Shadowing Practice: Speak English At The Restaurant! - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B1
Are you ready yet?
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Are you ready yet?
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Almost!
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Just five more minutes.
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Okay, hurry up!
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In this lesson, we're going to go to the restaurant.
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Are you ready?
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Let's go!
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Hello, my name is Matty from POC English.
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And in this lesson, we're going to go to the restaurant.
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And we're going to see how to speak English in a restaurant.
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Part 1.
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Before going to the restaurant.
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first let's learn some words and phrases that you may need to learn and use
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when you are planning to have a meal outside the first
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one is a phrasal verb to eat out it's very obvious right
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if you eat out it means you eat outside your house you go to a restaurant but instead of eat
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If you say dine, to dine out, what does it mean?
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To have lunch or dinner outside?
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To have dinner outside.
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To go to a restaurant to have dinner.
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Let's dine out tonight, shall we?
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Now, if you want to eat out or dine out,
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before going to the restaurant,
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you want to make sure that they have a table available for you.
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Let's say you are two people,
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you want to dine out,
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but you are not sure they have a table ready for you
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so what you need to do is to call the restaurant
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and what should you do you should book a table
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or you should make a reservation book a table
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or make a reservation that means to call the restaurant to let them know
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that you want to go there tonight for dinner
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or today for lunch and that
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if they have a table available for you hi i'd like
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to book a table for two for tonight at around 8
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pm let me check uh yes we have a table available for you now
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when you go to a restaurant the restaurant may be very expensive it may also be reasonably priced
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reasonably priced does it mean it's cheap no it's not cheap
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the prices are reasonable it means you can accept the price
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huh it sounds fair well that's a steak 20 for
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that steak 300 grams of steak 20 that's fair this is reasonably priced for example i checked the menu of that restaurant
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and it is reasonably priced now at the restaurant there are some people who are working those people are called
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the staff now if the staff are paying attention to the customers they are answering to their needs
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and they are being very careful with everything those staff are
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attentive attentive staff it means staff who really care about customers
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the next word to learn is cuisine cuisine now a lot
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of my students have problems pronouncing this pay attention quay quay
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zine zine zine now put them together cuisine cuisine cuisine where's the stress is it on the first syllable
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or the second syllable cuisine
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or cuisine cuisine it's on the second syllable repeat after me cuisine now what does it What does it mean?
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Cuisine is a specific type of food for a country or a place.
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Now, what is local cuisine?
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Local cuisine is the specific type of food you can find
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in a particular area for example in the city i live right now
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which is milan in italy local cuisine is risotto milanese it's a very tasty dish made with risotto
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which is rice and saffron which is a kind of herb
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and you have to try this local cuisine
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when you come to italy now there is a type of food which is generally categorized as continental food.
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What is it?
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Continental food is European food.
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Food made in Europe.
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Food cooked and prepared in Europe.
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That is continental food.
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For example, Italian food, Spanish food,
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French food, German food, Portuguese food.
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These are continental food.
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But we also have another category which is oriental food.
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Oriental food are southeast Asian food.
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So oriental, continental, which one do you prefer?
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I really like oriental food.
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How about you?
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And another type of food is vegetarian food or even vegan food.
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Now vegetarian food is a type of food that does not include any meat.
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Vegan food on the other hand is any food
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that doesn't include any meat or any other product coming from animals including eggs or milk.
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Okay, enough learning for now.
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Let's see how to use what we have learned in a dialogue.
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Guys, would you like to dine out this weekend?
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Great idea.
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I'm free on Saturday.
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How about you, John?
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I'll try my best to come.
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Nice.
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Do you know somewhere to go?
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There is this new place two streets away from here.
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I checked the menu and it's reasonably priced.
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And what types of food do they have?
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Mainly local cuisine.
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I don't know.
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I'm a vegetarian, you know.
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Yes, and they have a vegetarian menu too.
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Do they have continental food too?
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I think yes.
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I'm not sure though.
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Sounds great.
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I'm down.
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But it's so crowded at the weekend.
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We should make a reservation right now.
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So what are we waiting for?
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Let's do it.
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I hope you're enjoying this lesson.
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Before we continue, let me tell you something.
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Do you want to have the summary of this lesson in a PDF file?
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And not just this lesson,
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all of the lessons on my YouTube channel for free.
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How can I do that?
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You can download my free English book.
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In this book, I have 400 pages of lesson summaries.
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400 pages.
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That means all of the summaries of all of my YouTube channel videos from day one.
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And this is for free for my YouTube subscribers.
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So get it now.
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How?
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Click on the link above my head.
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Go to my website.
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Type in your email address,
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your name, and click download.
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You will receive the book in your email.
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Now let's get back to our lesson.
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Part two.
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At the restaurant.
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Now when you are at the restaurant,
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the first thing you need is the menu.
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So menu, as you know, is a list with the names of all the dishes,
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all the meals that that restaurant has to offer.
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Nowadays, many restaurants do not offer a menu on paper,
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but rather they have a QR code on the table.
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You have to scan it with your phone to see the menu.
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And that is good, I think.
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You don't use paper.
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Now, next to the menu,
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some restaurants have another menu,
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which is the drinks menu.
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That is the list of all the drinks they have to offer.
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Different wines, different sodas, soft drinks,
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alcoholic drinks, the entire list of drinks.
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Now, sometimes on the menu you may see one section titled today's special or maybe specials.
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What is that?
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That is the dish or the meal that the chef has prepared specifically for today.
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Tomorrow you won't find that on the menu.
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It's only for today.
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That is today's special.
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Now each meal at the restaurant may have three different steps.
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The first one is the starter which is a very light meal
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so as to work up an appetite ah good phrase work
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up an appetite what does it mean appetite is the desire to eat
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if you work up an appetite it means you are doing something to your body
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that your body feels more and more hungry
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so basically you are preparing your stomach for the real meal
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which is after the starter
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and is called the main course main course is the main dish the biggest dish you're going to eat after
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that you may want to order dessert
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which is something sweet at the end of the meal now
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when you order your meal you may want to choose some side dishes.
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Side dishes?
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What are those?
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Well, maybe some yogurt, some olives,
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something to eat, some pickles,
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something to eat next to your food.
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They just put it beside your food.
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It's not part of your main meal.
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So you can order side dishes or if you're having salad or something that requires some sauce,
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you can order dressing.
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Dressing.
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Dressing is not, no, no, no, it's not dressing.
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Dressing is basically sauce added to salad.
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Now at the end of the menu
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or at the bottom of each page of the menu you may see this word allergen.
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Allergen.
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But what does it mean?
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Well allergen or plural allergens are the materials,
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the substances in the food that may cause an allergic reaction.
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So for example if you are allergic to tomatoes you may want to check the allergens to see
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if tomatoes are in the meal you're going to order.
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Or if you're allergic to peanuts,
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you may find peanuts in the allergens.
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And finally, a very useful phrase.
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Imagine you and your friend are at the restaurant and your friend decides to have pizza.
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And then you think that, huh, pizza sounds good.
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I want the same.
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What can you say?
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A pizza for me too.
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That's okay.
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but you can also say huh make it two make it two it means i want the exact same
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that he ordered if you are the third person you can say uh yeah make
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that three make it two make it three
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that means me too i want the exact same
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that these guys are having all right enough let's see how
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to use these in a dialogue i booked a table for
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two for 7 p.m under the name of thomas shelby of course Please come this way.
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After sitting.
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Sorry, could we have the menu please? Of course.
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Just scan the QR code.
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A few minutes later.
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Can I take your order sir?
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What would you like for main course?
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Yes, a margarita pizza please.
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Excellent choice.
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And you sir?
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Mmm, yeah, make it two.
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Uh-huh, two margarita pizzas.
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Anything for a starter?
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Maybe seasoned salad?
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And I'll have the fried snails.
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Okay.
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Anything to drink?
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How about a bottle of water? of water.
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Yes, a bottle of sparkling water.
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Great.
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I'll be right back with your order.
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Now, as you are having your meal,
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you may have some needs or requests.
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Who should you call?
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You should call the waiter now you can call the waiter
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or the waitress
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but you can use a very nice phrasal verb flag down to flag down the waiter
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or to flag down the waitress means to wave at them get their attention
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and then they will come to you this is to flag down a waiter waitress excuse me sir ma'am
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that is flagging down it means calling them to come to
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you another one is round of drinks round of drinks what does it mean well
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if you are out with more than three friends three four five six seven eight
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if you want to order drinks you may say we need another round of drinks.
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Now, a round of drinks means drinks for everybody.
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It's not just for me.
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If I want a drink,
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I would say, I need another Coca-Cola.
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But, but, if everyone at the table wants the same drink,
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you would say, sorry, another round of drinks here.
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It means everyone at this table would like another drink,
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a round of drinks.
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And the waiter
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or the waitress may say right away right away right away
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what does it mean no it means immediately without hesitation right
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now right away sir look at this dialogue great pizza tell
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me about it i need another beer me too let's flag
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down the waiter yes sir can we get another round of drinks Right away sir,
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when your meal is finished and you want to leave the restaurant,
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you have to pay the bill.
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An informal phrase, instead of pay the bill,
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you can also say foot the bill.
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Yes, foot.
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To foot the bill means to pay the bill, but that's informal.
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If you're out with your friends,
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you may want to foot the bill.
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It means to pay it.
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Now, where do you pay the bill?
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First of all, you need to ask for the bill or the check.
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can we have the check please you can use this sign as well sorry can I have the check please
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or can I have the bill please they will bring it to you at your table you can see
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if you want you can discuss you can divide you can split the cost and
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that is splitting the cost the the act of I pay
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for my share you pay for your share you pay for
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your share we are splitting the cost a very lovely idiom
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here go dutch go dutch it means go to germany no no no go to netherlands no
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go dutch means each person pays for his or her half
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or not half for his or her part that's a lovely idiom to go dutch now
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if you want to go dutch you can decide now after this you have to stand up
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and go to the cashier that is the place where you can make the payment can i have the check please? Of course.
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Here you are.
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Thank you.
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I'm ready to pay.
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How would you like to pay?
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Cash or credit?
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Cash, please.
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That'll be $80, please.
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Here you are.
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Thank you.
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And here's your change and your receipt.
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Thank you.
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And that's it, guys.
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I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.
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I tried to touch the main points of the dialogues
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that you may come across when you are at a restaurant
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or when you're planning to go to a restaurant or when you're paying for the bill.
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Also, I tried to use some situational dialogues so
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that you can see how to use them and you can feel more confident and comfortable with these new phrases.
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I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.
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Don't forget to give it a thumbs up.
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If you're new to my channel, click subscribe.
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See ya.
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Context & Background
In the video "Speak English At The Restaurant", the speaker, Matty, guides viewers through essential phrases and vocabulary needed to confidently navigate dining out in English-speaking environments. This lesson is particularly beneficial for English learners who want to understand conversational nuances while dining in restaurants. The focus is on practical communication skills, enabling learners to interact seamlessly with restaurant staff and understand the various components of the dining experience.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- Eat out: A common phrasal verb used when you eat at a restaurant rather than at home.
- Dine out: A slightly formal term that refers to having a meal outside your home, often in a restaurant.
- Make a reservation/Book a table: The process of reserving a table at a restaurant before your arrival.
- Reasonably priced: Describes items that are not too expensive, meaning the prices are fair.
- Attentive staff: Refers to restaurant staff who pay close attention to guests' needs and provide excellent service.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively improve your spoken English and pronunciation, consider utilizing a shadowing technique with the content shared in this video. Here’s how to tackle the difficulty of the material:
- Watch the Video: Start by watching the video fully to gain context about dining and restaurant vocabulary. Pay attention to how Matty articulates words and phrases.
- Practice with Shadowing: Replay segments of the video and pause after each phrase. Echo what Matty says, mimicking his pronunciation and intonation. This technique, often referred to as shadowspeak, helps improve your English pronunciation and fluency.
- Record Yourself: Use a shadowing app or simply your phone to record yourself repeating the phrases. Listening to your recordings can help you identify areas needing improvement.
- Use Daily: Incorporate the phrases into your everyday conversations. This practice facilitates understanding and helps cement the vocabulary in your memory.
- Engage with Others: Find a language partner or teacher for English speaking practice. Use your learned phrases in real-life situations, such as ordering food or making reservations.
By following these steps and utilizing the recommended phrases, you'll not only strengthen your restaurant vocabulary but also enhance your overall speaking abilities. Regular practice and immersion are key components to mastering English communication in such contexts.
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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