Shadowing Practice: English for Professionals: How to Give Criticism Without Offending - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

Elke modus opent een volledig scherm oefenruimte.

289 zinnen

Als zinnen te kort of te lang zijn, klik op Bewerken om ze aan te passen.

Hi, everyone.

Welcome back to High Level Listening, your place for real English conversations at work and business English lessons.

So imagine your colleagues show you something they've been working on.

But it's not very good.

Maybe there are mistakes, or maybe it's completely different from what you expected.

You want to be honest, but you don't want to sound rude, harsh, or unprofessional.

Yeah, it can be a tricky balance.

So today we thought we'd show you exactly what to say to give clear, constructive feedback in polite business English.

And this will be included in all of our PDF transcripts for our business English bundle and the full phrase list.

We've got MP3 downloads and everything will be in the study pack.

So you can check that out in the description below.

okay for the first section we're just going to be pointing out a couple of small mistakes now

if you are just pointing out a couple of mistakes you

can say yep here's a problem we've got a problem here

but if you wanted to soften your language a little bit we're going to start positively

and we're also going to soften the problem

so let's give you an example of what that sounds like okay

so for dialogue one i'll be reviewing a document

that mark has worked on okay yeah all right okay overall

this looks pretty solid i really like how it's structured great

okay thank you i did however notice a couple of details

we should double check before sending it out okay yes of course let me know what I've missed.

All right, so let's follow the structure that we gave you guys earlier.

You're going to give them a compliment or say something positive about it, and then we're going to soften the problem.

So this is how we gave them a compliment.

Overall, this looks pretty solid.

I like how it's structured.

Okay, so I'm giving Mark a compliment.

I'm saying something positive about what he's given me for work.

I did, however, notice a couple of details we should double check before sending it out.

Now, I could have said, I noticed some problems.

That would have been very direct.

I noticed some problems.

It just doesn't sound very nice and it doesn't sound very productive, okay?

So I did, however, notice a couple of details.

Now, I'm even changing the grammar of my sentence from I noticed to I did, however, notice.

Why am I doing that?

Because my first sentence was positive and my second sentence is not so positive.

So I want to show with I did, however, I want to show a difference between the positive and the negative.

I did, however, notice a couple of details we should double check before sending it out.

Now, the final thing we did was I said we, not you.

If I can remove the word you, you, you, you made a problem, you did a problem, you, you, you, you.

If I can remove you from the sentence, it sounds so much more collaborative.

We.

I did, however, notice a couple of details we should double check before sending it out.

When Kat pointed out the problem softly, I responded quite softly as well.

I didn't say, oh, what's wrong?

I said, of course, let me know what I've missed.

So you can open yourself up to criticism and that makes you sound professional and open to changes as well.

It's win-win.

So let's go through another dialogue with the same scenario and we'll use the same structure to give a compliment, start positively and then soften the problem.

We're reviewing a presentation So, okay.

Yeah, I think this is a good start.

I think it's about 90% there.

Okay.

What do you think's missing?

One thing, the figures should be Q3 instead of Q2.

Right, right.

Good catch.

And there's a small typo.

It says manager, manager instead of manager.

Oh, wow.

Yes, I will fix that right away.

But apart from that, I think we're in good shape.

It's okay.

We use the same kind of structure i started positive this

is a good start in the previous one cat said this is solid and yes

when something is about 90 percent there i think it's almost perfect it's almost finished it's about 90 there means it's

almost good enough and then i introduced the problems one thing i didn't say the word one mistake

or one problem again we want to avoid the words problem mistake or bad so one thing

the figures should be q3 instead of q2 and there's a small typo small again i'm reducing

the size of the problem oh there's a little thing uh there's a little error oh there's one small change

if you can make problems smaller that's good too a typo is a spelling mistake i think

when we're talking about typing things on computers that's where it came from

but there is a spelling mistake there's a small typo i

do this too manger instead of manager it's missing an a and then the The final thing is also quite positive.

But apart from that, we're in good shape.

It's almost perfect.

Things are going well.

We're in good shape.

We have made a good start.

And I think with a little bit extra, we'll be ready.

Okay.

Our second topic is going to be about something that you did not expect.

So I thought it was going to be a little more like this, or I was expecting something else,

sometimes you receive something and it is not what you expected.

So we're going to be talking about this and we're going to do it in a similar way.

We are going to acknowledge the person working on the product.

We are going to say, okay, I see that you did some work here,

but then we need to show our expectations and tell them directly what you expect it.

Okay.

But we don't just want to say, this is not what I expected.

Change it.

Right.

Because that doesn't, that's not very helpful.

That's not very constructive.

So let's go through the dialogue.

All right.

Okay.

100

Thanks.

101

Thanks for getting this done so quickly. Of course.

102

Although after reviewing it, it is a bit different from what I had in mind.

103

I was expecting something more data-driven.

104

Could you revise it with that in mind?

105

Sure.

106

Yeah, no problem.

107

Thanks for clarifying.

108

So remember that since we're balancing positive with negative, we can say, thanks for this.

109

That's the positive one.

110

Thanks for getting this done so quickly.

111

Thanks for finishing it in time.

112

But we're going to kind of balance that out with the negative thought.

113

So then we could say, thanks, although.

114

Thanks, however.

115

And just like the last one where I said I did notice, I'm saying, although after reviewing it,

116

it is a bit different from what I had in mind.

117

So I could say it's a bit different.

118

But remember, we're balancing it out.

119

Thanks for this, although it is a bit different from what I had in mind.

120

Something I had in mind was what I was thinking, what I was expecting.

121

And then I'm going to tell them what I want.

122

I was expecting something more data-driven.

123

We kind of go down this path, but we do need to directly say what we want.

124

Otherwise, we're never going to get it, right?

125

I was expecting something more data-driven.

126

Could you revise it with that in mind?

127

Okay, so this is what I had in mind.

128

And with that in mind, can you revise it?

129

Revise too.

130

It's better than fix or change or stop.

131

Revise is a very professional word for that.

132

OK, well, here's a second dialogue.

133

Same scenario, same structure.

134

Thanks for putting this together.

135

I can see you put a lot of work into it.

136

Yeah, sure. Of course.

137

I think what you've done is useful, but the format isn't quite what the client asked for.

138

Could we restructure it to focus on quarterly figures? Of course.

139

Got it.

140

I will rework it.

141

Okay.

142

Did you hear our strategy again?

143

Appreciate their work first.

144

I said, thanks for putting this together.

145

Thanks for finding all this different data and collecting it into one.

146

Thanks for putting this together.

147

Thanks for doing this.

148

Thanks for working so hard.

149

I can see you put a lot of work into it.

150

or I can see you put a lot of effort and time into it.

151

So start with a compliment, then say what you would like to change.

152

What you've done is useful.

153

So another compliment, another bit of appreciation.

154

But the format isn't quite what the client asked for.

155

So again, like Kat said earlier, we want to avoid the word you.

156

I want to focus on the problem most.

157

The problem is the format how the information is laid out.

158

The format isn't quite what the client asked for.

159

Again, we want to soften the problem.

160

So making problems smaller is one and saying quite is another way.

161

It isn't quite what the client asked for.

162

This is much nicer than saying you didn't listen to the client.

163

The format isn't quite what the client asked for.

164

Could we restructure it?

165

Again, we Let's work together.

166

It's not all on you.

167

We're a team.

168

Could we restructure it?

169

Again, like revise in the previous dialogue, restructure is another softer word to say change.

170

Could we restructure it to focus on quarterly figures?

171

Some other useful phrases if you find yourself in the same situation.

172

This is close, but I was picturing something a little different.

173

Another one.

174

What I had in mind was slightly different.

175

Now, I may not have explained it clearly.

176

I was thinking of a different approach.

177

I think we need to go in a different direction.

178

Honestly, I was thinking along slightly different lines.

179

Alright, so our final situation is when something just is not possible.

180

We have lots of good ideas all day long, but sometimes things cannot work out.

181

They are physically impossible.

182

We don't have the money.

183

This is not feasible.

184

So I don't want to completely shut someone down, but sometimes we have to.

185

It's just not possible.

186

So let's look at dialogue one and let's show you some good, clear, professional phrases to help you in this situation.

187

So I was thinking we could rebuild the whole system before the launch.

188

Well, I see what you're going for.

189

And in an ideal world, that would be great.

190

But I don't think that's realistic for us right now.

191

Oh, you don't think so?

192

No, just with the timeline we're working with, we wouldn't be able to deliver that properly.

193

Yeah, fair enough.

194

So let's focus on a few key improvements that we can actually get done before the launch.

195

okay so mark's creative mark's thinking mark's telling us some information

196

but it's just not going to be possible right

197

so what i've kind of done is what we've been doing

198

this whole time we've given a compliment we've said what we

199

like about it we've said why we can't do this

200

and then maybe we've offered a new direction to go in or something smaller something easier that we can actually do.

201

So I see what you're going for.

202

I see where you're going with this.

203

I can see you thinking, you know, you're thinking big, right?

204

We're thinking big.

205

And in an ideal world, that would be great.

206

But I don't think that's realistic for us right now.

207

This is a common word.

208

It's not realistic.

209

It's not logical.

210

It just can't happen.

211

We just don't have the time, the money, the resources.

212

I don't think that's realistic for us right now.

213

And then at the end, I say, let's focus on a few key improvements we can actually get done before launch.

214

So some real world things we can actually do, things we can actually accomplish.

215

Here's a second dialogue with the same situation.

216

What if we launched in three separate markets at the same time?

217

I like the thinking.

218

It's very ambitious, but I don't think we have the resources to support that right now.

219

Why not?

220

We'd just be stretching ourselves too thin.

221

Yeah, fair enough.

222

Let's start with one market, do it properly, and then expand from there.

223

Okay, so yes, Mark got shot down again.

224

And he has great ideas.

225

They're just not possible.

226

So I said, I like the thinking.

227

It is ambitious.

228

But I don't think we have the resources to support that right now.

229

When you don't have the resources, you don't have the time, money, manpower.

230

You don't have enough.

231

You don't have enough.

232

We just don't have the resources to support that right now.

233

another explanation on top of that we'd be stretching ourselves too thin

234

if I have two workers

235

and they are working on five different projects they are stretching

236

themselves too thin I would rather have two workers working on one project

237

or two workers working on two projects

238

that feels like a normal amount of work not stretching ourselves too thin so let's start with one market, here's my solution, do it properly,

239

and then expand from there.

240

Okay, then we've got one final dialogue, and we're using the same method again.

241

We acknowledge and appreciate, explain the problem, and then redirect with a solution.

242

So I think we should add a few more features before the launch.

243

Okay, I get why you're suggesting that.

244

More features always sounds good, but I think it might slow us down too much at this stage.

245

You think so?

246

Yeah, we risk overcomplicating things.

247

Okay, yeah, I see what you mean.

248

Let's just keep it simple for now and build on it after the launch.

249

Okay, so again, the same method.

250

Appreciate and acknowledge the work.

251

Kat had a bold suggestion.

252

More features.

253

Maybe we're working on an app or program.

254

I get why you're suggesting that.

255

I get is another way to say I understand.

256

I get why you're saying that.

257

I get why you're suggesting that.

258

I get why you're thinking that is a way to acknowledge. But here's the problem.

259

I think it might slow us down too much at this stage.

260

Like before when we suggested we, I'm using that again, it might slow us down.

261

We're a team.

262

We need to work together.

263

I think it might, again, we're softening the problem, it might slow us down too much.

264

My further explanation, we risk overcomplicating things.

265

Risk is a good word.

266

It's not certain, but when you can think about the future or think about the next stages, you can see a potential problem.

267

We risk hitting that problem.

268

So this is my advice based on what I think will happen.

269

We risk is also good because that's me and you.

270

Again, we're collaborating.

271

We risk over-complicating things or making it too complicated.

272

And again, lastly, redirect, suggest an idea instead.

273

Let's keep it simple for now and build on it after launch.

274

Again, we, the team, let's keep it simple for now.

275

For now implies that maybe we can use your idea in the future, but not yet.

276

So still acknowledging Kat's idea.

277

And maybe I like the idea.

278

We're just not ready for it right now.

279

So let's keep it simple for now and build on it after launch.

280

OK, so now you know how to give feedback that's honest, clear and professional without sounding rude or overly negative.

281

Yeah, we think these are the kinds of phrases that make a real difference in workplace conversations.

282

And you can get the full Business English study pack with PDF transcripts, phrases, dictionaries for all of our Business English videos here on High Level Listening.

283

And you can find that in the link in the description below.

284

Yes, which phrases would you like to use at work?

285

Let us know in the comments.

286

We read and reply to every single one we get here on YouTube.

287

And thanks everybody for watching.

288

We'll see you next time on High Level Listening.

289

Bye-bye.

App downloaden

Alles wat je nodig hebt om vloeiend te spreken

AI UitspraakScoor elke zin

IPA OefeningBeheers elk geluid

WoordenschatBouw je woordenschat op

WoordenspelLeren terwijl je speelt

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Zelfde Kanaal

Advanced English Dialogues - British Restaurants & UK Dining Experiences - Real Everyday English

Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

S2 E16: Healthy Eating & Diets - Important Vocabulary in Advanced English Podcast - American British

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

Feeling Stressed? Learn this Daily Vocabulary English

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

B2 Advanced English: Discussion and Debate: Rent or Own?

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

Daily English Podcast: Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert?

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

10 Professional English Vocabulary: Meetings in English and Preparing for English at Work

Business EnglishWorking Adults

English Small Talk Practice: How to Keep the Conversation Going

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

From B1 to B2 English Listening Practice: Deeper Conversations

Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students

Everyday English Conversation: Scrolling, Notifications & Muting | Real-Life English Phone Phrases

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

B2 English Podcast: Discussion and Debate! Comprehensible Input English

Daily ConversationWorking Adults

Let's talk Money! B2 Advanced English

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

B2 C1 English Listening: Aging Parents Advanced Discussion!

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

Real Teachers! B2 C1 English Listening Practice: Social Media

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

Sorry, there's been a mistake! Real Life English Small Talk Conversations

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

Small Talk & Spoken English: Talking about the News!

Daily ConversationWorking Adults

Learn English with Shadowing: Small Talk with Strangers!

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

FOR YOU

Aanbevolen Video

220 zinnen

Improve Your Spoken English in Just 15 Minutes

IELTS PrepBusiness EnglishDaily Conversation

199 zinnen

How to Accept Criticism (Gracefully)

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

284 zinnen

2689 - Don’t Want to Sound Harsh? Soften the Blow with These Phrases

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

99 zinnen

Write Professional Emails in English | Step-by-Step

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

43 zinnen

Genuine advice for a line manager

Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults

62 zinnen

What Makes a GOOD English Teacher?

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

199

22 zinnen

Quick English Shadowing Practice

Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults

366 zinnen

English Podcast For Daily Life English | Conversation Practice | Do We Still Trust Online Reviews?

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

101 zinnen

Business English | Imitation Lesson | Idioms & Vocabulary

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

57 zinnen

What to Say When Someone is Rude in English (with 4 Simple Strategies)

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

Let's Practice English Speaking With Shadowing! (B2 Level)

107

127 zinnen

Let's Practice English Speaking With Shadowing! (B2 Level)

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

386 zinnen

Communicate Better at Work in English | English podcast

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze spreekles op niveau B2 is gebaseerd op de video “English for Professionals: How to Give Criticism Without Offending”. Deze video bevat 289 zinnen en 2726 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 18:13. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 150 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. 87% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden, dus de woordenschat is goed te volgen.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

De 15 moeilijkste woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
compliment zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈkɑmpləmənt/	compliment
revise werkwoord	/ɹɪˈvaɪz/	herzien
soften werkwoord	/ˈsɑfən/	verzachten
acknowledge werkwoord	/əkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ/	bekennen, erkennen
typo zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈtaɪpəʊ/	typefout, tikfout
realistic bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ˌɹɪəˈlɪs.tɪk/	realistisch
redirect werkwoord		bijsturen, verwijzen
softly bijwoord	/ˈsɔftli/	zachtjes, zachtaardig
constructive bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/kənˈstɹʌktɪv/	constructief
positively bijwoord	/ˈpɑ.zɪ.tɪv.li/	positief
ambitious bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/æmˈbɪʃ.əs/	eerzuchtig, ambitieus
quarterly bijvoeglijk naamwoord		per kwartaal
spelling zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈspɛl.ɪŋ/	spelling
scenario zelfstandig naamwoord	/sɪˈnɛəɹioʊ/	scenario
complicate werkwoord	/ˈkɑmplɪkeɪt/	compliceren

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
point out werkwoord		aanwijzen, aanduiden
go down werkwoord		afdalen
shoot down werkwoord		neerhalen
work out werkwoord	/ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/	uitrekenen

Zinnen om te herhalen

Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:

Why am I doing that?
I didn't say, oh, what's wrong?
What do you think's missing?
Could you revise it with that in mind?
Could we restructure it to focus on quarterly figures?

Grammatica in deze video

De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:

Structuur	In de video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — iets dat eerder begon en nog bezig is	they've been working · we've been doing
Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt	has worked · I've missed · have made
Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet	will be included · is laid

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 93 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals we're, don't, you're. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

De klanken “sh” en “zh”: ambitious /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, dictionary /ˈdɪk.ʃəˌnɛ.ɹi/, accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/, appreciation /əˌpɹiː.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/
Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: positively /ˈpɑ.zɪ.tɪv.li/, collaborate /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹeɪt/, collaborative /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, dictionary /ˈdɪk.ʃəˌnɛ.ɹi/

Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:

Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: revise /ɹɪˈvaɪz/, acknowledge /əkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ/, constructive /kənˈstɹʌktɪv/, collaborative /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/, rebuild /ɹiːˈbɪld/
/æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: transcript /ˈtɹæn.skɹɪpt/, ambitious /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/, collaborate /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹeɪt/, lastly /ˈlæstli/, collaborative /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/
/g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: colleague /ˈkɒliːɡ/, grammar /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/

Zo oefen je met deze video

Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als compliment, revise, soften.

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →

Shadowing Practice: English for Professionals: How to Give Criticism Without Offending - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

App downloaden

Job Interview in English | Talking About Your Weaknesses

Learn Real Life English: My Hobbies

Meet New People! Self Introduction in English: Business English at Work

Can you Live without your Phone? English Learning Story B1 B2

Advanced English Dialogues - British Restaurants & UK Dining Experiences - Real Everyday English

S2 E16: Healthy Eating & Diets - Important Vocabulary in Advanced English Podcast - American British

Feeling Stressed? Learn this Daily Vocabulary English

B2 Advanced English: Discussion and Debate: Rent or Own?

Daily English Podcast: Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert?

10 Professional English Vocabulary: Meetings in English and Preparing for English at Work

English Small Talk Practice: How to Keep the Conversation Going

From B1 to B2 English Listening Practice: Deeper Conversations

Everyday English Conversation: Scrolling, Notifications & Muting | Real-Life English Phone Phrases

B2 English Podcast: Discussion and Debate! Comprehensible Input English

Let's talk Money! B2 Advanced English

B2 C1 English Listening: Aging Parents Advanced Discussion!

Real Teachers! B2 C1 English Listening Practice: Social Media

Sorry, there's been a mistake! Real Life English Small Talk Conversations

Small Talk & Spoken English: Talking about the News!

Learn English with Shadowing: Small Talk with Strangers!

Improve Your Spoken English in Just 15 Minutes

How to Accept Criticism (Gracefully)

2689 - Don’t Want to Sound Harsh? Soften the Blow with These Phrases

Write Professional Emails in English | Step-by-Step

Genuine advice for a line manager

What Makes a GOOD English Teacher?

Quick English Shadowing Practice

English Podcast For Daily Life English | Conversation Practice | Do We Still Trust Online Reviews?

Business English | Imitation Lesson | Idioms & Vocabulary

What to Say When Someone is Rude in English (with 4 Simple Strategies)

Let's Practice English Speaking With Shadowing! (B2 Level)

Communicate Better at Work in English | English podcast

Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

Zinnen om te herhalen

Grammatica in deze video

Uitspraak om op te letten

Zo oefen je met deze video

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?