Shadowing Practice: Small Talk at Work | Intermediate English Conversation & Listening Practice (B1–B2) - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Hey, good morning.
2
You look like you're running on coffee this morning.
3
Ha, that obvious, huh?
4
I had the worst commute today.
5
There was a huge accident on the highway.
6
Took me almost an hour and a half to get in.
7
Oh no, that's rough.
8
Did you hear about it on the radio?
9
or did you just get stuck in it?
10
I got stuck right in the middle of it.
11
I was sitting there for 40 minutes before traffic even started moving.
12
I should have just taken the train.
13
Tell me about it.
14
I've been taking the train for the past month and it's been a game changer.
15
No stress.
16
I just read my book.
17
You've convinced me.
18
I'm going to start doing that.
19
Anyway, are you ready for the big presentation this afternoon?
20
I think so.
21
I stayed late last night finishing the slides.
22
I'm feeling pretty good about it.
23
But I'm always a little nervous before these things.
24
You're going to do great.
25
Your last presentation was really impressive.
26
Everyone was talking about it afterward.
27
Oh, that means a lot.
28
I just hope the client likes the new proposal.
29
We've put so much work into it.
30
I'm sure they will.
31
Hey, have you seen the email that went out this morning about the new project timeline?
32
I saw it come in, but I haven't read it yet.
33
Is everything okay?
34
The deadline got moved up by two weeks.
35
Management wants to wrap things up before the end of the quarter.
36
Two weeks?
37
That's going to be tight.
38
Are people freaking out?
39
A little bit.
40
There's a team meeting at three to talk through it.
41
You should definitely be there. For sure.
42
Good thing I finished those slides last night.
43
At least that's off my plate.
44
Exactly.
45
Hey, do you want to grab lunch today?
46
We could go over some ideas before the meeting. That sounds perfect.
47
The new sandwich place around the corner?
48
I've been wanting to try it.
49
I was thinking the exact same thing.
50
Let's say 12.30?
51
Works for me.
52
All right, I should get back to it.
53
Got a lot to get through this morning.
54
Same here.
55
See you at 12.30, and good luck with the presentation.
56
Thanks.
57
I'll need it.
58
See you later.
59
Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Small Talk at Work”. This video has 59 sentences and 378 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:53. The speaker talks at a steady 131 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 11 of its 59 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| presentation noun | /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/ | The act of presenting, or something presented. |
| slide noun | /ˈslaɪ̯d/ | An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again. |
| impressive adjective | /ɪmˈpɹɛsɪv/ | Making, or tending to make, a positive impression; having power to impress. |
| proposal noun | /pɹəˈpoʊzəl/ | A scheme or design. |
| afterwards adverb | /ˈæf.tɚ.wɚdz/ | At a later or succeeding time; after that; |
| convince verb | /kənˈvɪns/ | To make someone believe, or feel sure about something, especially by using logic, argument or evidence. |
| wrap verb | /ɹæp/ | To enclose (an object) completely in any flexible, thin material such as fabric or paper. |
| timeline noun | /ˈtaɪmˌlaɪn/ | A graphical representation of a chronological sequence of events (past or future). |
| sandwich noun | /ˈsæn(d).wɪd͡ʒ/ | A dish or foodstuff where at least one piece, but typically two or more pieces, of bread serves as the wrapper or container of some other food. |
| deadline noun | /ˈdɛdˌlaɪn/ | A time limit in the form of a date on or before which something must be completed. |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
| commute verb | /kəˈmjuːt/ | To exchange substantially; to abate but not abolish completely, a penalty, obligation, or payment in return for a great, single thing or an aggregate; to cash… |
| changer noun | /ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒɚ/ | Someone or something who changes things. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) | |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. | |
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. | |
| move up verb | To promote, put onto a higher level. | |
| talk through verb | To tell (someone) step by step how to do something. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You look like you're running on coffee this morning.
- Did you hear about it on the radio?
- I'm going to start doing that.
- Anyway, are you ready for the big presentation this afternoon?
- Hey, do you want to grab lunch today?
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 taking · I've been wanting |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | You've convinced · We've put · haven't read |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
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 presentation, slide, impressive.
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.