Shadowing Practice: Stop Using Basic English at Work! Use These Phrases Instead | Easy English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hello, everyone.
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Hello, everyone.
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Welcome to Mr. English Channel.
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Hi, Paul.
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How are you today?
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You look very busy with your coffee and your notebook.
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Oh, hi, Emily.
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Yes, I am a bit busy this morning.
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I have a lot of work to do,
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but I always have time for our podcast.
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is good to hear.
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You know, I had a very long day at the office yesterday.
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It was all about meetings and emails.
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Mmm, that sounds tiring, but it is perfect for our topic today.
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We are talking about business English for daily use.
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Yes, many people think business English is only for big bosses in expensive suits,
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but we use it every day, even in simple jobs.
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You're right.
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Like when I go to the local cafe.
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The owner is always talking about his suppliers and stock.
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Exactly.
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So, Paul, tell me about your morning.
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Did you have any meetings yet?
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Not yet, but I have a video call in one hour.
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I need to get ready for it.
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Get ready is a great phrase.
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In a business context, we often say prepare.
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I need to prepare for the meeting.
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Ah, yes, prepare.
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It sounds a bit more professional, right?
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It does, but get ready is also fine for a quick chat with a friend.
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So what is your meeting about?
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We need to talk about a new project.
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I have to present my ideas to the team.
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Oh, a presentation.
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That can be nervous.
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Do you have your slides ready?
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Yes, I finished them last night.
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I hope my internet connection is good today.
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Yesterday, it was terrible.
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I hate when that happens.
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Usually someone says, can you hear me?
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Or, your screen is frozen.
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Yes, your screen is frozen is the most common phrase at offices now, I think.
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It really is.
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And when the meeting starts,
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the leader usually says, let's get started.
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I like that.
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It is simple and direct.
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Let's get started.
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What else do they say at the beginning?
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Well, sometimes they say, does everyone have the agenda?
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The agenda is just the list of things to talk about.
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Right, the agenda.
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It is like a map for the meeting.
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Without it, people just talk and talk about nothing.
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So true.
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I had a meeting last week with no agenda.
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We stayed there for two hours.
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Wow, two hours?
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That is too long.
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Did you at least have good snacks?
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No snacks, Paul.
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Just water.
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It was very unproductive.
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Unproductive.
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That is a good word.
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It means you didn't finish anything or reach a goal.
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Exactly.
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My goal was to finish at 3 p.m.,
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but we finished at 4.30 p.m.
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I was so hungry.
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I can imagine.
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When I have meetings, I like to wrap up quickly.
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Wrap up.
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I love that expression.
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It means to finish or summarize everything at the end.
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Yes.
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To wrap up, let's look at the next steps.
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That is what my boss always says.
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Next steps is very important in business.
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It means the things you need to do after the meeting.
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Like Paul, your next step is to send the email to the client.
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Oh, emails.
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I spend half of my life writing emails.
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Do you like writing them, Paul?
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Not really.
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Sometimes it is hard to find the right words.
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I don't want to sound too formal,
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but I don't want to be too casual either.
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I understand.
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A good way to start is, I am writing to.
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For example, I am writing to ask about the report.
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That is helpful.
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I usually just start with hello,
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but I am writing to makes the reason very clear.
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Yes, it is very direct.
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And what do you say at the end of your emails?
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I usually write best regards.
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Is that OK for business English?
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It is perfect.
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It is professional and friendly.
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You can also use sincerely if it is a very formal letter.
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Sincerely feels a bit like a movie from the 1950s, doesn't it?
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Maybe a little.
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I prefer best regards, or just best for people I know well.
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That is good to know.
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Speaking of people I know,
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I have a new client starting tomorrow.
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A new client?
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That is great news, Call.
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Did you have to sell him a service?
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Well, we had a few negotiations.
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We talked about the price and the time.
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Negotiations sounds like a big word,
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but it just means talking to reach an agreement.
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Yes.
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He wanted a big discount,
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but I told him our quality is the best.
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Good job!
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You have to stand your ground sometimes in business.
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Stand your ground?
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What does that mean?
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It means to stay strong and not change your mind if you think you are right.
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Ah, I like that.
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I stood my ground and he agreed to the standard price.
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That is a win-win situation, another great business phrase.
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win.
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So I'm happy and the client is happy.
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Everyone wins.
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Exactly.
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Hey Paul, we're talking a lot about work.
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If you're enjoying this conversation,
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don't forget to like the video,
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subscribe to the channel, and share it with a friend who is learning English.
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Yes, it helps us a lot,
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and it helps your friends learn English too.
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So Paul, let's talk about networking.
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Have you ever been to a networking event?
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You mean those parties where everyone wears a name tag and talks about their jobs?
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Yes.
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Some people find them scary,
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but they are very useful for finding new opportunities.
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I went to one last month.
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I didn't know anyone.
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I felt a bit out of place.
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Out of place.
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That means you felt like you didn't belong there.
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I felt that way at my first conference.
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What did you do?
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Did you just stand in the corner with a drink?
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Almost.
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But then I saw someone who looked friendly,
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and I said, hi, can I join you?
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Can I join you?
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That is a simple way to start.
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What happened next?
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We started talking about the industry.
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He works in marketing, just like me.
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Industry is a word we use for a specific area of business, right?
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Like the travel industry or the tech industry.
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Yes, exactly.
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We talked about the latest trends.
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Trends are things that are popular or happening right now.
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Hmm.
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Like how everyone is talking about AI these days.
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That is a big trend.
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Definitely.
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Anyway, after talking for 10 minutes, we exchanged cards.
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Do people still use business cards?
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I thought everything was on LinkedIn now.
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Some people still use paper cards,
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but many people just connect on LinkedIn using their phones.
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That is much easier.
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Let's connect.
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I use that phrase a lot when I meet someone interesting.
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It's a great way to keep in touch.
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You never know when a new contact can help you.
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True.
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Last year, a friend from college recommended me for a project.
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Recommended.
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That is when someone says good things about you to a boss or a client.
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Yes.
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It was a referral.
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Referrals are the best way to get new work.
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They really are.
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People trust their friends more than they trust advertisements.
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So, Emily, what about deadlines?
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Do you have a lot of those at your office?
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Oh, Paul.
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Deadlines are the stress of my life.
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I have a big project deadline this Friday.
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A deadline is the final date or time to finish something, right?
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Yes.
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And if I don't finish,
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my manager will be very disappointed.
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Oh, no. Are you on track to finish it?
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On track.
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That is a cool expression.
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It means things are going according to the plan.
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Yes, I am on track.
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I finished the draft yesterday.
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A draft is the first version of a document.
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It is not perfect yet,
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but the ideas are there.
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Exactly.
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Now I just need to fine-tune it.
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Fine-tune.
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You are using some great vocabulary today, Paul.
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It means to make small changes to make something perfect.
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Thanks.
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I'm trying to use more professional verbs.
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It is working.
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You sound like a real businessman.
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Maybe I should start wearing a tie for our recordings.
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No, please don't.
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I like our relaxed style.
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Me too.
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By the way, Emily, I need some advice.
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I have to give feedback to my assistant today.
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Giving feedback can be tricky.
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You want to be constructive.
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Constructive feedback.
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Does that mean I should help them improve,
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not just say, this is bad?
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Yes.
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Instead of saying, your report is terrible,
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you can say, I think this part could be clearer.
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Clearer.
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That is much nicer.
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And maybe I can say,
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you did a great job on the introduction.
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Yes.
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Always start with something positive.
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We call that the sandwich method.
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The sandwich method.
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Now I am hungry again.
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You start with a positive comment,
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put the criticism in the middle,
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and end with another positive comment.
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Ah, positive, negative, positive.
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Like a sandwich.
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I like that.
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It makes the bad news easier to eat.
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Exactly.
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It helps maintain a good working relationship.
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Working relationship.
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That is the connection you have with the people you work with.
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Yes.
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It is important to be polite and respectful, even when you disagree.
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I agree.
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Sometimes people at my old job were very rude during meetings.
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That is the worst.
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It makes the office culture very bad.
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Office culture.
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That is a big topic these days.
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Everyone wants to work in a positive environment.
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They do.
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A positive environment makes people more motivated to work hard.
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I feel motivated when I have flexibility.
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You know, like working from home some days.
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Remote work is very popular now.
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I work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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That's nice.
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You save time because you don't have to commute.
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Commute.
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That is the journey from home to work.
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My commute is usually 45 minutes.
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Wow.
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45 minutes in traffic?
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I would hate that.
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It is not fun, but during my commute, I listen to podcasts.
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Like Mr. English Podcast?
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Of course.
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It's the best way to make the most of my time.
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Make the most of.
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That means to use your time or a situation in the best way possible.
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Yes.
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I feel like I am learning while I am sitting in my car.
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That is very smart.
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I usually just listen to loud music and sing badly.
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Well, that is also a way to de-stress before work.
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De-stress.
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To remove the stress.
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I need that after a long meeting about budgets.
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Oh, budgets.
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Talking about money and expenses is always a bit stressful.
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Yes.
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We have to cut costs this year.
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The company is trying to save money.
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Cut costs.
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That is a very common business phrase.
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It usually means fewer snacks in the break room.
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Exactly.
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They stopped buying the good cookies.
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Now we only have the boring ones.
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Oh no!
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That is a tragedy for the office culture.
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It really is.
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But at least we still have free coffee.
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For now.
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I hope they don't cut the coffee.
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That would be a disaster.
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A total disaster.
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I can't work without caffeine.
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Me neither.
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Hey Paul, if you are still listening, comment office below.
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We want to see who is paying attention.
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Yes, comment office.
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It's a simple word for a place where many of these phrases happen.
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So, Paul, we talked about meetings, emails, sales, and networking.
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What else is part of daily business English?
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What about small talk?
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You know, the conversation you have while you wait for the elevator.
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Oh, small talk is very important.
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It helps you break the ice.
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Break the ice.
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To start a conversation and make people feel more comfortable.
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Yes.
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You can talk about the weather or the weekend or even a local sports team.
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I usually ask, do you have any plans for the weekend?
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It's a classic question.
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It is.
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Or, how is your week going?
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These small questions build rapport.
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Rapport.
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That's a fancy word.
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How do you spell it?
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It's R-A-P-P-O-R-T.
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The T is silent.
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It means a good understanding and connection with someone.
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Rapport.
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I like that.
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It's important to have rapport with your colleagues.
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Yes.
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Colleagues are the people you work with.
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Some people say co-workers, which is also correct.
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I prefer colleagues.
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It sounds a bit more professional, don't you think?
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I agree.
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It has a nice ring to it.
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So, Emily, do you have any tips for our listeners who are nervous about using English at work?
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My main tip is don't worry about being perfect.
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Most people just want to understand your ideas.
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That is true.
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Even native speakers make mistakes in meetings or emails.
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Exactly.
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And use simple language.
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You don't need big words to be professional.
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I agree.
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Clear communication is better than using jargon.
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Jargon.
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Those are the special words used by a specific group of people that others might not understand.
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Like when IT people talk about servers and back-end,
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and I have no idea what they mean.
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Yes, or when marketing people talk about brand awareness and KPIs.
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What is a KPI?
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It stands for Key Performance Indicator.
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It's just a way to measure success.
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See?
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Measure success is so much easier to understand.
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It really is.
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But sometimes you need to know the jargon so you can follow the conversation.
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Follow the conversation.
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It means to understand what is being said.
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Yes.
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If you are lost, you can always say,
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I'm sorry, can you clarify that?
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Clarify.
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That means to make something clear that is a very polite and professional way to ask for help.
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It is.
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It is much better than just saying, what, or looking confused.
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I will remember that.
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Can you clarify that, please?
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Great.
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And if you need more time to think,
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you can say, that's a good question.
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Let me think about it.
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Let me think about it.
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That gives you a few seconds to collect your thoughts.
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Exactly.
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It's a great strategy.
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Business English is really just about being clear and polite, isn't it?
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Mostly, yes, and confident.
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Even if your grammar is not perfect, speak with confidence.
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That is great advice.
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Well, Emily, I think it's time to wrap up our episode.
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You're right.
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I have that deadline to meet,
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and you have your video call.
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Yes, my slides are waiting for me.
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Before we go, let's remind our listeners to do a few things.
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Of course.
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If you liked this episode,
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please subscribe to our channel, Mr. English Channel.
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And give this video a thumbs up if you found these business phrases useful.
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Don't forget to comment office below and tell us which phrase was your favorite.
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We love reading your comments.
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They always make our day.
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Make our day.
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They make us very happy.
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Exactly.
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Thank you for listening, everyone.
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See you in the next episode.
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Bye.
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Bye-bye.
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Bye.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Practicing speaking with this video can significantly enhance your business English communication skills. The conversational context between the speakers highlights typical workplace dialogues, making it relatable to learners engaged in various professional environments. By shadowing the speakers, you can refine your pronunciation and intonation, essential for sounding more natural and professional. This method, known as shadow speech, allows you to imitate the nuances of native speakers, improving your fluency and confidence. Regular practice through this shadowing technique helps embed these phrases into your everyday vocabulary, making it easier to use them in real-life scenarios.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the video, several key phrases and structures are used that can elevate your business English. Here are some important expressions to pay attention to:
- Get ready vs. Prepare: While “get ready” is informal and suitable for conversations, “prepare” is more formal and fits professional contexts. Use “I need to prepare for the meeting” in business settings.
- Let’s get started: This simple phrase is often used to initiate meetings or discussions. It conveys a concise and direct tone, making it effective in professional settings.
- I hope my internet connection is good: Expressing hope about technical aspects shows professionalism and awareness. Use similar phrases when discussing potential challenges during virtual meetings.
- Can you hear me? and Your screen is frozen: These common phrases have become ubiquitous in remote work settings. Being familiar with them can ease technical communication stress during video calls.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you practice shadowing with this video, be mindful of certain pronunciation traps that may arise:
- The phrase "get started" should be pronounced clearly, avoiding a rushed delivery. Pay attention to the 't' sound in "started" to ensure clarity.
- The term "prepare" has two syllables: make sure to emphasize both during practice. Mispronouncing it can lead to misunderstandings in conversations.
- “Can you hear me?” is often mumbled during stressful situations. Practice it slowly to maintain clarity, as this phrase is crucial for effective communication during meetings.
Utilizing a shadowing app can greatly aid in your practice. By listening and repeating these phrases, you'll not only fortify your speaking skills but also improve comprehension when learning English with YouTube content. Integrate these practices into your daily routine, and you will notice significant improvements in your business communication.
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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