Shadowing Practice: Finally, A Desk That Feels Different - Learn English Speaking with Video

This right here is the most minimal looking but functional desk setup I've ever had.

My name is Edward Lee and I'm a content creator based in Seattle

and if you follow this channel you know

that I've had quite a few desk setups over the years and even set ones up for others.

But it's been kind of a long time since I've worked on a desk setup and it's because I got busy, they started to all look the same, and it just wasn't as fun for me anymore.

But I recently came across the Grovemade desk.

First things first, let's tour my current desk setup itself.

For computer screens, I'm using two Apple Studio displays.

One is a VESA mounted version with a monitor arm to use in a vertical orientation, and the other is a height until adjustable model.

Now the studio display is a nice monitor but to be totally honest I mainly bought it for the aesthetics.

For audio though we have the same Audio Engine A2 Plus speakers

that I've been using for pretty much over five years now and they've held up super nicely and still sound great.

I'm no audiophile but these are perfectly fine for me.

So for the MacBook docking and hub we have the CalDigit TS4.

This allows me to get more out of my MacBook

so I can dock it and have more ports like I need like Thunderbolt ports, USB ports, SD card slot, headphone jack, and Ethernet.

Now to the right of that I have my MagSafe coaster.

Now this is a product that I designed myself

and I actually have units to sell but it doubles as a mag charger and also a coaster.

It's kind of a neat little thing that I made.

I feel like it's a V1 of what could be but honestly it's pretty functional.

I've been using it a lot.

For keyboard and mouse we have an Apple keyboard Apple trackpad on the left

and a Logitech MX Master 4 on the right.

Now all of these peripherals are sitting on top of the matte Grovemade studio pad in black and walnut.

Now this desk mat I must say is easily one of the nicest products Grovemade has ever made

and not only looks amazing but it also has a lot of functionality.

It allows you to have quick access to things you can kind of prop up like an iPad

or your phone or some notes.

It also has a good track system here for pens or small storage for things while you're working.

Now, where this desk really shines and what you probably clicked on this video for is what's underneath.

Now, for starters, we have this massive desk drawer that has a ton of storage and function.

And for my setup, this is where I dock my MacBook with a hidden cable that is fed through the back.

I also use this drawer to store my ipad and my headphones

and even though i don't pull it out all the way i have access to things

that i need on a regular basis like my ssds remote controllers sd cards

and pens the best part all of these accessories are plugged into the integrated power strip

so there's only one cable that leaves the desk into the wall to power everything

but a little more on cable management later you see Grovemade has been in the desk accessory space for many years now.

Why did it take them so long to make a desk?

And the simple answer, what they really wanted to make didn't exist on the market yet.

So they had to start from scratch.

I had the chance to talk with the designers at Grovemade in person about the design challenges they overcame

and how intentional they had to be to create this desk.

And in my opinion, for any premium product to be considered worth it, it needs to be solving problems.

Not only does it need to be solving problems to make things more convenient or enjoyable, it needs to do it in a way that's stylish,

in a way that's designed well.

What went on behind the scenes at Grovemade to bring this desk to life?

How did they merge function and design into one.

Now challenge number one was storage.

So a lot of these sit -stand desks don't have enough storage

and we noticed our customers struggling with that so we had ideas how to increase it.

There's a couple issues right if you do a big drawer it'll hit your legs

because they're yeah like if there's a drawer right here

or something and then imagine the visual right so

if there's a typical drawer here it's just way too heavy yeah from the visual balance standpoint

because you have these skinny legs and a heavy top

so we we had this concept of hey we can solve these storage issues

and make it beautiful

if it was super thin in the front like a wedge

instead of having a drawer that's just on the side

and tall when you spread

that drawer out across the whole width of the desk you're

able to have even more space at a thinner profile yeah

and most of the stuff people are storing in there is not very thick anyways

and a lot of things

that grove did the past was they tried to like force our users into not overfilling their storage

which is a problem that you know even i suffer from it's like

if i have a drawer near my desk like i'll put objects in there like old boxes old pens

if i'm in a hurry i'll just toss stuff in there

So we wanted this drawer to be very like purposeful so that it would help people organize in a very thoughtful way.

And Ken talked with me about the inspiration he had that led to this drawer setup.

I got these new cabinets at home in my kitchen and my buddy put in these very, very wide drawers and everything is there.

You got silverware and all that stuff.

Instead of like pulling something out, putting it back, pushing the drawer floor, pulling another drawer out or rummaging through stuff, you can just pull it out and all your tools right there yeah

and we thought that kind of feeling would translate

because kitchen you're you're cooking right you're accessing tools same thing

at work yeah challenge number two was cable management now there

are hundreds of videos online of people wire managing their desk with all kinds of miscellaneous tools

that you find online i even made a video a few years back

that blew up because there weren't any good solutions at the time

but all the existing wire management solutions

that these companies have been thinking of they they always feel

like a bit of an afterthought like a like a last minute shopping cart add -on or

or a slap on product yeah i'm pretty sure everyone who watches like they know this all too well cables

that are hanging down cable managers i've done it on

so many desks now yeah it's usually a nightmare

because you either have to like crawl under

and then you have to like stick something underneath the desk

then you're like your next killing you yeah like get the stuff upside down

or it's on the back side which then then you have to pull the desk off the wall.

Yeah, or like squeeze behind the wall to get to it.

Then you get to the back, whatever cable manager system.

Yeah, this was a really fun exploration that actually involved some prototypes that are pretty sweet that are still kicking around.

But initially we started with like a fixed solution, like most core management solutions are, where it's like a trough or a gutter that's on the bottom of the desk, and then you're cladding it with something.

Well, one breakthrough was Sean, our lead designer, I saw him working on some kind of cable management on his own desk.

He was prototyping something.

And I had noticed that he had actually rolled under his desk without getting out of his chair.

So he had raised his desk so high he could just roll under.

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And I actually was able to slide under it in my office chair

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and work on stuff as opposed to like laying on the floor

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or like having to pull the desk out and go behind it.

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So that's when we started really latching onto this idea of like, okay, the front needs to be able to open hey we can get to it from the front and what

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if we build an access panel right that's crazy now it is a bit of an odd feature

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that the desk can go this high but it makes so much sense because

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we've always crawled underneath the desk to do the wire management but

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if you need to cable manage all your wires are here

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there is a power strip right here with usbc ports i

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think there are one two three four five six six outlets search protected

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which is nice cable management is probably one of the biggest things

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when it comes to a clean desk setup

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and growth made you know ken and sean they thought about

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that the fact that you can fit underneath here

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while sitting on a chair

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and you don't have to be on your knees like messing

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up your back in a really uncomfortable position to tuck your wires.

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Game changer.

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Now challenge number three was trying to not make it look like a machine.

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All sit -stand desks on the market have this very similar look and feel.

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They have two legs, sometimes four.

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They have visible remote on the left or right side.

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Now Ken didn't want to make it look like a machine.

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He specifically told me

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that he wanted to make it look like a piece of

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furniture before grove made i was an independent furniture designer maker oh okay

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and that's uh still kind of a hobby of mine i

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just love furniture specifically with these kind of sit -stand desks the aesthetic can be really challenging

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because you got the motor

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you have this certain look where it kind of looks like a machine

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so that was one of our design objectives is to kind of transcend

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that feeling where it's a mechanical device we want it to be furniture

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so we we had this concept of hey we can solve these storage issues

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and make it beautiful if it was super thin in the front like a wedge

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so from the side this is like a perfect triangle right

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and we obsessed with getting the front of this to be this five eighths of an inch right

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so when you look at the desk it basically can accomplish a lot functionally

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but it's not bulky looking yeah right most of these sit

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stand desks they have these uh handset these controllers these handsets

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that are mounted yeah they're usually like a little controller right here

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that you can visibly see yeah and it's got like presets

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or buttons or whatever but in my opinion

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that reinforces this image of the sit stand desk is like a machine

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and that is not what we wanted we wanted to be a piece of furniture

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so what we did is we hit it it's kind of a controversial move

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But I really wanted to see this super slick, continuous line without breaking it up.

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like once you see this it's kind of hard to it's kind of kind of hard to imagine

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but just in case i i did get a little nervous

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that not everyone's as fanatical as me so there are holes

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so you can mount it yep here

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but me personally i i hide it the premium woods hidden drawer track hidden remote

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and magnetic cable cover all help this piece look more like a piece of furniture

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that can live next to other premium home pieces i think grovemaid has managed to merge high quality design,

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function, and material all into one with the desk, which for a small business based out of Portland, Oregon, that's not an easy task.

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So who is this desk even for?

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Actually, who is this desk not for?

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After some testing, I can tell you right now

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that this desk isn't for the person that's just trying to simply stand up and sit down while working.

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It's not for the person that doesn't care about a minimal desk setup that's functional

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and it's definitely not for the person who doesn't care about premium build quality

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but if you do care about those things

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and you are in a position to purchase this desk this might be the perfect desk for you

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and I know for me personally this is not for everybody

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but for me the desk that I work at

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and sit at is very important to me

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and I would pay good money to have a nice chair

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or a nice desk or nice monitors because I spend so much time at my desk.

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It's quite literally a good portion of how I make my money.

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And so I don't want to be spending 12 hours a day

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if I need to at a desk that's uncomfortable

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or a chair that's uncomfortable or just

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if I can make my money back by having a more premium experience while I'm working, I'm definitely always going to take that route.

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Links to the desk itself from Grovemade and all the accessories in this video are in the description.

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Peace.

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373 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “Finally, A Desk That Feels Different”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: desk, drawer, cable. This video has 173 sentences and 2312 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:05. The speaker talks fast, about 191 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
desk noun	/dɛsk/	A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a…
drawer noun	/dɹɔɹ/	An open-topped box that can be slid in and out of the cabinet that contains it, used for storing clothing or other articles.
furniture noun	/ˈfɝ.nɪ.t͡ʃɚ/	Large movable item(s), usually in a room, which enhance(s) the room's characteristics, functionally or decoratively.
wire noun	/ˈwaɪɚ/	Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die.
premium noun	/ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/	A prize or award.
solve verb	/sɒlv/	To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out.
underneath adverb	/ˌʌndɚˈniθ/	Below; in a place beneath.
mount verb	/maʊnt/	To get upon; to ascend; to climb.
thin adjective	/ˈθɪn/	Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
designer noun	/dɪˈzaɪnɚ/	A person who designs something, or who designs things as a profession.
remote adjective	/ɹəˈməʊt̞/	At a distance; disconnected.
pen noun	/pɪn/	A tool, originally made from a feather but now usually a small tubular instrument, containing ink used to write or make marks.
monitor noun	/ˈmɑ.nɪ.tɚ/	Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone.
functional adjective	/ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃənəl/	In good working order.
uncomfortable adjective	/ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/	Not comfortable; causing discomfort.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
blow up verb	To explode or be destroyed by explosion.
come across verb	To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition.
get out of verb	To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.
hold up verb	To wait or delay.
kick around verb	To abuse or mistreat; to bully; to be rough with.
sit down verb	To assume a sitting position from a standing position.
stand up verb	To rise from a lying or sitting position.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	I've been using · have been thinking
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if you do a big drawer it'll hit · if i'm in a hurry i'll just
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've worked · they've held · has ever made
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is fed · are plugged · be considered

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 38 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, thin /ˈθɪn/, thick /θɪk/, eighth /eɪtθ/, aesthetic /ɛsˈθɛ.tɪk/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: inspiration /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, controversial /ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl/, exploration /ˌɛkspləˈɹeɪʃən/, shine /ʃaɪn/, accomplish /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/
Long words — get the stress right: uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, accessory /əkˈsɛs.(ə.)ɹi/, inspiration /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, mechanical /məˈkænəkəl/, controversial /ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl/

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 desk, drawer, furniture.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Finally, A Desk That Feels Different - Learn English Speaking with Video

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