Shadowing Practice: The Terminal (2004) Scene: "A citizen of nowhere." - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
94 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
- Dvorsky, sorry to keep you waiting.
2
All right, I'm Frank Dixon.
3
I'm the director of customs and border protection here at JFK.
4
Which means that I help people with their immigration problems.
5
Now, uh...
6
We're looking for an interpreter for you.
7
How are we doing?
8
Do we have an interpreter?
9
Okay, but I understand that you speak a little English.
10
Yes.
11
- Oh, you do?
12
- Yes.
13
Okay.
14
Yes.
15
Good.
16
I hope you don't mind if I eat while we're talking.
17
I have a bit of bad news.
18
It seems that your country has suspended all traveling privileges on passports that have been issued by your government.
19
And our State Department has revoked the visa...
20
that was going to allow you to enter the United States.
21
That's it in a nutshell, basically.
22
Right?
23
Anyway, it seems that while you were in the air...
24
There was a military coup in your country.
25
Now, most of the dead were members of the presidential guard.
26
They were attacked in the middle of the night.
27
It was a terrible firefight.
28
They got it all on GHN, I think.
29
Anyway, there were very few civilian casualties, so I'm sure your family's fine.
30
Mr. Noworski, Your country was annexed from the inside.
31
The Republic of Krakosia is under new leadership.
32
Krakosia?
33
Krakosia?
34
- Cracosi.
35
- Right.
36
I don't think, uh...
37
I don't think he gets it.
38
Okay.
39
Let me, let me, okay.
40
Thank you.
41
Imagine that these potato chips are Cracosia, okay?
42
- Krakosia.
43
- Krakosia.
44
- Yes.
45
- Krakosia.
46
- Okay.
47
Uh, so the potato chips are Cracosia.
48
Okay?
49
And this apple...
50
Bee apple.
51
Big Apple.
52
Big Apple represents the Liberty Rebels.
53
Right?
54
No more Cracosia.
55
Okay?
56
New government.
57
Revolution.
58
You understand?
59
So all the flights in and out of your country have been suspended indefinitely.
60
And the new government has sealed all the borders, which means that your passport and visa are no longer valid.
61
So currently, you are a citizen... of nowhere.
62
Now, even if we could get you new papers, we couldn't process them until the United States recognizes your country's new diplomatic reclassification.
63
Yeah, see, you don't qualify for asylum, refugee status, temporary protective status, humanitarian parole, or non -immigration, work travel, or diplomatic visas.
64
You don't qualify for any of these things.
65
You are at this time simply...
66
Unacceptable.
67
Unacceptable.
68
Unacceptable.
69
Unacceptable.
70
Big Apple tour include Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State, Broadway show, Cats.
71
Well, I got more bad news for you, Mr. Noworski. has closed.
72
Okay, okay.
73
Now I go to New York City.
74
Thank you.
75
Mr. Dvorsky, look, I cannot allow you to enter the United States at this time.
76
-Kirk Koji.
77
-We can't allow you to go home, either.
78
-Right.
79
And the thing is, you don't really have a home.
80
-Yes.
81
-You don't.
82
Technically, it doesn't exist.
83
I mean, it's like a Twilight Zone.
84
Do you ever see that show?
85
-Yes.
86
-Huh?
87
Did you get that show over there?
88
-Yes, yes.
89
-Uh, "Talking Tina," "Nightmare at 30 ,000 Feet." - Xanti Misfits?
90
- Xanti Misfits, that's our limit, sir.
91
Alright.
92
- It was not important.
93
Anyway.
94
- Where do I buy the Nike shoes?
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B21
123 sentences
Escaping Custody | Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
34 sentences
When Tourists Are Asian
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
598 sentences
Surviving 5 Days DEEP in the Amazon Jungle...
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
47 sentences
The Godfather scene. Michael kill Carlo Rizzi
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
57 sentences
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Deleted Scenes
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B25
59 sentences
Fellow Travelers | Hawk and Tim Meet at the Park (S1, E1) | Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
112 sentences
Home Alone - The Family Orders Pizza
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
183 sentences
Tactics for Listening Third Edition Developing Unit 7 Air Travel
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
106 sentences
Hank Interrogates Mike | Breaking Bad (Dean Norris, Jonathan Banks)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B220
33 sentences
Chatting with the Stranger in the Window Seat
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
109 sentences
Tina and Mask on the date | The Mask
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
![Catch me if you can [2002] Frank becoming a pilot scene](https://img.youtube.com/vi/5IxKXFHSSKA/mqdefault.jpg)
B11
105 sentences
Catch me if you can [2002] Frank becoming a pilot scene
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “The Terminal (2004) Scene: "A citizen of nowhere."”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Krakosia, apple, unacceptable, Cracosia, visa. This video has 94 sentences and 512 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:04. The speaker talks at a natural 167 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 77% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 16 of its 94 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| unacceptable adjective | /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/ | Unsatisfactory; not acceptable. |
| visa noun | /ˈviːzə/ | A permit to enter and leave a country, normally issued by the authorities of the country to be visited. |
| interpreter noun | /ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪ.tɚ/ | A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly |
| suspend verb | /səsˈpɛnd/ | To halt something temporarily. |
| passport noun | /ˈpæspɔɹt/ | An official document normally used for international journeys, which proves the identity and nationality of the person for whom it was issued. |
| potato noun | /pəˈteɪ.təʊ/ | The edible starchy tuber of the plant species Solanum tuberosum. |
| diplomatic adjective | /ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk/ | Concerning the relationships between the governments of countries. |
| qualify verb | /ˈkwɑ.lɪ.faɪ/ | To describe or characterize something by listing its qualities. |
| chip noun | /t͡ʃɪp/ | A small piece broken from a larger piece of solid material. |
| firefight verb | To engage in a firefight. | |
| nutshell noun | /ˈnʌt.ʃɛl/ | The shell that surrounds the kernel of a nut. |
| reclassification noun | The act of reclassifying; a second or subsequent classification. | |
| revoke verb | /ɹɪˈvoʊk/ | To cancel or invalidate by withdrawing or reversing. |
| annex noun | /əˈnɛks/ | An addition, an extension. |
| casualty noun | /ˈkæʒu.əlti/ | Something that happens by chance, especially an unfortunate event; an accident, a disaster. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- We're looking for an interpreter for you.
- How are we doing?
- Do we have an interpreter?
- Do you ever see that show?
- Did you get that show over there?
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 suspended · has revoked · have been suspended |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | have been issued · were attacked · was annexed |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 15 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: nutshell /ˈnʌt.ʃɛl/, casualty /ˈkæʒu.əlti/, shoe /ˈʃu/
- Long words — get the stress right: unacceptable /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/, interpreter /ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪ.tɚ/, diplomatic /ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk/, casualty /ˈkæʒu.əlti/, indefinitely /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪtli/
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 unacceptable, visa, interpreter.
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.