Asking Someone to Repeat — American English Shadowing Practice
Practice natural American English for asking someone to repeat. In this classic dialogue you shadow real lines like “What did you say?”, “Can you repeat that, please?”, and “Sorry, the phone is cutting out.”. It gives you polite ways to ask for something to be repeated on a bad line. You speak along with both roles, copying American rhythm, reductions, and everyday word choice so the exchange feels natural.
More lessons from this course
a1Formal Greetings — American English Shadowing Practice
Shadow a natural American English dialogue about formal greetings — “Good morning, Professor Austin.”, “How are you doing?”. Speak along to sound natural.
a2Informal Greetings and Farewells — American English Shadowing Practice
Shadow a natural American English dialogue about informal greetings and farewells — “Hi, Helen. How's it going?”, “Where are you off to?”. Speak along to sound natural.
a1Formal Introductions — American English Shadowing Practice
Shadow a natural American English dialogue about formal introductions — “I'd like you to meet Dr. Edward Smith.”, “It's nice to meet you.”. Speak along to sound natural.
a2Informal Introductions — American English Shadowing Practice
Shadow a natural American English dialogue about informal introductions — “Let me introduce you to her now.”, “This is my friend, Jim.”. Speak along to sound natural.
a1What Time Is It — American English Shadowing Practice
Shadow a natural American English dialogue about telling and asking the time — “What time is it?”, “It's a quarter after seven.”. Speak along to sound natural.
a2A Telephone Call — American English Shadowing Practice
Shadow a natural American English dialogue about making a phone call — “Hi, Alice. It's John.”. Speak along to sound natural.
a2Coincidences — American English Shadowing Practice
Shadow a natural American English dialogue about running into someone unexpectedly — “Long time no see.”, “What a coincidence.”. Speak along to sound natural.
a1Talking About the Weather — American English Shadowing Practice
Shadow a natural American English dialogue about talking about the weather — “I thought it was supposed to rain today.”. Speak along to sound natural.
What this dialogue trains
Make these lines automatic: “What did you say?”, “Can you repeat that, please?”, “Sorry, the phone is cutting out.”, “my phone has really bad reception here.”.
Language note: Repair phrases: “Can you repeat that?,” “What did you say?,” and explaining “cutting out.”
Say this vocabulary clearly: repeat that, what did you say, cutting out, reception.
Copy the American intonation on “my phone has really bad reception here.” — natural delivery is the whole point of shadowing.
Learning goals
- Handle asking someone to repeat in natural American English.
- Reproduce American rhythm, stress, and everyday phrasing.
- Shadow both roles so you can start and respond.
- Say key vocabulary clearly enough to be understood the first time.
About this practice
This is a classic everyday-conversation dialogue about asking someone to repeat, widely used by American English learners.
At A1 level it is a short, complete scene you can shadow repeatedly.
Practice tips
- 1Shadow closely enough to copy American reductions and linking.
- 2Drill the vocabulary (repeat that, what did you say, cutting out) slowly, then at natural speed.
- 3Shadow both speakers so you can lead the conversation, not just reply.
Frequently asked questions
Is this American or British English?
American English — the dialogue models American pronunciation, rhythm, and everyday vocabulary.
What level is this dialogue?
A1. It's a short, natural everyday exchange rather than a textbook drill.
What if I don't catch what someone said?
You practice “Can you repeat that, please?” and “Sorry, the phone is cutting out,” to ask politely.
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