Shadowing Practice: Thanksgiving in America - Intermediate English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video

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245 sentences

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Welcome back to my YouTube channel.

My name is Camille and I'm Calvin.

We are here for an exciting Thanksgiving video.

Buckle up.

Oh man, you guys real quick before we get started.

If you don't know, I'm an online teacher.

I write amazing books, including these short story dialogue conversation books to help you up your English game.

They are how we speak in real life.

You'll learn loads of vocabulary.

And if you don't have them, you can find them on my website, learnenglishwithcamille .com or Amazon.

Excellent.

Perfect.

So Thanksgiving is one of the most beloved holidays in the United States.

It's true.

It's up there with Christmas.

It is.

Do you have a preference?

I think Christmas is still my favorite.

Yeah, mine too, for sure.

But we did celebrate

Thanksgiving every year.

I remember being super excited because we didn't have school, so we had like a four -day long weekend,

lots of good food, lots of family, lots of friends.

It's true, but I know it's a very American holiday, and so maybe in your country they don't celebrate it.

So what is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a holiday that started in 1621

when the pilgrims arrived to America the Native Americans helped them for the first year and

so as a sign of gratitude

they decided to celebrate do a big feast after one year of surviving this new life in this new world

and so that kind of is the the story the origin story of Thanksgiving not everyone even knows that.

So well done, Calvin.

Thank you.

Thank you, chat GPT.

And a feast is just a really big meal.

And speaking of the meal, I mean, that is the biggest thing we celebrate in the US.

There are several different traditions that we have, but let's talk a little bit about the meal.

So what are some typical things that

Americans eat during Thanksgiving?

Number one, turkey.

Yes.

You probably know.

You've probably seen the images.

Maybe you watched the Friends episode.

I know.

I love the Friends Thanksgiving episodes.

Yes, they are great.

If you haven't seen that TV show, it's getting pretty old, like 30 years old, but it's still awesome and you should watch it.

And it will help you improve your English and learn a ton about American culture as well.

Yeah.

How many episodes?

Or how many seasons?

Ten seasons.

10 seasons so yeah by the time

if you watch all 10 you'll be fluent in English no no guarantees

but it'll definitely help you yeah yeah so apart from

that we have a lot of side dishes

so one of my favorite side dishes is stuffing

which is just a lot of like day -old bread cubes mix some people stuff it literally in the turkey

which is why it's called stuffing

but then it has things like craisins apple people put sausages

and a broth and it just becomes sort of a little soggy

but also some pieces are crispy it's delicious I love stuffing do you like it with your description

day -old bread soggy those are not words

that really make me want to eat it I didn't eat

it growing up I refused to eat it what yeah like

because sometimes there's too much like raw onion or like onion in it

and I was celery and onion

and as a kid I was like really picky well

I would just like pick out all the bread pieces yeah

but now as an adult I can say I do like stuffing it's good

and then there's cranberry sauce yeah people eat

that on the turkey usually mashed potatoes

and gravy sweet potatoes my mom growing up would do the sweet potatoes from a can.

Yeah, that's interesting.

Yeah, she doesn't do that anymore.

But I did not like them.

And she would call them yams.

Oh, yeah.

Is sweet potatoes and yams the same?

I actually don't know.

I think so.

I'm not sure.

Somebody needs to call chat GPT.

Yeah, write it in the comments if you figure it out.

Are sweet potatoes and yams the same?

I don't think I ever did yams in a can.

I actually don't remember okay we didn't have

that as part of our meal what else was like a part of your meal yeah

i think we would always also do a baked ham

so we'd have the turkey turkey and the ham sorry for all the kosher eaters

and uh halal but uh yeah we had we had ham um

and it was it was good although i don't eat a lot of pork nowadays um

it was always good to get this like honey baked ham yeah okay my dad would always make

that i think actually he would maybe do both Okay.

Wow.

We would always do green bean casserole as well.

That was a very classic Thanksgiving thing.

We always had rolls as well on the side.

Yes.

100

Oh, there was some roll recipe that was like, maybe you had the same one because sometimes we had the same like cookbooks and traditions.

101

They were like these buttery rolls.

102

And I just always, that was probably one of my favorite things of the whole meal was these rolls.

103

I would just eat like 10 of them.

104

Oh my gosh.

105

Well, I think those are the main things as far as food goes, but the desserts, the most classic is pumpkin pie.

106

Yes.

107

Pumpkin pie to this day.

108

I'll eat it any time of the year.

109

I love pumpkin pie.

110

I had it yesterday.

111

I made it a very epic pumpkin pie.

112

Thank you.

113

One of the biggest differences between moving here in Europe and being in the U S is I didn't know that

114

But pumpkin in a can doesn't exist in Europe.

115

And so here we bake our pumpkins fresh.

116

And now even if I had the choice to buy a can of pumpkin or bake it, I think I would always choose to bake it.

117

Yeah, I think, you know, anytime you can use fresh ingredients, the flavor is going to be much more vibrant.

118

Yeah.

119

But we grew up eating the canned pumpkin and that's how everyone makes their pumpkin pies.

120

Yeah, I didn't even know you could make it yourself until Camille did it, so she's a genius.

121

Thank you.

122

We also have pecan.

123

Do you say pecan or pecan?

124

I think I say pecan.

125

Maybe in the South, they say pecan.

126

Pecan pie.

127

Yeah, that's also a traditional pie that people have.

128

Yeah.

129

And those were the main two desserts

130

that we would have yeah I can't really think you know you would some people would bring other desserts

131

or sometimes you do like I don't know church gatherings

132

or you know more relatives would come

133

and they'd bring some sort of dessert like a lemon meringue pie yeah

134

or a I don't know banana cream pie that's true

135

so yeah it people can be as creative as they want it's America

136

and I think one of the biggest things people try to do now is gratitude

137

so gratitude means thankfulness so being thankful I mean I think gratitude is

138

so important not just on Thanksgiving one day a year no way like I write things every single day

139

I have an ongoing list of at least five things I'm thankful for

140

and I think we need to keep

141

that attitude of gratitude what were you telling me the other day even about gratitude yes funny

142

you mention it we didn't plan this at all

143

but I have this book I'm reading

144

and it's called the power of moments it's a great book um

145

but basically they they talk about this this study where somebody writes a letter of gratitude to somebody else

146

and then reads it to them so this is like 300 words like very honest

147

and practical words of gratitude towards somebody else and the effects of doing

148

that like in the brain like all the good uh chemicals in your brain lasts at least one month

149

so if you want like more happiness in your life more joy you can write a letter

150

so it's not even the person that's receiving

151

it they also get a big boost in like these um you know happy chemicals in your brain

152

but it's the one that actually writes it too

153

so you know i think there's a verse

154

that says it's more blessed to give than to receive and

155

that holds up true with with science as well so i thought

156

that was interesting yeah that really is wow amazing we should definitely try

157

that in this next month

158

we want to get all the happiness benefits possible yeah why wouldn't we do it yeah exactly

159

so we would always then have just a huge meal

160

we would always have the football game on this is american football not soccer

161

so there'd always be some huge football game going on we would have

162

that on after our meal and then we would eat leftovers

163

so we would eat again the turkey

164

and the mashed potatoes like twice in one day yeah some people also play football

165

so they'll watch and then

166

but then some will also play like those you know maybe not a full game

167

but just throw around the old pigskin

168

that's true the football oh i forgot to mention in the morning of thanksgiving there is a huge parade

169

so it's called the macy's day parade it's televised nationwide

170

and there are just massive floats

171

and whatever's like going on I think in the moment of that year

172

and it's just a long I don't know

173

it's like three hour parade yeah it doesn't make any sense to me

174

it was always boring to me as a child I'm like why is this parade something I think

175

because of nostalgic like nostalgia I'm like put on the parade yeah

176

I just see it now as like oh

177

they're getting like all these free advertisements by doing these floats

178

that's true maybe i need more gratitude to be like wow

179

this is a nice beautiful nice they they put forth all this effort into these floats imagine the effort

180

that goes into those they probably start signing months in advance

181

it's true i need to change my attitude yeah sorry

182

it's okay well also i'm thinking of something that's very connected to thanksgiving

183

which is now starting yeah oh last friday

184

it's starting like the day of thanksgiving now oh it's already started even before thanksgiving it's true but typically it

185

It was like the day after

186

Thanksgiving, you go to the mall at midnight.

187

There'd be massive sales.

188

This was even before online shopping.

189

So you would do your Christmas shopping on Black Friday.

190

Yeah.

191

You really could get sales.

192

Like we would go on Black Friday.

193

My mom did not want to miss it.

194

Yeah, no, the stores, they realized, oh, like after

195

Thanksgiving, people have a day off.

196

They're actually going shopping.

197

So they just basically capitalized on it and was like, okay, we're going to just like do our best sales

198

and yeah I think like Amazon between now

199

and Christmas does I don't know how much like percentage of their sales is in this short window wow

200

so I feel sorry for all the delivery men a lot of work do you go

201

Black Friday shopping yourself no I only did it a few times I try to find the online deals

202

and you know try to strategize say

203

I have like a big purchase like a tv

204

i'll be like i know the prices will probably be cheaper yeah

205

but you do have to watch out

206

because you know what they do is they raise the prices

207

and then lower them not everybody not everybody we don't do

208

that for our business no we don't

209

and we have the biggest sale of the year all of my products too everything's 50 off

210

you want this book 50 off the pdf everything online

211

and digital and it is the only time

212

that we do it 50 off is black friday

213

and the only time of the year and people always message me after

214

and be like can i get

215

that sale i'm like you guys i had no you cannot wait till next year we might be nice

216

but yeah it's better just to buy it during the sale oh yes please take advantage of it yes

217

but black friday and now cyber monday

218

so yeah it's extending extending yeah it's basically like black november

219

now you know the whole month of november

220

it's crazy well did you have any other traditions

221

you did thanksgiving thanksgiving weekend i mean i think we just hung out as a family um

222

and yeah did that just hung out we would usually go snowmobiling

223

because i grew up in michigan there's a lot of snow

224

and so my dad we'd have our cousins over

225

and then he would pull us on the toboggan behind his snowmobile through our fields

226

and we just thought that was so much fun

227

and then we would come in for hot chocolate

228

so usually we would be able to do

229

that every thanksgiving weekend as well yeah i've i've done that

230

when they lived there and it is fun it is fun yes so

231

that is a bit about thanksgiving i'm trying to think i think we covered all of our bases i think so yeah

232

and oh putting up the tree as well was a tradition for us oh like after thanksgiving yes

233

that weekend we would put up our christmas tree

234

and get ready for christmas yeah yeah we're a little early

235

this year we actually have our tree up right now

236

which we're filming in like early november yeah november 11th

237

so yeah but uh it's because we have travel

238

but yeah usually after thanksgiving is

239

when we put up the tree yeah exactly perfect well this was

240

so fun calvin talking about thanksgiving i hope you guys learned a lot do you celebrate

241

or have you heard about it in your country please let us know in the comments yes now i'm hungry

242

but uh yeah no more pie yes please like

243

and subscribe to the channel if you haven't yes

244

and yeah we'll be in the next video see you soon bye bye happy thanksgiving

245

Thank you.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Thanksgiving in America - Intermediate English Conversation”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: thanksgiving, pie, eat. This video has 245 sentences and 2430 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:10. The speaker talks at a natural 171 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
thanksgiving noun	/ˌθæŋksˈɡɪv.ɪŋ/	The expression of gratitude.
pumpkin noun	/ˈpʌm(p).kɪn/	A domesticated plant, in species Cucurbita pepo, similar in growth pattern, foliage, flower, and fruit to the squash or melon.
gratitude noun	/ˈɡɹæ.tɪ.tud/	The state of being grateful.
pecan noun	/piːˈkɑːn/	A deciduous tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the central and southern United States, having deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and edible nuts.
potato noun	/pəˈteɪ.təʊ/	The edible starchy tuber of the plant species Solanum tuberosum.
bake verb	/beɪk/	To cook (something) in an oven (for someone).
parade noun	/pəˈrɑd/	Synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive orders, or especially for inspection at set times.
yam noun	/jæm/	Any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated.
dessert noun	/dɪˈzɝt/	The last course of a meal, consisting of fruit, sweet confections etc.
onion noun	/ˈʌn.jən/	A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.
float verb	/fləʊt/	To be supported by a fluid of greater density (than the object).
soggy adjective	/ˈsɑɡi/	Soaked with moisture or other liquid.
mash verb	/mæʃ/	To convert into a mash; to reduce to a soft pulpy state by beating or pressure
thankful adjective	/ˈθæŋkfəl/	Showing appreciation or gratitude.
feast noun	/ˈfiːst/	A holiday, festival, especially a religious one

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
grow up verb	To mature and become an adult.
put up verb	To place in a high location.
book off verb	To call off from work.
come in for verb	To be subjected to.
hold up verb	To wait or delay.
pick out verb	To remove by picking.
watch out	Used to warn someone of an imminent danger.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

If you don't know, I'm an online teacher.
You'll learn loads of vocabulary.
Do you have a preference?
You've probably seen the images.
Do you say pecan or pecan?

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	You've probably seen · haven't seen · i've done
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the most beloved · the biggest · the most classic
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should watch · should definitely try
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form	love stuffing · start signing

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 57 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: thanksgiving /ˌθæŋksˈɡɪv.ɪŋ/, thankful /ˈθæŋkfəl/, gathering /ˈɡæð.ɚ.ɪŋ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: mash /mæʃ/, dish /dɪʃ/, kosher /ˈkoʊʃɚ/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, nationwide /ˌneɪ.ʃənˈwaɪd/
Long words — get the stress right: capitalize /ˈkæpətəˌlaɪz/, ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, advertisement /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzmənt/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like thanksgiving, pumpkin, gratitude.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Thanksgiving in America - Intermediate English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?