Shadowing Practice: Odd job interviews. | 6 Minute English. - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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This is 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com Welcome to 6 Minute English with me, Rob.
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This is 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com Welcome to 6 Minute English with me, Rob.
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And me, Finn.
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Now, Finn, I'd like to start by asking you,
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how many job interviews have you had?
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Oh, that's difficult.
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Maybe ten interviews in my life.
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Ten.
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That's quite a few.
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And do you enjoy going to job interviews?
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Oh, I absolutely adore them.
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I thought so.
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I'm joking. Who does?
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Nobody does.
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Yeah, well for me, they are torture.
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I hate being grilled by a panel or group of people.
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I know I can do the job,
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but I hate having to convince them.
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Today we'll be discussing some odd job interviews and looking at some related vocabulary.
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So Finn, are you ready for your first interview question?
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Yes, Rob, I'm raring to go.
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Good to hear.
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Well, it's important to know what type of job you're being interviewed for.
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Some job titles are a bit exaggerated.
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So what type of job has been named a field nourishment consultant?
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Is it a a waitress, b a school dinner lady, or c a petrol station assistant?
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Oh, right.
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I think that is b a school dinner lady.
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Interesting choice.
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I'll let you know if you're wrong or right later on.
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OK, and if I get the job.
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Let's talk more about job interviews a traditional interview usually involves being asked a list of questions
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and sometimes you have to give a short presentation.
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Yes, questions like, why do you want this job?
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Or where do you see yourself in five years' time?
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Yeah, that's a tricky one to answer.
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But some interviewers, the people who ask the questions,
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go a bit further and ask the interviewees,
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the people being interviewed, to do some inappropriate things.
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You mean they're asked to do things that are not really relevant to the job.
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Such as Alan Bacon, a university graduate who last year was asked to do a dance as part of his interview.
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Yeah, well maybe the position or job was for a dancer or a children's entertainer?
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No, it was actually for a job as a sales assistant in an electronics shop.
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So, someone who works on the shop floor,
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giving advice to customers about what to buy.
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There's no dancing involved.
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OK, well let's hear from him now.
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What did he do at the interview to look positive and how did he really feel about doing a dance?
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We all wanted the job.
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Some of us are desperate,
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like myself, and the idea is just to keep smiling and go for it.
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On the surface I had to look positive.
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I was smiling, laughing along with it,
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but inside I felt degraded and humiliated especially.
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Oh, poor Alan.
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He felt degraded, so he lost respect from other people.
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And he felt humiliated, so he felt embarrassed and ashamed.
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So that's how he felt on the inside,
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but he wanted the job so he put on a brave face,
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a positive attitude and a smile on his face.
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He even laughed.
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And well, later on he did complain and he got an apology.
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But experts say there are now too many candidates chasing too few jobs,
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so companies are trying unorthodox,
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non-traditional ways of recruiting people to see who stands out.
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Yes, well in any job interview it's good to leave a lasting impression.
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That means to get noticed and make people remember you.
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I suppose doing a dance is a good way of breaking the ice and making people feel relaxed.
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But being asked to do something outside your comfort zone also seems a bit unfair to me.
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Yes, but I guess if you want that job, you'll do anything.
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Well, almost.
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I've heard about people who've had to sing at an interview and also role-playing,
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pretending to be someone else and acting out a situation.
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I find just being asked odd or random questions in an interview can make me feel uncomfortable.
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a US employment website carried out a survey about this and discovered some strange questions.
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Yes, they did, such as,
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how would you cure world hunger and if you were a computer programme,
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which one would you be?
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So here's one for you, Finn.
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If you were a word in the English language,
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which word would you be?
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Which word would you be?
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Oh come on, that's unfair.
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Just asking like that.
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That's outside my comfort zone, Rob.
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Indeed.
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I'm trying to break the ice here, Finn.
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Very good.
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Never mind, I'll give you the job anyway.
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Seriously, there's no perfect way to interview someone for a job.
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If you're having a job interview,
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my advice would be to keep calm,
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think before you speak and if you're asked to do something inappropriate,
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tell them how you feel about it.
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And if all else fails,
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you could use a bribe.
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What do you think?
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No?
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Not recommended.
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However, you can bribe me to get the answer to today's question.
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No, I don't think I need to.
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I think I've got the answer right.
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OK, let's find out.
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Earlier I asked you if you knew what a field nourishment consultant really is.
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I said be a school dinner lady.
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Yes, it could be a man as well.
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Is it right?
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It's something to do with food,
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but it's not school dinners.
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Oh no!
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It's actually a waitress. Or waiter.
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OK, very good.
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I wonder how we could describe our jobs.
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Maybe we could be educational dissemination executives?
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Oh yes, very grand.
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I like that, yes.
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We hope you've enjoyed today's 6 Minute English.
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Please join us again soon for another programme.
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Bye!
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That was 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This episode of 6 Minute English offers you a unique opportunity to enhance your English speaking practice. With a focus on the often-daunting experience of job interviews, learners can connect emotionally with the content while also improving their ability to navigate real-world situations. Engaging with the material allows you to understand common phrases and expressions, and, since interviews are universal, the vocabulary is widely applicable.

Practicing speaking through listening to this video can significantly boost your confidence when conversing in English. The discussion between Rob and Finn demonstrates not only the linguistic aspect of interviewing but also the feelings of anxiety and humor that can accompany it. This relatable context is essential for learners aiming to improve English pronunciation while becoming more comfortable communicating in professional settings.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several grammar structures and expressions stand out:

  • "I absolutely adore them." - This expression illustrates the use of adverbs for emphasis. In this context, it's used humorously to convey reluctance towards interviews.
  • "I know I can do the job, but I hate having to convince them." - This sentence showcases the use of contrastive conjunction 'but,' which is a valuable structure for English learners to express opposing ideas.
  • "What did he do at the interview to look positive?" - Here, the simple past tense is used to discuss past events, a vital skill for discussing experiences in English.
  • "Maybe the position was for a dancer." - This speculative language ('may be') is useful for discussing possibilities and is commonly used in conversation.
  • "I was asked to do a dance." - Passive construction is employed here, which is particularly important for learners to understand how to focus on the action rather than the subject.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While listening to the video, pay attention to some challenging words and phrases that may pose pronunciation difficulties:

  • "interview" - The stress is typically placed on the first syllable: IN-terview. Practicing this can help you sound more fluent.
  • "adore" - This word can be tricky because of its vowel sounds. It is pronounced as uh-DOR, which can be practiced further using a shadowing app.
  • "convince" - This verb has a soft 'c' sound and can be easily mispronounced. Focus on pronouncing it as kuhn-VINS.
  • "nourishment" - The linking of syllables in this word can be challenging. Break it down as nour-ish-ment to master its flow.
  • "desperate" - Often pronounced incorrectly, it's important to emphasize the first syllable: DES-perate.

By focusing on these expressions and tricky words, you can effectively learn English with YouTube videos like this. Utilizing techniques like shadowing can greatly enhance your speaking skills, allowing you to practice until the pronunciation becomes natural.

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.

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