Shadowing Practice: Business English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
I’m seriously thinking about quitting my job and starting my own business.
2
Do you think I should go through with it?
3
That sounds interesting, but what’s your motivation?
4
Mainly it’s about independence.
5
I’ve always seen myself as an entrepreneur, but I’ve never taken the jump and actually tried to make it happen.
6
If you’re really serious about it, I’d suggest investing some time in market research, so that you can be sure that a market for your product actually exists.
7
Make sure that there is enough demand to make it worth your while.
8
That’s a good point.
9
I feel like I have a clear business plan but I haven’t really done much market research.
10
Thanks for the advice.
11
What else would you suggest?
12
Well, I’d say you should make sure to secure enough funding before launch so that you can deliver high quality to your customers.
13
Nothing damages a brand quicker than average performance.
14
That makes sense.
15
How about products?
16
Do you think I should focus on a small number at first, or go for a wide range?
17
Personally, I think it’s best to focus on a small number of products at first, just to make sure that they are of the required quality.
18
Once you have built up your customer base with these core products, you can roll out other offerings to diversify your sources of income.
19
That will help to protect you in times of uncertainty.
20
So, you think I should try to get feedback from my customers too?
21
To find out what they like and dislike?
22
Absolutely.
23
You should get feedback from your customers and your staff when you have them.
24
Constant feedback allows problems to be identified and resolved quickly.
25
This is better for all parties.
26
Thanks, Jill.
27
This has been really helpful.
28
Maybe you should start your own business!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Business English Conversation”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: customer, product, feedback. This video has 28 sentences and 304 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:27. The speaker talks at a steady 124 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 7 of its 28 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| feedback noun | /ˈfiːdˌbæk/ | Critical assessment of a process or activity or of their results. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| invest verb | /ɪnˈvɛst/ | To spend money, time, or energy on something, especially for some benefit or purpose; used with in. |
| motivation noun | /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/ | Willingness of action especially in behavior. |
| resolve verb | /ɹɪˈzɑlv/ | To find a solution to (a problem). |
| uncertainty noun | /ʌnˈsɜːtənti/ | Doubt; the condition of being uncertain or without conviction. |
| entrepreneur noun | /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/ | A person who sets up a business; generally, a person who owns and manages a business and assumes its financial risks. |
| dislike verb | /dɪsˈlaɪk/ | To have a feeling of aversion or antipathy towards; not to like. |
| diversify verb | /daɪˈvɝ.sə.faɪ/ | To make (something) diverse or varied in form or quality; to give variety to (something) to distinguish by numerous aspects or differences. |
| customer noun | /ˈkʌs.tə.mə/ | A person or company who purchases or receives a product or service from a business or merchant or intends to do so. |
| jump verb | /d͡ʒʌmp/ | To propel oneself rapidly upward, downward and/or in any horizontal direction such that momentum causes the body to become airborne. |
| launch verb | /lɔːnt͡ʃ/ | To throw (a projectile such as a lance, dart or ball); to hurl; to propel with force. |
| secure adjective | /səˈkjʊɹ/ | Free from attack or danger; protected. |
| mainly adverb | /ˈmeɪnli/ | Of a person or thing being the driving force influencing the outcome of an event; chiefly; certainly for the most part. |
| offering noun | /ˈɔfəɹɪŋ/ | The act by which something is offered. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
| go through with verb | To carry out (something planned or promised); to proceed with or continue with. |
| roll out verb | To deploy or release (a new film or software, etc.); to launch (a product or service), especially in a gradual fashion across multiple regions. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Do you think I should go through with it?
- That sounds interesting, but what’s your motivation?
- What else would you suggest?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 7 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'd, I've, haven't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, uncertainty /ʌnˈsɜːtənti/, entrepreneur /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/, diversify /daɪˈvɝ.sə.faɪ/, independence /ˌɪn.dɪˈpɛn.dəns/
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 feedback, helpful, invest.
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.