Shadowing Practice: Rachel’s Awkward First Attempt at Asking a Guy Out | Friends - Learn English Speaking with Video
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118 sentences
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1
Hey.
2
Hey.
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So, I was with Joshua for an hour today, and he has not asked me out.
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Just so frustrating.
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Why don't you ask him out?
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Oh, yeah.
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Totally.
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That's such a turn-on.
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Really?
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Doesn't seem desperate?
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Mm-hmm.
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That's the turn-on.
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He just got a divorce, right?
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So he's probably really nervous around women, you know?
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Maybe you just need to make the first move.
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I've never asked a guy out before.
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You've never asked a guy out?
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No, have you?
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Thousands of times!
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That doesn't make me sound too good, does it?
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I don't even know how I would go about it.
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Oh, well, what I do is, uh, I look a woman up and down, and I say, hey, how you doing?
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Oh, please.
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Hey, how you doing?
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You know what?
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I'm gonna do that.
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I'm gonna call him up, and I'm gonna ask him out.
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Yeah.
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I can do that.
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Ask him out.
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How you doing?
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Hi, Joshua.
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It's Rachel Green from Bloomingdale's.
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Yeah, I was just wondering if you... if you...
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left your wallet at the store today?
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Well, we found a wallet, and we...
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the license.
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Well, that is a good idea.
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Well, let's see.
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This license belongs to a...
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a mr. uh...
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Thebes. And, um, yeah. So, okay.
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So sorry to bother you at home.
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I'll see you tomorrow.
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Bye.
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You've done that a thousand times.
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I've never done that.
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Oh, God, I just got so nervous that he was gonna say no. Well, you gotta give him something he can't say no to.
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Like, uh, Knicks tickets.
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Invite the guy to a Knicks game.
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You guarantee he'll say yes.
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Really?
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You think that'll work?
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Absolutely.
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And if it doesn't, can I get the extra ticket?
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Would you like to go to a basketball game with...
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You know, it's funny, basketball, because I happen to have tickets to the...
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Um...
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Likes the Knicks.
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What do you think?
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Oh, well, as a single woman who is available, I think you look great.
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Huh.
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Yeah?
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Yep.
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Oh, yeah, you look great.
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Oh, yeah.
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Yeah, this looks great.
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Um, so you like it?
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I do, I do.
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I love it.
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In fact, I think I'm gonna wear it home.
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Great.
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All right, well, thank you so much for all your help.
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Oh, yeah.
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Well, I guess, uh, I guess this is it.
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Yeah.
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Thanks.
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Maybe I'll see you in the spring, you know, with the, uh, for the bathing suits.
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Well, you don't want to do that now?
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Oh, that's okay.
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Anyway, hopefully I'll see you around sometime.
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Basketball!
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Sorry?
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I, uh, I have two tickets to the Knicks game tonight if you're interested, just as a thank you for this week.
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Wow.
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That would be great.
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Really?
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Yeah, that would be fantastic.
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My nephew is crazy about the Knicks.
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This is fantastic.
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Thank you so much, Rachel.
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Good morning.
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Hi.
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Okay.
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Okay, for next time, what do you say?
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I have an extra ticket.
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An extra ticket.
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Not two tickets.
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I have an extra ticket.
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So the first time you asked a guy out, he turned you down?
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He didn't turn me down.
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He's at the game, isn't he?
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I got the date.
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I'm just not on it.
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One of your customers seem to have left his billfold.
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Joshua Bergin.
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Really?
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Will you call him?
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Yes, I will, absolutely.
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Hello, Rachel.
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Hi, Joshua.
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I left my wallet here on purpose.
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Really?
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Yes, I just wanted to see you again.
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Oh, I'm glad.
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Rachel, I'd like to say something to you.
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Yes?
118
How you doing?
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Rachel’s Awkward First Attempt at Asking a Guy Out”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: ticket, Knicks, Joshua, Rachel, extra. This video has 118 sentences and 602 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:58. The speaker talks at a steady 121 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 30 of its 118 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wallet noun | /ˈwɑl.ət/ | A small case, often flat and often made of leather, for keeping money (especially paper money), credit cards, etc. |
| bath noun | /bɑːθ/ | A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub. |
| guarantee noun | /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ | Anything that assures a certain outcome. |
| bother verb | /ˈbɑðɚ/ | To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for. |
| belong verb | /bɪˈlɒŋ/ | To have its proper place. |
| divorce noun | /dɪˈvɔːs/ | The legal dissolution of a marriage. |
| desperate adjective | /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹɪt/ | In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire. |
| invite verb | /ɪnˈvaɪt/ | To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something. |
| sometime adverb | /ˈsʌmˌtaɪm/ | At an indefinite but stated time in the past or future. |
| nephew noun | /ˈnɛf.ju/ | A son of one's sibling, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; either a son of one's brother (fraternal nephew) or a son of one's sister (sororal nephew). |
| billfold noun | /ˈbɪlˌfoʊld/ | A small, folding sleeve or case designed to hold paper currency, as well as credit cards, pictures, etc. |
| frustrate verb | /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ | To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired. |
| thebe noun | A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a pula. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Why don't you ask him out?
- I've never asked a guy out before.
- You've never asked a guy out?
- That doesn't make me sound too good, does it?
- You think that'll work?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has not asked · I've never asked · You've never asked |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll see · he'll say · that'll work |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna do · gonna call · gonna say |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 32 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, doesn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: bath /bɑːθ/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/
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 wallet, bath, guarantee.
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.