Shadowing Practice: Microsoft to cut 4,800 jobs worldwide - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Microsoft to cut 4,800 jobs worldwide”. This video has 7 sentences and 104 words to shadow. The speech runs for 0:40. The speaker talks at a natural 155 words per minute, close to everyday conversation.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fiscal adjective | /ˈfɪskəl/ | Related to the treasury of a country, company, region or city, particularly to government spending and revenue. |
| artificial adjective | /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/ | Man-made; made by humans; of artifice. |
| eliminate verb | /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/ | To completely remove, get rid of, put an end to. |
| workforce noun | /ˈwɝk.foɹs/ | All the workers employed by a specific organization or state, or on a specific project. |
| spokesperson noun | /ˈspoʊksˌpɝsən/ | A person who acts as the voice of another person or a group of people. |
| layoff noun | A dismissal of employees from their jobs because of tightened budgetary constraints or work shortage (not due to poor performance or misconduct). | |
| employee noun | /ˌɛm.plɔɪˈiː/ | A person who provides labor to a company or another person. |
| lay verb | /leɪ/ | To place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position. |
| affect verb | /əˈfɛkt/ | To influence or alter. |
| replace verb | /ɹɪˈpleɪs/ | To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back. |
| nearly adverb | /ˈnɪəli/ | In close approximation; almost, virtually. |
| immediately adverb | /ɪˈmiː.di.ət.li/ | In an immediate manner; instantly or without delay. |
| global adjective | /ˈɡloʊ.bəl/ | Concerning all parts of the world. |
| majority noun | /məˈd͡ʒɑ.ɹɪti/ | More than half (50%) of some group. |
| reach verb | /ɹiːt͡ʃ/ | To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand). |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being replaced · will be eliminated |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has impacted |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: artificial /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, division /dɪˈvɪʒn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: artificial /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, eliminate /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/, immediately /ɪˈmiː.di.ət.li/, majority /məˈd͡ʒɑ.ɹɪti/, intelligence /ɪnˈtɛl.ɪ.d͡ʒəns/
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 fiscal, artificial, eliminate.
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.