Shadowing Practice: Phone Interview: Talking About Salary Expectations - Learn English Speaking with Video

Hi, is this Daniel? It's Rachel from Brightline Recruitment.

Yes, speaking! Thanks for calling on time.

Is now still a good time for a quick chat?

Absolutely! I've been looking forward to it.

Great. The hiring manager loved your portfolio, by the way.

Oh, really? That's lovely to hear.

So, what made you apply for this role?

Well, I've been doing marketing for four years,

and I'm ready to lead a small team.

That fits perfectly. They need someone to hit the ground running.

That sounds like exactly what I'm after.

Okay, I have to ask about your salary expectations.

Um, right... that's always the tricky one.

Don't worry, just give me a rough range.

Well, I'm currently on forty-two thousand.

So I'd be looking for around fifty to fifty-five.

Hmm, fifty-five might be a stretch for this budget.

I see. What's the range they've approved?

They're thinking forty-eight, possibly fifty.

Oh... that's a bit lower than I'd hoped.

I understand. But the benefits package is very generous.

Could you tell me a bit more about that?

Sure! Two remote days a week and a yearly bonus.

Okay, that does make a real difference.

Well, would they consider fifty if I take on extra duties?

That's a fair question. I'll put it to them today.

And the good news? They want to see you on Thursday!

Wow, Thursday? That's fantastic news!

I'll email you the details this afternoon.

Thank you so much, Rachel. You've been really helpful.

My pleasure. Good luck, Daniel!

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Phone Interview: Talking About Salary Expectations”. This video has 31 sentences and 256 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:49. The speaker talks at a steady 141 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 9 of its 31 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
fifty noun	/ˈfɪfti/	A banknote or coin with a denomination of 50.
forty adjective	/ˈfoɹti/	Resembling or characteristic of a fort.
package noun	/ˈpæk.ɪd͡ʒ/	Something which is packed, a parcel, a box, an envelope.
bonus noun	/ˈbəʊ.nəs/	Something extra that is good; an added benefit.
helpful adjective	/ˈhɛlp.fl̩/	Furnishing help; giving aid; useful.
remote adjective	/ɹəˈməʊt̞/	At a distance; disconnected.
hire verb	/ˈhaɪɹ/	To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment.
salary noun	/ˈsæləɹi/	A fixed amount of money paid to a worker, usually calculated on a monthly or annual basis, not hourly, as wages. Implies a degree of professionalism and/or…
stretch verb	/stɹɛt͡ʃ/	To lengthen by pulling.
generous adjective	/ˈd͡ʒɛn(ə)ɹəs/	Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not petty; kind, magnanimous.
portfolio noun	/pɔːtˈfəʊ.liˌəʊ/	A case for carrying papers, drawings, photographs, maps and other flat documents.
approve verb	/əˈpɹuːv/	To officially sanction; to ratify; to confirm; to set as satisfactory.
expectation noun	/ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/	The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
tricky adjective	/ˈtɹɪk.i/	Hard to deal with, complicated.
yearly adjective	/ˈjɪɹli/	Happening once every year.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
look forward to verb	To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.

Sentences worth repeating

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

I've been looking forward to it.
That sounds like exactly what I'm after.
Don't worry, just give me a rough range.
What's the range they've approved?
Could you tell me a bit more about that?

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	I've been looking · I've been doing
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	they've approved · You've been

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I'd, I'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

Long words — get the stress right: portfolio /pɔːtˈfəʊ.liˌəʊ/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like fifty, forty, package.

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: Phone Interview: Talking About Salary Expectations - Learn English Speaking with Video

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