Shadowing Practice: Conversation: I Hate My Job - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hi, welcome to Lesson 6, I Hate My Job.
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You're about to hear a real conversation between
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Joe and me about what it feels like to hate your job and what to do about it.
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Don't worry if you don't catch every word, just listen for the main idea.
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Ready?
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Let's go.
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Hey Joe, you look tired.
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Is everything okay?
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Honestly, I hate my job.
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Oh no, what happened?
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Nothing happened.
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That's the problem.
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Every day is exactly the same.
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Tell me about it.
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I drag myself out of bed at 6, sit in a traffic jam for an hour, then clock in at 9.
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That sounds painful.
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Then it's meetings, emails, paperwork.
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I feel like I'm just going through the motions.
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Going through the motions?
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You mean doing things without really caring?
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Exactly.
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My brain is on autopilot from 9 to 5.
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What about your boss?
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Ugh.
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He micromanages everything.
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He even checks when I take my lunch break.
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That's terrible.
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And the worst part?
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I'm actually good at the job.
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I just don't care about it.
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That must be so frustrating.
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It is.
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I feel stuck in a rut.
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Same cubicle, same small talk at the water cooler, same deadlines.
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Do you get the Sunday night blues?
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Oh, big time.
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Sunday evening, my stomach starts hurting just thinking about Monday.
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That's a really bad sign.
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I know.
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I'm burned out.
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Totally burned out.
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Have you thought about quitting?
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Every single day.
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But I have bills to pay.
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Golden handcuffs, you know?
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Golden handcuffs?
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You mean the salary keeps you trapped?
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Exactly.
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Good pay, but it locks me in.
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So what would you rather do?
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Honestly, I'd love to open a small coffee shop.
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Something I'm passionate about.
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That sounds wonderful.
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Why don't you?
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Fear, mostly.
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What if I fail?
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At least now I can make ends meet.
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But you're miserable.
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I know, I know.
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My friend says I live for the weekend.
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Friday night I'm alive.
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Monday morning I'm dead.
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That's so many people, though.
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Yeah, but I don't want to be so many people.
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I want to follow my dreams while I'm still young.
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Then maybe it's time to make a plan.
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Not quit tomorrow, but start small.
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You're right.
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Maybe I'll take a barista course on weekends.
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Start learning.
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That's the spirit.
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Small steps.
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Thanks, Kristen.
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I feel a little better already.
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Talking helps.
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Anytime.
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And hey, at least you can call it a day now.
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It's Friday.
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The best part of the week.
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Thanks for listening, everyone.
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See you in the vocabulary lesson.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Conversation: I Hate My Job”. This video has 81 sentences and 423 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:42. The speaker talks at a natural 157 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 15 of its 81 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| clock noun | /klɑk/ | A chronometer, an instrument that measures time, particularly the time of day. |
| stomach noun | /ˈstʌmək/ | An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion. |
| dragon noun | /ˈdɹæɡən/ | In European mythologies, a gigantic beast, typically reptilian with leathery bat-like wings, lion-like claws, scaly skin and a lizard-like body, often a… |
| 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… |
| trap noun | /tɹæp/ | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body. |
| painful adjective | /ˈpeɪn.fl̩/ | Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental. |
| anytime adverb | At any time. | |
| deadline noun | /ˈdɛdˌlaɪn/ | A time limit in the form of a date on or before which something must be completed. |
| passionate adjective | /ˈpæʃənɪt/ | Fired with intense feeling. |
| miserable adjective | /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/ | In a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor. |
| paperwork noun | /ˈpeɪ.pɚˌwɝk/ | Routine work involving written documents. |
| 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. |
| handcuffs noun | /ˈhændˌkʌfs/ | A fastening consisting of two metal rings, designed to go around a person's wrists, and connected by a chain or hinge. |
| autopilot noun | /ˈɔtoʊˌpaɪlət/ | A mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| burn out verb | To destroy by fire. |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I feel like I'm just going through the motions.
- You mean doing things without really caring?
- What about your boss?
- Have you thought about quitting?
- You mean the salary keeps you trapped?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the worst · The best |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | starts hurting · Start learning |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 17 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, autopilot /ˈɔtoʊˌpaɪlət/
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 lesson, clock, stomach.
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.