Shadowing Practice: How does modular construction impact costs? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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15 sentences
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1
What we did was break down the value chain
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and understand where the sort of pluses and minuses across that
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that drive the change and what you can see is
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that there are clear opportunities to drive up to 20 % cost savings using best practice that's in play now
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but people are struggling to go for the fully productized design this these sophisticated aligned logistics scheme
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and this optimising materials in order to deliver all of the components of that that lead to that 20 % cost saving.
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I think the other thing is we identified this 20 % number as what can be achieved now.
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That also shouldn't be the barrier of what is achievable and if you start leveraging more vertical integration,
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more scale and higher levels of automation both in design and the processes of manufacture themselves,
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you should be able to deliver cost savings significantly greater than that as well.
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However there is also the case that if you don't get these things right
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and if you try and do bespoke construction in a manufacturing site or try
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and coordinate your factory in a construction mindset rather than a manufacturing mindset
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you see examples of people who end up with a regular premium on how much their products cost
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which is why they have often failed to scale into the markets.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “How does modular construction impact costs?”. This video has 15 sentences and 220 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:16. The speaker talks at a natural 173 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| mindset noun | /ˈmaɪn(d)ˌsɛt/ | A way of thinking; an attitude or opinion, especially a habitual one. |
| premium noun | /ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/ | A prize or award. |
| component noun | /kəmˈpoʊ.nənt/ | A smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. Often refers to a manufactured object that is part of a larger device. |
| integration noun | /ˌɪn.tɪˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The act or process of making whole or entire. |
| barrier noun | /ˈbæɹi.ə/ | A structure that bars passage. |
| vertical adjective | /ˈvɝ.tɪ.kəl/ | Standing, pointing, or moving straight up or down; parallel to the local direction of gravity; along the direction of a plumb line; perpendicular to something… |
| sophisticated adjective | Of a person: having obtained worldly experience, and lacking naiveté; cosmopolitan, worldly-wise. | |
| minus | /ˈmaɪ.nəs/ | Made less or reduced by (followed by an expression of number or quantity). |
| leverage noun | /ˈlɛv.(ə.)ɹɪd͡ʒ/ | A force compounded by means of a lever rotating around a pivot. |
| logistics noun | /ləˈd͡ʒɪstɪks/ | The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from their point of… |
| coordinate verb | /koʊˈɔɹ.dəˌneɪt/ | To place in the same order or rank. |
| automation noun | /ˌɔ.təˈmeɪ.ʃən/ | The act or process of converting the controlling of a machine or device to a more automatic system, such as computer or electronic controls. |
| align verb | /əˈlaɪn/ | To form a line; to fall into line. |
| achievable adjective | /əˈt͡ʃivəbəl/ | Capable of being achieved, which either means possible or probable. |
| bespeak verb | /bɪˈspiːk/ | To speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| break down verb | To stop functioning. |
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 | have often failed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can be achieved |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who end |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: integration /ˌɪn.tɪˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/, automation /ˌɔ.təˈmeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: integration /ˌɪn.tɪˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/, coordinate /koʊˈɔɹ.dəˌneɪt/, automation /ˌɔ.təˈmeɪ.ʃən/, achievable /əˈt͡ʃivəbəl/
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 mindset, premium, component.
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.