Shadowing Practice: SAP Concur migrates over 85,000 SQL Server databases to Amazon Web Services | Amazon Web Services - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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My name is André Lamego and I'm the CTO of SAP Concur.
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SAP Concur is an integrated travel and expense solution.
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So we have four main objectives for our business.
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We wanted to not have to worry about those physical infrastructure.
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We wanted to optimize our resources to focus on innovation.
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The third is we wanted to expand.
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The fourth one is of course our cost concern.
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With all of those requirements combined, we got the goal of migrating to AWS.
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We use a variety of AWS services.
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For example, we use EKS for a container management,
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we use autoscaling, and we also use Amazon Bedrock for our generative AI workloads.
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With migration of 85,000 SQL Server databases, licensing was obviously a concern.
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We opted to use Bring Your Own License.
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There is also an AWS program called Optimization License Assessment
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that helps realizing what is the best opportunity for cost reduction while executing our database workloads.
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The fact that we transitioned out of our co-locations into AWS allowed us to focus more on features.
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Our customers benefit from our transition to AWS because all our efforts are now towards serving the customer.
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We have a projection of cost reduction of about 70% from the point that we started our migration efforts.
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The fact that our integration environment and our production environment look the same
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and operate the same allows us to more efficiently test and deliver services and features with confidence.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 20 sentences and 241 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:38. The speaker talks at a steady 148 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- transition /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/ (noun) — The process of change from one form, state, style or place to another.
- reduction /ɹɪˈdʌk.ʃən/ (noun) — The act, process, or result of reducing.
- database /ˈdeɪtəˌbeɪs/ (noun) — A collection of (usually) organized information in a regular structure, usually but not necessarily in a machine-readable format accessible by a computer.
- migration /maɪˈɡɹeɪʃ(ə)n/ (noun) — An instance of moving to live in another place for a while.
- infrastructure /ˈɪnfɹəˌstɹʌkt͡ʃə/ (noun) — An underlying base or foundation for a building, organization, or system.
- resource /ɹɪˈzɔːs/ (noun) — Something that one uses to achieve an objective, e.g. raw materials or personnel.
- objective /ɒbˈd͡ʒɛk.tɪv/ (noun) — A material object that physically exists.
- expand /ɪkˈspænd/ (verb) — To change (something) from a smaller form or size to a larger one; to spread out or lay open.
- innovation /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The act of innovating; the introduction of something new, in customs, rites, etc.
- requirement /ɹɪˈkwaɪɹmənt/ (noun) — A necessity or prerequisite; something required or obligatory. Its adpositions are generally of in relation to who or what has given it, on in relation to whom…
- expense /ɪkˈspɛns/ (noun) — A spending or consuming, often a disbursement of funds.
- integration /ˌɪn.tɪˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The act or process of making whole or entire.
- combine /kəmˈbaɪn/ (verb) — To bring (two or more things or activities) together; to unite.
- container /kənˈteɪ.nəɹ/ (noun) — An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported.
- execute /ˈɛksɪˌkjuːt/ (verb) — To kill, especially as punishment for a capital crime.
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: transition /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/, reduction /ɹɪˈdʌk.ʃən/, migration /maɪˈɡɹeɪʃ(ə)n/, innovation /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/, integration /ˌɪn.tɪˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: infrastructure /ˈɪnfɹəˌstɹʌkt͡ʃə/, innovation /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/, integration /ˌɪn.tɪˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/, generative /ˈd͡ʒɛnəɹətɪv/
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 transition, reduction, database.
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.