Shadowing Practice: How to Have Composure at Work: the Inner Piece of Presence - Learn English Speaking with Video

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The first element to presence is composure because before you exhibit behaviors of confidence you have to feel it internally.
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One of the biggest issues I see in coaching people around the Bay Area is
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that they are running from meeting to meeting from thing to thing showing up frazzled
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because they're five minutes late and spending the first couple minutes trying to remember the context or what the goal is.
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And while this is becoming more and more common it It is not ideal.
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It is virtually impossible to show up with the kind of presence you want under those conditions.
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If you're playing a central role in something, you need a little time to get into the zone.
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Create a placeholder in your calendar.
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So create that buffer zone in your calendar.
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5, 10, 20 minutes, whatever it is that you need to get fully focused.
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I know what many of you are probably thinking.
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You're thinking, that's great, Anne, but I just don't have that kind of time in my workday.
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Well, here's the thing.
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It doesn't have to be that long.
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It could be as little as five minutes.
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And if it's important, and if you're playing a central role, you need to make the time.
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Take it from somebody who's done it.
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It goes a long way.
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If it's really not feasible, make the most of that time that you have walking to your next meeting.
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Jot down whatever you need to from the last meeting and then leave it behind.
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Take some deep breaths as you walk.
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And then you'll be nice and centered as you walk into the room.
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Now that we've talked about the importance of having a buffer zone, let's talk about some best practices that you can do during that buffer zone.
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Tell yourself, I got this.
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Do you think before a big competition, Simone Biles says, I don't know if I can do this.
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I'm going to be so bad.
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Maybe on a bad day, but on most days she's saying, I got this.
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I can do this.
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I'm going to win.
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Don't take any new information.
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Put the phones away.
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You don't need to see the newsfeed or emails.
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All of that can wait.
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The most important thing is you're thinking about the situation that you're about to go into.
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What kind of energy do I want to put out?
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What is my goal?
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Okay, great.
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Now you're calm and you're composed.
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That's a great first step.
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Okay, here's your homework for the next week.
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Look through your work week ahead and create those placeholders, those blocks for your buffer zone.
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Try some of the things we talked about during the buffer zone and reflect at the end of the week.
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Did it make a difference?
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Did you feel different?
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Did people react to you differently?
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Okay, good luck.
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In this next video we're going to talk about cues.
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How to send the right physical and vocal signals to your audience.
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If you know someone who really stresses before high-pressure situations,
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share this video with them through Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video, titled "How to Have Composure at Work: the Inner Piece of Presence," provides valuable insights into enhancing your presence and composure in professional settings. By practicing speaking using the shadowing technique demonstrated in the video, you can significantly improve your confidence and communication skills. Engaging with authentic content allows you to better grasp the nuances of spoken English and apply them in real-life scenarios.

Learning English through video resources not only enriches your vocabulary but also helps to build your listening skills. Utilizing the shadowing site or a shadowing app can further enhance your learning experience by allowing you to repeat phrases in real time, thus reinforcing memory and pronunciation.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, the speaker uses several key structures that are essential for effective communication:

  • “You need a little time to get into the zone.” - This construction emphasizes the necessity of preparation before important tasks.
  • “Make the most of that time” - A useful expression to convey maximizing opportunities, often applicable in both personal and professional contexts.
  • “Tell yourself, I got this.” - A phrase that encapsulates self-affirmation, which can be significant for building self-confidence.
  • “Did it make a difference?” - This encourages reflection, a critical part of learning and improvement in skills such as speaking.

By focusing on these structures while you practice, you can infuse your speech with confidence and clarity, elements vital for effective communication in English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with this video, pay attention to specific pronunciation challenges:

  • “Composure” - Often mispronounced, focus on the syllables to make it clear: com-PO-sure.
  • “Buffer zone” - Ensure the 'b' and 'z' sounds are distinct, as they can blend together in rapid speech.
  • “Reflections” - The 'fl' sound can be tricky; practice enunciating this word to avoid slurring.

Utilizing the learn English with YouTube approach, repeating after the speaker several times can help you overcome these traps and achieve a more natural speaking rhythm.

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.