
A21,372
Taking the Bus to the City Centre
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1292
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Food, Shopping and the Weather
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A1142
Lunch Break: What Do You Want to Eat?
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A2335
What's Your Phone Number? Meeting a New Classmate
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21,246
My First Month Living Abroad
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A2561
A Rainy Night at the Corner Shop
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A2712
Finding Things at the Supermarket
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1261
Buying Train Tickets at the Station: Single or Return?
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A1164
At the Aquarium: One, Two, Many
American AccentKidsDaily Conversation
B168
Back from Japan: Telling a Friend About My Trip
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A294
Where Are My Keys? A Busy Morning
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A262
Lunch in the School Canteen
American AccentKidsTeensDaily Conversation
A173
What's in My Lunchbox?
British AccentKidsDaily Conversation
A252
Speaking Challenge: A Family Holiday I Remember
British AccentIELTS PrepDaily ConversationWorking Adults
C173
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Health, Fast Food and Exercise
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity Students
B2148
IELTS Listening Part 3: A Survey on Student Sleep
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B118
35 sentences
Explaining Thanksgiving to a Friend from Abroad
American AccentBritish AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B15
32 sentences
SEtalk: What My Grandmother's Kitchen Taught Me
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B231
62 sentences
Monica Gives the Worst Toast Ever | Friends
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B19
137 sentences
Homebody in New York | What I Eat in a Day (easy & healthy, wedding prep meals)
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B15
429 sentences
Eat Dinner with Us: Advanced English Conversation
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B11
354 sentences
My Friends Planned My Day and Told Me Nothing
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
48 sentences
10 MINUTE American English Conversation | Learn American English | Go Natural English
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
5 sentences
Friends - A Lean Christmas
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B27
39 sentences
The Target DELETED Cold Open | A Peacock Extra | The Office Superfan Season 9
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B11
48 sentences
And I want it, Rare
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B24
972 sentences
Pumpkin Pie and Fast-Talking: Thanksgiving the Gilmore Way | Gilmore Girls
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B13
34 sentences
*PANIC* mode is in full swing 😰
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Hosting Friendsgiving for the First Time”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Jell, charcoal, salad, rolls. This video has 34 sentences and 311 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:20. The speaker talks at a steady 134 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 74% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 9 of its 34 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 |
|---|---|---|
| charcoal noun | /ˈt͡ʃɑɹ.koʊl/ | impure carbon obtained by destructive distillation of wood or other organic matter, that is, heating it in the absence of oxygen. |
| gluten noun | /ˈɡluːtən/ | The major protein in cereal grains, especially wheat; responsible for the elasticity in dough and the structure in baked bread. |
| vegan noun | /ˈviːɡən/ | A person who does not eat, drink or otherwise consume any animal products |
| brisket noun | /ˈbɹɪskɪt/ | The chest of an animal. |
| cornstarch noun | A very fine starch powder derived from corn (maize) used in cooking as a thickener, to keep things from sticking, or as an anti-caking agent. | |
| devour verb | /dɪˈvaʊɚ/ | To eat quickly, greedily, hungrily, or ravenously. |
| folklore noun | /ˈfoʊk.lɔːɹ/ | The tales, legends, superstitions, and traditions of a particular ethnic population. |
| marshmallow noun | /ˈmɑɹʃˌmɛl.oʊ/ | Marsh mallow, a species of mallow, Althaea officinalis, that grows in marshy terrain. |
| negotiable adjective | /nɪˈɡoʊʃəbəl/ | Able to be traversed; navigable. |
| thicken verb | /ˈθɪkən/ | To make thicker (in the sense of wider). |
| cider noun | /ˈsaɪ̯.dɚ/ | An alcoholic, often sparkling (carbonated) beverage made from fermented apples. |
| meltdown noun | /ˈmɛltˌdaʊn/ | An act or process of melting. |
| sparkling adjective | /ˈspɑɹkl̩ɪŋ/ | Of an object, reflecting light as if giving off tiny sparks or flashes of light. |
| squash noun | /skwɔʃ/ | Cucurbita maxima, including hubbard squash, great winter squash, buttercup squash, and some varieties of pumpkins. |
| timer noun | /ˈtaɪmɚ/ | A device used to measure amounts of time. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| finish up verb | To complete the last details of a task. |
| rule out verb | To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- We'll make a couple of dishes that suit everyone.
- My aunt's done it for years.
- We'll give it pride of place.
- Dana, would you mind setting the table while we finish up?
- Wait, do you smell something burning?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as we'll, don't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: marshmallow /ˈmɑɹʃˌmɛl.oʊ/, negotiable /nɪˈɡoʊʃəbəl/, squash /skwɔʃ/
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 charcoal, gluten, vegan.
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.