Shadowing Practice: Communication Tips for Performance Reviews: What to Say in Your Performance Review - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
101 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
In this video, we're going to talk about communication tips for your performance review, specifically your yearly performance review.
2
I'll go through what to say in your performance review so you can approach it with clarity and confidence, hopefully leading you to getting a great performance review.
3
I've got a few videos coming out in the coming weeks on getting a promotion, so if you are interested in those videos, make sure you subscribe and hit the notification bell too.
4
Why do we even need performance reviews?
5
Well, there are a number of reasons why they're important first
6
it helps your employer know about your success it helps you get feedback about your performance at work
7
and it helps you think critically about how you can improve
8
and grow as a professional performance reviews only happen a couple
9
of times a year they're usually a one -on -one conversation with your direct boss
10
but it's really important
11
that you get them right here's what you need to do to be prepared for your performance review
12
so you can ace your performance review number one highlight your
13
achievements it's really important to start of the performance review conversation on a positive note.
14
And when you talk about your achievements, when you talk about your strengths, you look excited, you look positive.
15
Your boss will pick up on this vibe and they will know that you just love your job.
16
But the main problem is you might find it difficult to think about things
17
that you've achieved or to be confident when you're talking about them.
18
Now, I know for a fact that there are things you should be proud of in your career.
19
There are things that you have achieved in your professional life.
20
You just need to remember them for that performance review.
21
For example, maybe in the past year, you successfully organized a webinar for your company, or maybe you got a difficult client to pay their invoice on time.
22
The win you have, the achievements that you think of, it will depend on your specific job and on your role.
23
But I want you to start thinking about this
24
and I want you to choose one to two achievements you've
25
had over the last three to six months in your professional life and use the PCOR method.
26
P stands for project.
27
So what was the project?
28
C stands for challenges.
29
What challenges did you face?
30
O stands for overcome.
31
How did you overcome those challenges?
32
R stands for results.
33
What were the results you generated?
34
Using the PCOR method, it will help you to talk about your achievements with your manager
35
and to highlight them in a way that makes them more prominent, Which leads us to the next point where you talk about how you have progressed.
36
What did you learn in those achievements you just told your boss about?
37
What have you learned generally since your last performance review?
38
Or what are the biggest lessons in the projects or the teams you've worked in?
39
Talking about your progress can help your manager understand how you have grown as a professional.
40
What you've learned, how you've improved.
41
Sometimes your boss might not see this.
42
Sometimes they might overlook the things that you've achieved.
43
They're so busy in their job, it's really easy for them to just overlook these things.
44
But it's up to you to highlight this to them, to bring it to the forefront so they cannot deny it.
45
And so they can see all the fantastic achievements that you've made.
46
Highlighting your progress like this in the performance review meeting makes it obvious to them.
47
And it makes you more memorable as a professional.
48
So before your performance review, think of three to five skills that you have learned since your last performance review
49
and use before and after examples like this.
50
Before working on project XYZ, I had never been in charge of a group project before.
51
Now I know how to clearly communicate goals to people,
52
get them motivated to work towards those goals and set specific deadlines to work towards so we can achieve the desired result.
53
The third strategy is to talk about areas you can improve
54
on in a professional's life there will always be areas
55
that you can improve on it's part of having a learning
56
mindset don't be the person who thinks they don't need to learn anything
57
because they are already great at everything
58
if you are like this you will get the reputation of being egotistical you need to recognize
59
and talk about the areas that you can still improve on
60
and make sure you discuss this during your performance review
61
so to prepare think Think of one to two areas that you need to improve on.
62
Think back to projects that you've worked on, where did your weaknesses lie?
63
And talk about those areas of possible improvement in your performance review.
64
It could be a role related skill or it could be a soft skill.
65
For example, when I was organizing the webinar, I felt I could have managed my time better.
66
This is something I'd like to work on and improve on in the next three to six months.
67
And I'd like to take a course that will teach me good time management skill.
68
Do you see how I've talked about a weakness, as well as your intent to improve on that weakness, a time frame in which you want to improve on that weakness,
69
and a hint at L &D opportunities that you would like?
70
You can also link this to your career goals, for example.
71
For our next performance review in 12 months' time, I want to have led a project with a bigger team.
72
I feel I did a great job leading five people, achieving the goals I aimed for, and I'd like to strengthen my team management ability with a bigger team.
73
So to sum up, when you talk about areas that you would like to improve on, it makes you look like a proactive, dedicated professional and will definitely win you points in your performance review.
74
The fourth tip is to ask about future plans of the department or your company.
75
This shows that you have interest in the big picture and helps you understand how you, as a professional, are linked to that big picture as well.
76
This is great information for aspiring leaders or anyone who wants to advance in their career.
77
When it comes to future plans, you can also reference information you've read or you've heard about.
78
Simply ask, what are the main goals for our company in the next 12 months?
79
Or what are the main goals for our department in the next 12 months?
80
These questions will definitely make you look like you are interested in the progress of your company
81
and you might be surprised at the information you can uncover.
82
If you've done a good job with the first three points I discussed in this video, then your boss will feel a lot more comfortable and confident revealing this information to you.
83
Number five is to ask about future expectations.
84
This highlights your proactiveness and your willingness to learn and employers respond really, really well to this.
85
They want to know the people they've hired are invested in their own growth, are invested in their own success, just like the company is when they recruited you.
86
And it also helps you understand what will be expected of you in the future?
87
What skill set will you be required to develop?
88
What level of responsibility will you be required to have?
89
And does this tie in with your future career goals?
90
Now, if your employer does not provide any opportunity for you to grow, if they do not want to discuss your growth or learning or development in that company,
91
then you might need to rethink your current position.
92
The reality is you might not be working for the right company to help you achieve the goals
93
that you want to achieve.
94
Now I don't say this lightly.
95
I don't recommend anyone to just go out there and quit their job.
96
But if your current employer isn't offering any learning and development opportunities, if they don't want to invest in your future growth and career progression, then you may need to rethink,
97
are you working for the right company?
98
So when you finish your performance review, I want you to walk away with three to five future
99
expectations for yourself three to five expectations your boss has of you.
100
Now, if you're nervous in your performance review because your boss makes you nervous, you need to watch this video right here where I teach
101
you how to speak confidently to people who make you nervous at work.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B11
495 sentences
How to talk about Salary Expectations in english| ✅ English podcast
Business EnglishWorking Adults
C1116 sentences
Performance Marketer Interview Questions and Answers
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
23 sentences
LET'S DO A YAP CHALLENGE!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
25 sentences
How To Keep Your Top Performing Employees | Jack Welch
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B21
214 sentences
How To Engage Audience In Presentation - Jason Hewlett
Business EnglishWorking Adults
![Professional Communication Skills [BUSINESS COMMUNICATION PRO]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WESGDi_ajUU/mqdefault.jpg)
B14
156 sentences
Professional Communication Skills [BUSINESS COMMUNICATION PRO]
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B12
32 sentences
How to Make Clear and Concise Points
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B21
104 sentences
Give me 8 minutes, and I'll improve your sales skills by 176%
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B21
125 sentences
The #1 Career Mistake Women Keep Making
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B25
140 sentences
Mock Interview Preparation: Common Questions with Feedback!
Business EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
B241 sentences
When Your Yearly Feedback Doesn’t Match Your Performance Score #corporate #animation
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B13
260 sentences
Employee Profile | Learn English Easily and Quickly Episode: 1
Business EnglishWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Communication Tips for Performance Reviews: What to Say in Your Performance Review”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: performance, review, improve, goals, achievements. This video has 101 sentences and 1472 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:41. The speaker talks fast, about 191 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 90% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 17 of its 101 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 |
|---|---|---|
| weakness noun | /ˈwik.nɪs/ | The condition of being weak. |
| expectation noun | /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ | The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen. |
| rethink verb | /ɹiːˈθɪŋk/ | To think again about something, with the intention of changing or replacing it. |
| webinar noun | /ˈwɛb.əˌnɑː/ | An interactive seminar conducted via Internet. Usually a live presentation, lecture or workshop that happens in real time, as users participate through… |
| overlook verb | /ˈoʊ.vɚˌlʊk/ | To offer a view (of something) from a higher position. |
| organize verb | /ˈɔɹɡənaɪz/ | To arrange in working order. |
| aspire verb | /əˈspaɪɚ/ | To have a strong desire or ambition to achieve something. |
| confidently adverb | /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/ | In a confident manner; with confidence; with strong assurance; positively. |
| egotistical adjective | /ˌi.ɡoʊˈtɪs.tɪk.(ə)l/ | Tending to talk excessively about oneself. |
| invoice noun | /ˈɪnˌvɔɪs/ | A bill; a commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer indicating the products, quantities and agreed prices for products or services that the seller has… |
| proactive adjective | /pɹoʊˈæk.tɪv/ | Acting in advance to deal with an expected change or difficulty. |
| proactiveness noun | The state or condition of being proactive. | |
| uncover verb | /ʌnˈkʌvɚ/ | To remove a cover from. |
| dedicate verb | /ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪt/ | To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate. |
| forefront noun | /ˈfɔːfɹʌnt/ | The leading position or edge. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come out in verb | to be afflicted by (a visible disruption of the body) |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
| pick up on verb | To notice, observe, learn, or understand, especially something otherwise overlooked. |
| sum up verb | To produce a total by adding. |
| tie in with verb | To become associated with (a person or group of people); to connect with. |
| walk away with verb | To win (a competition or contest) handily or by a large margin. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Why do we even need performance reviews?
- What challenges did you face?
- How did you overcome those challenges?
- What were the results you generated?
- What skill set will you be required to develop?
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 | you've achieved · have achieved · have progressed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are linked · are invested · will be expected |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | person who thinks · anyone who wants · people who make |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might find · might not see · might overlook |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 30 contractions and reduced forms, such as you've, don't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: rethink /ɹiːˈθɪŋk/, strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, progression /pɹəˈɡɹɛʃən/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/, egotistical /ˌi.ɡoʊˈtɪs.tɪk.(ə)l/, critically /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kə.li/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like weakness, expectation, rethink.
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.