Shadowing Practice: Learning English: How to Communicate with an American Boss - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

178 sentences

If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.

Have you ever wondered what your boss thinks of your English?

Well, I'm here with Mike, who is a boss, a business owner from Cardinal Exteriors.

We're going to just get to know him a little bit, and I want to ask a little bit about,

you know, what it's like working with people who are also learning English as a second language. But first,

hi, Mike, how you doing? good how are you good um

so can you tell me where are you from i'm right from portland maine yeah born

and raised awesome never left that's awesome

so would you say you have a main accent yes absolutely new england accent i've heard stronger accents sure

but you have a little bit

southern main accent southern more urban okay very cool very cool

so um so we met because mike's actually putting in all new windows in my home

and I'm very excited they're looking awesome

so shout out to you for doing a great job on those

and I was curious like how long have you had your business oh that's a long time

so how's going i guess it's going all right good the first four

or five years were really of my own business were a struggle yeah

but we found our niche and now we're doing really well

and and we did a lot of word of mouth business

and things have been going great so what would you say your niche is

so a lot of what we do is exterior renovations

so siding and windows are what we specialize in we do a little bit of roofing okay but

and some decking for the most part we'll do anything on

the exterior of your home to give it a little bit more curb appeal oh i like

that curb appeal is important um

and how did you learn how to do this like did you go to school

or did you learn as an apprentice or did someone in your friends or family teach you

Believe it or not, I went to school for a history degree with a minor in education.

Oh my gosh!

Yeah, so I got into coaching while I was still in college,

and the guy that I was coaching with for his kids got me into this business.

Wait, what were you coaching?

I was a baseball coach.

Wow.

Yeah.

So it was really kind of like luck?

It was kind of luck, yeah.

I was kind of in between finishing up college, finishing up playing college baseball,

coaching young teenagers and I own this company that did exterior renovations

and asked me to come to work as a sales guy.

That's how I got into the business.

I've been around construction my whole life.

So I knew a little bit,

enough about it to be dangerous yeah 2000 I started in this business as a salesman that's so cool

and now what do you what do you spend most of your days doing is it also sales

so yeah I so I have a business partner

and then I both I do most of the project management going job to job

and uh doing sales okay

and he does a lot of the administrative stuff uh where he does the bookkeeping oh

that's a good partner to have and he also does a lot of sales

and project management depending on you know where the projects are at okay yeah okay very cool um

i did want to ask you because i thought it was very interesting

that you work with people from brazil and probably other countries too um

so i i i was able to talk to some of your guys

and they're super nice because i speak portuguese but i was curious

if you're working with people

and you don't speak their language are there ever communication issues yeah you're always seeing it today firsthand

i think some issues could happen even

if everyone's a native english speaker you know like scheduling or miscommunication

but yeah tell me more i think the biggest challenge is isn't necessary

it would speak first of all i don't speak another second language yeah

so i use a lot of google translate oh yeah that's a good tool um

but the biggest challenge with communication is the dialect

so i could have you know i could say something

that may make sense to me yeah

but it doesn't make sense to someone from a different language for example

I'll use like columns columns yeah columns of a house I'm trying to explain that for someone that doesn't speak English.

I have to show them a picture.

Okay.

And then they'll say it in their language and then we're on the same page.

Oh, that's so interesting.

So visuals help a lot.

Visuals do help a lot, yeah.

Is there anything

that you feel like is a big difference in culture? like i don't know

i mean anything like oh just the way people communicate

or i don't know i think that it's interesting to me

that the so i i work with a lot of resilient culture

and i find them to be very calm and very relaxed yeah in their communication yeah it's very quiet

It's a much quieter way of communicating, which I appreciate.

I feel like from my standpoint, I'm always raised and amped up and trying to get things done.

The clients take their time, they think it through, and then move forward.

So it just feels like a much calmer way of communicating.

I feel that.

Yeah, I can definitely relate to that.

There's probably a lot of stress, a lot of logistics, a lot of people you're trying to make happy including me and

but things get done work ethic is second to none

that's a really good phrase how they communicate versus how they work very quickly systems in place okay they're very efficient workers

but the communication is very, I think it's methodical and well thought out, that's why they're so successful with their own business model.

Is there any advice you would give someone who is learning English about how to communicate with their American boss?

That's a great question.

So a lot of what we do is through text messaging.

Okay.

And that helps because they can text message in our language and it comes across to me in English.

Oh, cool.

Yeah.

So I think there's never, in any language, there's never over a community.

The more you communicate, the better off everybody is.

So you're not going to get in trouble for over -communicating if you text an extra text just to confirm information.

Correct.

100

But if you don't text or you don't confirm or you don't ask the question,

101

that's where things could get kind of hairy.

102

If I don't have an answer from the night before, it's hard for me to know where we're at the next morning.

103

So communicate as much as you need to understand what the assignment is the next day.

104

And honestly, that's been the most successful is the communication

105

that happens after 5pm at my house is probably the most I communicate with the guys throughout the work day.

106

To set up the next day.

107

Oh, that's such a good tip.

108

So over -communicate, even if you think maybe you're asking too much or, you know, confirming too many times.

109

You're never going to bother a boss.

110

During the work day, for me, I want as little responsibility as possible.

111

I want to know everybody's in there everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing right

112

and where they're going even though i have a family at home yeah

113

i can always respond through texts okay always uh

114

you know get to you back in fact i can't always talk on the phone right

115

and then talking on the phone is a challenge yeah

116

if you have different languages different accents different understandings of what things mean sure

117

and on the phone you can't really i guess you could send a picture of columns

118

or something but it's tricky you can't use google translate on the phone you can't use photos you can

119

but it's kind of a but so yeah i think texting is

120

that is a great way to communicate yeah

121

and you know encourage your boss to learn your language well yeah i mean yeah it takes time though

122

and you've got a lot on your plate

123

so um i mean it's certainly fun to learn under other languages

124

but um i mean yeah you've got a lot on your plate

125

and it kind of goes both ways too you gotta

126

you know learn each other's languages learn how to communicate best

127

and yeah i like the text message tip though and over communication would you tell someone if they were

128

communicating too much would you be like hey i think yes i would i think it gets to the point where

129

you know it's like over over we're talking about the same thing over

130

and over it's okay now we understand have a good night

131

but you would prefer that to not having the communication assuming there's

132

that phrase it shows you that she also shows us

133

that they care oh yeah

134

if they're over communicating then they care just as much as we do i like that because i think some people

135

worry about bothering their boss like oh i don't want to send the message

136

because i don't want to seem needy

137

or annoying you're not being annoying better to confirm awesome very cool any other last tips

138

or is that that's a good one no I think just keep communicating don't be shy about

139

or embarrassed about not understanding our language yeah you know

140

so that's one thing i think that happens as well is is

141

if you don't understand the english language they tend to um go quiet

142

and silent that's huge don't be shy don't be shy

143

if you don't understand something feel free to just spill it talk to us

144

and just say like i didn't get that

145

or i don't quite understand i don't understand yeah yeah that's really good tip

146

because uh yeah people feel like oh you know my boss is gonna think i'm not very smart

147

but that's not it right and

148

that happens you know from an english language to english language people aren't um

149

they're too afraid to speak up whether

150

or not not knowing how to do something

151

or not understanding the assignment always speak up

152

if you don't understand that's how you find it i love

153

that yeah it's it doesn't have to be embarrassing

154

it happens with native speakers too like hey

155

i didn't understand what you said can you uh tell me in other words

156

or yeah explain to me again explain to me like i'm five what's going on

157

because i don't always know all the contractor terms either

158

so i have to say what was

159

that you know what are you talking about exactly very cool

160

so what else is on your agenda for today for your work day

161

so today now

162

that we kind of got a little bit of a behind

163

on this i gotta go get some trim yeah for your job yeah

164

so that now that i know what we need so i'll have

165

that delivered and then i've got a deck that uh stairs

166

that i'm building over in another area in portland

167

that needs a little of tending to with some material okay uh after

168

that i have a sales call at 12 30 in cape elizabeth oh wow another siding job nice

169

and then uh from there i'll start uh figuring out what my kids need this afternoon

170

and then what's for dinner awesome

171

so a lot on my plate today that's awesome um thank you

172

so much for the interview and uh if

173

if people want to find you are you on social media

174

or anything your business it's cardinal exteriors social media

175

you can find us on facebook you can find us on instagram okay awesome well thank you

176

and linkedin all right thanks so much thank you

177

Improve your English fluency and your conversation skills.

178

Join the Go Natural English speaking club at courses .gonaturalenglish .com.

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence

IPA PracticeMaster every sound

VocabularyBuild your word bank

Vocab GameLearn while playing

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Same Channel

How to Talk to Anyone: A Walk and Talk with My Neighbor, a Nurse! (Medical English)

Daily ConversationWorking Adults

Conquer your to do list

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

9 Ways to Think in English and Stop Translating in Your Head | Go Natural English

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

10 MINUTE American English Conversation | Learn American English | Go Natural English

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

10 Easy Ways to Train Your Brain to Speak English Fluently

Daily Conversation

FOR YOU

Recommend Video

80 sentences

Talking About Your Job | Intermediate Business English Conversation

Business EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation

99 sentences

How I Teach Actors in Hollywood to Speak with an American Accent

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

62 sentences

10 Words: Change Your Basic English to Business English

Business EnglishWorking Adults

696 sentences

Oxford Business English English for Meetings

Business EnglishWorking Adults

17 sentences

Học Tiếng Anh Giao Tiếp Chuyên Ngành Marketing|Giới Thiệu Bản Thân Cho Performance Marketing

Business EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation

255 sentences

English for Project Management | Key Words & Phrases

Business EnglishWorking Adults

62 sentences

Speaking about Jobs in English for Advanced English Conversation

Business EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students

71 sentences

HỌC FCE 1 TEST 1 PART 3

Business EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students

114 sentences

第一次參加公司聚會，我才發現大家說的英文跟課本完全不一樣｜Real Life Office English

Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults

85 sentences

English Shadowing | David Beckham: Building a Successful Business in America (lesson #53)

Business EnglishWorking Adults

331 sentences

Quanto desta conversa você consegue entender?

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

50 sentences

USA School English 🇺🇸 | Parent Teacher Meeting Conversation Practice

Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “Learning English: How to Communicate with an American Boss”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: language, english, communicate. This video has 178 sentences and 2077 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:17. The speaker talks at a natural 156 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% 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
communicate verb	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/	To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell.
accent noun	/ækˈsɛnt/	A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to…
exterior adjective	/ɪkˈstɪɹiɚ/	Relating to the outside parts or surface of something.
confirm verb	/kənˈfɝm/	To strengthen; to make firm or resolute.
columns noun	/ˈkɑləmz/	pattern which involves throwing props in the air alternately.
curious adjective	/ˈkjʊɹ.i.əs/	Tending to ask questions, or to want to explore or investigate; inquisitive; (with a negative connotation) nosy, prying.
deck noun	/ˈdɛk/	Any raised flat surface that can be walked on: a balcony; a porch; a raised patio; a flat rooftop.
bother verb	/ˈbɑðɚ/	To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
phrase noun	/ˈfɹeɪ̯z/	A short written or spoken expression.
assignment noun	/əˈsaɪn.mənt/	The act of assigning; the allocation of a job or a set of tasks.
translate verb	/tɹænzˈleɪt/	To change spoken words or written text (of a book, document, movie, etc.) from one language to another.
cardinal noun	/ˈkɑːd(ɪ)nəl/	One of the officials appointed by the pope in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking only below the pope, equal to the patriarchs, constituting the special college…
niche noun	/nɪt͡ʃ/	A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.
curb noun	/kɝb/	A concrete margin along the edge of a road; a kerb (UK, Australia, New Zealand).
renovation noun	/ɹɛnəˈveɪʃən/	An act, or the process, of renovating.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
finish up verb		To complete the last details of a task.
speak up verb	/ˌspik ˈʌp/	To talk more loudly or clearly.
come across verb		To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition.
figure out verb		To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
move forward verb		To cause to make progress.
set up verb	/ˌsɛt ˈʌp/	To make ready for use.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Wait, what were you coaching?
That's how I got into the business.
I've been around construction my whole life.
You're never going to bother a boss.

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 you ever wondered · i've heard · have you had
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	people who are · someone who is

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 71 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, ethic /ˈɛθ.ɪk/, methodical /mɪˈθɑdɪkəl/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: renovation /ɹɛnəˈveɪʃən/, efficient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/, shout /ʃaʊt/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, specialize /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/
Long words — get the stress right: communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/, renovation /ɹɛnəˈveɪʃən/, administrative /ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stɹə.tɪv/, methodical /mɪˈθɑdɪkəl/

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 communicate, accent, exterior.

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: Learning English: How to Communicate with an American Boss - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Download App

How to Speak English Fluently and Confidently | Go Natural English

Stop Saying “I Don’t Care” — Use These Fluent Phrases!

How to Talk with Anyone: Master English Small Talk Conversation

How to Talk to Anyone: A Walk and Talk with My Neighbor, a Nurse! (Medical English)

Conquer your to do list

9 Ways to Think in English and Stop Translating in Your Head | Go Natural English

10 MINUTE American English Conversation | Learn American English | Go Natural English

10 Easy Ways to Train Your Brain to Speak English Fluently

Talking About Your Job | Intermediate Business English Conversation

How I Teach Actors in Hollywood to Speak with an American Accent

10 Words: Change Your Basic English to Business English

Oxford Business English English for Meetings

Học Tiếng Anh Giao Tiếp Chuyên Ngành Marketing|Giới Thiệu Bản Thân Cho Performance Marketing

English for Project Management | Key Words & Phrases

Speaking about Jobs in English for Advanced English Conversation

HỌC FCE 1 TEST 1 PART 3

第一次參加公司聚會，我才發現大家說的英文跟課本完全不一樣｜Real Life Office English

English Shadowing | David Beckham: Building a Successful Business in America (lesson #53)

Quanto desta conversa você consegue entender?

USA School English 🇺🇸 | Parent Teacher Meeting Conversation Practice

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?