Shadowing Practice: The Ones with the Awkward Dinner Dates | Friends - Learn English Speaking with Video
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388 sentences
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1
We certainly have been seeing a lot of each other lately.
2
We have.
3
Maybe we'll be seeing each other at dinner tomorrow night.
4
Say around 8 o'clock?
5
Well, maybe we will.
6
Oh!
7
Isn't it funny how we kept running into each other?
8
It's as if someone really wants us to be together.
9
Someone does.
10
Me.
11
Oof.
12
Witty banter.
13
Well done.
14
So, tell me a little bit about yourself.
15
Oh, okay.
16
Well, I'm a masseuse.
17
I'm a masseuse, and I used to work at this place.
18
Do you like to party?
19
I like parties.
20
You're wild, aren't you?
21
Yeah, I guess, a little.
22
That ain't no thing.
23
I'm wild, too.
24
So, anyway, I've lived in New York somewhat wildly, somewhat wildly, I guess, for, um, well since I was 14.
25
I'm sorry, I'm scaring.
26
It's just that you have the most beautiful eyes.
27
I'm stopping.
28
And your breasts.
29
Okay, look, you're coming on a little strong,
30
but I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt because it seems the universe really wants us to be together.
31
So why don't we just start over, okay?
32
And you can just tell me about yourself.
33
All right.
34
Okay.
35
I write erotic novels for children.
36
What?
37
They're wildly unpopular.
38
My God.
39
Oh, also, you might be interested to know that I have a PhD.
40
Wow, you do?
41
Yep, a pretty huge...
42
All right.
43
What about you?
44
Tell me one of your stories.
45
All right, once, once, I got on the subway, right, and it was at night, and I rode it all the way to Brooklyn.
46
Just for the Halloween.
47
We talked till, like, two.
48
It was this perfect evening.
49
More or less.
50
All of a sudden, we realized we're in Yemen.
51
Oh, I'm sorry, so we is?
52
We would be me and Rick.
53
Who's Rick?
54
Who's Rick?
55
My husband.
56
Oh, so you're divorced?
57
No. Oh, I'm sorry.
58
So you're widowed?
59
Hopefully?
60
No, I'm still married.
61
So, tell me, how do you think your husband would feel about you sitting here with me?
62
Sliding your foot so far up my pant leg you can count the change in my pocket.
63
Don't worry.
64
I imagine he'd be okay with you because really he's okay with Ethan.
65
Ethan.
66
Ethan?
67
There's an Ethan?
68
Um, Ethan is my.. boyfriend.
69
What?
70
So, explain something to me here.
71
What kind of relationship do you imagine us having if you already have a husband and a boyfriend?
72
I suppose mainly sexual.
73
Huh.
74
I'm sorry it didn't work out.
75
What not work out?
76
I'm seeing her again on Thursday on Thursday.
77
Didn't you listen to the story?
78
Didn't you listen to the story?
79
I mean, this is twisted.
80
How could you get involved with a woman like this?
81
Well, you know, I had some trouble with it at first, too, but the way I look at it is I get all the good stuff, all the fun, all the talking, all the sex, and none of the responsibility.
82
I mean, this is every guy's fantasy.
83
Oh, yeah, that is not true.
84
Ross, is this your fantasy?
85
No, of course not.
86
Yeah, yeah, it is.
87
So you guys don't mind going out with someone else who's going out with someone else?
88
I couldn't do it.
89
Good for you, Joey.
90
When I'm with a woman, I need to know that I'm going out with more people than she is.
91
This is so nice.
92
Thank you for doing this.
93
Oh, please.
94
Cooking soothes me. So diggin'.
95
Right.
96
It all looks so good.
97
Mm.
98
Mm!
99
Oh, my God.
100
Oh, I know.
101
My God, this is so...
102
This rice is...
103
I am so good.
104
Behind you?
105
Oh, yeah, sorry.
106
They used to live here, and sometimes they migrate back over. Is there, uh...
107
Is there some way that they could, uh.. not be here?
108
It's just that, uh, farm birds really kind of freak me out.
109
Okay, okay.
110
Here we go.
111
Here we go.
112
There you go.
113
There you go.
114
There you go.
115
Hey, how'd you do that?
116
All gone. So, farm birds, huh?
117
Yeah, it's my only weird thing, I swear.
118
And I would have told you about it, but I didn't know that they would be here.
119
So, all right.
120
Okay.
121
Hey.
122
So, can I serve you a little of...
123
What?
124
What's.. what?
125
Nothing.
126
I, uh...
127
It's just that I know that they're still out there.
128
But they're across the hall.
129
I mean, that's two doors away.
130
It's gonna take them a long time to peck their way back over here.
131
That's.. that's not funny.
132
Okay.
133
You know, would you feel better if we went someplace else?
134
I mean, we could pack all this stuff up and, you know, go to your apartment.
135
Uh, they're working on it this week.
136
It's a total mess.
137
But, uh, I'm staying at my parents' house.
138
We could go there.
139
Your parents?
140
Yeah, they're out of town.
141
Oh!
142
I mean, it's a huge place, and it's got this gorgeous view of the park.
143
It'd be very, very romantic.
144
What do you say?
145
Yeah, that works.
146
Oh.
147
Yeah, they can smell the fear.
148
Joey, you look familiar.
149
Are you on TV or something?
150
Well, Joey doesn't like to talk about it, but he's one of the stars of Days of Our Lives.
151
That's right.
152
That's right.
153
Don't you play a woman?
154
A woman in a man's body.
155
Much better.
156
So, you know, Ross, it's funny, because you look familiar to me, too.
157
Have you ever been married?
158
Well, yes, yes, I have.
159
In fact, um, just the other day, Kristen and I were talking about how I've been married and how I have a son.
160
Yeah, little Eric.
161
That's right.
162
Wait, no, Ben.
163
So you've just been married the one time, then?
164
Well, um...
165
You've been married twice?
166
Yes. And...
167
another time after that.
168
Boy, I'm getting hungry.
169
Uh, hey, Joey, have you ever been so hungry on a date that when the girl goes to the bathroom, you ate some of her food?
170
You said the waiter ate my crab cake.
171
Yeah.
172
Yeah.
173
Yeah.
174
So, uh, Ross, now, why did that first marriage break up?
175
Hmm?
176
Was it because the woman was straight or because she was a lesbian?
177
Do you two know each other?
178
No. No, no, no.
179
It just seems like Ross is the kind of guy who
180
would marry a woman on the verge of being a lesbian and then push her over the edge.
181
Excuse me, um, is there a woman waiting at the bar?
182
Um, someone average height, dark hair, or perhaps doing a puzzle?
183
Uh, there's a drunk Chinese guy.
184
Well, if I'm still here in an hour, buy him a drink on me.
185
Can I get you another glass of wine?
186
Uh, I don't know if I should.
187
I don't want to be drunk when I go home alone.
188
Got stood up, huh?
189
Eh, it's no big deal.
190
It was just a blind date.
191
Aren't you worried your date came, saw you, and left?
192
Okay, now, remember, no trading.
193
You get the pretty one, I get the mess.
194
Hi, Joey.
195
Hey.
196
Well, well.
197
Look what you brought.
198
Very nice.
199
And what did you bring?
200
She's checking her coat.
201
Joey, I'm gonna go wash the cab smell off my hands.
202
Will you get me a white Zinfanzel and a glass of red for Janice?
203
Janice?
204
Janice?
205
Oh.
206
My.
207
God.
208
Hey, it's Brenna's.
209
You know, ever since I was little, I've been able to pick up quarters with my toes.
210
Yeah?
211
Good for you.
212
Uh, porters or rolls of porters?
213
By the way, Chandler, I cut you out of all my pictures, so if you want, I have a bag with just your heads.
214
That's okay.
215
Oh, are you sure?
216
Really?
217
Because, you know, you could make little puppets out of them and you could use them in your theater of cruelty.
218
We can't do that.
219
What?
220
What can't you do?
221
Uh, can I talk to you for a second over there?
222
Uh, we might be leaving now.
223
Tell me it's you and me we.
224
She said she wants to slather my body with stuff and then lick it off.
225
I'm not even sure what slathering is.
226
But I definitely want to be a part of it.
227
Okay, you cannot do this to me.
228
You're right.
229
I'm sorry.
230
You're right.
231
Uh, can we have three chocolate mousses to go, please?
232
I'm out of here.
233
Here's my credit card.
234
Dinner's on me.
235
I'm sorry, Chandler.
236
I hope she throws up on you.
237
Thanks. So?
238
Just us.
239
Oh, what a crappy night.
240
Although, I have enjoyed the fact
241
that your shirt's been sticking out of your zipper ever since you came back from the bathroom.
242
Excuse me.
243
How you doing?
244
I...
245
I think I'm falling in love with you.
246
Joey, Joey, I love you so much. But... But?
247
Joey.
248
Right.
249
Hey, that's, um...
250
That's okay.
251
It's fine.
252
It's, uh...
253
Pretty much what I was expecting, you know?
254
So, uh, it's no big deal, all right?
255
I think I'm gonna go.
256
No, Joey, please don't leave like this.
257
Now, come on, you cannot do this to a pregnant woman!
258
Don't start doing that.
259
You can't do that, Rich, because that's gonna make me do this.
260
Oh, there we go!
261
I can't argue.
262
You know what, I was only kidding.
263
We're really excited about our wedding plans, and I guess pretty soon we'll be making a big withdrawal from the Monica Wedding Fund.
264
What?
265
You tell her, Jack, I can't do it.
266
What happened?
267
You still have the Monica Wedding Fund, don't you?
268
We have it.
269
Only now we call it the beach house.
270
I can't believe you spent my wedding fund on the beach house.
271
We're sorry, honey, but we just assumed if you got married after you turned 30, you'd pay for it yourself.
272
You bought the beach house when I was 23.
273
Which means you had seven years of beach fun, and you can't put a price on that, sweetie.
274
I really do feel bad about this, though.
275
We started saving again when you were dating Richard, but then that went to hell, so we redid the kitchen.
276
What about when I started dating Chandler?
277
Well, it was Chandler.
278
We didn't think he'd ever propose.
279
Clearly, I did not start drinking enough at the start of the meal.
280
I can't believe it that there is no money for my wedding.
281
We might still have some money if your father hadn't thought it was a good idea to sell ice over the Internet.
282
It seemed like such a simple idea.
283
Stupid, Jack.
284
The word is stupid.
285
All right, enough.
286
I don't want to hear about it anymore.
287
Good luck, Chandler. Who are they?
288
The blonde is my ex-wife, and the woman touching her is her close personal friend.
289
You mean they're lovers?
290
If you want to put a label on it.
291
Wow!
292
Oh, uh, anything else I should know?
293
Nope, nope, that's it.
294
Oh, and she's pregnant with my baby.
295
I always forget that part.
296
Hello?
297
Hey.
298
Hey.
299
Oh, my friend Sarah had a great time last night.
300
Yeah, so you're gonna call this one back?
301
No. But what are you talking about?
302
Sarah's great.
303
Oh, really?
304
You wanna know what your great friend did?
305
We were out to dinner, okay?
306
We were getting along, having a really nice time.
307
I was thinking she was really cool.
308
And then, out of nowhere...
309
That's it?
310
That's why you won't go out with her again?
311
So she took some fries, big deal.
312
Hey, look, it's not about a few fries.
313
It's about what the fries represent.
314
What?
315
All food!
316
I'm sorry.
317
I can't believe I set you up with such a monster.
318
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, look.
319
I take a girl out.
320
She can order whatever she wants.
321
The more the better.
322
All right?
323
Just don't order a garden salad and then eat my food.
324
That's a good way to lose some fingers.
325
Oh, thank God you're here.
326
Listen to this.
327
So Joey and my friend are out last night, they're having dinner, and she reaches over and takes a few of his fries.
328
Oh no!
329
What?
330
You know about the plate thing?
331
Oh yeah, yeah.
332
No, Joey doesn't share food.
333
I mean, just last week we were having breakfast and he had a couple of grapes on his plate.
334
You wouldn't let her have a grape?
335
Oh no, not me.
336
Emma.
337
Joey doesn't share food!
338
Well, I still think that is a stupid reason not to call someone again.
339
You are calling her, okay?
340
And if you need to, then just get an extra plate of fries for the table.
341
I like that.
342
A sharing buffer.
343
Yeah.
344
Yeah, I'll order some extra fries.
345
Maybe a plate of onion rings.
346
Yeah.
347
Yeah.
348
and a shrimp cocktail. And some buffalo wings.
349
Maybe, maybe an individual pizza.
350
And some mozzarella sticks.
351
What were we talking about?
352
Delicious.
353
Oh, I didn't know you liked french fries.
354
Help yourself, what's mine is yours.
355
Wow, are those stuffed clams?
356
Yes, they are my stuffed clams.
357
How about those fries, though, huh?
358
They are delicious.
359
You are beautiful, you know? That is so sweet.
360
Okay.
361
Mmm.
362
Now look what you did!
363
What?
364
What is the matter with you?
365
I don't like it when people take food off of my plate, okay?
366
But you just said what's mine is yours.
367
Well, I didn't mean it!
368
No. This is work.
369
I should call in.
370
Can you excuse me?
371
Oh, yeah, sure.
372
No problem.
373
What are you doing?
374
I thought you don't share food.
375
Sure I do.
376
Cooley?
377
No. If I can't have your clams, you can't have my dessert.
378
This is a two-way street.
379
Really?
380
Really.
381
Now this all better be here when I come back.
382
Yeah, of course.
383
I can control myself.
384
All right.
385
Good.
386
Stop staring at me!
387
What just a tiny little Uh-oh.
388
I'm not even sorry.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 388 sentences and 2334 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:22. The speaker talks at a steady 115 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 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
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fry verb | /fɹaɪ/ | To cook (something) in hot fat. |
| wildly adverb | /ˈwaɪldli/ | In a wild, uncontrolled manner. |
| hungry adjective | /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ | Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food. |
| delicious adjective | /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/ | Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty. |
| nope | /noʊp/ | No. |
| lesbian noun | /ˈlɛz.bi.ən/ | A female animal that performs courtship, pairing or mating behavior with other female animals. |
| porter noun | /ˈpɔɹtɚ/ | A person who carries luggage and related objects; (historically) one who carried luggage or did manual labour in the transloading of cargo. |
| grape noun | /ɡɹeɪp/ | A small, round, smooth-skinned edible fruit, usually purple, red, or green, that grows in bunches on female vines of most species of genus Vitis and the… |
| finger noun | /ˈfɪŋɡɚ/ | A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb, and the corresponding part, irrespective of including a thumb, in many other… |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| pocket noun | /ˈpɑ.kɪt/ | A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items. |
| argue verb | /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/ | To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply. |
| label noun | /ˈleɪ.bəl/ | A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached. |
| 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. |
| romantic adjective | /ɹoʊˈmæn(t)ɪk/ | Fantastic, unrealistic (of an idea etc.); fanciful, sentimental, impractical (of a person). |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
| break up verb | To break or separate into pieces. | |
| come back verb | To return to a place. | |
| come back from verb | To become successful, confident or effective again after an injury, setback, failure, embarrassment, etc. | |
| get along verb | To interact or coexist well, without argument or trouble. | |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. | |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. | |
| start over verb | to begin again; to return to the beginning |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 106 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: theater /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/, withdrawal /wɪðˈdɹɔ(ə)l/, slather /ˈslæðə(ɹ)/, soothe /suːð/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, shrimp /ʃɹɪmp/
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 fry, wildly, hungry.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | have been seeing · shirt's been sticking |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to work · used to live |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've lived · Have you ever been · I've been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is twisted · be drunk |
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.