Shadowing Practice: Handing Over Work Before a Holiday - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Oliver, thanks for covering for me next week.
2
No problem at all. Where are you off to?
3
Portugal, for ten days. I can't wait.
4
Lovely. So, what do I need to know?
5
There are three things you'll need to look after.
6
First, the Henderson order has to go out on Monday.
7
Has the customer already paid for it?
8
Yes, they paid last Friday, so it's ready.
9
Second, please check the team inbox every morning.
10
What should I do if something is urgent?
11
If it can't wait, pass it to Priya.
12
She's dealt with most of these customers before.
13
All right. And what's the third thing?
14
The monthly report is due on the fifteenth.
15
I've already written most of it.
16
So I just need to add the final numbers?
17
Exactly. I've left clear notes in the shared folder.
18
Brilliant. That'll make my life much easier.
19
Can I ring you if I get really stuck?
20
Only if it's a real emergency, please.
21
Fair enough. You deserve a proper break.
22
Thanks. I haven't had a holiday since last summer.
23
Then switch your phone off and enjoy it.
24
I will. I've already set my out-of-office message.
25
Is there anything else I should know?
26
I don't think so. You've got everything now.
27
Great. Have a wonderful time in Portugal.
28
Thanks, Oliver. I owe you one.
📺 Same Channel
A11,018
Taking the Bus to the City Centre
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1870
My First Month Living Abroad
American AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A1562
Fruit at the Market
American AccentKidsDaily Conversation
A2441
Finding Things at the Supermarket
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A1335
A Rainy Night at the Corner Shop
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B2304
Weekly Team Meeting: Project Status Update
American AccentBusiness EnglishWorking Adults
A2167
Buying a Phone Charger
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A167
What's Your Phone Number? Meeting a New Classmate
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A1151
Breakfast Time
American AccentKidsDaily Conversation
A1120
Meeting My New Neighbour
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A1107
How Much Is This Bag?
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
C1198
IELTS Speaking Part 2: A Place That Changed My Perspective
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B290
Talking to a Neighbour About the Noise
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1107
First Day at a New Job
British AccentBusiness EnglishWorking Adults
A2141
Buying a Train Ticket to Bath
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
A196
Ordering Coffee at a London Café
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A248
Buying Train Tickets at the Station: Single or Return?
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily Conversation
A173
At the Bakery: Buying Bread
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1135
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Hometown, Studies and Free Time
American AccentBritish AccentIELTS PrepUniversity Students
B2253
B2 Shadowing practice A nervous first dat a a new job
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
✨ Recommend Video
B11
30 sentences
TOEIC Listening Part 2: Requests, Offers and Suggestions
American AccentBritish AccentTOEIC PrepBusiness EnglishWorking Adults
A213
58 sentences
Talking about Work in English 💼 Beginner English listening practice Level A2
British AccentBusiness EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B12
57 sentences
Streamline English Connections 21
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
64 sentences
A Sunday Reset Home for the Summer from Oxford
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B1100 sentences
8 Business English Phrases You Need to Know Now
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B12
73 sentences
Office Small Talk in English - Talking About Christmas & the Holidays
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B118
9 sentences
English Shadowing: How to Ask for Help at Work!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A26
174 sentences
zNpmtVZFXS0
British AccentBusiness EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B17
135 sentences
Shadowing 30+ Daily English Phrases with Native Speaker — British Accent Modern RP Practice
British AccentBusiness EnglishTravel EnglishDaily Conversation
B22
94 sentences
INTERMEDIATE ENGLISH STORY ✈️Time to Travel✈️ B1 - B2 | Level 3 - 4 | BRITISH ENGLISH WITH SUBTITLES
British AccentBusiness EnglishTravel EnglishUniversity Students
A2613
18 sentences
Asking Boss for Leave | Simple English Conversation with Emotions #learnenglish #dailyenglish
Business EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 28 sentences and 222 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:35. The speaker talks at a steady 141 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| urgent adjective | /ˈɜː.d͡ʒənt/ | Requiring immediate attention. |
| folder noun | /ˈfoʊldɚ/ | An organizer that papers are kept in, usually with an index tab, to be stored as a single unit in a filing cabinet. |
| inbox noun | /ˈɪnbɑks/ | A container in which papers to be dealt with are put. |
| fifteenth adjective | /ˌfɪfˈtiːnθ/ | The ordinal form of the number fifteen. |
| customer noun | /ˈkʌs.tə.mə/ | A person or company who purchases or receives a product or service from a business or merchant or intends to do so. |
| holiday noun | /ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/ | A day on which a religious event or secular celebration is traditionally observed. |
| switch noun | /swɪt͡ʃ/ | A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow. |
| deserve verb | /dɪˈzɝv/ | To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have. |
| brilliant adjective | /ˈbɹɪl.jənt/ | Shining brightly. |
| monthly adjective | /ˈmʌnθli/ | Occurring every month. |
| message noun | /ˈmɛs.ɪdʒ/ | A communication, or what is communicated; any concept or information conveyed. |
| fair adjective | /ˈfɛə/ | Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent. |
| wonderful adjective | /ˈwʌndəfl̩/ | Tending to excite wonder; surprising, extraordinary. |
| ring noun | /ɹɪŋ/ | A circumscribing object, (roughly) circular and hollow, looking like an annual ring, earring, finger ring etc. |
| stick noun | /stɪk/ | A small, thin branch from a tree or bush; a twig; a branch. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've already written · I've left · I've already set |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should I do · should know |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | need to know · need to look · has to go |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | you'll need · That'll make |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 10 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, can't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: fifteenth /ˌfɪfˈtiːnθ/, monthly /ˈmʌnθli/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like urgent, folder, inbox.
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.