Shadowing Practice: Talking about meetings - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hello and welcome to Real Easy English.
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In this podcast, we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn.
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I'm Georgie.
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And I'm Beth.
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You can find a video of this podcast and a worksheet to help you learn on our website, bbclearningenglish .com.
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Hi Beth, how are you today?
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I'm good, thank you.
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I am very busy.
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I have a lot of meetings.
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How are you?
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I'm okay, thank you, Beth.
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I don't have many meetings today, but today we are talking about meetings,
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in particular work meetings, where you talk to colleagues and discuss ideas or make decisions.
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That's right.
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Okay, shall we get started?
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Yes.
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So Beth, you have a lot of meetings today.
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Do you generally have a lot of meetings at work?
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Thank you.
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it really depends on what i'm working on So if I have a project where
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I need to meet a lot of people, then I might have quite a few meetings.
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and that's why i'm busy now but generally We have a lot of.. a few meetings together.
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as a team but I don't think we have loads of meetings.
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Compared to other jobs I don't think we have many meetings.
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Most of our work is producing things and editing and writing
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but you're right when there are lots of big projects
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that we need to talk to other people on the project we have more meetings but yeah like you it really depends.
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So when do you think meetings are useful?
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I think when You need to brainstorm.
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So brainstorm is when you have lots of new ideas and you need to talk about them together.
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I think then meetings are really useful because you hear lots of new ideas.
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And when you're in a room with other people, if, for example, I have an idea and you say, that's good.
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And we can also do this.
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And we can all work together.
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kind of meetings are really useful.
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Yeah, I think that way of doing it is also more efficient.
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So sometimes it's better to just have one hour, come up with ideas and decide on the ideas.
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Yeah, definitely.
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Do you tend to speak up in meetings?
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So that means do you ask questions and feel confident to speak?
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I think if the meeting has lots of people I find it a bit more stressful to speak up
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because I get a bit nervous to speak in front of lots of example,
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you guys I like and trust.
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I don't mind speaking up that much.
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And sometimes we have meetings in person, sometimes you have meetings on a call, so a video call.
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Do you prefer meeting in person or having calls?
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I think I prefer meetings in person because you can you can kind of see
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the facial expressions and body language more easily, I think.
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And it's easier to know when a person wants to speak, these kinds of things.
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Yeah, no, I agree with what you're saying.
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A lot of the meetings that I have had recently have been with people in different time zones in different countries.
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So, definitely then a call is better because it's the best way to speak without having to go to different countries.
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But I agree.
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I think it's Nice to be able to see body language.
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better in a face -to -face meeting but meetings on calls now are so normal that there's not loads of difference.
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It is also really nice to be able to take calls in your own house.
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So working from home can be really nice because you can have your snacks and drinks nearby.
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So yeah, they both have their pros and cons.
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That's true.
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Okay, let's recap the language we heard during the conversation,
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starting with brainstorm, which is when you get together with a group of people to come up with ideas.
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If you speak up in a meeting, you express your opinion using your voice.
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In an in -person meeting, everyone is in the same physical place.
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We can also call this a face -to -face meeting.
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And we also talked about having a call.
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This could be a phone call or a video call.
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And we can also describe this as a remote meeting.
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That's it for this episode of Real Easy English.
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Why not test what you've learned using the worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish .com.
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And we'll be back next week with another conversation in Easy English.
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See you then.
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Goodbye.
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you
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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging in real conversations about common workplace scenarios, such as meetings, can significantly enhance your speaking skills. This video provides an excellent opportunity to practice speaking in a context that you are likely to encounter in your professional life. By learning English with YouTube, you can immerse yourself in authentic dialogues where native speakers share their thoughts and experiences. This approach not only builds your vocabulary but also helps you to understand different speaking styles, making it particularly beneficial for IELTS speaking practice.

Participating in discussions about meetings, brainstorming sessions, and decision-making processes enables you to improve your ability to express ideas clearly and confidently. As you shadow speech from the video, you can refine your pronunciation and tone, making your communication more effective. This method encourages active learning, as you will not only listen but also mimic the expressions and intonations used by the speakers.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Understanding grammar and expressions in context is crucial for language learning. In this video, several important phrases and structures can help you communicate about meetings:

  • "It really depends on..." - This expression is used to indicate that the situation varies based on specific circumstances. It's a great way to introduce nuanced ideas in discussions.
  • "When you need to brainstorm..." - This phrase highlights the importance of collaboration and creativity. Knowing how to discuss brainstorming can be useful in team environments.
  • "Do you tend to speak up in meetings?" - This question is an effective way to initiate discussions about communication styles and confidence in group settings.
  • "I prefer meetings in person..." - This expression helps convey personal preferences, which can foster deeper conversations about working conditions.

Incorporating these structures into your vocabulary will enhance your ability to convey complex ideas during discussions, especially in professional contexts.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Pronunciation is a key aspect of effective communication, and certain words or phrases can be particularly challenging. Here are some common pronunciation traps from the video:

  • "Brainstorm" - This word can be tricky due to its combination of sounds. Practice saying it slowly, breaking it down into syllables: 'brain-storm'.
  • "Meetings" - The 't' can be softened in rapid speech. Make sure to emphasize the 't' sound to be clearly understood.
  • "Facial expressions" - This phrase includes a lot of syllables, which can make it difficult. Focus on articulating each part clearly to avoid blending sounds.
  • "Collaborate" - This word requires attention to the 'l' and 'r' sounds, which can vary between accents. Practice with sentences to improve fluency.

By focusing on these pronunciation challenges, you can significantly improve your English pronunciation. Utilize resources like shadow speech to work on your speaking skills, ensuring that you sound natural and confident in conversations.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhave been · you've learned
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessaryneed to meet · need to talk · need to brainstorm
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around noware talking · i'm working · is producing

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 →