Shadowing Practice: Asking for a Raise: The Budget Is Frozen - Learn English Speaking with Video
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28 sentences
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1
Come in, Rachel. You wanted a quick chat?
2
Yes, thanks for making the time. Um, I'll get straight to the point.
3
I'd like to talk about my salary.
4
Oh! Okay... that's not what I was expecting.
5
Go on, I'm listening.
6
Over the past year, I've taken on a lot more responsibility.
7
I took over the Hartley account when Steve left.
8
And I've trained both of the new hires in my team.
9
That's true. The Hartley people love you, actually.
10
So I've been looking at what similar roles pay elsewhere.
11
I think a twelve percent increase would be fair.
12
Well... I'll be honest with you, Rachel.
13
The budget's been frozen until January. My hands are tied.
14
With respect, I've been told that every year.
15
I know, and I'm sorry. It's not the answer you deserve.
16
It's just hard to feel valued when nothing changes.
17
What if we looked at this a different way?
18
I'm open to ideas. What did you have in mind?
19
I could ask HR for an exception and get you five percent now.
20
Then we'd do a full review in January, with a senior title.
21
Hmm... five now, and a proper review in January?
22
Exactly. And I'll back you all the way.
23
Okay. Could we put that in writing, though?
24
Ha! You really have done your homework, haven't you?
25
Well, I learned from the best.
26
Fair enough. I'll email you this afternoon.
27
Thank you, Daniel. I really appreciate it.
28
And thank you for being so honest. That took guts.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Asking for a Raise: The Budget Is Frozen”. This video has 28 sentences and 251 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:42. The speaker talks at a steady 148 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 6 of its 28 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 12 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| elsewhere adverb | /ˈɛlsˌʍɛɹ/ | Synonym of somewhere else: in, at, or to some other place. |
| hire verb | /ˈhaɪɹ/ | To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment. |
| salary noun | /ˈsæləɹi/ | A fixed amount of money paid to a worker, usually calculated on a monthly or annual basis, not hourly, as wages. Implies a degree of professionalism and/or… |
| exception noun | /əkˈsɛpʃən/ | The act of excepting or excluding; exclusion; restriction by taking out something which would otherwise be included, as in a class, statement, rule. |
| twelve noun | /twɛlv/ | A group of twelve items. |
| homework noun | /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/ | Exercises assigned by a teacher to a student which review concepts studied in class. |
| freeze verb | /ˈfɹiːz/ | Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature. |
| guts noun | /ɡʌts/ | The entrails or contents of the abdomen. |
| email noun | /ˈiˌmeɪl/ | A system for sending messages and datas by means of a computer network, primarily the Internet, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and the Internet… |
| deserve verb | /dɪˈzɝv/ | To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have. |
| chat verb | /ˈt͡ʃæt/ | To be engaged in informal conversation. |
| tie verb | /taɪ/ | To twist (a string, rope, or the like) around itself securely. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take over verb | To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You wanted a quick chat?
- What if we looked at this a different way?
- What did you have in mind?
- Could we put that in writing, though?
- You really have done your homework, haven't you?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've taken · I've trained · budget's been frozen |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | been frozen · I've been told |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 14 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, I've, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 elsewhere, hire, salary.
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.