Shadowing Practice: BBC - Starting Business English. (1) Introducing yourself - Learn English Speaking with Video
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128 sentences
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1
Thank you.
2
Thank you.
3
Thank you.
4
Good morning, Bybury Systems.
5
Can I help you?
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Good morning, Geraldine.
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Good morning, Jenny.
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Your newspapers and the post.
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Thank you.
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Good morning, Jenny.
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Good weekend? excellent thank you tis cold this morning yes very cold.
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good morning Geraldine good morning mr. Harris.
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your newspaper and your post.
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thank you very much.
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Good morning, Kate.
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Good morning, Jenny.
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How are you?
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I'm fine, thank you.
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Good morning, Jenny.
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Good morning, Don.
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Good morning.
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My name's Edward Green.
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I'm here to see Don Bradley.
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Ah, yes.
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One moment, please.
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hello Jenny Edward Green is in reception please sit down thank you
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are you edward green yes i'm jenny ross
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how do you do hello pleased to meet you welcome to bybury systems thank you
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i'm the head of administration in the marketing department
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My boss is Don Bradley.
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Well, our boss is Don Bradley.
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Let me show you the department.
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This is the marketing department.
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This is my desk.
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That's Don's office he's not here at the moment
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this is your desk telephone PC in tray let me take your coat thanks
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Over here is the stationery cupboard.
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Papers, files, pencils, etc. Help yourself to what you need.
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Here is the photocopier.
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and here is the fax machine and this is the coffee machine would you like a cup of coffee No, thanks.
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Kate, this is Edward Green.
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He's our new marketing executive.
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Ah, yes, Edward.
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Hello.
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Welcome to Bybury Systems Marketing Department.
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Excuse me.
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Hello, Kate McKenna.
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What is Kate's job?
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She is head of sales.
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She is good.
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Where does she fit into the company structure?
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Here's the company structure.
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You see, Don is sales and marketing director and is on the board.
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Kate reports to Don.
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You are here and you report to Don.
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This is the boardroom.
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Here we have a range of products.
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Our toys.
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Come on.
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Let's go to the R &D workshop.
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I'm sorry.
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R &D?
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That's research and development.
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Ah.
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Right.
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Thank you for calling.
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Goodbye.
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The managing director's office is on the first floor.
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Clive Harris.
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We call him Clive.
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Ah, this is Clive's secretary.
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Sally.
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Hello.
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And you have met Geraldine, our receptionist.
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Hi.
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So, this is the research and development department.
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This is Bob. And that's Pete.
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They are research assistants.
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And through here is Derek Jones' office.
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He has a team of six people.
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Derek, this is Edward Green.
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He's our new...
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Please.
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Oh, you're busy.
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Sorry.
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No. Please wait.
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great there finished good do you like it?
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um what is it?
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it's a toy it's a new electronic toy it's very good edward green pleased to meet you
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Derek Jones, welcome to Bybury Systems.
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Thank you.
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Edward Green starts today.
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He's the new marketing executive.
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Oh, yes.
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Is he good?
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I don't know.
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He's young.
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He's intelligent.
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He is well qualified.
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But, of course, he has no experience.
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So, that's the existing product range.
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This is a very new product.
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In fact, this is a prototype.
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What is it?
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It's called Big Boss.
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Big Boss?
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What does it do?
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Look.
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Say hello, Big Boss.
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Hello, Big Boss.
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No. No. Into the microphone.
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Hello, Big Boss.
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Try again.
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Hello, Big Boss.
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Hi, Edward.
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Welcome to Bybury Systems.
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What do you think, Don?
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I don't like this design.
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I agree.
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It's not good.
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I like this one.
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He looks angry.
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Yes.
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I think it's very funny.
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what do you think?
126
what about glasses? That is very good.
127
Good idea.
128
Brilliant.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “BBC - Starting Business English. (1) Introducing yourself”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: edward, Don, boss, green, jenny. This video has 128 sentences and 586 words to shadow. The speech runs for 10:07. 85% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| jenny noun | /ˈd͡ʒɛni/ | A device for spinning thread from fiber onto multiple spindles (also called spinning jenny). |
| desk noun | /dɛsk/ | A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a… |
| telephone noun | /ˈtɛləˌfoʊn/ | A telecommunication device which converts data or sounds (usually speech) into electrical signals which are then transmitted to enable two or more people to… |
| ross noun | A swamp. | |
| coat noun | /ˈkoʊ̯t/ | An outer garment covering the upper torso and arms. |
| goodbye | /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ | Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing. |
| toy noun | /tɔɪ/ | Something to play with, especially as intended for use by a child. |
| intelligent adjective | /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/ | Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright. |
| reception noun | /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃn̩/ | The act of receiving. |
| qualify verb | /ˈkwɑ.lɪ.faɪ/ | To describe or characterize something by listing its qualities. |
| workshop noun | /ˈwɝk.ʃɑp/ | A room, especially one which is not particularly large, used for manufacturing or other light industrial work. |
| sally noun | /ˈsæli/ | A sortie of troops from a besieged place against an enemy. |
| pencil noun | /ˈpɛnsəl/ | A writing utensil with a graphite (commonly referred to as lead) shaft, usually blended with clay, clad in wood, and sharpened to a taper. |
| prototype noun | /ˈpɹəʊtətaɪp/ | An original form or object which is a basis for other forms or objects (particularly manufactured items), or for its generalizations and models. |
| tray noun | /tɹeɪ/ | A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Can I help you?
- He's our new marketing executive.
- I don't like this design.
- I think it's very funny.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 8 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: reception /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃn̩/, workshop /ˈwɝk.ʃɑp/, stationary /ˈsteɪʃəˌnɛɹi/, receptionist /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃə.nɪst/
- Long words — get the stress right: intelligent /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/, stationary /ˈsteɪʃəˌnɛɹi/, receptionist /ɹɪˈsɛp.ʃə.nɪst/
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 jenny, desk, telephone.
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.