Shadowing Practice: Phoebe Finally Faces the Father Who Abandoned Her | Friends - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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So, how did you know Frances?
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111 sentences
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So, how did you know Frances?
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Well, actually, I really...
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I hadn't seen her for years.
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But, um...
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Well, I was pretty tight with her and her daughter.
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Really?
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What's your name?
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Frank Buffet.
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You know what?
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Strike that.
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My name, uh, actually is Joe.
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Um, uh, Joe, uh, Hill.
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You're Frank Buffet?
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Shh!
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No!
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Joe Hill!
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You just said...
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You know what?
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I gotta go.
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And thank you so much for coming.
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Did you catch up?
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Uh-huh.
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Oh, what did he say?
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He said, um, nice to meet you, Glenda.
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Well, obviously, I couldn't give him my real name.
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Why?
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Why not?
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Come on, you saw the way he ran out of here.
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What do you think, he's gonna stick around and talk to the daughter he abandoned?
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What did you say to him?
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Well, I told him that,
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you know, I was the executor person of Francis's will and that I needed to talk to him,
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so I'm gonna meet him at the coffee house later.
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You and, uh, you were married to Frances' daughter, Lily.
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Is that correct?
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Yes, yes, I was.
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Okay, um, question two.
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Um, did that marriage end,
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A, happily, B, medium, or C,
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in the total abandonment of her and her two children.
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It really says that?
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Yeah, see?
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Well, I guess then I would have to say C.
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Okay.
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Total abandonment.
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Okay.
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Reasons for abandonment.
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A, top secret government work.
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B, amnesia.
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Or C, you're just a selfish, irresponsible, bad, bad man.
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You know, I don't think I want the lipstick that much.
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But, uh, oh, would you do me a favor?
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And, um, would you, would you give Lily that, please?
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What?
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Well, Lily, when you see Lily,
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would you give her that, that note?
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Because I wanted to talk to her at the memorial,
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but, well, I pictured her getting mad at me the way you got mad at me and I chickened out,
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so I wrote her that nugget.
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Would you give it to her, please?
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But you came to see Lily?
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Yeah, yeah.
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Why?
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Lily's dead.
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She what?
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She's dead.
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Are you sure?
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Well, if she isn't cremating her,
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it was a big mistake.
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I can't believe this.
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I just, I can't believe how, how, oh my God.
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How, how long ago?
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17 years ago.
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Oh.
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What, what about the girls?
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Well, Ursula is a waitress.
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And, and she lives in Soho.
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And Phoebe...
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...is on this couch.
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Yep.
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Lipstick and a daughter.
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Big day for you.
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I, I, I, um, oops.
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I don't know what to say.
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I just can't believe that you're my daughter.
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You're so pretty.
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Yes, well, it's neither here nor there nor there.
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So would it make you feel better if I said that I was very,
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very sorry I left?
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You know what, it doesn't matter what you say,
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it's not gonna make a difference anyway,
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so you can just go.
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All right.
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Well, you know, in my defense,
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I was a lousy father.
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That's your defense?
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Yes, it is.
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I burned the formula and I put your diapers on backwards.
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I mean, I made up a song to sing you to sleep,
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but that made you cry even more.
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You make up songs?
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Well, no, just that one.
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But it was stupid.
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Let's see, how did that go?
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Yeah, okay.
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Sleepy girl, sleepy girl.
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Why won't you go to sleep?
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Sleepy girl Sleepy girl, you're keeping me up Yeah
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I just, I'm not very good at this so, um...
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Well, I am.
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Not yet, no.

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Context & Background

The video excerpt features a pivotal moment where a character confronts her estranged father. The conversation reveals deep emotional undertones and explores themes of abandonment and identity. In dialogues like this, the complexity of language showcases not only vocabulary but also the nuances of human relationships. Understanding such contexts will enhance your speaking capabilities, especially when practicing everyday conversations in English. Utilizing a technique like shadowspeak can be particularly beneficial in grasping the emotional weight and subtleties embedded in dialogues.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Nice to meet you" - A polite way to introduce yourself to someone new.
  • "I gotta go" - An informal phrase indicating that you need to leave or conclude a conversation.
  • "Thank you so much for coming" - A courteous way to express gratitude, often used in social settings.
  • "I haven't seen her for years" - A useful expression to discuss long absences from someone you know.
  • "Did you catch up?" - A common way to ask if two people have talked and shared updates since they last met.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

If you aim to improve your English speaking skills by shadowing this video, follow these steps:

  1. Select a segment: Start with a short excerpt of the dialogue. Aim for 1-2 minutes of conversation that you can repeatedly listen to.
  2. Listen attentively: Play the chosen segment and listen carefully to the pronunciation and intonation of each word spoken.
  3. Repeat after each line: Use the shadowing technique by repeating what you hear immediately after each line. This helps with muscle memory and voice modulation.
  4. Practice without audio: Once you feel comfortable, try to recite the lines without listening to the audio. This reinforces retention and encourages free speech.
  5. Record your speaking: Finally, record yourself while performing the dialogue. Compare your pronunciation and tone with the original to identify areas for improvement.

Incorporating this shadow speak practice into your routine can significantly enhance your fluency and prepare you for the IELTS speaking practice. As you engage with real-life English dialogues like this one, you’ll find it easier to communicate with confidence in everyday situations.

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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