Shadowing Practice: Day In my Life as a Software Engineering Intern at Google - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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What's up guys?
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My name is Jonathan.
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I'm a software engineering intern here at Google.
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And this is kind of what the typical day of my life looks like.
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- Pa, pa, pa.
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Oh, no. I usually get to the office kind of late, around 10am each day, but I'm not slacking, it's because I get off work pretty late too.
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In the morning, I usually take care of admin work, like responding to emails and chats and scheduling meetings as fast as possible.
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Then I try to jump into a little bit of coding if I can.
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I'll grab a bit of a snack and get back to work.
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Each floor has a micro kitchen that's pretty stacked.
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It has a variety of different snacks and also drinks.
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and as well as like coffee and tea.
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This summer I'm on the Borglet team, which basically means I'm doing internal infrastructure work for Google.
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Google's internal jobs run on millions of machines across their data centers,
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and our job is to write the code that runs on each of those machines to handle all of Google's complex workloads.
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It's really challenging, complicated, complex, work.
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This is my first time doing infrastructure work and it's been pretty hard
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but honestly really really fun and rewarding when things actually work.
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Around noon, I'll grab lunch with my team or with my intern friends at one of the various cafes.
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They have like 20.
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And the food at Google is actually really good, especially Sunnyvale.
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Today was one of the worst days,
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I'll be honest, but And after lunch,
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I'm not really a coffee person, but I usually grab a little caffeine fix from one of the cafes to keep me going through the afternoon, through the afternoon slump.
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It tastes like banana chocolate.
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Can you see me?
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Yeah.
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It's pretty good.
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Little fourths.
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Little thirds.
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Sorry, little thirds.
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One, two, three.
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In the afternoon, I usually hit a long work session where I'll write a bunch of code and write some design docs.
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Yeah, just the meat of my work happens in the afternoon.
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And the way that Google internships work is that each intern usually has one or two projects that they complete of the summer.
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Each intern also is assigned a host and a co -host, which are pretty much your mentors during the internship.
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I got lucky and I sit right next to my host
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and co -hosts and I'm able to ask them for help a lot of the times and they're really chill.
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There's a midpoint presentation in the middle and a final presentation to a big audience at the end of the internship.
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Beautiful here at Google, they're really insane.
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And the for preparing for my midterm or my midpoint.
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presentation So every intern has to give a midpoint and a final presentation.
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on their project so I'm preparing for my midpoint presentation coming up soon.
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Just going over some slides that we made for it.
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Google also has a ton of amenities for employees.
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There's a massage chair.
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My body.
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Okay.
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Yo, let's massage me, bruh.
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Yeah, there's massage chairs.
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There should be like one or two on every floor as well as a nap pod.
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That's kind of the cool amenities that Google has for employees.
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games in, like pool, there's like an arcade over there.
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I work at the Sunnyvale office, which is their second largest office in terms of headcount, and the campus is beautiful.
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Sometimes I take a break to walk around the campus while no one is around and it's really pretty.
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Garden is really pretty, there's like flowers and stuff, there's a community garden, Just so pretty up here It's like a mini park.
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on top of the parking structure.
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Usually finish work around 6 :00 or 6 :30 and I'll hit the gym.
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I didn't film it because it's not allowed but
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basketball court because how could I not even though I'm kind of trash at basketball.
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But yeah, after that I'm usually pretty exhausted from the day's work plus exercising
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so I'll finally head home and get rest for the next day.

Context & Background

In this video, Jonathan shares his experiences as a software engineering intern at Google, highlighting his daily routine, work environment, and the challenges he faces in his role. As an intern in a prestigious tech organization, he provides insights into both his professional responsibilities and the collaborative atmosphere at Google. Jonathan details how he manages his workload, interacts with mentors, and navigates the unique perks and amenities available to employees. This context sets the stage for an understanding of the technical and interpersonal skills necessary for success in a high-pressure, innovative workplace.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Can you help me with this?" – A polite way to request assistance from colleagues or mentors.
  • "I’m looking forward to our lunch meeting." – Expresses eagerness for team bonding or project discussions over lunch.
  • "Let’s schedule a quick sync-up." – A professional request to arrange a brief meeting to discuss progress or expectations.
  • "I’m preparing for my midpoint presentation." – A phrase that conveys a proactive approach to accountability and feedback.
  • "This work is challenging but rewarding." – Reflects a positive mindset amidst difficult tasks, encouraging resilience in work environments.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

For English learners seeking to enhance their speaking skills through shadowing techniques, the following step-by-step guide will enable effective practice based on Jonathan's dialogue:

  1. Choose a Shadowing App: Select a platform that allows you to listen to audio clips while following the transcript. This can be helpful in maintaining consistent practice.
  2. Listen and Repeat: Start by listening to the phrases mentioned above. Pause after each phrase to repeat what you hear. Focus on mimicking Jonathan's intonation and rhythm for authentic pronunciation.
  3. Practice in Context: Use the phrases in your own sentences related to daily activities or work scenarios. For example, try to create a dialogue using "Can you help me with this?" in a mock work setting.
  4. Record Your Speech: Use a voice recorder to capture your attempts. Listening back gives you insight into areas needing improvement, such as clarity and accent.
  5. Consolidate Your Learning: Integrate these phrases into your daily conversations, aiming for fluency. Engage in English speaking practice with peers or mentors to enhance your confidence.

Shadowing enhances comprehension and speaking skills, making it an effective method for IELTS speaking practice. By implementing these techniques, you can develop your shadow speech capabilities, ensuring you're well-prepared for both academic and professional environments.

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.