Shadowing Practice: Business English conversation practice: at work (advanced level) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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116 sentences
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In today's lesson, you're going to improve your English skills by listening to a conversation
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that takes place in a British office between a boss and his employee.
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Don't worry if you don't understand every single word
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and expression that's used because afterwards we're going to go through all the difficult vocabulary in detail.
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And then it'll be your turn to improve your speaking practice by taking part in that conversation.
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Hi, I'm Steve.
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Let's do this.
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I'd be obliged if that could all be on my desk before the close of play tomorrow.
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OK, bye.
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Hi.
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I need to bring you up to speed on the sales negotiation I've been working on.
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Joke my memory.
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Wasn't that supposed to be all signed off tomorrow?
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It was, but I'm afraid it's gone pear -shaped.
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I don't like the sound of that.
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Sit down, fill me in.
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Even though it was a tough nut to crack, everything was on track, And then out of the blue,
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I received an email saying that the other company was going with a different supplier.
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Let's cut to the chase.
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Did they shed any light on why?
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Not as such.
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But I think it's our projected delivery dates.
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They're uncompetitive.
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OK.
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First, touch base with Jafar in logistics.
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Tell him his top priority is to kick some arse and reduce our shipping times.
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I'll get straight on it.
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Then reach out to their purchasing manager and get me a sit down for this afternoon if possible.
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No problem.
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Finally, get your team together.
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I need a full briefing on this before lunchtime.
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We need to expedite this.
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I'll organise that straight away.
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I'm really sorry about this.
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I'm sure it wasn't your fault and as of yet we haven't lost the deal.
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So let's see if we can resolve it.
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Now let's go through some of those tricky words and phrases that you may not have heard before.
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First we heard the boss on his phone say, I'd be obliged if that could all be on my desk before the close of play tomorrow.
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The word obliged is a very formal way of saying you're grateful or thankful.
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It's not really used much outside of very formal situations.
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He also used the phrase before the close of play tomorrow.
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Before the close of play simply means before the business day ends and everyone goes home.
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Next, we heard the reason why the employee was there.
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I need to bring you up to speed on the sales negotiation I've been working on.
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To bring someone up to speed means to give them the latest details.
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The boss said, jog my memory, wasn't that supposed to be all signed off tomorrow?
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And here, he was simply asking the employee to remind him of something, to jog his memory.
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You can use this expression in both formal and casual conversations, like this.
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I went to watch a football match yesterday.
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Just jog my memory.
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Who was playing?
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It was Liverpool versus Manchester United.
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Next was a lovely expression.
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But I'm afraid it's gone pear -shaped.
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And to go pear -shaped means things haven't gone as you planned them to.
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In this case, the sales deal had gone pear -shaped.
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The boss then said, I don't like the sound of that.
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Sit down, fill me in.
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And this phrasal verb, to fill in, means to inform someone of something.
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The employee then filled in her boss.
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Even though it was a tough nut to crack, everything was on track.
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And then out of the blue, I received an email saying that the other company was going with a different supplier.
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A tough nut to crack is a person or a thing that's difficult to get a good result from.
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Learning English is a tough nut to crack.
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To be on track means everything's going as planned,
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it's running smoothly and out of the blue means to happen suddenly, without any warning.
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The boss wanted answers.
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Let's cut to the chase.
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Did they shed any light on why?
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To cut to the chase means only to discuss the really important things.
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Cut to the chase. Who won?
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Liverpool did.
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The employee answered.
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Not as such.
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I think it's our projected delivery dates they're uncompetitive.
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Not as such is another way of saying not exactly.
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Use it like this.
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Did Liverpool play well?
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Not as such, but we won in the end.
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Next came some strong words from the boss.
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First, touch base with Jafar in logistics, telling his top priority is to kick some arse and reduce our shipping times.
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To To kick some arse means to encourage someone very strongly to do something.
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In the USA, it would be to kick some ass.
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But we're learning British, so it's arse, not ass.
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Kick some arse.
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Next we heard, I'll get straight on it.
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To get straight on something means to deal with it right away with no delays.
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But the boss hadn't finished and said, reach out to their purchasing manager and get me a sit down for this afternoon if possible.
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To reach out means to contact someone, maybe by telephone, maybe by email, to reach out.
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And sit down, it means a meeting where all the people involved are actually present.
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We also heard, we need to expedite this.
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To expedite is a very formal way of saying to do something quickly, to expedite something.
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It's not really used outside of a business or very formal situation.
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Now for the most important part of this video.
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It's your chance to use all that new vocabulary and also boost your speaking skills as you take part in that conversation.
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Your words will appear on the screen as you need them.
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I'd be obliged if that could all be on my desk before the close of play tomorrow.
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Okay, bye.
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Joke my memory.
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Wasn't that supposed to be all signed off tomorrow?
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I don't like the sound of that.
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Sit down, fill me in.
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Let's cut to the chase.
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Did they shed any light on why?
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okay first touch base with Jafar in logistics tell him his top priority is to kick some arse
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and reduce our shipping times Then,
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reach out to their Purchasing Manager and get me a sit down for this afternoon if possible.
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Finally, get your team together.
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I need a full briefing on this before lunchtime.
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We need to expedite this.
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I'm sure it wasn't your fault, and as of yet, we haven't lost the deal.
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So let's see if we can resolve it.
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If you've already subscribed to this channel, you know that new videos come out every week and I love you.
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But if you haven't, just click on the bus, it's that easy to subscribe and that way you won't miss out
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and then click on this link for another great English language lesson.
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I'll see you next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Business English conversation practice: at work”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: boss, sit, tomorrow, arse, kick. This video has 116 sentences and 1158 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:56. The speaker talks at a steady 117 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| formal adjective | /ˈfɔɹməl/ | In accordance with established forms. |
| chase verb | /t͡ʃeɪs/ | To follow at speed. |
| crack noun | /kɹæk/ | A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material. |
| 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… |
| priority noun | /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/ | An item's relative importance. |
| logistics noun | /ləˈd͡ʒɪstɪks/ | The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from their point of… |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| resolve verb | /ɹɪˈzɑlv/ | To find a solution to (a problem). |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| supplier noun | /səˈplaɪə/ | One who supplies; a provider. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| negotiation noun | /nɪˌɡəʊ.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/ | The process of achieving agreement through discussion. |
| strongly adverb | /ˈstɹɔŋli/ | In a strong or powerful manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. | |
| sign off verb | To log off; to stop using a computer, radio, etc.; especially, to stop talking. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| reach out verb | To extend one's hand(s) forward; to reach for something. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| miss out verb | To miss an experience or lose an opportunity, etc. that should not be missed. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Wasn't that supposed to be all signed off tomorrow?
- It was, but I'm afraid it's gone pear -shaped.
- I don't like the sound of that.
- Let's cut to the chase.
- I'll get straight on it.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been working |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't lost · haven't gone · you've already subscribed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be obliged |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 39 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, wasn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thankful /ˈθæŋkfəl/, smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: negotiation /nɪˌɡəʊ.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/
- Long words — get the stress right: priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, negotiation /nɪˌɡəʊ.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/
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 formal, chase, crack.
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.