Shadowing Practice: New work - The future of toil | DW Documentary - Learn English Speaking with Video
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We were both really successful at what we did, but we weren't happy.
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And that's a very, very dangerous combination.
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Once you realize that, if you're honest with yourself, then the only logical thing is to say, OK, I'd like to try something else.
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Greta and Jan Nawel quit their jobs in 2021 and bought a used SUV.
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By May, they were on the Italian island of Sicily, working remotely for a German company.
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Their SUV had become both home and office.
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We comfortably start the day, and then get ready for work.
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At 9 .30 we have our weekly call with the start -up in Germany.
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Even with the right equipment, being a digital nomad has its pitfalls.
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It always sounds so easy.
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All we need to work is a laptop and a reliable internet connection.
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But unfortunately there have been loads of places where we couldn't really connect.
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Or ended up like we are now.
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Yesterday the Wi -Fi was good, but there was a storm last night, and I don't know what happened to it.
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Greta and Jan used to work in management for a German carmaker.
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The higher up the career ladder, the bigger their workload.
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And professional success didn't translate into satisfaction.
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At our old job there were rigid time constraints.
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There wasn't much room for anything else.
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That led to us deciding to say goodbye to working for a big corporation and to trying something completely different.
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Greta and Jan have changed their work and their lives.
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They've followed through with what many people would like to do.
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There's more work in Germany than ever before.
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Job vacancies are at record highs.
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But that doesn't immediately translate into job satisfaction.
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For many in Germany, work just means too much stress for a never -ending workload, for low pay and little appreciation.
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You don't earn much, you work a lot, and you don't get much time off in return.
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The worst is realizing you're being exploited.
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Providing physiotherapy strains your body.
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For me, what you end up getting in return as compensation or time off isn't fair.
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worker dissatisfaction is growing a study showed
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that in 2021 25 percent of people were open to the idea of a new job in 2022
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that number rose to 37 percent companies who want to retain staff
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now need to offer more than just money it's a mix of money appreciation and opportunities for professional growth.
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Even for people in the simplest jobs, it's about money, sure, but it's also about recognition, appreciation and advancement.
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A lot is changing in this world of new work.
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There's a demand for flexible working hours.
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Many want to be able to work remotely instead of being forced to labor in an office.
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And there's a push for flat rather than top -down hierarchies.
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It's becoming less about hierarchy and more about abilities.
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There's a new kind of collaboration that promises greater innovation and productivity.
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New work is ultimately a different kind of working structure.
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But what would new work look like in a more traditional workplace?
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Trumpf is one of the world's biggest manufacturers of machine tools.
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Pascal Janukowicz brings a bag full of dirty shirts with him to work.
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He drops the laundry off at the company's on -site cleaning service before beginning his shift.
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Three shirts, washed and pressed.
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How much?
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One fifty per shirt.
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Employees pay one euro fifty for washing and ironing.
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A big help for the 43 -year -old and his family.
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Pascal Yanukovic was an apprentice here 26 years ago.
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The machine operator used to watch one machine.
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That's no longer necessary.
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These days, one operator looks after two or three.
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And I have an overview of the whole factory floor.
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New work in the factory.
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Punching, bending, lasering.
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Trump is a global leader in sheet metal processing.
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The family -owned German company employs around 15 ,000 worldwide.
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Since his apprenticeship, Pascal Yanukovits has continued to learn.
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The company has had to offer a lot to retain skilled workers like him.
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I can be flexible with my working hours, for example.
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Once a year we can change our hours to at least 15 hours a week or a maximum of 40.
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Being able to change his schedule depending on his needs has been a huge help.
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During the pandemic, my daughter was homeschooling.
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She was always at home.
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Someone else had to be there.
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She's only 12, so we didn't want to leave her alone all day.
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Family is important to him.
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He hates to think how the pandemic would have been without his employer's flexibility.
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It really makes things easier.
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My wife works too.
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Not full -time, but about 80%.
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It was handy to be able to coordinate and have that flexibility.
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A lot of our friends didn't have that,
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and things were much harder for them." Oliver Maassen is the company's chief human resources officer.
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For him, good conditions are one thing, but new work can be a loaded term.
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When I hear it, it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
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For me, new work is something being hyped by consultants who are looking to sell something,
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and by companies that want to appear better than they might actually be.
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What some call new work is nothing new for Maasen.
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He's always felt that satisfied employees are the best employees for the company.
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Flex time might suddenly be a buzzword, but Trump has had flexible schedules for 15 years.
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We have a gym on the roof.
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I can get my laundry done here, and other things that I'd otherwise have to take care of differently.
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Like shopping and cooking.
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Employees can even get food for their families in the plant's cafeteria.
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A schnitzel with potato salad to go, please.
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The take -out food costs between two and five euros, and can make life easier.
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I'm getting my daughter's food for tonight, because the school lunch today isn't so great.
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It just saves time.
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And it helps Pascal focus on his job.
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I enjoy the working atmosphere here.
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Sure, we have team leaders, but you interact with them as an equal.
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The employees have a lot of say.
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The top -down authoritarian model is no more.
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Everyone benefits from each other's expertise.
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Team leaders give information about the current production status, but anyone on the team can raise issues.
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This equality is important to many job seekers.
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85 percent of survey respondents think work -life balance and the ability to schedule their hours is important.
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Flexible working hours were a factor to 79%.
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And for 73%, the starting salary was also key.
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Perks like the on -site basketball court and free gym also play a role in keeping staff.
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Employee representative Renata Luxe calls it a competitive advantage in the battle for skilled workers.
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We're surrounded by companies like
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Porsche, Daimler and Bosch.
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All the more reason for us to lead as the most attractive employer." As well as pay, flexible working hours and fitness facilities,
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Trump also offers employees help in difficult times.
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"...Supporting employees in other ways is a part of promoting a family -work balance, and part of this new working world in general.
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We advise people who have financial problems, we have a company doctor who has a great professional network,
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and we give support when people have relatives who require care.
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This isn't simply charity.
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It's a business strategy.
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The time we put into supporting the employee is time they can then spend performing well for the company.
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At the end of the day, it's a give and take.
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Pascal ends his workday with two hours of overtime, which he can claim back as leave when he needs it.
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Sometimes I can take a longer vacation with the overtime hours.
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It depends.
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Or I don't take the whole day off, but I work shorter hours, like starting my weekend early on Fridays.
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after 26 years he feels connected to his employer that's certainly not the case everywhere in germany
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in a 2020 survey only 17 percent of respondents said they were emotionally attached to their employer 83 felt none at all
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New work is like digitalization.
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Everyone talks about it without having a clue what it really means.
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Ali Maloji is a 41 -year -old entrepreneur from Vienna.
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He's tested out nearly every facet of the new work model.
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His start in the business world was far from smooth.
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School was terrible for me.
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It was just pressure.
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I was there because I had to be.
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I had to learn things without anyone telling me why I'd ever have to know them.
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It was meaningless.
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After dropping out of high school, his future was bleak.
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But Maloji was determined to succeed.
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He worked, later completing high school, and then going to college at night.
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His career took off.
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I was IT manager in a really big U .S corporation.
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At 27, I was the youngest person in the role in Europe.
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Great company car, stock options, good salary.
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I always wore a black suit and red tie.
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I thought, I've made it.
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Then my father died suddenly, and the last thing we had done was argue.
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The sudden loss of his father, coupled with the daily stress of being an IT manager, was overwhelming.
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I had a clear case of burnout.
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I suddenly recognized the futility of my job.
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I was incredibly lonely.
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And I swore to myself
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that I would work somewhere where people didn't have to apologize for not being able to handle external pressures.
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Maloji saw a therapist and began working as a teacher.
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He noticed that a lot of young people don't know what to do after school.
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He founded an internet platform focused on careers.
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It was so successful that he was appointed EU ambassador for youth.
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New work means completely rethinking the system.
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What we usually talk about with new work are just the symptoms, the things we see.
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But it starts with an attitude that says, we don't need to work the way we've been working up to now.
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When it comes to innovation, for example, I, as a 40 -year -old,
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might learn more about digital innovation from a 16 -year -old than they would from me.
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He says today's employers need to understand that they have to compete for employees, not the other way around.
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It's not about having a cool foosball table and saying that your company is like a start -up.
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We're talking about issues like equality in the organization, appreciating workers, aligning work schedules with the realities of life,
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helping people develop, coaching them in uncertain times.
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Employers and supervisors need opportunities for change.
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But we all do.
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I advise everyone to develop a respect for the course of their lives.
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If weeks and months go by when we're unhappy, and we look out the window every day wishing we were somewhere else,
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and if things don't improve, then we owe it to ourselves to admit that this might be the wrong place, then we should move on.
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And that's exactly what Greta and Jan Nawal have done, living and working as digital nomads.
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As they prepare to go for a drive, they get an email from their employer.
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Dominic sent me an email.
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Yes, to me too.
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Can they quickly get feedback on the presentation?
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They want our comments right away.
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Let's drive to this town about 15 minutes away and see if we can get a coffee.
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Then we can sit down and take a quick look.
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Good idea.
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Greta and Jan do what's known as trust -based working hours, around 15 hours a week.
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Their employer is a management consultancy in Germany.
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They decide when to work.
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But if they get assigned something, they start looking for a place with internet.
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Today their office is this café.
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That's what we had on our phones too, right?
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And that's the link.
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They're supposed to edit a presentation.
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The couple's employers are Zahra and Dominik Lutz, based about 2 ,000 kilometers away in Landau in western Germany.
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They run a consultancy that helps companies adapt to digital working methods.
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They have regular video calls with Greta and Jan.
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Great.
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Unless you have more questions, we can start.
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Do you have any special detours planned, or will you head straight back?
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We're going to Mount Etna.
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It was on our wish list for Sicily.
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Fingers crossed you get there safe and sound and have good weather.
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Maintaining a regular job while traveling.
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For Greta and Jan, there's a constant switching between leisure and work.
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It's comparable to the project work we did back at the large corporation.
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You went from meeting to meeting, and from topic to topic.
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It's like that here, except you switch between your private and your business life.
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The job is done.
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Now they can get back to their original plan for the day, climbing Mount Etna.
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Four and a half years ago, Greta and I got engaged on Kilimanjaro, and we thought, since we're in Sicily,
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it'd be a shame to miss out on Europe's highest active volcano.
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So never mind the weather, we're going up there now.
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We're nearly at Mount Etna and it's really starting to rain.
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I mean, it's crazy.
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You'd think you're going to Sicily to get sun and beaches, and we're here in this downpour." Even though it's May,
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the weather refuses to follow the southern Italian stereotype.
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The rain pours down at the cable car station at the foot of the mountain.
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And when they arrive at the top, there's another surprise.
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It's snowing.
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Snow in Sicily.
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Crazy.
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There isn't much of a view today.
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But the pair still has plenty of excitement on the horizon.
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There's so much to look forward to.
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Croatia, Albania, Greece.
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Countries where we'll get a bit of sunshine.
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We'll pay the sun a visit.
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Yeah.
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But the sun is shining on their employers in western Germany.
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This is where Zahra and Dominik Lutz run their startup, also from their home.
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All meetings are held remotely.
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Collaborating remotely with Greta and Jan works.
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Even when we say we'd like something back by a certain time, they let us know right away whether they can do it or not.
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The company's founders also used to work as project managers.
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They too went looking for a new type of career.
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Dominique and I both have long corporate careers behind us.
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We just didn't feel comfortable in that environment anymore.
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Decision -making processes took a long time, because those sorts of corporations are very political.
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Not only that, their old jobs required shifting locations and different working hours.
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That's no longer the case.
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Matching your personal with your professional life is important to us.
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We're more than just consultants and business owners.
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We have personal lives.
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I'm a father.
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But the advantages of working from home, like flexibility and the comfort of being in their own space, also come with risks.
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Of course, it's not always easy to separate leisure and work.
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You can't let work become an obsession.
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The danger is that everything is just a short distance away, so instead of heading to the couch to rest a bit,
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you could find yourself back at the desk.
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That's a common experience for many people who work from home.
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Natalie Obertur is a labor law expert.
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Switching between home and work means extra flexibility.
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But there are still laws to consider.
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All the remote work during the pandemic has led to an expectation of work -life blending.
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You might work for an hour, then take a lunch break, then do another hour's work, and then an hour of childcare care.
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In terms of labor law, it's not easy.
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There are standards for working hours and breaks,
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for example, the daily maximum working time of eight hours with 11 hours of rest." In 2019,
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just under 13 percent of the workforce worked from home.
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In 2021, that number was 25 percent.
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And more than half, 56 percent, would like a permanent entitlement to remote work.
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Even if there were a legal right to remote work, it wouldn't extend to every job.
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There are jobs that can't be done at home, like nurse, salesperson or hairdresser.
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We're going to have to accept that there are differences in people's ability to work remotely.
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Bakeries are among the businesses offering little chance of remote work.
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They need workers in the kitchen and selling to customers.
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But even so at this family -run bakery in the Kreichgau region of southwest Germany changes in the air.
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To keep his great -grandfather's business alive, owner Steffen Leonhardt had to make big changes.
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So, folks, let's start the power briefing.
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A few important things to note.
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Raphael, you're the boss of the day today.
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How's it looking?
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We have enough dough for now, but we'll have to get busy soon.
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Master baker Raphael Speck is in charge today.
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Instead of a manager delegating tasks, things are organized during the team meeting.
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Everyone has their role.
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We got another order.
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25 party rolls for Saturday.
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Can you guys handle that?
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No more orders then.
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Otherwise, we'll struggle." This is how new work functions in a craft business like the bakery.
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The power briefing clarifies what needs to be made and when.
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Everyone's on equal footing.
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That makes Raphael Speck appreciate his workplace.
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It doesn't matter whether you're an apprentice or a master baker.
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We try to keep everything on the same level.
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Everyone is addressed equally.
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The bakery's recent success is a small miracle.
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Stefan Leonhardt took it over from his parents in 2009.
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And then he almost went out of business.
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It's pretty much my own fault for not having a plan back then about how to take things forward.
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Old recipes and traditional baking methods left him in the red.
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That was the first problem.
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We looked at what we offered, analyzed all the products and asked, are they worth making?
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Have we done the math right?
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The answer was no. Steffen Leonhard then took advanced training in French baking.
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Today he offers sea salt focaccia and French specialties.
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These new products bring in more customers and more sales than standard bread products.
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It led to getting noticed in the industry.
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People were saying, look, he's trained in French baking, he's become a bread sommelier, he's remodeling his bakery, you can watch him work.
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It was word of mouth.
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That was really great.
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Leonhard wants an even bigger profile.
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That's why he regularly organizes photoshoots for Instagram.
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Max Herzog does social media for the bakery.
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He's been looking after its channel for two years.
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Social media helps many more people see what's happening here, like the fact that things are handmade, that it's a craft bakery.
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That just leads to much more appreciation.
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The big problem for craft industries is that, unfortunately, they're underappreciated.
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Getting back in the black helped Leonhard solve the second problem, poor pay.
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He had previously only been able to pay between 9 and 11 euros per hour.
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We're well beyond that now.
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Today, we start in sales at 12 or 12 .50.
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In the bakery, it's 13 .50 or 14, depending on qualifications.
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That leaves the third problem – staff shortages due to unfavorable working hours for bakers.
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Leonhard tackled that one together with his wife Stefanie.
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She revolutionized working hours.
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Done?
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Done, yes.
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Great.
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I've put together the staff's requested timetables.
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Let's have a look.
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Stephanie Leonhardt introduced a four -day work week.
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The business is closed on Monday and Tuesday afternoons.
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There are flexible weekly hours, and staff can ask to work shifts that suit them.
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This makes employees happy, but it also complicates planning.
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Quite a few have blocked off the weekend.
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Then four people are on vacation from Sunday and three before that.
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It's going to be really tight.
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Unfortunately, the system doesn't always work.
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You never get 100 percent satisfaction.
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Even with all the back and forth and the balancing we try to do, we can't meet everyone's wishes.
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What's perfect for one person might mean that another person has a shift, when they'd rather not have one.
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Sometimes you just have to make a decision, which can make you unpopular.
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That's life when you're the boss." But the effort is worth it.
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Heiko Lahrig has worked as a baker for 26 years, getting up around 3 a .m almost every day.
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At the Leonhardt Bakery, he can start later.
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it's a big advantage i have more free time because i can stay awake longer in the evenings
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it means a lot when you've been having to go to bed at eight
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or seven every night since i've been working here
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i've been blossoming in my line of work it's really a kind of rebirth
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flexible working hours social media less hierarchy there's a lot that's new in this traditional business.
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And Leonhardt thinks there are more changes to come.
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New work is still a process here.
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No one knows where it'll take us next.
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I'm always having to test the limits.
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You never know.
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So far, new work is a big promise that hasn't materialized for many workers.
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Oliver Suchy represents the German trade union confederation.
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Here at Hamburg's Museum of Work, he's looking back at the hard struggle for shorter working hours and better working conditions.
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Running rotary print presses like these, for example, was tough and dirty.
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Printers used to say that working for a newspaper would shorten your life.
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Sure, working conditions were physically harder back then, in terms of dirt, dust and so on.
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That's why occupational health and safety laws came in, and why management and labor came up with regulations.
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But I wouldn't say it's less stressful today.
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In the mid -19th century, working up to 80 hours a week was considered normal.
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At the turn of the century, the six -day week was introduced, with a 10 -hour day.
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In 1918, the eight -hour day became the norm.
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Workers lived to the rhythm of their shifts.
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Precise records were kept of when and how long they worked.
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The punch clock from the factory or the office, that's history.
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But the modern version of that time clock just looks different.
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The clock's no longer needed, but really it hasn't changed.
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It just looks different.
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Today, working hours are shorter and workplaces are safer.
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But many workers still aren't doing well.
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Physical stress hasn't decreased in the last 20 years.
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It's consistently high, depending on the industry.
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What's really worrying is the addition of mental illness caused by work.
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That's because the pressure and tension is so high in these jobs, whether it's office work or nursing.
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The stress pushes many to their limits – and even beyond.
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In 2020, 35 percent of surveyed workers experienced burnout.
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In 2021, the figure was even higher – 38 percent.
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Something has to change.
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New work could be the blueprint for more productivity and satisfaction.
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There are other factors besides pay, like development opportunities and stress factors.
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It's about how to navigate those things in a way that leads to worker satisfaction.
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Remote work is a cornerstone of the new work model, but it still needs to be regulated.
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We already know that during the pandemic, there were nearly 900 million hours of unpaid overtime.
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A lot of that was people working from home.
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You can arrange your work how you want to, but that kind of.. complete flexibilization isn't healthy.
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On their own, arrangements for flexible working hours aren't enough.
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Do we need new work?
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At the end of the day, it's about prosperity, productivity and innovation.
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For that, we need minds that are fresh, rested and tuned in.
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We still have a long ways to go.
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Greta and Jan Nawal are now back from Sicily.
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And they brought the rain with them.
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They're at Greta's parents' house near the Dutch border and are preparing their mobile office for the next big adventure.
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Next stop, southeastern Europe.
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The water tank is just one upgrade we've done here in Germany.
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We'll have an additional 25 liters of water to use on board.
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The more than three months living and working on the road taught them what they missed from home.
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This is great.
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The water is already warm, and there's good pressure.
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This is going to be good, because as a woman with long hair, washing it while you're on the road isn't always easy.
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Smooth day -to -day life is essential if they're going to work from their specially adapted SUV.
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After all, they're business consultants working two days a week, no matter where they are.
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We've got sand ladders to put under the tires if we get stuck somewhere.
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There's a roof box we made ourselves with a solar panel on top.
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We can use that to charge the SUV's battery,
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as long as it's sunny." Their living space amounts to just under eight square meters.
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Everything they need to live and work is on board and precisely accounted for — even down to the cutlery.
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Two forks, two spoons, two knives, two small spoons — that's it.
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In his workshop, Greta's father is making a final part for the vehicle.
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The retiree has helped Greta and Jan convert the SUV.
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His daughter's decision to quit her secure job and work in a radically different way caught him off guard.
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It was a surprise.
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But she's living the kind of life we dreamed of at the same age, which we just couldn't make a reality for professional or personal reasons.
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Greta's father was self -employed.
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His weeks often involved long working hours and too little time with his family.
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I'm a bit older now, and when you look back you ask yourself, did you do everything right?
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Or could you have taken advantage of the opportunities that the children are now taking advantage of?
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And they're doing it right.
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Greta and Jan also think they've made the right choice.
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Full -time work, responsibility, career – these things didn't make them happy.
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They're glad to be trying something new.
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The car is 99 % done.
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We'll make some final handholds in the workshop over the next couple days.
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When those parts are on the vehicle, we'll be ready to go.
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The world of work is also changing for hotel manager Anne -Marie Breuer.
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As of a few weeks ago, she's been working four days a week instead of five.
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And she still gets paid the same amount.
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It's really nice to start the free day as a couple.
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Having that time off just makes for a better start to the day.
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Anne -Marie's extra day off means she can spend more quality time with her boyfriend.
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I'm a self -employed roofer.
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Normally I have to be out of the house by 7 .30, but when she has the day off, we can have a nice breakfast together.
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One fewer day at the hotel has other advantages for the 23 -year -old.
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It's so much better not having to travel to Cologne that extra day.
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It cuts down on travel time, which I find helps me put more energy into the days when I do work.
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Julian Marks supported his girlfriend's decision.
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When she told me she had the opportunity to work four days, I said, you have to do it.
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She was actually a little skeptical at first.
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I like it.
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I'd do it too if I could.
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Annemarie works here at the 25
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Hours Hotel in Cologne.
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The company that runs the hotel recently introduced the four -day work week.
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Annemarie manages the housekeeping department.
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Today, she's training a new colleague.
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Great.
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And here with the pillows, we can check that the corners are out.
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The decorative pillow in the middle, and then the little robot.
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Then check again that everything's clean and smooth it down again.
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Anne -Marie's been working at the hotel for four years.
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She doesn't just get an extra day off.
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She now has to work an extra hour the other days she works.
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Our shift times have changed since the four -day week was introduced.
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We now work nine hours with a 45 -minute break.
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Of course, it's a bit harder because you're here longer.
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The longer hours are sometimes exhausting.
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Sometimes just eight hours is demanding, and now it's nine.
444
You just have to get used to it.
445
The hotel group has around 700 employees in Germany.
446
Tim Meckelholt is the personnel coordinator in Cologne.
447
The new working model is his responsibility.
448
The crucial point was the shortage of skilled workers.
449
Partly because of the pandemic, we noticed a real lack of trained personnel.
450
As a company, we knew we had to do something, including when it came to working hours.
451
The four -day week is already in other industries and other areas.
452
Why not in the hotel and restaurant business, too?
453
staff now get three days off a week even in the
454
kitchen felix fonseca is a junior chef the 26 year old has yet to find a drawback
455
it's a very very big luxury especially in the restaurant industry the shifts haven't gotten harder in themselves
456
so from that point of view it's all positive.
457
I'm very glad with the extra day off during the week.
458
I'd recommend it to anyone who gets offered it.
459
But it does mean that the hotel needs more staff than before.
460
That's an extra cost.
461
It's logical that we need more staff, because there's one day missing, so to speak.
462
And unfortunately, in three departments, we aren't yet able to offer a four -day week, because we simply don't have enough people."
463
But the four -day model is up and running in five of the hotel's eight departments anyway.
464
Department heads are sharing feedback.
465
Scheduling is, of course, a bit more difficult.
466
We have to take into account requests for time off and, of course, the events and functions at the hotel.
467
With more challenging scheduling and higher staffing costs, the four -day workweek is a challenge for the company.
468
Of course, a model like this will create some initial costs.
469
We knew from the start it would be something we'd have to invest in.
470
Under the old model, Anna -Marie Breuer would be done for the day.
471
Today, she's using the extra hour to work on her department's schedules.
472
You do notice that you're a bit tired in the afternoon.
473
There's this one o 'clock slump, where normally with a five -day week you'd be finished.
474
You think, isn't it time for another coffee or some fresh air?
475
You notice that you're here for longer than before.
476
Here in Berlin, the Futurium Museum helps answer the question of how we'll live in the future.
477
Researcher Daniel Detling is studying the future of work.
478
The old working world was monotonous and male -dominated.
479
Now we are already in a new working world, which is more varied, more diverse, in some ways also more radical, and above all, more female.
480
For reasons that include demographics, we need more women in jobs and in management positions, and this change needs to be accelerated.
481
Detling sees an especially big change in what today's workers consider important.
482
It's less about money and career.
483
Ultimately, the big issue is time.
484
Models of working hours and flexibility with time.
485
I think we have to be even more radical in how we think from the point of view of employees.
486
The big topic is having control over one's time.
487
That's something German companies haven't yet prepared for.
488
He believes that when and how much we work will need complete rethinking in the future.
489
children born today have a life expectancy of at least 85
490
to 90 years why should they retire in their mid 60s an issue
491
that's becoming more important is the redistribution of working time across
492
our lifetimes like having more time away from work between 20
493
and 30 then in return working more between 50
494
and 70 this is where i see the next revolution and i think it'll come in the next five or six years.
495
Greta and Jan have already decided to work less.
496
Before their big trip, they do a final test drive to the Netherlands.
497
Their idea of the future of work is being mobile, working where and when they want.
498
They have exchanged the security they once had with freedom.
499
I had a job that was secure and well paid for a really great, socially minded and generous employer.
500
First, what I've gained by giving that up is to work for a start -up.
501
It's a very different kind of work, and I'm learning a lot about it. So that's one thing.
502
But then it also offers me a flexible form of work.
503
And thirdly, of course, there's the travel, exploring the world.
504
Not just seeing it on vacation the way we used to with our old jobs, but every day.
505
Those are the three things I got when I traded in the old job.
506
Despite the excitement about what lies ahead, Jan doesn't take this new way of life lightly.
507
No one knows what the future holds.
508
And we're not immune to those feelings of uncertainty.
509
But in the end, we very consciously decided to do things this way.
510
And right now, at least, we can say it was the correct decision.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “New work - The future of toil”. This video has 494 sentences and 5744 words to shadow. The speech runs for 42:01. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| employer noun | /ɪmˈplɔɪə/ | A person, firm or other entity which pays for or hires the services of another person. |
| flexible adjective | /ˈflɛk.sɪ.bəl/ | Capable of being flexed or bent without breaking; able to be turned or twisted without breaking. |
| bakery noun | /ˈbeɪ.kə.ɹi/ | A place in which bread (and often other baked goods such as cakes) is baked and/or sold. |
| remote adjective | /ɹəˈməʊt̞/ | At a distance; disconnected. |
| satisfaction noun | /sætɪsˈfækʃən/ | A fulfilment of a need or desire. |
| flexibility noun | /ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/ | The quality of being flexible, whether physically or metaphorically. |
| remotely adverb | /ɹɪˈmoʊtli/ | At a distance, far away. |
| innovation noun | /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/ | The act of innovating; the introduction of something new, in customs, rites, etc. |
| appreciation noun | /əˌpɹiː.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/ | The act of appreciating. |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
| wash verb | /wɑʃ/ | To clean with water. |
| clock noun | /klɑk/ | A chronometer, an instrument that measures time, particularly the time of day. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| smooth adjective | /smuːð/ | Having a texture that lacks friction. Not rough. |
| vacation noun | /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ | An extended trip or journey away from home for rest or pleasure. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. |
| work up to verb | To reach by gradual effort or developments. |
| burn out verb | To destroy by fire. |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| go up verb | To move upwards. |
| lie ahead verb | To be going to happen in the future; to be in store. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- That's what we had on our phones too, right?
- Can you guys handle that?
- Since I've been working here, I've been blossoming.
- I'm a self-employed roofer.
- I'd do it too, if I could.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | we've been working · He's been looking · you've been having |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to work · used to watch · used to say |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have been · have changed · They've followed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being exploited · being forced · being hyped |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, didn't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: smooth /smuːð/, thirty /ˈθɝti/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, rethink /ɹiːˈθɪŋk/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: satisfaction /sætɪsˈfækʃən/, innovation /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/, appreciation /əˌpɹiː.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/, wash /wɑʃ/, vacation /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: satisfaction /sætɪsˈfækʃən/, flexibility /ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/, innovation /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/, appreciation /əˌpɹiː.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/, productivity /ˌpɹɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/
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 employer, flexible, bakery.
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.