Shadowing Practice: 5 Things Successful Managers Discuss Every Week - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Let me ask you something.
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Why do some teams move fast, make sharp decisions, and grow consistently while others sit in meetings every week and still feel stuck?
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It's not because they work harder, it's because they meet smarter.
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Because one well -structured meeting can align an entire team, and one messy meeting can confuse everyone.
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So today I'm going to show you five powerful meeting points
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that top leaders discuss every single week to turn meetings into execution machines,
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not just discussions, along with how you can actually implement them in your own team.
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First, progress on key goals, not just updates.
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The first thing every leadership meeting must cover is progress, but with purpose.
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Most managers often say, work is going on, things are improving.
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That's not helpful.
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Instead, ask, what were last week's goals?
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What was actually completed?
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And what's the gap?
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Focus especially on revenue -generated, number of new customers acquired.
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For example, at Amazon, meetings are extremely data -driven.
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Instead of vague updates, teams present clear numbers.
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Revenue growth, customer acquisition, and conversion rates.
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That's why they scale so efficiently.
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How you can apply this?
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Ask every manager to come with data, not opinions.
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Use a simple format, planned versus achieved, gap and reason.
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For example, we planned $10 ,000 revenue, achieved $7 ,000.
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Gap due to delayed client onboarding.
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Now your meeting becomes data -driven, not emotion -driven.
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Second, roadblocks and challenges, plus promotions.
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People don't fail because they are incapable.
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They fail because they are stuck.
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And if your meeting doesn't uncover those stucks, you're missing the whole point.
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What to discuss, what's stopping progress, what decisions are pending, and where do you need help?
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And also, promotions and growth opportunities.
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Because nothing kills motivation faster than feeling stuck in the same role.
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For example, look at Google.
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Google encourages employees to openly share challenges, even questioning leadership decisions.
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That's why innovation flows.
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And they also promote from within, keeping employees engaged and ambitious.
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How you can apply this?
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Create a safe space where managers can speak honestly.
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Solve problems instead of blaming people.
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Discuss promotions regularly.
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For example, should we promote XYZ to team lead based on performance?
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That's how you build a growth -driven culture.
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Third, key metrics and numbers.
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That matter, including policies.
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If you're not discussing numbers, you're just having a casual conversation.
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But here's the catch.
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Not all numbers matter.
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You must focus on decision -making metrics and also align them with company policies.
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What to discuss?
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Two to three key metrics per department, trends, improving or declining, and policy -related issues.
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Track only decision -making metrics.
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Sales, revenue, conversion rate, HR, retention rate, hiring time, operations, delivery time, error rate.
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Also discuss policies, because sometimes the system is the problem.
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For examples, consider
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Tesla led by Elon Musk.
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Tesla tracks critical metrics like production numbers and delivery timelines.
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At the same time, they constantly refine internal policies to improve efficiency.
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How you can apply this?
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Identify three key metrics per team, review weekly trends, ask, is any policy creating delays?
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For example, if approvals require three levels, reduce it to one.
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That single policy change can double speed.
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And as we're talking about making meetings more structured, clear, and result -driven, or for someone who is struggling with structuring meetings, handling team challenges,
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let me quickly share something
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that can make a huge difference in how you manage your meetings and make them 10x more effective.
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If you're a manager or working professional, you've probably experienced this.
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You finish a meeting and then spend the next 20 to 30 minutes trying to remember what exactly did we decide?
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Who was supposed to do what?
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Or in some cases, even misunderstood.
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That's exactly where Transcriptor comes in.
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Here's how simple it actually is.
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First, you just copy your ongoing meeting link and paste it into Transcriptor.
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It actually joins your meeting automatically as a bot, so you don't have to worry about recording anything manually.
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While your meeting is happening, it stays there silently in the background, capturing everything being discussed.
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And once the meeting ends, it instantly gives you a complete transcript of the conversation.
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Not just that, it also creates a clear summary, highlighting key decisions, action items, and important points.
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One feature I personally find very useful is talk to your meetings.
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You can literally search through past meetings or ask questions like, what decision did we take last week?
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And instantly get answers directly from the conversation.
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So instead of going through long notes, you get exactly what you need in seconds.
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This is extremely helpful for client meetings, project discussions, and decision tracking.
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Basically, it turns all your discussions into a searchable knowledge system, so nothing gets lost.
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Plus, it offers enterprise -level security, so it's reliable for professional use.
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And if you want to try it out,
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you can sign up using the link in the description with your work email and get 300 minutes for free.
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So instead of just having meetings, you actually start capturing, organizing, and using them effectively.
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Fourth, team and people updates plus programs.
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Remember, businesses don't grow, people do, and people grow businesses.
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Ignoring team dynamics is one of the biggest leadership mistakes.
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What to discuss, performance issues, high performers, conflicts and employee engagement,
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and also programs, training, skill development, and team building.
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For example, look at Microsoft under Satya Nadella.
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He didn't just focus on profits.
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He focused on people development and learning culture.
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That's what transformed Microsoft.
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How you can apply this?
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Recognize top performers.
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Fix conflicts early introduce weekly or monthly programs.
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For example, this week we'll conduct a negotiation skills workshop.
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That's how you build a strong and capable team.
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Fifth, priorities for the next week, clear action plan plus wins.
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Now comes the most powerful part and the most ignored one.
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Without clear priorities, meetings become endless discussions with no execution.
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Before ending, every manager should answer, what are your top three priorities for next week?
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What outcomes are expected? And ownership.
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And don't forget to celebrate victories.
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Because recognition fuels motivation.
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For example, Apple teams operate with clear weekly priorities.
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Every project has defined goals and clear ownership.
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They also celebrate product launches as major wins, boosting team morale.
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How you can apply this.
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Ask each manager, what are your top three priorities?
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Define expected results.
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Review them in the next meeting.
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For example, let's say your team achieved 20 % increase in sales and completed a major project.
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Celebrate it in the meeting.
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Even leaders like
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Jeff Bezos emphasize recognizing achievements to maintain momentum.
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How to actually make this work?
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Let's make this practical.
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Step one, fix a weekly meeting slot.
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Consistency builds discipline.
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Step two, use a standard agenda template.
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Follow the same five points every week.
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Step three, track everything clearly.
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Document everything.
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This is where a transcriptor helps.
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Step four, focus on execution.
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Meetings are not for talking.
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They are for decision -making.
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And most importantly, improve every week.
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At the end of the day, leadership is not about how long you meet.
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It's about what changes after the meeting.
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Because one clear meeting can solve problems, align teams, and drive growth.
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And one unclear meeting can waste time, create confusion, and kill momentum.
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If you found this video valuable, don't forget to share and subscribe for more insights like this.
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Because leadership isn't about doing more.
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It's about doing the right things every week.
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And also, make sure you check out Transcriptor if you want to level up the way you manage and capture your meetings,
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so nothing important is ever missed.
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Thanks for watching, and check out our next video on What 4
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Things High Performers Do Differently.
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Click here to watch it next.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “5 Things Successful Managers Discuss Every Week”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: meeting, example, decision, clear, metrics. This video has 142 sentences and 1290 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:52. The speaker talks at a steady 146 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| metric adjective | /ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/ | Of or relating to the metric system of measurement. |
| priority noun | /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/ | An item's relative importance. |
| capture verb | /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/ | To take control of; to seize by force or stratagem. |
| promotion noun | /pɹəˈmoʊʃn̩/ | An advancement in rank or position. |
| execution noun | /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/ | The act, manner or style of executing (actions, maneuvers, performances). |
| performer noun | /pɚˈfɔɹmɚ/ | One who performs for, or entertains, an audience. |
| align verb | /əˈlaɪn/ | To form a line; to fall into line. |
| ignore verb | /ɪɡˈnɔː/ | To deliberately not listen or pay attention to. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| solve verb | /sɒlv/ | To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out. |
| delay noun | /dɪˈleɪ̯/ | A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity. |
| ownership noun | /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/ | The state of having complete legal control of something; possession; proprietorship. |
| define verb | /dɪˈfaɪn/ | To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly. |
| conversion noun | /kənˈvɝʒən/ | The act of converting something or someone. |
| instantly adverb | /ˈɪnstəntli/ | At once; without delay. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| sign up verb | To add a name to the list of people who are participating in something. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Instead, ask, what were last week's goals?
- How you can apply this?
- That's how you build a growth -driven culture.
- That's how you build a strong and capable team.
- Ask each manager, what are your top three priorities?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was actually completed · being discussed · are expected |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've probably experienced · has defined |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 16 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, promotion /pɹəˈmoʊʃn̩/, execution /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/, ownership /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/, conversion /kənˈvɝʒən/
- Long words — get the stress right: priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, execution /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, momentum /ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/, recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like metric, priority, capture.
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.