Shadowing Practice: Learning a new job – A2 English Listening Test - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Well, when I left school three years ago, lots of my friends went to university, but it was too expensive for me to go.
2
I was unhappy because they seemed to be having a great time.
3
I just had a job at a building company in my hometown.
4
It was okay.
5
At least I got paid.
6
I was planning to save up money to go to university, but then I read about the apprenticeship in a magazine at work,
7
and applied for it and got it.
8
It's the best of both worlds, I think.
9
Well, the apprenticeship is for a big construction company, and it's four years long.
10
I work in a different department every four months, and learn what happens in each one.
11
I'm in my second year now.
12
Last year I worked in planning, safety and administration.
13
Now I'm working in the environmental department.
14
And next I'm going to be working in services.
15
I do three days a week in the office or on site doing a normal job.
16
Then for two days per week we have lectures and classes at the company's offices.
17
They take on 12 a year, so at the moment there are, I guess, just under 50 of us altogether, over the four different year groups.
18
Then the 12 people in my year are divided equally among the three departments.
19
So there are three other people currently working in the environmental department with me.
20
The 12 people in my year group meet up together on study days and we learn the same things.
21
Well, I agreed with the company to work for them for three years after I finished the training.
22
But that's okay.
23
I can decide which department I work in.
24
So far, my favourite department to work in has been planning.
25
So I might work in that.
26
There are opportunities to work abroad too.
27
The company does a lot of projects in Indonesia, so I'd like to go there.
28
After those three years, I don't know.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Learning a new job – A2 English Listening Test”. This video has 28 sentences and 330 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:14. The speaker talks at a steady 148 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| abroad adverb | /əˈbɹɔːd/ | Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries. |
| equally adverb | /ˈiːkwəli/ | In an equal manner; in equal shares or proportion; with equal and impartial justice; evenly |
| lecture noun | /ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/ | A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group. |
| divide verb | /dɪˈvaɪd/ | To split or separate (something) into two or more parts. |
| altogether adverb | /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/ | Completely, wholly, or without exception. |
| unhappy adjective | /ʌnˈhæpi/ | Not happy; sad. |
| hometown noun | /ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn/ | An individual’s place of birth, childhood home, or place of main residence. |
| apprenticeship noun | /əˈpɹɛn.tɪs.ʃɪp/ | The condition of, or the time served by, an apprentice. |
| favourite adjective | /ˈfeɪv.ɹɪt/ | Most-liked. (In other words, [person]'s favorite [noun] = the [noun] that [person] likes the most.) |
| environmental adjective | /ənˌvaɪ.ɚnˈmɛn.təl/ | Pertaining to the environment. |
| agree verb | /əˈɡɹi/ | To be in harmony about an opinion, statement, or action; to have a consistent idea between two or more people. |
| construction noun | /kənˈstɹʌkʃən/ | The process of constructing. |
| safety noun | /ˈseɪfti/ | The condition or feeling of being safe; security; certainty. |
| opportunity noun | /ˌɒp.əˈtjuː.nɪ.tɪ/ | A chance for advancement, progress or profit. |
| administration noun | /ədˌmɪn.ɪˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The act of administering; government of public affairs; the service rendered, or duties assumed, in conducting affairs; the conducting of any office or… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| save up verb | To accumulate money, especially for a specific, planned expenditure. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- It's the best of both worlds, I think.
- I'm in my second year now.
- After those three years, I don't know.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: apprenticeship /əˈpɹɛn.tɪs.ʃɪp/, construction /kənˈstɹʌkʃən/, administration /ədˌmɪn.ɪˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/, finish /ˈfɪnɪʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/, apprenticeship /əˈpɹɛn.tɪs.ʃɪp/, environmental /ənˌvaɪ.ɚnˈmɛn.təl/, opportunity /ˌɒp.əˈtjuː.nɪ.tɪ/, administration /ədˌmɪn.ɪˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/
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 abroad, equally, lecture.
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.