Shadowing Practice: Delegating Tasks to a New Team Member - Learn English Speaking with Video
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1
Arthur, how are you settling in so far?
2
Very well, thanks. Everyone's been incredibly welcoming.
3
I'm glad. I'd like to hand a few tasks over to you.
4
Of course. I'm keen to get stuck in.
5
First of all, the supplier contracts need to be renewed.
6
Three of them are due to expire next month.
7
Would you like me to negotiate new prices as well?
8
Ideally, yes, but don't commit to anything without checking with me.
9
Understood. How much freedom do I have on the terms?
10
Anything up to a five percent increase is acceptable.
11
Beyond that, it has to be signed off by finance.
12
That's clear. What's next?
13
Secondly, I'd like you to take charge of the weekly newsletter.
14
I've never written one, but I'm happy to give it a go.
15
Don't worry. There's a template you can work from.
16
It just needs to be sent out every Friday by noon.
17
And who should I turn to if I run into difficulties?
18
Fiona's your best bet. She used to handle both jobs.
19
Good to know. I'll introduce myself this afternoon.
20
Do. She's ever so helpful once you get to know her.
21
Is that a reasonable amount to take on?
22
I think so, though the contracts sound like the priority.
23
Quite right. The newsletter can wait if you're under pressure.
24
In that case, I'll make a start on the contracts today.
25
Wonderful. Let's review your progress at the end of the week.
26
Perfect. I'll keep a record of where each contract stands.
27
That would be really useful. Any other questions?
28
Not for now. Thanks for explaining everything so clearly.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 28 sentences and 268 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:46. The speaker talks at a natural 151 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| newsletter noun | /ˈn(j)uzˌlɛtɚ/ | A periodically sent publication containing current events or the like, generally on a particular topic or geared toward a limited audience. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| priority noun | /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/ | An item's relative importance. |
| incredibly adverb | /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/ | In an incredible manner; not to be believed. |
| introduce verb | /ˌɪntɹəˈdus/ | To cause (someone) to be acquainted (with someone else). |
| settle verb | /ˈsɛtəl/ | To determine (something which was exposed to doubt or question); to resolve conclusively; to set or fix (a time, an order of succession, etc). |
| commit verb | /kəˈmɪt/ | To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto. |
| difficulty noun | /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ | The state of being difficult, or hard to do. |
| acceptable adjective | /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/ | Worthy, decent, sure of being accepted or received with at least moderate pleasure. |
| keen adjective | /kin/ | Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested. |
| noon noun | /nun/ | The time of day when the Sun seems to reach its highest point in the sky; solar noon. |
| negotiate verb | /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/ | To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement. |
| secondly adverb | /ˈsɛk.(ə)ndli/ | In the second place. |
| supplier noun | /səˈplaɪə/ | One who supplies; a provider. |
| ideally adverb | /aɪˈdi.ə.li/ | In an ideal way; perfectly. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| send out verb | To issue, dispatch or transmit. |
| sign off verb | To log off; to stop using a computer, radio, etc.; especially, to stop talking. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be renewed · be signed · be sent |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Everyone's been · I've never written |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, difficulty /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/, acceptable /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/
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 newsletter, helpful, priority.
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.