Shadowing Practice: Stop Using Basic English at Work! Use These Phrases Instead | Easy English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with Video
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1
Hello, everyone.
2
Welcome to Mr. English Channel.
3
Hi, Paul.
4
How are you today?
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You look very busy with your coffee and your notebook.
6
Oh, hi, Emily.
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Yes, I am a bit busy this morning.
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I have a lot of work to do,
9
but I always have time for our podcast.
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is good to hear.
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You know, I had a very long day at the office yesterday.
12
It was all about meetings and emails.
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Mmm, that sounds tiring, but it is perfect for our topic today.
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We are talking about business English for daily use.
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Yes, many people think business English is only for big bosses in expensive suits,
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but we use it every day, even in simple jobs.
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You're right.
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Like when I go to the local cafe.
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The owner is always talking about his suppliers and stock.
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Exactly.
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So, Paul, tell me about your morning.
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Did you have any meetings yet?
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Not yet, but I have a video call in one hour.
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I need to get ready for it.
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Get ready is a great phrase.
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In a business context, we often say prepare.
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I need to prepare for the meeting.
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Ah, yes, prepare.
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It sounds a bit more professional, right?
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It does, but get ready is also fine for a quick chat with a friend.
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So what is your meeting about?
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We need to talk about a new project.
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I have to present my ideas to the team.
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Oh, a presentation.
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That can be nervous.
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Do you have your slides ready?
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Yes, I finished them last night.
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I hope my internet connection is good today.
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Yesterday, it was terrible.
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I hate when that happens.
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Usually someone says, can you hear me?
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Or, your screen is frozen.
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Yes, your screen is frozen is the most common phrase at offices now, I think.
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It really is.
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And when the meeting starts,
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the leader usually says, let's get started.
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I like that.
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It is simple and direct.
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Let's get started.
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What else do they say at the beginning?
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Well, sometimes they say, does everyone have the agenda?
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The agenda is just the list of things to talk about.
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Right, the agenda.
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It is like a map for the meeting.
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Without it, people just talk and talk about nothing.
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So true.
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I had a meeting last week with no agenda.
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We stayed there for two hours.
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Wow, two hours?
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That is too long.
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Did you at least have good snacks?
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No snacks, Paul.
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Just water.
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It was very unproductive.
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Unproductive.
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That is a good word.
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It means you didn't finish anything or reach a goal.
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Exactly.
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My goal was to finish at 3 p.m.,
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but we finished at 4.30 p.m.
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I was so hungry.
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I can imagine.
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When I have meetings, I like to wrap up quickly.
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Wrap up.
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I love that expression.
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It means to finish or summarize everything at the end.
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Yes.
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To wrap up, let's look at the next steps.
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That is what my boss always says.
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Next steps is very important in business.
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It means the things you need to do after the meeting.
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Like Paul, your next step is to send the email to the client.
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Oh, emails.
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I spend half of my life writing emails.
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Do you like writing them, Paul?
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Not really.
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Sometimes it is hard to find the right words.
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I don't want to sound too formal,
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but I don't want to be too casual either.
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I understand.
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A good way to start is, I am writing to.
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For example, I am writing to ask about the report.
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That is helpful.
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I usually just start with hello,
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but I am writing to makes the reason very clear.
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Yes, it is very direct.
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And what do you say at the end of your emails?
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I usually write best regards.
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Is that OK for business English?
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It is perfect.
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It is professional and friendly.
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You can also use sincerely if it is a very formal letter.
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Sincerely feels a bit like a movie from the 1950s, doesn't it?
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Maybe a little.
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I prefer best regards, or just best for people I know well.
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That is good to know.
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Speaking of people I know,
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I have a new client starting tomorrow.
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A new client?
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That is great news, Call.
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Did you have to sell him a service?
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Well, we had a few negotiations.
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We talked about the price and the time.
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Negotiations sounds like a big word,
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but it just means talking to reach an agreement.
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Yes.
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He wanted a big discount,
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but I told him our quality is the best.
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Good job!
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You have to stand your ground sometimes in business.
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Stand your ground?
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What does that mean?
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It means to stay strong and not change your mind if you think you are right.
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Ah, I like that.
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I stood my ground and he agreed to the standard price.
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That is a win-win situation, another great business phrase.
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win.
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So I'm happy and the client is happy.
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Everyone wins.
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Exactly.
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Hey Paul, we're talking a lot about work.
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If you're enjoying this conversation,
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don't forget to like the video,
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subscribe to the channel, and share it with a friend who is learning English.
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Yes, it helps us a lot,
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and it helps your friends learn English too.
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So Paul, let's talk about networking.
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Have you ever been to a networking event?
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You mean those parties where everyone wears a name tag and talks about their jobs?
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Yes.
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Some people find them scary,
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but they are very useful for finding new opportunities.
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I went to one last month.
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I didn't know anyone.
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I felt a bit out of place.
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Out of place.
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That means you felt like you didn't belong there.
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I felt that way at my first conference.
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What did you do?
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Did you just stand in the corner with a drink?
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Almost.
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But then I saw someone who looked friendly,
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and I said, hi, can I join you?
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Can I join you?
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That is a simple way to start.
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What happened next?
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We started talking about the industry.
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He works in marketing, just like me.
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Industry is a word we use for a specific area of business, right?
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Like the travel industry or the tech industry.
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Yes, exactly.
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We talked about the latest trends.
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Trends are things that are popular or happening right now.
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Hmm.
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Like how everyone is talking about AI these days.
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That is a big trend.
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Definitely.
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Anyway, after talking for 10 minutes, we exchanged cards.
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Do people still use business cards?
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I thought everything was on LinkedIn now.
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Some people still use paper cards,
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but many people just connect on LinkedIn using their phones.
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That is much easier.
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Let's connect.
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I use that phrase a lot when I meet someone interesting.
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It's a great way to keep in touch.
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You never know when a new contact can help you.
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True.
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Last year, a friend from college recommended me for a project.
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Recommended.
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That is when someone says good things about you to a boss or a client.
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Yes.
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It was a referral.
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Referrals are the best way to get new work.
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They really are.
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People trust their friends more than they trust advertisements.
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So, Emily, what about deadlines?
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Do you have a lot of those at your office?
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Oh, Paul.
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Deadlines are the stress of my life.
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I have a big project deadline this Friday.
192
A deadline is the final date or time to finish something, right?
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Yes.
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And if I don't finish,
195
my manager will be very disappointed.
196
Oh, no. Are you on track to finish it?
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On track.
198
That is a cool expression.
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It means things are going according to the plan.
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Yes, I am on track.
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I finished the draft yesterday.
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A draft is the first version of a document.
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It is not perfect yet,
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but the ideas are there.
205
Exactly.
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Now I just need to fine-tune it.
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Fine-tune.
208
You are using some great vocabulary today, Paul.
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It means to make small changes to make something perfect.
210
Thanks.
211
I'm trying to use more professional verbs.
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It is working.
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You sound like a real businessman.
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Maybe I should start wearing a tie for our recordings.
215
No, please don't.
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I like our relaxed style.
217
Me too.
218
By the way, Emily, I need some advice.
219
I have to give feedback to my assistant today.
220
Giving feedback can be tricky.
221
You want to be constructive.
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Constructive feedback.
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Does that mean I should help them improve,
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not just say, this is bad?
225
Yes.
226
Instead of saying, your report is terrible,
227
you can say, I think this part could be clearer.
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Clearer.
229
That is much nicer.
230
And maybe I can say,
231
you did a great job on the introduction.
232
Yes.
233
Always start with something positive.
234
We call that the sandwich method.
235
The sandwich method.
236
Now I am hungry again.
237
You start with a positive comment,
238
put the criticism in the middle,
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and end with another positive comment.
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Ah, positive, negative, positive.
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Like a sandwich.
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I like that.
243
It makes the bad news easier to eat.
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Exactly.
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It helps maintain a good working relationship.
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Working relationship.
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That is the connection you have with the people you work with.
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Yes.
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It is important to be polite and respectful, even when you disagree.
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I agree.
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Sometimes people at my old job were very rude during meetings.
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That is the worst.
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It makes the office culture very bad.
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Office culture.
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That is a big topic these days.
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Everyone wants to work in a positive environment.
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They do.
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A positive environment makes people more motivated to work hard.
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I feel motivated when I have flexibility.
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You know, like working from home some days.
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Remote work is very popular now.
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I work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
263
That's nice.
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You save time because you don't have to commute.
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Commute.
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That is the journey from home to work.
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My commute is usually 45 minutes.
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Wow.
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45 minutes in traffic?
270
I would hate that.
271
It is not fun, but during my commute, I listen to podcasts.
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Like Mr. English Podcast?
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Of course.
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It's the best way to make the most of my time.
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Make the most of.
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That means to use your time or a situation in the best way possible.
277
Yes.
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I feel like I am learning while I am sitting in my car.
279
That is very smart.
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I usually just listen to loud music and sing badly.
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Well, that is also a way to de-stress before work.
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De-stress.
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To remove the stress.
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I need that after a long meeting about budgets.
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Oh, budgets.
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Talking about money and expenses is always a bit stressful.
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Yes.
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We have to cut costs this year.
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The company is trying to save money.
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Cut costs.
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That is a very common business phrase.
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It usually means fewer snacks in the break room.
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Exactly.
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They stopped buying the good cookies.
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Now we only have the boring ones.
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Oh no!
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That is a tragedy for the office culture.
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It really is.
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But at least we still have free coffee.
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For now.
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I hope they don't cut the coffee.
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That would be a disaster.
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A total disaster.
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I can't work without caffeine.
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Me neither.
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Hey Paul, if you are still listening, comment office below.
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We want to see who is paying attention.
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Yes, comment office.
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It's a simple word for a place where many of these phrases happen.
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So, Paul, we talked about meetings, emails, sales, and networking.
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What else is part of daily business English?
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What about small talk?
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You know, the conversation you have while you wait for the elevator.
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Oh, small talk is very important.
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It helps you break the ice.
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Break the ice.
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To start a conversation and make people feel more comfortable.
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Yes.
319
You can talk about the weather or the weekend or even a local sports team.
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I usually ask, do you have any plans for the weekend?
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It's a classic question.
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It is.
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Or, how is your week going?
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These small questions build rapport.
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Rapport.
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That's a fancy word.
327
How do you spell it?
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It's R-A-P-P-O-R-T.
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The T is silent.
330
It means a good understanding and connection with someone.
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Rapport.
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I like that.
333
It's important to have rapport with your colleagues.
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Yes.
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Colleagues are the people you work with.
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Some people say co-workers, which is also correct.
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I prefer colleagues.
338
It sounds a bit more professional, don't you think?
339
I agree.
340
It has a nice ring to it.
341
So, Emily, do you have any tips for our listeners who are nervous about using English at work?
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My main tip is don't worry about being perfect.
343
Most people just want to understand your ideas.
344
That is true.
345
Even native speakers make mistakes in meetings or emails.
346
Exactly.
347
And use simple language.
348
You don't need big words to be professional.
349
I agree.
350
Clear communication is better than using jargon.
351
Jargon.
352
Those are the special words used by a specific group of people that others might not understand.
353
Like when IT people talk about servers and back-end,
354
and I have no idea what they mean.
355
Yes, or when marketing people talk about brand awareness and KPIs.
356
What is a KPI?
357
It stands for Key Performance Indicator.
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It's just a way to measure success.
359
See?
360
Measure success is so much easier to understand.
361
It really is.
362
But sometimes you need to know the jargon so you can follow the conversation.
363
Follow the conversation.
364
It means to understand what is being said.
365
Yes.
366
If you are lost, you can always say,
367
I'm sorry, can you clarify that?
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Clarify.
369
That means to make something clear that is a very polite and professional way to ask for help.
370
It is.
371
It is much better than just saying, what, or looking confused.
372
I will remember that.
373
Can you clarify that, please?
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Great.
375
And if you need more time to think,
376
you can say, that's a good question.
377
Let me think about it.
378
Let me think about it.
379
That gives you a few seconds to collect your thoughts.
380
Exactly.
381
It's a great strategy.
382
Business English is really just about being clear and polite, isn't it?
383
Mostly, yes, and confident.
384
Even if your grammar is not perfect, speak with confidence.
385
That is great advice.
386
Well, Emily, I think it's time to wrap up our episode.
387
You're right.
388
I have that deadline to meet,
389
and you have your video call.
390
Yes, my slides are waiting for me.
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Before we go, let's remind our listeners to do a few things.
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Of course.
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If you liked this episode,
394
please subscribe to our channel, Mr. English Channel.
395
And give this video a thumbs up if you found these business phrases useful.
396
Don't forget to comment office below and tell us which phrase was your favorite.
397
We love reading your comments.
398
They always make our day.
399
Make our day.
400
They make us very happy.
401
Exactly.
402
Thank you for listening, everyone.
403
See you in the next episode.
404
Bye.
405
Bye-bye.
406
Bye.
📺 Mismo canal
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Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel B2 se basa en el vídeo “Stop Using Basic English at Work! Use These Phrases Instead”. Las palabras que más se repiten: meeting, Paul, English, exactly. Este vídeo tiene 406 frases y 2503 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 16:34. El hablante habla a un ritmo natural de unas 151 palabras por minuto, cercano a una conversación cotidiana. El 85 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés; conviene repasar el resto antes de empezar.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
Las 15 palabras más avanzadas del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| deadline sustantivo | /ˈdɛdˌlaɪn/ | plazo, expiración/caducidad de/del plazo |
| rapport sustantivo | /ɹæˈpɔɹ/ | compenetración, afinidad |
| commute verbo | /kəˈmjuːt/ | conmutar, indultar |
| distress sustantivo | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | distrés, distress |
| wrap verbo | /ɹæp/ | envolver, fajar |
| jargon sustantivo | /ˈdʒɑː.ɡən/ | tecnicismo, jerga |
| clarify verbo | /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.faɪ/ | clarificar |
| snack sustantivo | /snæk/ | tentempié, refrigerio |
| polite adjetivo | /pəˈlaɪt/ | cortés, educado |
| colleague sustantivo | /ˈkɒliːɡ/ | colega, compañero |
| podcast sustantivo | /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ | podcast, pódcast |
| listener sustantivo | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | oyente, escucha |
| referral sustantivo | /ɹɪˈfɜː.ɹəl/ | remisión, derivación |
| motivate verbo | /ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/ | motivar |
| negotiation sustantivo | /nɪˌɡəʊ.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/ | negociación, tratativa |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Significado |
|---|---|
| wrap up verbo | envolver, arrebujar |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- Did you have any meetings yet?
- Do you have your slides ready?
- Usually someone says, can you hear me?
- It sounds a bit more professional, don't you think?
- I'm sorry, can you clarify that?
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Voz pasiva be + participio pasado — importa lo que ocurre, no quién lo hace | is frozen · being said · are lost |
| Oraciones de relativo who / which + oración — información extra sobre una persona o cosa | friend who is · someone who looked · workers, which is |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 24 contracciones y formas reducidas, como don't, didn't, I'm. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: unproductive /ˌʌn.pɹəˈdʌk.tɪv/, negotiation /nɪˌɡəʊ.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, advertisement /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzmənt/, elevator /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- s + consonante al inicio — sin añadir una “e” delante: snack /snæk/, stressful /ˈstɹɛsfəl/
- /v/ — no es /b/: los dientes tocan el labio inferior: unproductive /ˌʌn.pɹəˈdʌk.tɪv/, motivate /ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/, constructive /kənˈstɹʌktɪv/, verb /vɝb/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: freeze /ˈfɹiːz/, regards /ɹɪˈɡɑɹdz/, summarize /ˈsʌməˌɹaɪz/, advertisement /ˈædvɚˌtaɪzmənt/, businessman /ˈbɪznəsmæn/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Empieza a velocidad 0,75×, haz shadowing frase por frase y vuelve a la velocidad normal cuando te resulte fácil.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como deadline, rapport, commute.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.