Shadowing Practice: Directness with Respect: How to Make the Hard Conversations Easy - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
351 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Having crucial, critical, constructive conversations can be challenging for all of us.
2
Today, we'll discuss how to make those easier.
3
My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
4
Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast.
5
Today, I'm super excited to chat with Irv Grosbeck.
6
Irv was the co -founder and co -director of the GSB Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which he helped run for 20 years.
7
And he is the co -author of the textbook New Business Ventures and the Entrepreneur.
8
He teaches conversations and management for the GSB.
9
And for 10 years, he taught managing difficult conversations at Stanford Medical School.
10
He co -founded Continental Cable Vision, later called Media One.
11
He serves on numerous boards and is an owner of the Boston Celtics basketball team.
12
Irv, thanks so much for joining me.
13
I am super excited for our conversation.
14
Matt, thanks for asking me.
15
It's a treat to be here.
16
Yeah.
17
Shall we get started?
18
Let's do.
19
Excellent.
20
You've spent a lot of time as an entrepreneur thinking about entrepreneurship and teaching about it.
21
To your mind, what are the key ingredients, ideas, and actions that lead to success in entrepreneurship?
22
Well, Matt,
23
an entrepreneur to our way of thinking is someone who is looking for opportunity without regard to the resources
24
that he or she currently controls.
25
So many people think, gosh, I don't have much money, I'm going to wait some time, I'm going to build up a little money
26
and then I'll be able to find some business to start
27
or buy and invest in and I'm not going to do that now.
28
And then time passes by.
29
If they think about it that they aren't the capital supplier, they're just the opportunity finder.
30
Then the second key to me is to be sure that you get comfortable with the domain that you're in.
31
Now, what's a domain?
32
It's health care is not a domain.
33
It's a whole aggregation of domains but back office support for hospitals is a domain.
34
There's an old adage that we like to remind students about which is when great management meets a bad business,
35
the business always wins.
36
I love that idea of being an opportunity finder
37
and looking for the right domains and I think that applies in daily life and in the decisions we make.
38
Indeed.
39
What are myths or counterintuitive ideas that you want people to know about entrepreneurship?
40
Well, there's a common perception that still lingers among many people that entrepreneurs are a certain personality type.
41
They're bombastic and they are attracted to risk and they're egotistical.
42
And indeed, the best entrepreneurs are antithetical to that.
43
They are thoughtful people who try to shrink every possible modicum of risk out of what they're doing. And further,
44
to be sure the risk they must assume
45
or choose to assume is execution sensitive rather than what the economists would call exogenous or uncontrollable.
46
Do you think entrepreneurs are born or can they be made?
47
A lot of people think 300 hitters in baseball are born, but boy, some of them get there by hard work.
48
And that's how I feel about entrepreneurs.
49
I had no idea I would be an entrepreneur.
50
I wasn't exposed to any growing up.
51
I didn't even understand or think about that path.
52
So was it in me all the time?
53
I don't know.
54
I rather suspect not.
55
But I came to it.
56
And I think so many of our students I've tracked over the years feel the same way.
57
I believe that all of us can become more entrepreneurial
58
if we allow ourselves and we surround ourselves with the opportunities and the people who can help.
59
You teach courses both at the Graduate School of Business and the Stanford Medical School, where you used to teach, that help students with challenging situations.
60
Of all the various communication challenges you work on with your students, what is one that is most difficult for them to handle?
61
And what coaching do you provide them to help them with that?
62
So I think a difficult one is when they are in a tough conversation and new information comes to light,
63
they don't change position because they worry about how they look.
64
And indeed, if they think about serving the organization, they need to change position.
65
And if it's too hard to change position right there in the spot, The next important thing to do is to tell the person,
66
let's take a deep breath here.
67
I need to reflect on this new information.
68
Let's meet tomorrow at 9 o 'clock and continue this conversation.
69
So certainly changing position is difficult, difficult for all of us,
70
but particularly difficult starting out when many students as entrepreneurs have the imposter syndrome.
71
A second one is really hard for students to be brief,
72
especially when they're uncertain and nervous about the context
73
and the person on the other side of the desk and what they're saying.
74
They tend to be elliptical, to repeat themselves.
75
Brevity conveys conviction.
76
Getting them to say it in a third of the words is something we often ask them during class. And finally,
77
I would say it's really hard for students not to make
78
difficult conversations all about them rather than all about the other person.
79
Difficult conversations are really very little about the person who's the initiator of the conversation in most cases.
80
Focusing on the issue and the other person and his or her needs is counterintuitive.
81
Those are three really important bits of advice that you gave,
82
that we have to not allow our entrenched or previous position to lock us into a way of thinking, especially when new information comes to us.
83
Brevity and allowing ourselves to be other -focused rather than self -focused in these critical conversations is so important.
84
You mentioned the notion of imposter syndrome.
85
I'd love to get your perspective on that.
86
A lot of people listening in, myself included, I have times or bouts of imposter syndrome.
87
How do you help people think about that and perhaps avoid falling into that trap?
88
I've simply said you're well qualified to be in the position you're in.
89
The reason you feel that way may be that you haven't done it before, but you're in a position to do it,
90
and so dig in and do the best you can, and that will most oftentimes be sufficient.
91
I think that notion that novelty plays a lot into it.
92
This is the first time I've done this, or I don't have that experience to rely on.
93
And reminding yourself that that's okay, and in fact, the opportunity is there because of the successes and traits that you demonstrate.
94
Yeah, it's okay and it's normal.
95
It's normal to feel that way.
96
Many of the topics that you teach your students can be very provocative
97
and anxiety -provoking how do you help your students manage those various communication situations that you present them with?
98
So our students, we're lucky enough to be teaching smart students.
99
And if you tee up a problem and ask the students to give you a few,
100
give you some answers to how that problem might be solved, they'll probably come up with pretty good answers despite their lack of experience.
101
And then you say, well, that involves talking to so -and -so.
102
So how would you begin that conversation?
103
Blank looks appear.
104
It's so hard to translate recommendations into effective action.
105
Many students say, hey, how was your weekend?
106
Well, you know, that doesn't set quite the right tone this isn't a jolly social conversation, this is serious stuff that we want to work on together.
107
And so helping them start that conversation, once they get into it, they can probably get going,
108
but setting the tone, setting the first few things you're going to say is really helpful for them.
109
Do you have specific ways you like to suggest that people start these challenging situations, certain words or phrases or just things to think about that could give us guidance?
110
The magic word in many of these conversations is we.
111
If you can have a difficult conversation in which both you
112
and the other person are looking together at the problem
113
or set of issues and trying to find a solution that works for both parties,
114
it makes it non -adversarial or at least lowers the temperature as opposed to you're missing quota,
115
you've got to do better or we'll have to let you go.
116
If I knew, let's assume as a salesperson, if I knew how to do it, I would have already done it.
117
I need help as opposed to I'm going to work with you consistently over the next two months.
118
It'll be obvious both to you and me, whether we're successful together.
119
And I think we will be.
120
If not, we'll have to part ways, but I don't expect that to happen.
121
Well, that's a conversation that is a shot across the bow, but it also says, I'm going to work shoulder to shoulder with you,
122
as opposed to go out there and do better.
123
Absolutely.
124
It's very collaborative.
125
It sounds like you
126
and I have a similar approach to these situations where we
127
need to see the as opportunities to problem solve through collaboration versus just declarations.
128
And it can really make a big difference.
129
I know you use role -playing as a means to teach the skills
130
that you teach and helping people to deal with these difficult conversations.
131
Would you be willing to put me through one of these role -plays
132
and coach me as if I were one of your students?
133
Oh, good.
134
Well, we'll have some fun.
135
So you are Sarah Wilsey, athletic director of the fictitious National University.
136
You manage 32 sports.
137
You have a team of 60, excluding the coaches.
138
You have four associate athletic directors, of which I, Tom Steele, am one.
139
So I had a successful career.
140
I'm a mid -career person.
141
I had a successful career as a Division III athletic director, and I came to National hoping to find a Division I AD job.
142
Your position became open, and I applied for it, but I lost the position in favor of you.
143
So you have received three independent reports from people in your group whom you respect.
144
And those reports all say that I'm bad -mouthing you behind your back.
145
I'm criticizing you.
146
I'm criticizing your decisions.
147
And I'm a real negative influence around here.
148
And so you've gone to your executive coach and said, what do I do? and the executive coach says you have to have a conversation with Tom Steele.
149
You don't joke around, Irv.
150
That's a potent situation.
151
I'm questioning my desire to do this.
152
So this is a puncture in the culture?
153
Yes.
154
At GSB, we talk an awful lot about culture and we talk about the leader of the organization being the culture carrier.
155
Part of that responsibility is to repair punctures in the culture.
156
So I would be thinking about going into this situation, I would be thinking about what's my objective.
157
And my objective is one, I want to make it very clear that this is causing issues within the culture.
158
And second, I want to make it clear that I am here in support of Tom,
159
but that the expectation is that Tom will be supportive of the culture.
160
And if there are issues that he has with me or the organization, that he will bring them up.
161
That's a perfect summary of your goals.
162
Good.
163
We're off to a good start.
164
Thank you.
165
Tom, it's come to my attention that you are expressing concern about the way I'm doing things.
166
Part of my...
167
Wait, who told you that?
168
These are...
169
We have a very open culture here,
170
and I expect and ask for people to give me feedback and insight into what's working and what's not working.
171
And several in the organization have presented conversations where they have heard you talk about disagreeing with,
172
or in some cases, actually insulting my actions.
173
You mean I don't get to know who my accusers are?
174
This is a sort of a blindside.
175
I don't understand this.
176
Well, I'm surprised that you see this as a blindside.
177
We have a culture here where you and I give each other feedback all the time.
178
My goal here is for us to focus on the relationship you
179
and I have and the role that you fulfill within this organization and the impact that your thoughts and actions have.
180
And together, I believe we can come up with a way to not only help you voice your ideas
181
and opinions in a way that I can hear them and direct, but also to continue the culture that we together are building.
182
I think you're doing a great job, and I actually don't know what you're talking about.
183
Well, to me, I've heard in a few instances that
184
when we talked about our new program to offer further education for some of our new members of our team,
185
that you thought that that was a waste of time, that they would learn most by being on the job.
186
Okay, okay, I understand.
187
Well, I want to make one thing clear.
188
Never ever have I criticized you personally.
189
Now, as far as the education initiative goes, You remember that when we discussed it in advance, I didn't think it was a good idea.
190
and yet it was put into place.
191
And so I've simply commented that I didn't agree with the decision.
192
I mean, I don't understand exactly why isn't that normal.
193
It is absolutely normal and appropriate to share opinions and ideas.
194
The tone and timing of those opinions are important, and then they can convey information.
195
As a respected leader on this team,
196
you and all of us in the leadership role need to be very thoughtful about when we voice our concerns and opinions.
197
We are role modeling at all times the culture
198
that we want to be and I hope that you feel comfortable sharing your opinion.
199
I just want to make sure that we don't create an adversarial relationship
200
because I am fully supportive of the work you do for us
201
and I have seen the value that you bring to this organization.
202
Okay, well I understand and I'm in agreement with that.
203
I guess my lips are sealed after the decision.
204
Regardless of how I feel about it, I'll have to suppress my views.
205
I certainly don't want anybody on this team suppressing their views, but I do want us to be all thoughtful about how our views
206
and how we communicate those views might have a broader impact.
207
Wow, you are good, Irv.
208
I am sweating as we have this conversation.
209
Share with me the feedback about how I did or the things that I could do differently or better.
210
I'd love to learn as your students do for you.
211
I thought you were extraordinary.
212
I thought it was very polished yet substantive.
213
This is an actual vignette we teach in class.
214
A couple of things I would have added would include if I kept denying, I would say, I use a phrase like,
215
well, we need to get past denial and talk about the future.
216
So please bring your disagreement after the decision is made only to me.
217
Otherwise, it looks like bad -mouthing the decision and maybe me, even though I know that's not your intent.
218
And then you could have added in at the very end, and this is kind of frosting on the cake.
219
Look, Tom, I want and need your support.
220
I think I'm in a position to support you in your own career goals of becoming a Division I athletic director.
221
I hear of a lot of opportunities and openings.
222
I'm in a position to tell you about them and also to write you letters of referral.
223
I can't do that unless we're working together.
224
So you're really at a crossroads here.
225
I hope we can close ranks.
226
I do respect you.
227
You add a lot of value here.
228
If we can't close ranks, it's going to be necessary to part ways.
229
I really take to heart that notion of naming the behavior that I'm seeing.
230
In our conversation was purposefully not naming some of the things because I was trying not to make the person defensive.
231
If I were to say denial, I felt that might cause the person to be defensive.
232
But in hearing how you said it, I actually see how it punctuates the point
233
and coming to the end of the conversation and being very clear about what's needed, closing the ranks, and the fact that I can support you,
234
but if this doesn't work, we might have to reevaluate.
235
Very helpful.
236
We've talked a lot about talking and what we say.
237
I'm curious to get your opinion on listening.
238
What's the value of listening in these crucial conversations, and what advice do you have to help people listen better?
239
I often compare persuading, which is an essential quality of leadership, with salesmanship.
240
And no one ever bought anything while you were talking.
241
So say what you're going to say and pause.
242
Pauses show respect.
243
They show respect that I want to hear what you want to say
244
and I want to stop talking and I don't wish to dominate this conversation.
245
Open space is really the ally of the person conducting the conversation.
246
We often talk about listening as getting the information you need so that you can process and then communicate.
247
But listening, as you've just shared, demonstrates openness, demonstrates a willingness to listen and seating the floor and showing,
248
I value what you have to say.
249
We are a careers podcast, and I know you have advice for people who are choosing careers or considering changing careers, what career guidance can you share with our listeners?
250
I think in terms of paths.
251
And I often say to the student, I know this is a daunting question and you don't need to answer it now,
252
but it might be useful to go back and think about where you'd like to be in 10 years.
253
I'm thinking as much about context as I am about domain or sub -industry, I'm thinking, do you want to be in charge?
254
Do you want to be one of several partners in charge?
255
Which side of the river are you on, operator or advisor?
256
Are you a consultant, investment banker, commercial banker, other advisor?
257
Or are you running a business or part of a business?
258
That first decision is one that many of our students have not made yet.
259
Thinking about context is particularly useful because it rules out part of the world.
260
Well, I don't think I necessarily want to be the managing partner, but I'd like to be a partner and so forth.
261
Well, you've just ruled out enormous parts of the world.
262
Now come back to where you are and say, what are logical paths to get there?
263
What do I need to do to get there?
264
If I want to be on the operating side of the river, it's not useful for me to get more analytical experience.
265
You know, I was a good analyst before I got to business school.
266
Now I'm an even better analyst.
267
Do I need to do more analysis?
268
No. What do I need to do to be an operator?
269
Well, how about I get into some sort of operating position
270
where I have to do some work of a certain quality
271
or perhaps over a short period of time I get to hire some people and supervise them.
272
So let's not go over to the other side if we don't want to be on that side, and we've already been on it for a long time.
273
Yet, it's amazing how many people take what they perceive to be the safe route.
274
For the first time perversely in their careers, there is no safe route.
275
There are risks at whatever they choose.
276
There was no risk in what college they went to.
277
They got to go to any one of four wonderful colleges.
278
Same with business school, most likely.
279
Same with the jobs in between.
280
This idea of thinking about the future and considering the context to help us make decisions, so many of us play to our strengths and our comfort zone.
281
And the advice you're giving us is to take ourselves out of that and look and be more strategic.
282
Exactly.
283
So, Irv, as we close, I'd like to ask you three questions.
284
One, I make up just for you, and two, I ask all my guests.
285
Are you up for that?
286
I am.
287
As a teacher myself, I know that while we impart lots of information, We also learn a tremendous amount from our students.
288
I'm curious, what is something you've learned or continue to learn from your students that you find helpful?
289
I'm constantly reminded, be careful in the words I choose,
290
irrespective of how supposedly good at this I am.
291
I'm always trying to be better and to choose a better word or a better tone, be more sensitive.
292
They constantly remind me to be that way.
293
Some of their reminders are negative examples, but amazingly, and one of the attractions of teaching is
294
that I actually learn a lot from their phrasing occasionally and their sensitivity.
295
I got an email the other day from a student with a little sort of reminder, if you will, at the bottom.
296
Try to be kind whenever it's possible.
297
Dash.
298
It's always possible.
299
I'm curious for our second question.
300
Who is a communicator that you admire and why?
301
I'm a great Warren Buffett fan.
302
I think Warren Buffett has all of the elements of a great communicator.
303
He can be whimsical, light.
304
He's direct.
305
Now, have I seen him in a lot of difficult conversations.
306
No, a few where shareholders ask barbed questions from the floor, but not very many.
307
I come away from those conversations thinking, boy, what a nice person he is,
308
how smart he is, and how thoughtful he is about new things that he says.
309
I picked up a phrase that he said, we should always be redefining the edge of our competence.
310
What a wonderful idea.
311
Warren Buffett is very approachable, yet you absolutely do not question his credibility.
312
Final question for you.
313
What are the first three ingredients that go into a successful communication recipe?
314
Directness with respect.
315
So many of our students feel quite properly that if you're direct with someone, somehow that's harsh.
316
The art of good conversation management, I think, does involve directness and respect at the same time.
317
The second would be strength with warmth.
318
And by strength, I don't mean power.
319
I mean decisiveness.
320
But I want to convey my decisiveness, not like I'm putting down a fiat that they have to follow,
321
but that this is the path that makes the most sense, and I'd be glad to talk with them about it.
322
I'm soliciting their support for it, and I respect what they've done.
323
I think that those two can go hand in hand, and that is definitely something that the students resist at first.
324
The third one is don't mistake vagueness for compassion.
325
Being vague with somebody is actually not being compassionate.
326
That's particularly true in medical situations where they really want to know where they stand
327
and they deserve to know where they stand in the kindest way.
328
That's true in business settings as well.
329
I think of difficult conversation management as a performance art.
330
I don't go into a difficult conversation unless I've actually said the words in advance.
331
I have talking points.
332
Talking points do not suffice.
333
It's a practice art.
334
I'm not going to go out and play the violin in front of people unless I have the piece rehearsed.
335
So much richness there.
336
Many of us want to be nice and kind, and sometimes that impacts what we really need to do in the circumstance.
337
And I'll end by simply saying, I 100 % agree.
338
Communication is something you have to practice.
339
It's not just talking points.
340
It's not just thinking through things in your head.
341
You actually have to practice the words coming out of your mouth before you enter into the situation.
342
Irv, this has been fantastic.
343
Thank you for your master class on communication.
344
It's been a pleasure, Matt.
345
You're doing great work here.
346
Thank you for including me.
347
Thanks for joining us for another episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
348
This episode was produced by Jenny Luna, Michael Reilly, and me, Matt Abrahams.
349
For more information and episodes, visit gsb .stanford .edu or subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts.
350
Finally, find us on social media at Stanford GSB.
351
We'll be right back.
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
C11
Talk Back: Why Arguing With Yourself Can Help You Flourish
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
Quick Thinks: Network Smarter and Make Better Connections
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
Communication Has An INVISIBLE Layer And It Is Hiding In Plain Sight!
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
Trust the Process: How to Design Teams That Actually Work
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
Want To Make Your Ideas Stick? Make It Into A Meme!
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2What 300 Episodes Has Taught Us
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
REPLACED BY RETHINKS How to Pitch Anything: 10-20-30 Rule by Guy Kawasaki
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C1Small Talk Tips From a Matchmaker: Start Your Story in the MIDDLE!
Business EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
B22
Why Every Question Is A Gift
Business EnglishWorking Adults
C13
Shark Tank's Daniel Lubetzky: The Pitch Mistake That Loses Investors
Business EnglishWorking Adults
C11
A Matter of Meaning: What Other People Teach You About Your Communication
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
Don't Lose the Room: How to Make Ideas Stick
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C1Quick Thinks: A CLEAR Way Through Conflict
Business EnglishWorking Adults
C12
The First 5 Seconds: How to Start a Speech the Moment All Eyes Suddenly Turn to You | AMA
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C14
The Respect Effect: What Stereotype Threat Teaches Us About Communication
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B26
Ask Matt Anything: Don’t Let Your Communication Fizzle at the Finish
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B27
3 Techniques for Managing Speaking Anxiety
Business EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
B23
Message Market Fit: Turning Great Ideas Into Communication That Lands
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
Quick Thinks: How to Have Better Conversations About Aging
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C115
Future You: Unconventional Ways in which Your Future Self Benefits You
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
✨ Recommend Video
B23
43 sentences
Sam Altman explains how to come up with a great startup idea
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
233 sentences
How to Have Difficult Conversations (Even If It's Confronting)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B25
225 sentences
You Need to Act Like a Winner Before You Become One - Alex Hormozi
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
139 sentences
How to Get Good at Small Talk, and Even Enjoy It
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C12
345 sentences
CEO of Addepar Eric Poirier on Lesson from $6 Trillion in Assets
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
577 sentences
Asking Millionaires How They Got Rich! (Silicon Valley)
Business EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
C1480 sentences
Everything Valuable from an MBA in 25 minutes
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B23
314 sentences
Simon Sinek and Trevor Noah on the Quality More Leaders Need To Talk About | Full Conversation
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
151 sentences
How to Drum up New Business
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B210
141 sentences
Why You Need Trust to Do Business: Crash Course Business - Soft Skills #1
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Directness with Respect: How to Make the Hard Conversations Easy”. This video has 351 sentences and 4184 words to shadow. The speech runs for 27:21. The speaker talks at a natural 153 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| entrepreneur noun | /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/ | A person who sets up a business; generally, a person who owns and manages a business and assumes its financial risks. |
| domain noun | /ˌdəʊˈmeɪ̯n/ | A geographic area owned or controlled by a single person or organization. |
| tone noun | /ˈtəʊn/ | A specific pitch. |
| remind verb | /ɹəˈmaɪnd/ | To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person). |
| athletic adjective | /æθˈlɛt.ɪk/ | Having to do with athletes. |
| thoughtful adjective | /ˈθɔːtfəl/ | Demonstrating thought or careful consideration. |
| curious adjective | /ˈkjʊɹ.i.əs/ | Tending to ask questions, or to want to explore or investigate; inquisitive; (with a negative connotation) nosy, prying. |
| rank noun | /ˈɹæŋk/ | A row of people or things organized in a grid pattern, often soldiers. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| feedback noun | /ˈfiːdˌbæk/ | Critical assessment of a process or activity or of their results. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| syndrome noun | /ˈsɪndɹoʊm/ | A recognizable pattern of signs, symptoms and/or behaviours, especially of a disease or medical or psychological condition. |
| demonstrate verb | /ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/ | To show how to use (something). |
| notion noun | /ˈnoʊʃən/ | Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept. |
| podcast noun | /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ | A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| rule out verb | To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler. | |
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. | |
| get past verb | To continue around a blockage; to get around (something); to surpass something that is in the way. | |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. | |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. | |
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Many students say, hey, how was your weekend?
- Wait, who told you that?
- You mean I don't get to know who my accusers are?
- What do I need to do to get there?
- Do I need to do more analysis?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if I kept denying, I would say |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | You've spent · I've tracked · I've simply said |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are attracted · are born · wasn't exposed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who is · about which is · people who try |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 115 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: athletic /æθˈlɛt.ɪk/, thoughtful /ˈθɔːtfəl/, myth /mɪθ/, warmth /wɔɹmθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: notion /ˈnoʊʃən/, entrepreneurship /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ.ʃɪp/, crucial /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/, associate /əˈsoʊʃi.ət/, occasionally /əˈkeɪʒənəli/
- Long words — get the stress right: entrepreneur /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/, entrepreneurship /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ.ʃɪp/, operator /ˈɑpəˌɹeɪtɚ/, communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/, ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/
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 entrepreneur, domain, tone.
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.