Shadowing Practice: Real Workplace English | Real Conversations & Listening Practice (A2–B1) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

Elke modus opent een volledig scherm oefenruimte.

303 zinnen
Als zinnen te kort of te lang zijn, klik op Bewerken om ze aan te passen.
1
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Mr. English Channel, where learning English is easy and fun.
2
I'm Emily.
3
Hello, Emily.
4
Hi, everyone.
5
I'm Paul, and I'm glad you're here.
6
Emily, have you ever felt new and experienced at the same time?
7
Oh, yes.
8
You've worked for years, but at a new job, you can't even find the meeting room.
9
And your first big question is where people keep the coffee.
10
Today we're talking about starting over at work without starting from zero.
11
Exactly.
12
Maybe you've changed teams or returned after time away.
13
The place is new, but you bring useful experience.
14
On my first morning somewhere new, my brain says they hired the wrong person.
15
How do you answer that?
16
I'd ask what happened that morning.
17
Did you make a serious mistake, or did someone use five words you hadn't heard before?
18
Usually the second one.
19
A manager once said, put it in the usual folder.
20
Everyone nodded, so I nodded.
21
There was no usual folder in my world.
22
That's a good example.
23
They knew the folder because somebody showed them.
24
You didn't have less ability, you had less information about that workplace.
25
Right, but nodding felt easier than stopping the meeting.
26
I didn't want my first contribution to be, sorry, what does that mean?
27
Try a smaller question.
28
Which folder do you mean?
29
I'd like to put it in the right place.
30
That sounds like someone who cares about doing the task.
31
It doesn't sound like someone asking the whole room to explain computers.
32
And it's easy to answer.
33
Sometimes a simple question feels huge in our head.
34
Still, there are moments when the question really is big.
35
What if you don't understand how the whole team works yet?
36
Then choose a person and a time.
37
You might say, could we spend 10 minutes on how this process works?
38
I'd like to understand the main steps.
39
So I don't need to solve every unknown during the first group meeting.
40
I can notice the gap and arrange a useful conversation.
41
Yes.
42
Think about a woman named Rosa.
43
She managed a busy restaurant for years, then joined an office team that plans deliveries.
44
She'd probably know a lot about busy days and upset customers, but the office software could still make her feel completely lost.
45
That's what happens.
46
On Tuesday, she takes a long time entering an order.
47
A co -worker does the same thing in two minutes.
48
Oof, I'd compare those two minutes with my 20 minutes and decide I was terrible.
49
It's such an easy comparison to make.
50
Sure, but Rosa's comparing her second day with somebody else's third year.
51
That speed shows what practice can build.
52
Fair point.
53
Although she still needs to learn the system.
54
Feeling better won't make the order appear on the screen by itself.
55
Absolutely.
56
She asks her co -worker to demonstrate one order slowly.
57
Then she tries the next one while the co -worker watches and catches a missed step.
58
That makes the help practical, and Rosa can write down the steps so tomorrow she has something better than a nervous memory.
59
Right.
60
Later that day, a customer calls about a delay.
61
Rosa listens, keeps her voice calm, and asks what the customer needs most urgently.
62
There's the restaurant experience.
63
She's learned how to listen when someone is frustrated.
64
She didn't leave that skill behind with her old uniform.
65
Exactly.
66
She still checks the delivery facts with a teammate.
67
Being good with people doesn't mean she should guess a date he doesn't know.
68
I like that balance.
69
She can say, let me check the delivery time before I promise anything.
70
She's honest and still helping.
71
And the customer gets a useful next step.
72
Experience often shows up in how you handle a problem, even before you know every local detail.
73
What about someone who used to be the person everyone asked?
74
Losing that place on a team can hurt more than learning new software.
75
It can.
76
You may miss being useful without trying so hard.
77
At your old job, people already knew they could trust you.
78
And in the new place, nobody knows about the big problem you solved last year.
79
You have to introduce yourself all over again.
80
Yes, and that can feel lonely.
81
But you don't have to tell your whole work history at lunch to prove you belong there.
82
Good, because please enjoy my sandwich and my 12 greatest achievements isn't the warm introduction I'd choose.
83
What would you say instead?
84
Something simple.
85
I worked with customers before this, so I'm excited to learn how your team handles orders.
86
It connects your past with your interest now.
87
That's easier to respond to.
88
Someone might say, oh, then you'll understand why our afternoon calls get busy.
89
Now there's a real conversation.
90
And you can be curious about them, too.
91
How long have you been on this team gives the other person room to share.
92
But what if lunch is quiet?
93
A new person might hear silence and think, they don't like me, I've made a bad first impression.
94
I'd be careful with that story.
95
People may be tired, busy, or shy themselves.
96
One quiet lunch doesn't tell you what a whole team thinks.
97
So maybe tomorrow I ask one person about their weekend, instead of trying to win over the entire lunch table.
98
That's a smaller social step.
99
Exactly.
100
Getting to know people takes repeated little moments.
101
Learning the work takes those moments too.
102
You won't see every kind of progress immediately.
103
Which brings me back to Rosa.
104
At the end of that first week, what could she notice besides how slowly she still enters orders?
105
She could notice that she knows who checks delivery times, can find the right folder,
106
and handled a difficult call without making a promise she couldn't keep.
107
Those are real changes, and each one gives her a clearer picture of the next question she needs to ask about doing the job well.
108
That next question matters, because knowing where to ask can save a lot of worry.
109
Who should I check with about this?
110
Is useful English at work?
111
Useful, yes, but how do I avoid asking the busiest person every time?
112
I don't want my learning plan to become someone else's full
113
day ask about the team's way of handling questions is there a good time for quick questions
114
or should I send them in a message that gives them a choice and
115
if they say messages work best I can send something
116
they can actually answer without a long conversation exactly include what you're doing and where you're stuck I'm entering this order.
117
I've added the address, but I can't find the delivery option.
118
That's much clearer than, help the system hates me, even if the second version describes my feelings pretty well on some mornings.
119
You can keep that version for a friend.
120
With a co -worker, a clear question makes it easier for them to give clear help.
121
Let's let listeners hear the difference in a short practice conversation.
122
I'll be new on the team, and you'll be my co -worker.
123
Ready?
124
Ready.
125
We're practicing a question about an order now.
126
Hey, Paul, how is that customer order going?
127
Is anything holding you up?
128
I've entered the items, but I'm unsure which delivery option to choose.
129
Could you show me how you decide between these two?
130
Sure.
131
This one is for local deliveries.
132
The other one goes outside the city.
133
Which address is on the order you're working on?
134
It's outside the city, so I'll choose the second one.
135
Thanks.
136
Is there a page where I can check these rules next time?
137
Yep, I'll send you the guide.
138
And that's the end of our example.
139
You asked for help and found something you could use later.
140
I also explained my understanding before moving on.
141
But should I do that every time?
142
Repeating every instruction could get annoying pretty quickly.
143
True.
144
I'd use it when the choice matters or when I'm unsure.
145
Just to check, this option is for addresses outside the city, right?
146
Good.
147
And if I think I've understood but haven't, that's a small chance for the other person to catch it before the customer gets a surprise.
148
Exactly.
149
Now, a different challenge comes up when you know another way to do the task.
150
Your old workplace handled it differently.
151
Ah, the dangerous sentence, At my old job, we did this better.
152
I've heard that one.
153
It doesn't make people eager to listen.
154
No, because it judges their work before you understand it.
155
A better question is, what's the reason we do this step first?
156
And there might be a reason I can't see yet.
157
Perhaps a customer needs that information early, or another team depends on it.
158
Yes.
159
Once you understand, you can offer something specific.
160
We used a shared checklist on my last team.
161
Would something like that help here?
162
That leaves room for an answer.
163
They might already have one, or they might explain why a shared checklist didn't work for them.
164
And if they say no, you can learn from the answer.
165
Bringing experience doesn't mean every old method needs to move with you.
166
That's hard when your old method made you feel capable.
167
Sometimes I'm defending an idea because I'm really trying to defend my own value.
168
I understand that.
169
Before suggesting a change, ask yourself what problem it would solve here.
170
If you can't name one, keep observing for a while.
171
What if I can name a problem, but I'm new and nobody asks my opinion?
172
Do I have to wait for an invitation?
173
You can ask for a small opening.
174
I've noticed two people enter the same information.
175
Could I ask whether both steps are needed?
176
That's concrete.
177
It also allows for the possibility that both steps matter.
178
I haven't arrived with a speech about fixing the entire company.
179
Right.
180
And for our listeners, if these work conversations help you, subscribe to Mr. English Channel and like this episode.
181
We practice everyday English together.
182
And leave a comment with one skill you'd bring to a new job.
183
Maybe you're good at explaining things, noticing details, or keeping people calm.
184
Those examples raise a useful question.
185
How do you describe a skill when your old job title sounds very different from your new one?
186
I'd start with an action.
187
Instead of saying only, I worked in a restaurant, Rosa could say, I helped customers when their orders went wrong.
188
Yes, and if someone asks for more, she can tell a short example.
189
I checked what happened, explained the options, and helped them choose.
190
That's easier to picture than, I'm an excellent communicator.
191
But let's be honest, a person can be good with customers and still struggle with co -workers.
192
Definitely.
193
Skills need adjusting.
194
Rosa may be used to answering quickly during a busy meal.
195
Her new team might need written details before making a decision.
196
So her experience gives her a place to begin, but she needs to learn when to slow down and explain more on the page.
197
Exactly.
198
She could ask, what information makes these messages useful for your team?
199
Then compare an example with a message she's about to send.
200
And she should be allowed to have ordinary weak spots.
201
We don't need to turn every past experience into a hidden special talent.
202
I agree.
203
Sometimes you simply haven't learned something yet.
204
I haven't used this tool before.
205
Where would you suggest I begin?
206
Is a fair sentence.
207
I appreciate that.
208
It gives me a way to be honest without turning my whole work story into either a sales pitch or an apology.
209
And that honesty can shape a realistic plan.
210
Instead of promising to master everything this month, choose the tasks you need most often.
211
How do I choose when everything looks important?
212
New jobs can come with a long list and every item seems to have an urgent little star.
213
Start with the person who guides your work.
214
Ask, what are the two most important things for me to learn this week?
215
I'd also ask what doing them well looks like.
216
Otherwise, I might spend two days making a report beautiful when they only need clear numbers.
217
Yes.
218
Could you show me a good example?
219
Helps you see the goal.
220
Then ask when they expect you to handle that task on your own.
221
That last part feels uncomfortable.
222
What if the answer is tomorrow and I'm nowhere near ready?
223
I don't want to agree just because I'm nervous.
224
Then explain the gap while there's time to help.
225
I can complete the first part.
226
I still need practice checking the final details.
227
Could we review one together?
228
That gives the managers something specific to respond to.
229
It's much more useful than quietly hoping tomorrow will bring an entirely different version of me.
230
Yes, tomorrow's you still needs today's instructions.
231
And if the deadline can't move, you can ask which parts someone should check before you send the work.
232
Let's give listeners a moment to practice.
233
Imagine your manager gives you a new task, but you don't know when they need it.
234
What could you ask?
235
Take a moment and say your question out loud.
236
You don't need a long sentence.
237
Just ask for the information that's missing.
238
You could say, when do you need this by?
239
Or, what's the deadline for this?
240
Both questions ask when the finished work is needed.
241
And if you're doing two tasks, try, which one should I do first?
242
That question helps you learn the team's priorities while you plan your time.
243
Good.
244
Practice is finished, and I have a question about mistakes.
245
Suppose Rosa chooses the wrong delivery option, even after writing down the steps.
246
First, she checks who needs to know and whether the order can still be corrected.
247
A mistake affecting a customer needs attention, even if admitting it feels awful.
248
So she might say, I selected the wrong delivery option for this order.
249
Can we change it before it goes out?
250
That's clear and direct.
251
Yes.
252
Then, after the immediate problem is handled, she checks why she missed it maybe her note didn't include the address check at all.
253
In that case, adding that step helps.
254
But if she already had a good note and rushed past it, writing a longer note won't solve much.
255
True.
256
She might need to pause before sending each order or ask for a quieter place to learn when the desk gets busy.
257
That's a useful difference.
258
The next action should fit what actually happened.
259
Otherwise, I'll try harder becomes the whole plan, and nothing really changes.
260
Exactly.
261
At the end of the week, she can keep a short record.
262
One task she can do, one question she still has, and one next step.
263
I like keeping it short.
264
A person learning a job doesn't need another hour of work at home to prove they're serious about learning.
265
Agreed.
266
You can make the note before you leave, then close it.
267
Rest matters, too, especially when a new place demands so much attention.
268
That attention can be tiring in surprising ways.
269
Even remembering names and deciding where to sit can use energy you didn't expect to spend.
270
Yes, so avoid judging the whole job after one exhausted evening.
271
Eat something, rest, and look at the situation again when you can think more clearly.
272
But sometimes the situation really is a problem.
273
What if nobody explains anything and asking a normal question gets you laughed at every day?
274
That's different from ordinary first -week discomfort.
275
Write down what's happening and speak with a manager you trust or the person responsible for supporting employees.
276
And if the manager is part of the problem, look for another available support person.
277
Being new doesn't mean you have to accept being treated badly.
278
Exactly.
279
A learning plan needs a workplace where learning is possible.
280
Your effort matters, and so do the conditions around you.
281
That feels fair.
282
We can encourage people to take useful steps without suggesting that every difficult workplace will improve if they just smile more.
283
Yes, and in a supportive workplace, you can let yourself be a learner for a while.
284
You don't need to earn your entire place again every morning.
285
I think of Rosa answering that difficult call.
286
She wasn't ready for every task, but she had something useful to give on a day that still felt messy.
287
That's a kind way to see a beginning.
288
You can bring patience from one job, careful habits from another, and still need help finding the right button.
289
Especially the right button.
290
This week, I hope listeners ask one clear question and notice one thing their experience already helps them do.
291
And let those be specific.
292
Maybe you asked about a deadline.
293
Maybe you explained a problem calmly.
294
Small, honest evidence can help confidence grow.
295
Thanks for spending this time with us on Mr. English Channel.
296
Keep practicing these questions and give yourself room to learn your new surroundings.
297
We'll be here with more everyday English and real conversations.
298
I'm Emily, and I'm glad we could share this moment with you.
299
Take care, everyone.
300
And I'm Paul.
301
Thanks, Emily, and thanks, everyone.
302
Keep learning, be kind to yourself, and we'll see you next time.
303
Goodbye.

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

Zelfde Kanaal

FOR YOU

Aanbevolen Video

Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze spreekles is gebaseerd op de video “Real Workplace English”. Deze video bevat 303 zinnen en 2892 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 18:11. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 159 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. 86% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

15 woorden uit de video die het leren waard zijn, met uitspraak en betekenis:

WoordUitspraakBetekenis
worker zelfstandig naamwoord/ˈwɝ.kɚ/arbeider, arbeidster
workplace zelfstandig naamwoord/ˈwɝkˌpleɪs/werkplek, arbeidsplaats
folder zelfstandig naamwoord/ˈfoʊldɚ/hechtmap, map
solve werkwoord/sɒlv/oplossen
listener zelfstandig naamwoord/ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/luisteraar, toehoorder
compare werkwoord/kəmˈpɛɚ/vergelijken
skill zelfstandig naamwoord/skɪl/bekwaamheid, vaardigheid
deadline zelfstandig naamwoord/ˈdɛdˌlaɪn/termijn, deadline
nod werkwoord/nɑd/knikken
defend werkwoord/dɪˈfɪnd/verdedigen
everyday bijvoeglijk naamwoord/ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/alledaags
ordinary bijvoeglijk naamwoord/ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/gewoon, alledaags
instruction zelfstandig naamwoord/ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/onderwijs
earn werkwoord/ɝn/verdienen
meal zelfstandig naamwoord/ˈmiːl/maaltijd

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

WoordBetekenis
write down werkwoordopschrijven, neerschrijven
go out werkwoordnaar buiten gaan
slow down werkwoordafremmen

Zinnen om te herhalen

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

  • How do you answer that?
  • Which folder do you mean?
  • What if you don't understand how the whole team works yet?
  • What would you say instead?
  • Which address is on the order you're working on?

Grammatica in deze video

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

StructuurIn de video
Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog teltYou've worked · you've changed · have you been
Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doetis frustrated · are needed · should be allowed
Betrekkelijke bijzinnen who / which + zin — extra informatie over een persoon of dingsomeone who cares · someone who used · person who guides
Mogelijkheid met “might / may” might/may + werkwoord — iets is mogelijk maar niet zekermight say · may miss · might hear

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 92 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals I'm, don't, I'd. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

  • De klanken “sh” en “zh”: instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/, contribution /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/, patience /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/
  • Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/, priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, contribution /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/

Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:

  • Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: solve /sɒlv/, nod /nɑd/, defend /dɪˈfɪnd/, encourage /ɪnˈkʌɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/, depend /dɪˈpɛnd/
  • /æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: practical /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/, badly /ˈbæd.li/, habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/, sandwich /ˈsæn(d).wɪd͡ʒ/
  • /g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: goodbye /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/, eager /ˈiɡɚ/, exhaust /ɪɡˈzɔst/

Zo oefen je met deze video

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

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 →