Shadowing Practice: The Frozen Thanksgiving Turkey - Learn English Speaking with Video

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20 sentences
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1
Maya, we have a problem. The turkey is still frozen!
2
Frozen? But everyone's coming at six!
3
I know. I forgot to take it out of the freezer.
4
We should have checked it this morning.
5
What are we going to do? It's already five o'clock!
6
Happy Thanksgiving! I brought a pumpkin pie.
7
Don't worry. Sam didn't make it.
8
Thanks, Lucas. But we have some bad news.
9
There's no turkey. It's frozen solid, like a rock.
10
Oh no! So what's the plan?
11
What about pizza? There's a great place around the corner.
12
Pizza? On Thanksgiving?
13
Why not? Let's order three large pizzas!
14
Okay! But we're still having pie for dessert.
15
So, is pizza a normal Thanksgiving tradition?
16
Not really. But in this apartment, it is now!
17
Okay, everyone. What are you thankful for this year?
18
My new friends. You made this city feel like home.
19
Aw, Lucas! And I'm thankful for pizza!
20
And next year, I'm in charge of the turkey!

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “The Frozen Thanksgiving Turkey”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: pizza, Thanksgiving, frozen, turkey. This video has 20 sentences and 159 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:13. The speaker talks at a steady 131 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 9 of its 20 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:

WordPronunciationMeaning
pizza noun/ˈpi.tsə/A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables.
freeze verb/ˈfɹiːz/Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature.
thankful adjective/ˈθæŋkfəl/Showing appreciation or gratitude.
maya nounMagic; supernatural power as held by the gods.
dessert noun/dɪˈzɝt/The last course of a meal, consisting of fruit, sweet confections etc.
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.
freezer noun/ˈfɹizɚ/An appliance or room used to store food or other perishable items at temperatures below 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit).
turkey noun/ˈtɝki/A wild turkey of Meleagris gallopavo.
apartment noun/əˈpɑɹt.mənt/A complete domicile occupying only part of a building, especially one for rent; a flat.
tradition noun/tɹəˈdɪʃ.ən/A part of culture that is passed from person to person or generation to generation, possibly differing in detail from family to family, such as the way to…
worry verb/ˈwʌ.ɹi/To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.
corner noun/ˈkɔɹnɚ/The point where two converging lines meet; an angle, either external or internal.
solid adjective/ˈsɑ.lɪd/That can be picked up or held, having a texture, and usually firm. Unlike a liquid, gas or plasma.

Sentences worth repeating

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

  • What are we going to do?
  • Let's order three large pizzas!
  • What are you thankful for this year?

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, didn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like pizza, freeze, thankful.

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 →